Portugal Road Trip: The Best Travel Itinerary for 2 to 3 Weeks

Incredible rock formations, breathtaking beaches, and some of the most beautiful cities in Europe – you’ll find all this and more waiting for you in Portugal.

In our opinion, Portugal is the perfect road trip destination! The distances are not too great, the roads are in great condition, and the costs are quite reasonable. Plus, you get to explore a truly stunning and diverse country.

To make your road trip planning in Portugal easier, we’re sharing our travel itinerary in this blog post. We’ve visited Portugal three times, and our itinerary is essentially a ‘best of’ with plenty of alternatives, so you can customize your trip to be either shorter or longer, just the way you like it.

1. Road trip through Portugal: The best itinerary for 2 to 3 weeks

We chose to do a multi-city flight for our road trip, kicking off in Porto and wrapping up in Lisbon. That means our travel plan is tailored accordingly. If you’re heading back from the same city (like Porto or Lisbon), stick around till the end of this chapter for a handy tip on how to extend your adventure.

Porto

Our journey kicks off in the stunning city of Porto. Even though it’s often in the shadow of its big sister Lisbon, we think Porto really stands out. From its vibrant Azulejos to its iconic landmarks, Porto had us falling in love from the get-go.

What’s there to do in Porto? Well, you’ve got the famous train station decked out in artistic tile work, the majestic Ponte Dom Luís I, and the Torre dos Clérigos, which offers an incredible view over Porto.

We reckon Porto is the perfect starting point for a road trip. It’s small enough to stroll through all the key spots on foot, but still packs a punch with its stunning scenes.

Our detailed travel guide: Porto Travel Guide
Recommended stay: 2 to 3 nights

Stopover: Aveiro & Costa Nova

Continuing south on our Portugal road trip, we recommend making a quick detour to Aveiro, which you can reach from Porto in about an hour’s drive. Often dubbed the “Venice of Portugal”, Aveiro is crisscrossed by several canals that truly give it a Venetian vibe.

If you’re feeling peckish and want to experience Portuguese cuisine at its best, we have a special recommendation for you: Salpoente Restaurant. Located in a traditional fisherman’s house, you can expect excellent food.

After a stroll through Aveiro, you might consider another stop and head towards the sea: Just about 20 minutes by car is the coastal town of Costa Nova. It’s known for its brightly striped houses along the promenade.

Coimbra

The next leg of our itinerary takes you to the university city of Coimbra. Coimbra is a compact town that you can comfortably explore on foot in a day.

The city is home to the oldest university in Portugal, which is also its main attraction. The old town of Coimbra is situated on a hill, with narrow and steep alleys. So, make sure you have some comfy shoes!

Lastly, make sure to catch the view of Coimbra from afar (like from the bridge) – especially during sunset. From this perspective, you won’t see the many areas of Coimbra’s old town that are actually in need of renovation.

Our detailed blog post: Coimbra Travel Guide
Recommended stay: 1 to 2 nights

Bonus Side Trips: The UNESCO Monasteries of Tomar, Batalha & Alcobaça and/or the Surf Spot Nazaré

From Coimbra, you have a couple of options. You can either head straight to Óbidos, which is just under 1.5 hours away, or you can take a scenic detour to visit the renowned Convent of Christ in Tomar, followed by the monasteries in Batalha and Alcobaça, in that exact order. Opting for the detour will add about an hour to your drive time.

Visiting all three monasteries in one travel day is certainly a challenge, but it’s doable (we did it too). It’s definitely worth it for those interested in culture. It’s no coincidence that all three monasteries are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and are truly impressive.

Another possible stop is the surf spot Nazaré. This coastal town is known for its “Big waves.” With the right weather conditions, the waves here can get crazy gigantic in the winter months (between November and February)!

Óbidos

The tiny medieval town of Óbidos is the next stop on our Portugal Trip. With its white, flower-decked houses and cobbled streets, Óbidos is definitely one of the prettiest towns in all of Portugal.

The absolute highlight in Óbidos is its medieval city wall, which you can climb. Stretching 1.5 kilometres, it encircles the town centre. Those who aren’t afraid of heights can enjoy splendid views of Óbidos from up there.

Many visit Óbidos on a day trip (Lisbon is about an hour’s drive away). However, we’d recommend planning an overnight stop on your route here. This way, you can comfortably explore Óbidos in the quieter evening hours, away from the tourist crowds.

Our detailed travel guide: Óbidos Travel Tips
Recommended stay: 1 to 2 nights

Évora

Our rod trip now continues further inland to the city of Évora. From Óbidos, it’s just over a two-hour drive to reach Évora. This city turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of our road trip—and pleasantly so. Here, you’ll discover a delightful, well-maintained town.

