15 Day Portugal Itinerary
Our take
Hi! Weâre planning our first international trip with our 1.5-year-old and would really appreciate any feedback or sanity checks.
Our goal is a mix of great food, relaxing stays, and a pace that feels manageable with a toddler. Would love to know if this feels realistic or if weâre trying to do too much.
Itinerary:
- Day 1: Land in Lisbon at 6:30pm, private transfer to the Douro Valley (staying at Six Senses)
- Days 2â3: Douro Valley
- Day 4: Transfer to Porto (hotel TBD)
- Days 5â7: Porto
- Day 8: Train to Lisbon, staying at either The One or Andaz
- Days 9â11: Lisbon (including a day trip to Cascais)
- Day 12: Transfer to Comporta, staying at Sublime
- Days 13â14: Comporta
- Day 15: Drive back to Lisbon for a 12pm flight
Weâre currently planning to go straight to the Douro Valley on arrival, mainly for logistics (since Porto â Lisbon by train seems straightforward from there), and also because it feels like a peaceful place to recover from jet lag. That said, we know itâs a long transfer after a flight with a toddler, so weâre very open to hearing if this is a mistake.
Any thoughts on pacing, logistics, or overall flow with a toddler would be hugely appreciated. Thank you!
[link] [comments]
Read on the original site
Open the publisher's page for the full experience
Related Articles
- 8 Days in Portugal Itinerary Feedback (Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra, Nazare, Douro)Hi everyone! My family and I are travelling to Portugal next month, and Iâd love some feedback on our itinerary. We donât mind fast-paced travel, but I want to make sure weâre not rushing too much or missing anything major. Day 1: Arrive in Lisbon early morning Day 2: Explore Lisbon Day 3: Sintra day trip Day 4: Day trip to Nazare + Obidos (possibly Fatima too) â debating between renting a car or doing a guided tour Day 5: Travel to Coimbra (not sure whether to stay overnight or continue to Porto the same evening) Day 6: Porto Day 7: Douro Valley day trip Day 8: More time in Porto, then evening train to Lisbon for next morningâs flight Does this feel too rushed for 8 full days? Would you recommend renting a car for Nazare/Obidos, or is a guided tour easier? Is Coimbra worth an overnight stay, or would you spend the extra time in Porto instead? submitted by /u/SnooDonuts3819 [link] [comments]
- Second guessing our itinerary in PortugalWe are going to Portugal May 17-23 and second guessing our itinerary, would love advice! Current plan: Fly into Lisbon â train to Porto (3 nights) â train back to Lisbon (3 nights) â fly home from Lisbon. But now Iâm wondering if this is too much back-and-forth and if weâre losing time in transit. Would it be more relaxing / a better use of time to: Just fly into Porto and stay in that region the whole trip? Or fly into Porto and out of Lisbon (one-way), so we donât have to double back? We want to maximize our time actually enjoying Portugal (food, wine, and wandering) vs sitting going back and forth. I am more of a relaxed traveler. For those whoâve done itâwhat would you recommend? Is splitting time between Porto + Lisbon worth it, or better to slow it down and stick to one area? If we should stick to Porto, would love recommendations for the area. We are planning on visiting Douro Valley. Any tips welcome đ submitted by /u/Mindless_Lynx_6882 [link] [comments]
- Trip report: Portugal with a toddler April 26-May 7Went to Portugal April 26-May 7 with my wife and three-year-old. Overall, loved the trip. We spent the first 4 nights in Lisbon, then went to Lagos for 5 nights, then Lisbon for the final two. Weather: 10/10. Absolutely beautiful. It was mid-low 20s our entire trip. Might've drizzled once? Wine: 10/10. Definitely lived up to the hype. Affordable and very good. Vinhas de Xisto Reserva was a go-to for me. Navigating Cobblestone/hills/stairs: 8/10. To be honest, this felt a bit overhyped. Yes, there are inclines but we managed them fine even with a stroller (Ergobaby Metro 3). It honestly wasn't bad at all. Our three-year-old walked maybe 80% of the time and pushing a stroller was easy so, any parents, don't let the terrain deter you. We actually used the stroller more than our carrier. Food: 6/10. Quality ingredients but the lack of seasoning/creativity was disappointing. Lots of what we had was bland. My family is from an island. We have quality seafood and seasoning. That said, any churrasqueira we visted---food was 10/10. Churrasqueira da Paz in Lisbon was amazing. I'd go back to Lisbon just for this. Transportation: 9/10. We used Bolt most times (cheaper than Uber and just easier than public transit for us). It was affordable (way more affordable