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By Monika

Lisbon and Algarve Itinerary You’ll Love: 7 Days in Portugal. 

Are you planning your first trip to Portugal and are struggling with planning an itinerary that will make the best of your vacation time?

I’ve got one for you right here!

It combines the historic charm and the hustle and bustle of Lisbon with a relaxing visit to the sunny Algarve.

But don’t worry, the Algarve is not just about beaches! Although they ARE beautiful… There are also hiking trails, kayaking or boat trips, and more if you like to stay active.

This guide will give you my best tips and advice on how to spend 7 days in Portugal and the exact travel plan that I created for our first trip.

Feel free to slow it down – we really packed our days but that’s just how we travel! You can easily lighten it for a more relaxing pace.

Either way, with this Lisbon and Algarve itinerary, you’ll see some of the best highlights of both regions.

Let’s get started!

This post contains affiliate links to trusted products and services that I use and love myself. If you make a purchase through these links, I may receive compensation at NO EXTRA COST TO YOU. I appreciate your support! See my Disclaimer Policy for more details.

Note: This itinerary assumes that you start and finish your trip in Lisbon, which is exactly how we did it. However, it’s also possible to start this route in Lisbon and finish in the Algarve. I will let you know later in this guide how to adjust your days in that case.

Day 1. Arrive and see Lisbon

Hopefully you get to arrive in the morning, like we did, but if not, treat your first afternoon or evening as a chance to rest and recover from a flight and start this itinerary refreshed the next morning.

We arrived a couple of hours later than planned due to flight delays, luckily it was still early and we had plenty of time to enjoy Lisbon.

We dropped our bags at the hotel and headed out.

Helpful hint: if your hotel does not offer airport transfers and you don’t want to take the metro, I recommend using Welcome Pickups. That’s how we got to our hotel from the airport, and it was very quick, easy, and convenient.

This is what we saw on our first day in Lisbon:

• Santa Justa Elevator
• Castelo de São Jorge
• Walked the streets of Alfama
• Got a glance at Tram 28
• Miraduoro da Graça and Funicular da Graça
• Largo Portas do Sol (+ Miraduoro de Santa Lucia and Miradouro das Portas do Sol)
• Sé de Lisboa (Lisbon Cathedral)
• Praça do Comércio
• Pink Street
• Gloria Funicular

Yes, it was a lot of walking, we were tired but very happy!

If you’re wondering how to put it all in one day’s itinerary and how to get around Lisbon to accomplish that, read my guide on how to spend one day in Lisbon.

Need more details on Libon attractions? Read this guide: Best Things to See in Lisbon: Your Ultimate Guide.

Helpful hint: you don’t need to rent a car for this part of the itinerary. Lisbon is a hilly but walkable city, and the public transportation system (metro, buses AND lifts and funiculars!) is fantastic.

If it seems like too much walking in one day, feel free to stretch the sightseeing over more days if you have more time. If you only have one day but are not up for walking, grab a tuk-tuk or use the hop-on, hop-off bus.

Read “15 Important Things to Know Before Visiting Lisbon” for more helpful tips for your visit.

Spend the night at your accommodation in Lisbon and get a good night’s sleep. We’re going to Sintra tomorrow!

Note: I know there is much more to see in Lisbon – don’t worry, we’ll come back to Lisbon to finish sightseeing on the last day of this trip! However, if your trip starts in Lisbon and ends in the Algarve, move the last day’s itinerary to tomorrow to see all the highlights. Option: stay an extra day for a more relaxed pace and add an extra attraction like a Fado performance.

Where we stayed: Lisbonnaire Apartments near Rossio Square and Restauradores Plaza – super convenient to the train, metro and easy to walk to Lisbon’s attractions. I highly recommend both the apartment and the location!

Day 2. Day trip to Sintra

A day trip to Sintra is a must if you’re in Lisbon – there is so much to see there!

The key is to start your day early!

We certainly did – we were at the Rossio Train station around 7:30 am. It was less than 10-minute walk from our apartment. After a one-hour train ride we arrived at the Sintra train station.

