Routes · Europe

Manila to Portugal: Lisbon, Sintra, Porto and the Douro Valley

Manila → Lisbon → Sintra → Porto → Douro Valley

Portugal coast & wine Best season (general guide): Apr–Oct (harvest mid-Sep)

Portugal's two main cities and the wine region that made port famous are linked by a fast rail line and a river. This route runs from Lisbon to Sintra's palaces, north to Porto and up the Douro Valley. From Manila you'll connect via Asia or the Gulf to Lisbon, and fly home from Porto. The itinerary spends three nights in Lisbon, one night in Sintra, two nights in Porto and two nights in Douro Valley.

How to pace it: Spend days one to three in Lisbon: day one, Alfama; day two, Belém; day three, tram and miradouros. Then spend day four in Sintra: Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira. Then spend days five and six in Porto: day five, train to Porto, then Ribeira; day six, port lodges in Gaia. Then spend days seven and eight in the Douro Valley: day seven, train up the Douro to Pinhão; day eight, quinta visit.

Lisbon is built on hills above the Tagus, with tiled facades, viewpoints called miradouros and fado music in Alfama. Belém has the Jerónimos Monastery and the riverside tower. Sintra, in the wooded hills west of the capital, is a fairy-tale collection of palaces and gardens, best visited early to avoid queues. The train to Porto takes you to a city of granite churches and riverside terraces, where the port lodges across the river offer tastings. The Douro Valley is the final stop: steep terraces of vines, quintas offering tastings and lunches, and the scenic railway along the river to Pinhão.

Midsummer in the valley can be very hot.

Book Sintra's palaces and popular quinta visits ahead in summer. Trains are an easy way to get to the Douro if you want to taste wine.

Practical notes: From about April to October the weather is generally pleasant for both cities and the valley. The grape harvest in the Douro is usually from mid-September into early October, depending on the estate and the weather, and is a lively time to visit.

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