than in Canada). Also took Rede Expressos to/from Lisbon/Lagos. Good ride. Only downside I'd say is one of the buses didn't have a restroom but they make stops. Costs: Around $5500 CAD which was less than I had budgeted for a few reasons: Flights: Bought in November 2025 with credit card points so we paid $729.21 CAD for three roundtrip direct flights. (Also got lounge access for $21 CAD through the same card. We also did carry-on only so that saved like $150 CAD. Accommodation: Booked pretty early. Spent about $2000 CAD here for aparthotels with kitchens/laundry. Honestly could've been cheaper if we didn't book non-refundable but I valued the flexibility. Activities/Food/Wine (lots of it)/Transport: We used a Wealthsimple Prepaid Mastercard which reimburses us for all our ATM fees and has no foreign exchange rate fee so I didn't keep track of these categories individually but, altogether, they were around $2700 CAD. Mistakes: We stayed in Baixa for the first lil bit since it was pretty flat and lots of attractions were nearby but we hated the vibe there. I understand areas being touristy (we're fine with that) but it felt more like Niagara Falls / Vegas. We stayed in Chiado for the second part and loved it. Now that I see how easy we were able to navigate the cobblestone/stairs/hills---I would've stayed in Chiado the entire time in Lisbon. Highlights: Beaches/cliffs in Lagos. We were deciding between Lisbon/Porto and Lisbon/Lagos. We 100% made the right choice for us. Miradouro de Santa Catarina where locals let us crash a birthday party. Just loved chilling there, seeing our three-year-old play with other kids, listening to live performers and sharing drinks/convos with a bunch of locals. Churrasqueira da Paz. Amazing food. Great prices. Always has a lineup and menu is in Portuguese which were two positives for me. We ate here a few times. The owner have our three-year-old S.L. Benfica gear which I thought was super sweet. TL;DR: Great trip. Cost around $5500 CAD for 11 nights for two adults and one three-year-old in Lisbon/Lagos. submitted by /u/DisciplineAmazing59 [link] [comments]
- Help us choose our next destination! (traveling with children!)Hey everyone! This several travel subs were super helpful when we planned our Lisbon trip, so I figured Iâd come back and ask for ideas for next year đ We just got back from 10 days in Lisbon + Cascais (April, over spring break) with our kids (6 & 9). This trip was their Christmas presentâsomething we started in 2023âand honestly it was a huge success. We have really enjoyed doing this each year and we have found the experience far outlasts the toy or gadget. They handled this trip way better than expectedâŚeven hauling their own carry-ons up cobblestone hills and endless stairs. Our Previous Trips: 2024 â Costa Rica All-inclusive base but did a bunch of tours which was a great mix of comfort + culture. We were afraid to take on too much too soon with a four year old and seven year old, but they did every thing they could do and more! 2025 â Playa Mujeres, Mexico Kids loved the resort life (waterslides, etc.), but we felt like we missed out on exploring/adventure. We had a great time, but we were missing something! 2026 â Lisbon, Portugal (favorite so far) We stayed in an Airbnb Sintra was highlight of the entire trip (castles, food, sceneryâŚwe wish we stayed there longer). I could have stayed here for multiple days! It was so beautiful! Lisbon: loved wandering, river views, SĂŁo Jorge Castle (peacocks were a hit) Cascais: least favorite overall (weather didnât help), BUT had some of our best meals Kids did great! Two days over 35k steps.... including hikes up to Moorish Castle and Pena Palace (on separate days) ....every day was 20,000 plus. Weâre are a family that loves: hiking beaches history viewpoints/castles/ruins good food (this is non-negotiable) Portugal checked all those boxes. Iâm still thinking about the breakfasts, pastries, yogurt, and breads! Now trying to plan 2027 đ Weâd likely travel: late March / early April OR summer We want somewhere that has: great food walkability outdoor adventure + scenery some history/culture mixed in My husband and I are doing Ireland (Dublin, Galway, Doolin) this July without the kids (quick 5-day trip, trying to make the most of his PTO). If we love it, we might go back with them and explore more, but Iâm open to totally different ideas too. I didnât travel growing up, so being able to do this with our kids is really special to us. Hoping theyâre learning a lot about the world along the way â¤ď¸ Would LOVE any suggestionsâEurope or elsewhere! Thanks in advance!! submitted by /u/Flimsy_Assumption265 [link] [comments]