Helpful tip: the train ticket to Sintra is included in both the Lisbon Card and the Navegante Occasional Card!

From there we headed straight to the main highlight of the park – the Pena Palace.

Good to know: there are a lot of different ways to get around Sintra but in a nutshell, you can take a bus, a tuk tuk, Uber/Bolt or just walk! You should NOT take a car to Sintra!

Read my honest review of renting an e-car in Sintra!

Anyway, we picked up our Twizys and made our way to the Pena Palace. It was stunning! It looks exactly as bright and colorful in real life as it did in all the pictures I saw in travel guides.

We did not go inside the palace – the line was very long and very slow moving despite the mandatory timed tickets (which we also had!).

So we decided to explore the terraces, the wall and the courtyards (for which you do need your palace ticket, you won’t be able to access those areas without it).

And, of course, the breathtaking views!

Next, we walked through the Sintra gardens to the Moorish Castle – a beautiful medieval fortress on the very top of the hill. Don’t skip it! It was well worth the climb.

Once there, we walked the stone walls and got our fill of the views. You truly feel like you’re in a fairy tale.

Helpful Hint: The Moorish Castle, while busy, wasn’t nearly as crowded as Pena Palace!

Since our e-cars were parked below in the main Sintra parking lot, we took a jeep ride back to save some time.

We brought our ecars back to the garage to recharge, during which time we had lunch at a local restaurant.

Then we drove to Quinta da Regaleira. What a beautiful place!

The gardens, the bridges, towers and hidden tunnels were just beautiful! And of course, the main attraction – the Initiation Well was well worth the wait in line! (THIS line moved fast!)

From here we chose to drive about 30 minutes to Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of Portugal and Europe as well!

It was a wild ride and the closer we were getting to the coast, the windier and cooler it was, and our little cars did not have covered windows!

Cabo da Roca was beautiful but SO WINDY!!! We walked around, had some food and hot coffee at the café and headed back.

I hoped to be able to stop by the Monserrate Palace, but we ended up cutting it close to the time our cars were due back so we put it on our “return to Sintra” list.

After returning our Twizys we explored the shops and cafes near the train station and then took a 7:30 pm train back to Lisbon.

It was a great day!

Would you rather join a tour? Here are some highly rated experiences:

• Sintra, Pena Palace, Cabo da Roca, Cascais Tour
• Sintra, Regaleira and Pena Palace Guided Tour
• Sintra and Portuguese Coast Private Day Tour

Day 3. Day trip to Óbidos, Nazaré and the Shrine of Fatima

This was my favorite day trip from Lisbon!

It was also the day we rented a car. We picked it up from the airport and headed out of the city. We had big plans but kept them flexible to avoid stressing about not completing the “to-do list”.

Our first stop was Óbidos – a tiny but beautiful town about an hour’s drive from Lisbon.

It’s famous for its Moorish Castle (now converted to a high-end hotel) and the city walls, which you can walk on. And of course, the signature Portuguese cherry liquor – gingja.  

We were served our samples in the traditional chocolate shot glasses! It was delicious!

We walked the town walls, the charming streets with small shops and restaurants, peeked inside the church (Igreja de Santa Maria) and had a delicious lunch at the NATA café near the castle.

And just like that, 3 hours had passed!

We got on the way to our next stop – Nazaré.

Only 30 minutes from Óbidos, this little town had a completely different vibe! It was more of a beach resort town, with a promenade full of souvenir stands and cafes, BUT – the main attraction and an absolute must-see were the fishing boats on the beach and the fish drying racks!

You can actually buy the sun-dried fish right near the racks!

Next, we made our way along the beach to the funicular (Ascensor da Nazaré), which took us up to Sitio district of Nazaré, located high on a cliff.

We walked along the cliff towards the lighthouse and the famous “Waves gate”.

Nazaré is most famous for the giant waves, but the “Big Waves Season” runs from October to March, so we just missed it in April. The area is still worth visiting and the views were stunning!

From Nazaré we drove another 45 minutes to Fátima.

We wanted to see the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima, as it’s a place of religious significance and a major pilgrimage site. Most famous for the story of three children who claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary in 1917.