The unique charm of Évora is enhanced by the Roman Temple—a major highlight. Right beside it, you’ll see the impressive Cathedral of Évora, the biggest cathedral in Portugal. A visit to the cathedral is a must; the Gothic cloisters are stunning, and the atmosphere on the cathedral’s roof is unlike any other.

Including Évora in your Portugal itinerary comes highly recommended. We absolutely adored it here. Given that the town is fairly compact, you can explore all its main sights on foot in just one day.

Our detailed travel guide: Évora Travel Guide
Recommended stay: 1 to 2 nights

Algarve

No itinerary through Portugal would be complete without visiting the Algarve! The southernmost region of Portugal has a magnetic pull for travellers and serves as the country’s tourist hub. And for good reason: the rugged coastal landscape here is spectacular – we’ve never seen anything quite like it.

The Algarve covers a relatively large area. If you have time, consider dividing your stay between the quieter east and the more touristy west, spending a few nights in each area to fully experience the diversity of the region.

A great place to explore the Algarve is Lagos. Not only is Lagos a quaintly beautiful town; it also offers easy access to many incredible beaches nearby.

Our detailed travel guide: Algarve Road Trip Itinerary
Recommended stay: 4 to 7 nights

Lisbon

Last but not least, our Portugal road trip concludes in the capital, Lisbon. Widely considered one of Europe’s most stunning cities, we wholeheartedly agree. With Azulejos at every turn, and its narrow, hilly streets, Lisbon’s charm is absolutely one of a kind.

Though Lisbon’s beauty is well-known, it has become quite touristy (even in the off-season). Still, we reckon that no Portugal itinerary is complete without a visit to Lisbon.

During your stay in Lisbon, consider taking a day trip to the nearby town of Sintra. This quaint town is home to the colorful Palácio Nacional da Pena, one of Portugal’s most iconic photo spots.

Our detailed travel guide: Lisbon Highlights
Recommended stay: 3 to 5 nights

Extended Tip: A Round trip Tour of Portugal Instead of a One-way

If you’re flying return to Lisbon or Porto (instead of flying in and out from different locations), here’s a tip for you. You could travel around Portugal in a circle by incorporating the mountainous inland, such as the Serra da Estrela (the highest mountain range in Portugal), into your itinerary. A stop in the picturesque town of Viseu would also be possible. You can find more tips on these places in this blog article: Roadtrip Centro de Portugal.

In this case, the route might go as follows: Lisbon – Algarve – Évora – Serra da Estrela – Viseu (stopover) – Porto – Aveiro (stopover) – Coimbra – Tomar, Batalha & Alcobaça (stopover) – Óbidos – Lisbon.

2. Map: Our Portugal Travel Itinerary at a Glance

To help you visualize the route better, we have marked all the stops of our road trip on this map. You can find out how to turn a one-way road trip into a circular tour (starting and ending at the same place) in the previous chapter.

3. Transport & Car Rental for Your Portugal Road Trip

Renting a Car in Portugal

If you’re not traveling with your own car to Portugal, then renting a car is essential for your road trip. We almost always book our rental car through Sunny Cars. Sunny Cars is a platform that compares offers from various car rental companies. You book via Sunny Cars, but pick up your car locally from the rental agency (e.g., Hertz).

Adequate insurance coverage is crucial! Good news for those who book through Sunny Cars: comprehensive insurance (including deductible reimbursement) is already included.

For more general tips on renting a car, check out our detailed blog post: Renting a Car (coming soon).

Driving & Toll Roads on a Road Trip Through Portugal

Don’t worry if you have concerns about driving in Portugal: the roads are well-maintained, and the traffic is manageable. We find driving in other countries (e.g., Italy) to be much more stressful.

Things are a bit different in the cities: the closer you get to the old town, the narrower the streets become. (It’s a good thing that rental cars are usually equipped with distance sensors.) Overall, if you’re reasonably practiced in driving, you shouldn’t worry too much.

In Portugal, some highways are toll roads. It’s best to get information when picking up your rental car about how the toll system works. In our case, we didn’t have to pay at the toll booths; the tolls were recorded thanks to a Via Verde transponder and then conveniently charged to our credit card. In this case, you can use the Via Verde lane and drive through without stopping.

Disclaimer: Affiliate Links

This travel guide contains our personal recommendations in the form of affiliate links. If you book or buy something through these links, we receive a small commission. This does not change the price for you at all. A massive thank you from us both!

Have you ever done a road trip through Portugal? How was your itinerary? What stops would you like to add to the itinerary? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!