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🇵🇹Things to Do in Portugal
From Lisbon's hillside trams to the cliffs of the Algarve - the essential sights, and how to keep your own record of them.
Travel guide - last updated September 2026
Portugal is compact enough to combine a capital city, a fairytale hill town, a wine region and a coastline in a single trip without much driving. Lisbon anchors most itineraries, but the country's real range shows once you go a little further: Porto's port wine cellars, the Algarve's cliffs, or Madeira's volcanic hiking trails. Here are 10 places worth building a trip around.
Top attractions
The sights most first-time visitors build an itinerary around.
Lisbon's Alfama & Tram 28
Lisbon's oldest district, a maze of narrow streets climbing toward São Jorge Castle, best explored on foot with the iconic yellow Tram 28 as a scenic (if crowded) shortcut uphill.
📍 Lisbon
🚉 Tram 28 itself is the transport - board at Martim Moniz, on the green metro line, and ride it up through Alfama; Santa Apolonia station is at the foot of the district.
Sintra
A hill town 40 minutes from Lisbon by train, packed with palaces - the brightly colored Pena Palace is the highlight. Arrive early; Sintra's narrow roads back up badly with day-trip traffic by mid-morning.
📍 Sintra
🚉 Nearest station: Sintra, 40 minutes from Lisbon's Rossio station on the urban line, then bus 434 up the hill to the Pena Palace and the Moorish castle.
Douro Valley
Terraced vineyards along the Douro River, the source of port wine. A river cruise from Porto or a train ride out to Pinhão both show off the valley without needing to drive the winding roads yourself.
📍 Douro Valley
🚉 The Douro line from Porto's Sao Bento station follows the river to Pinhao and Pocinho, and is one of Europe's great train rides - Pinhao is the stop for the quintas and the river cruises.
Algarve Coast
Southern Portugal's dramatic coastline - Lagos and the sea caves at Benagil are the standouts. Book a boat tour to Benagil Cave in advance in summer; it can only be reached by water or a difficult cliff scramble.
📍 Lagos & Benagil, Algarve
🚉 The Algarve line runs from Lagos to Vila Real de Santo Antonio, calling at Portimao, Albufeira, Faro and Tavira; Benagil cave itself has no station and is reached by boat from Portimao or Armacao de Pera.
Porto
Portugal's second city, built along the steep Ribeira riverside district. The Livraria Lello bookstore (a rumored Harry Potter inspiration) now requires a timed, paid ticket due to crowding - book ahead.
📍 Porto
🚉 Nearest station: Sao Bento, whose tiled hall is a sight in its own right, in the middle of the old town; Campanha is the intercity terminal, four minutes away by shuttle train.
Batalha Monastery
A Gothic UNESCO World Heritage monastery built to commemorate a 14th-century military victory, roughly two hours north of Lisbon and easily combined with nearby Fátima and Alcobaça.
📍 Batalha
🚉 There is no railway to Batalha - Rede Expressos coaches from Lisbon take about two hours to the town, and the monastery stands directly beside the bus stop.
Madeira
A volcanic island 90 minutes by flight from Lisbon, known for its levada trails - walking paths that follow centuries-old irrigation channels through the mountains.
📍 Madeira
🚉 The island has no railway: fly into Funchal, then the Horarios do Funchal buses cover the city and Rodoeste and SAM lines reach the north coast and Santana.
Nazaré
A fishing town on the central coast that holds the world record for the largest wave ever surfed. The giant winter swells (October-March) draw big-wave surfers; summer is calmer and better for the beach itself.
📍 Nazaré
🚉 Nearest station: Valado dos Frades, about 8km inland with a connecting bus; most visitors come by Rede Expressos coach from Lisbon straight into Nazare, then the funicular up to Sitio for the big-wave viewpoint.
Évora
An Alentejo walled city with a Roman temple still standing in its main square, and the unsettling Chapel of Bones lined floor to ceiling with human remains.
📍 Évora, Alentejo
🚉 Nearest station: Evora, with direct trains from Lisbon's Oriente station in about 90 minutes and a 15-minute walk to the Roman temple inside the walls.
Fado Music, Lisbon
Portugal's traditional, melancholic musical genre, performed live nightly in small Alfama taverns - a dinner-and-show evening is the standard way to experience it.
📍 Lisbon
🚉 The fado houses cluster in Alfama and Bairro Alto - use tram 28 or Santa Apolonia for Alfama, and the Gloria funicular from Restauradores for Bairro Alto.
Mark Portugal, get the stamp
In MyPassportStory, every country you mark - visited, lived in, or still on the list - becomes a stamp like these in your own travel passport. Add the cities you stopped in, draw the route between them, and turn the whole trip into a shareable passport-style image.
Open MyPassportStoryPlanning questions
How many days do you need in Portugal?
A week covers Lisbon, Sintra and Porto comfortably. Ten days to two weeks lets you add the Algarve or the Douro Valley without cutting the cities short.
What's the best time to visit Portugal?
May-June and September have warm weather without peak-summer crowds or heat. July-August are hottest and busiest, especially on the Algarve coast; Madeira stays mild enough for hiking most of the year.
Is Portugal good for a first-time visit?
Yes - Lisbon and Porto are connected by a fast, frequent train, English is widely spoken in tourist areas, and it's one of the more affordable countries in Western Europe to visit.
Do I need a visa to visit Portugal?
Portugal is part of the Schengen Area, so citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Australia and many other countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa arranged in advance. Check the official visa information for your nationality: vistos.mne.gov.pt.
What are some things to do in Portugal on a tight budget?
Lisbon's miradouros (viewpoints) and most church interiors are free, city beaches cost nothing, and a free walking tour of the Alfama or Baixa districts is easy to find in any hostel or tourist office.
Can I rent a car in Portugal, and what licence do I need?
Yes, and it is the practical way to work along the Algarve cliffs or into the Douro's terraces. EU and EEA licences are valid as issued; visitors from outside the EU can drive on a home licence, but should carry an International Driving Permit alongside it, and one is required if the licence is not in the Latin alphabet. Minimum age is usually 21 with a surcharge under 25. Portugal's motorways use electronic tolls with no cash booths on some stretches, so take the rental company's transponder or you will be chasing payments later. The transport authority IMT publishes licence rules at imt-ip.pt; cars come from Europcar, Hertz and the Portuguese chain Guerin.