If you’d like more information about the shrine, here is the link to the official website.

By the time we finished our visit, it was getting late and we decided to head back to Lisbon.

We planned on driving to the Algarve the next day and still had to find parking for our car for one night!

So the rest of our list (Aveiro, Alcobaça and Batalha Monasteries) will have to wait for our next visit to Portugal.

Luckily, our hotel allowed us to park right in front of it as long as we left before 9 am, so we took advantage of that offer and settled for the night.

If you’d rather spend this day with an organized tour, you have many options for wonderful day tours to all the sites we’ve seen today and more!

Day 4. Algarve: Seven Hanging Valleys Trail, Albufeira

We were SO excited to visit the Algarve Coast!

We left early in the morning, and after about three hours of driving, we arrived at the Praia de Marinha parking lot – the start of our first item on today’s agenda, the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail.

We had every intention of hiking the entire trail (about 6 km long one way), but … it didn’t happen!

The day was warm and sunny, and it felt so good to stretch our legs and walk after a long drive.

The views were so incredible that we really took our time, stopped to take a million photos, and as a result only got through the first half of the trail!

We could see all the boats and kayaks in the ocean, and were getting very excited for tomorrow, when we also had a kayaking tour booked.

We stopped for a very late lunch at a café at Praia de Benagil (Benagil Beach), some of us went for a quick dip in the ocean at Praia do Carvalho (Carvalho Beach) and then we headed back to the car.

A local told us that the first half was the most scenic so we didn’t feel that bad about not completing the route, although I promised myself that I’ll be back to hike the whole trail!

Our hotel was in Albufeira, about 40  minutes away.

While it wasn’t a long drive, next time I would probably stay in Lagoa or Carvoveiro to be a little closer to the main attractions of this area. 

After some rest we decided to explore Albufeira Old Town, which, luckily for us, was located within walking distance from our hotel.

We strolled around the town center, checked out some stores and souvenir stands, went through the famous Albufeira tunnel towards the shore, where you could see the beautiful beaches.

It was a great day!

Where we stayed: Cerro Mar Atlantico – we had an apartment with a kitchen.

Day 5. Algarve: Benagil Cave, Algar Seco, the Trail of the Headlands, Capela dos Ossos, Praia de Falésia

We started the day very early, with a 7:30 am kayaking tour to the iconic Benagil Cave. We chose this time to beat the crowds and we achieved that goal. There was only one other tour out at this time.

However, the day was chilly (we were wearing windbreakers!) and the sea was SO choppy! I was holding on to the paddle and bracing myself inside the kayak (my first time in a sea kayak!!!) so hard that my whole body was sore at the end!

Note: we were very lucky to be able to disembark and walk around the beach inside the cave (in 2024). At the time of writing this post (2025), that is no longer allowed. You can still go inside in a boat or a kayak, but you cannot step out.

Read more about our Benagil kayaking experience: How to Visit Benagil Cave, Portugal – Tips, Tours and the Best Ways to See It.

Our next stop was Algar Seco and the famous A Boneca Cave.  I knew a bit about what to expect from my pre-trip research, but, oh boy, did it surpass my expectations! The tunnels, the rock formations and the paths along the limestone cliffs were absolutely stunning!

By now the sun was out again and it made everything look even better.

We had some trouble locating A Boneca, but we found it!

Read my detailed guide to Algar Seco to find out exactly how to find A Boneca cave entrance!

Once we were done exploring Algar Seco, we headed towards the Carvoeiro Boardwalk, which we could see from the parking lot.

So we started our stroll down the wooden walkway towards Carvoeiro center, enjoying more beautiful coastal views. We saw a staircase down towards the base of the cliffs and decided to explore that on our way back.

After lunch in Carvoeiro, we kept going towards Praia do Paraiso, where our next adventure began – the Trail of the Headlands.

It a lesser-known hike than the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail we did yesterday and a little more rugged, but just as beautiful and much less crowded. We only saw a few people when we walked.

