Perfect Portugal: How to Spend the Ultimate 7 Days in Portugal

I don’t think anyone can quite understand my love for Portugal. This country had been on my list for so long and it DID NOT disappoint. In this guide I will walk you through an unforgettable 7-day adventure that takes you to three of its most iconic cities: Porto, Lagos, and Lisbon.

We’ll start in Porto, where the scent of aging port wine fills the air and the Douro River sets a picturesque backdrop. Next, we head to Lagos to relax on sun-kissed beaches and marvel at dramatic coastal cliffs. Finally, we’ll soak up the vibrant energy of Portugal’s capital in Lisbon, wandering through its colorful streets and sampling delicious pastéis de nata. Each city offers its own unique charm and an array of experiences that promise to make your trip truly memorable. Get ready to fall in love with Portugal just like I did, stunning landscapes, and warm hospitality what more can you ask for?!

Porto (2 Nights)

The second I saw the colorful buildings and the Luis bridge, I knew Porto was a must when visiting Portugal. We flew into Lisbon and rented a car to drive to Porto, the ride is about 3.5 hours). There is a parking garage in Porto that you probably will have to leave your car in if you plan on using it for more of the trip (trust me everything is walkable in Porto, you won’t need it).

Hotel

• 296 Heritage Apartments: Loveddddd our hotel in Porto! The location and views from our room were amazing and it was in a prime location for the price. When visiting Porto I would stay on the Vila Nova de Gaia side of the Port to see the beautiful building from a far like we did in this hotel

Food

• Chama: Really wanted to go here while we were in Porto. Make reservations ASAP, I put us on the waiting list 1-2 months before and still wasn’t able to get in!
• Tapa Bento: Super cute tapas restaurant
• Encaixados: Vibey intimate restaurant. Highly recommend trying to book all restaurants in advance, Porto seemed to be very busy and booked in the summer months.

Things to do

• Boat ride: Take a boat ride on the Douro River.
• Wine tasting: Some of the best wine in the world comes from Portugal. You have to taste Port wine while you are here. Here are some tours you can take but even just grabbing some from a bar or restaurant and enjoying the views will do too.
• Walking around and seeing what you can find is one of my favorite ways to explore a new city, some things planned and others spontaneous

Lagos (3 Nights)

From Porto we drove about 5 hours to Lagos in southern Portugal. I think this was our favorite part of Portugal to explore thus far. From the food to the crazy rock and cliff formations, you will have a great time here in Lagos

Hotel: Boutique Hotel Vivenda Miranda – We try to stay at boutique hotels when traveling instead of big chains, they feel more intimate and quiet. We loved Vivenda Miranda, the breakfast in the morning was a hit, the cliff views and pool were to die for. Also just a short 5-10 min drive from town.

Food

• Windmill Restaurant: This restaurant is a little further out of Lagos in Albuferia but it is so worth it! Dining inside of a windmill is one of the coolest experiences ive ever had and bonus is that the food was actually amazing. Book wayyy in advance, there is only 12 seatings in inside of the windmill and 2 window seats with views of the ocean.
• Casa do Prego: This place was so good we ate here 2 out of our 3 nights in Lagos! The owner and staff are the BEST. They remembered us from the other night we were there and made us feel special. I recommend this place 10000% <3

Things to do

• Benagil Caves & Beaches: There are so many beautiful beaches and cliffs in Lagos. You have to take kayaks or a boat tour to the benagil caves, we choose a boat over the kayaks because the water was a little choppy for me. Other beaches: Praia do Marinha, Praia Dona Ana, Praia do Camilo, Meia Praia, Praia do Porto de Mos all must visit beaches
• Explore Albufeira: Explore the beaches and nightlife of Albuferia

Lisbon (2 nights)

We will end our journey in the capital of Portugal. We spend 2 nights here and we loved every moment, it was a great place to end our Portuguese adventure and really soak up all the moments in the past week.

Hotel: Avenida Palace – Loved this hotel. So chic, luxury, and great location. We truly enjoyed our stay here.

Food

• Restaurante Pastanaga – Food was outstanding! Make reservations if you can, there is two separate dining rooms across the way from each other which is kinda confusing but absolutely recommend for dinner.
• Taberna Sal Grosso
• Alfama Cellar
• Antikuario Cafe

Things to do

• Ride the cable car
• Day trip to Sintra: We did this on the way to back to Lisbon from Lagos. We spent about 2-3 hours walking around the Pena palace and admiring the beautiful castles and architecture, this cannot be missed on your trip to Portugal. Be warned: getting to the castles is quite difficult and not very intuitive. We almost turned around and got lost like 3 times hahaha. You do you have to buy tickets in advance so go with plenty of time to get lost lmao
• Visit the Belem Tower
• Visit some of the nearby beaches (Alburrica Beach, Guincho Beach, or Adraga Beach)

Conclusion

Portugal has been of my favorite countries I’ve ever visited. The food, the people, the nature and cities. You can spend weeks adventuring through this small but mighty country. I can’t wait to come back and explore more of the smaller towns like Aveiro, Coimbra and the island of Azores! If you enjoyed this post, check out my full 17 day itinerary that we used on this trip to Portugal including Mallorca, and Italy!