The coastal views, as you can expect, were breathtaking and we loved the hike, but just like yesterday, we only completed about half of it. I could see the rest of it stretching along the cliffs ) in the far distance.

But the path started taking us more inland and we decided to turn back and explore more of the Algarve.

We did take the staircase down from the Carvoeiro boardwalk as planned earlier, and despite being quite tired at this point, we were completely taken with what we saw.

More limestone paths, tunnels, narrow entryways and tunnels to explore!

Because we started the day so early, even after having done so much already, we realized that it was only early afternoon, so after a quick rest, we decided to head out to the other side of Albufeira and visit Praia da Falésia, known for its red cliffs.

On the way, we stopped by the Capela dos Ossos (The Bone Chapel) in Alcantarilha. I know, a little macabre, but so unusual that it was definitely worth a stop!

It’s a tiny chapel attached to the parish church (Igreja Matriz de Nossa Senhora da Conceição), lined floor to ceiling with bones and skulls, arranged in intricate patterns.

When we finally got to Praia da Falésia it was late afternoon. We walked along the beach and admired the unique, gorgeous red cliffs.

It was such a long day, filled with amazing things. My kind of a day!

Day 6. Back in Lisbon (Belém, the National Tile Museum)

We initially left this day unplanned, as we weren’t sure if we would stay a little longer in the Algarve or head back to Lisbon to finish exploring. In the end, as sad as we were to leave the coast of the Algarve, we drove back to Lisbon to visit Belém.

Note: If you planned your itinerary with a start in Lisbon and departure from the Algarve, you would move this day to the beginning, before you left for the Algarve.

Now, as you may know from my article about things to know before visiting Lisbon, I do not recommend bringing a car to the city. BUT we had no choice as it would have taken too long to return it and get back to Belém.

So we kept it and were lucky to find parking near the Belém Tower.

We saw the tower from the outside, as the line to get inside was very long and the sign announced a 2 hour wait time!

Then we made our way towards Jerónimos Monastery, passing by the Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Discoveries Monument).

To find out more about these Belém attractions and more, read my guide to the best things to see in Lisbon.

The line in front of the Jerónimos Monastery was just as long as for the tower, but I was determined to visit this site, so we waited. After about an hour we entered, and I was so glad we did! It was stunning!

Both the tower and the monastery are UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Our next item on today’s list was the National Tile Museum, which was on the opposite end of Lisbon, so I was glad we had a car… until it was time to park!

We found a parking lot with no problems; however, paying for it was another story! There were two parking meters, both broken, and the app recommended by the sticker on the meters was only in Portuguese and didn’t seem to work for us either.

Luckily for us, a nice gentleman showed up to pick up his car and issued the payment for us with his phone (of course, we paid him back). Phew! We were off to the Museum…

It’s located in a historic convent, which adds to its charm. It is also full of beautiful azulejo tiles!

My guide to the Museu Nacional do Azulejo is COMING SOON! Sign up for updates!

From there we drove to our hotel, checked in for the night and after another “let’s find a parking spot AND pay” adventure, we took the metro back to the center of Lisbon for a last stroll around before we fly home.

Helpful tip: We purchased a 24-hour Lisbon card at the airport when we picked up the car to go to the Algarve and activated it today, so our entrance fees and the metro were taken care of! Quick and hassle-free!

Day 7. Fly home

Sad but with hearts filled with wonderful memories, we got on our red-eye flight back home…

BUT – if you have this day (or most of it) available, you can spend some more time in Lisbon – maybe slow down the first day or go back to your favorites, like take one last ride on the Santa Justa Lift? Or just stroll around the city and have some gingja at Ginginha do Carmo in Rossio Square.

As an alternative, you can spend an extra day in the Algarve and explore the boardwalks of Ponta da Piedade near Lagos, or take a boat tour for a different view of the cliffs.

I hope this guide helped you plan an amazing week in Portugal.

If you’re not sure how to start planning your trip, just follow this guide: “How to Plan a Trip to Portugal in  7 Easy Steps”

If you’re considering adding Porto to your Portugal trip, take a look at this 2-4 days Porto itinerary for some inspiration!

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