L'Heure du Voyage
🇵🇹 Itinerary · Portugal · 14 days

2-week Portugal itinerary 2026: from Porto to the Algarve

14 days by car from north to south: Porto, the Douro, Coimbra, Lisbon, Sintra, the Alentejo and the Algarve. The full road trip, detailed budget and travel times.

🔄 Updated June 1, 2026

📅 See the program 🔄 See variants

In brief

Duration

14 days

Stops

7 places

Average budget

€1,500-2,400

Total distance

~900 km

Profile

Road trip

Season

May-Jun, Sep

Porto 3d · Douro 2d · Coimbra 1d · Lisbon 3d · Évora 1d · Lagos 2d · Faro 2d

Itinerary map

The route at a glance

Portugal 2-week itinerary map: Porto, Douro Valley, Coimbra, Lisbon, Évora, Lagos, Faro

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Detailed program

14 days, day by day

1

~€70/pers

Porto · Arrival and Ribeira

  • Morning Arrival at Porto airport, metro to the center (30 min, €2.60).
  • Afternoon Ribeira, São Bento station, Lello bookshop, Clérigos tower.
  • Evening Sunset over the Dom Luís I bridge, francesinha dinner.
🛌 🛌 Ribeira · e.g. Hotel Carris Porto (3 nights)·🚇 Metro + walking·Portugal guide →
2

~€55

Porto · Cellars and Douro

  • Morning Vila Nova de Gaia, port wine cellars, tasting.
  • Afternoon Six bridges cruise (€18), Foz do Douro and the ocean.
  • Evening Ribeira bars, river views.
3

~€80

Porto → Douro Valley

  • Morning Pick up the car, drive to Peso da Régua (1h30).
  • Afternoon Quintas and terraced vineyards, tasting at an estate.
  • Evening Check-in Pinhão, dinner facing the terraced vines.
🛌 🛌 Pinhão · e.g. wine quinta (2 nights)·🚗 Rental car (picked up)
4

~€75

Douro · Quintas and cruise

  • Morning Cruise on the Douro between the UNESCO-listed slopes.
  • Afternoon Miradouro de São Leonardo de Galafura, valley panorama.
  • Evening Carne and Douro wine dinner at the quinta.
🚗 Car + ⛴️ cruise
5

~€90

Douro → Coimbra → Lisbon

  • Morning Drive to Coimbra (2h). UNESCO university, Joanina library.
  • Afternoon Drive to Lisbon (2h), return the car if you prefer the train afterward.
  • Evening Check-in Lisbon, dinner in Alfama.
🛌 🛌 Baixa or Chiado · e.g. Lisbon Story Guesthouse (3 nights)·🚗 Car (Coimbra stop)
6

~€55

Lisbon · Alfama and Belém

  • Morning São Jorge castle, Alfama alleys, tram 28.
  • Afternoon Belém: tower, Jerónimos Monastery, pastéis de Belém.
  • Evening Fado in a casa de fado, late dinner.
🚋 Tram + 🚇 metro
7

~€55

Sintra · Palaces and forests

  • Morning Train or car to Sintra. Pena Palace at opening.
  • Afternoon Quinta da Regaleira, Cabo da Roca (westernmost point of Europe).
  • Evening Sunset in Cascais, back to Lisbon.
🚆 Train + 🚌 bus 434
8

~€75

Lisbon → Évora · Alentejo

  • Morning Pick up the car, drive to Évora (1h30). Temple of Diana, Chapel of Bones.
  • Afternoon UNESCO historic center, Alentejo wines.
  • Evening Alentejo black pork dinner, plains as far as the eye can see.
🛌 🛌 Évora · e.g. pousada in the center (1 night)·🚗 Car (Alentejo)
9

~€85

Évora → Lagos · To the Algarve

  • Morning Drive to the Algarve (2h30) across the Alentejo plains.
  • Afternoon Lagos, Dona Ana beach, the golden cliffs of Ponta da Piedade.
  • Evening Sunset over the coves, seafood dinner.
🛌 🛌 Lagos · e.g. seafront hotel (2 nights)·🚗 Car (long leg)
10

~€70

Lagos · Caves and beaches

  • Morning Boat trip to the Benagil cave and the sea arches.
  • Afternoon Praia da Marinha and Carvoeiro beaches, cliff trail.
  • Evening Sunset aperitivo on Ponta da Piedade.
⛵ Boat trip + 🚗 car
11

~€65

Lagos → Faro · East coast

  • Morning Drive east (1h). White Tavira, Tavira island by ferry.
  • Afternoon Ria Formosa, lagoon nature park, bird watching.
  • Evening Check-in Faro, walled old town.
🛌 🛌 Faro · e.g. old town hotel (2 nights)·🚗 Car + ⛴️ island ferry
12

~€70

Faro · Ria Formosa and islands

  • Morning Boat to Deserta island or Farol island, wild beaches.
  • Afternoon Olhão and its fish market, artisan canneries.
  • Evening Last Algarve evening, seafood cataplana.
⛴️ Ria Formosa boats
13

~€60

Faro · Relax and hinterland

  • Morning Silves, former Moorish capital, and its red sandstone castle.
  • Afternoon Final beach or Loulé market, last purchases.
  • Evening Car return, dinner near the airport.
🚗 Car return
14

Flight

Faro → Return

  • Morning Faro old town, final coffee.
  • Afternoon Faro airport, return flight to Paris (direct or via Lisbon).
✈️ Return flight

How much

Itinerary budget (per person, flight included)

Backpacker

€1,500

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €160
  • 🏨 Hostels and rooms: €35/night
  • 🍴 Tascas and markets: €20/day
  • 🚗 Shared car + fuel: €350
  • 🎫 Cellars, boats, palaces: €200
Recommended

Comfort

€1,950

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €200
  • 🏨 3★ hotels and quinta: €95/night
  • 🍽️ Mixed restos: €32/day
  • 🚗 Car + fuel + tolls: €450
  • 🎫 Tours + tastings: €250

Premium

€3,600

per person

  • ✈️ Business flight: €550
  • 🏨 4-5★ and pousadas: €220/night
  • 🍽️ Renowned tables: €60/day
  • 🚖 Upscale car
  • 🎫 Private boats + tastings: €500

Shorter, longer

Other possible durations

1 week

1 week

Lisbon, Sintra, Porto. The essential format.

You're here

2 weeks

2 weeks

From Porto to the Algarve, the great north-south axis.

1 month

1 month

The whole country, from the Douro to the Algarve and the Azores.

How to get around

Itinerary logistics

This road trip runs by car from north to south. You can start on public transport in Porto then rent the car for the Douro, the Alentejo and the Algarve, where rail falls short. Count ~€400 for car, fuel and tolls over 14 days.

🚗

Rental car (Douro → Algarve)

€30-50/day · the backbone of the trip

🚇

Metro and tram in Porto and Lisbon

€2-3/trip · for the city centers

⛴️

Douro cruises and Ria Formosa ferries

€10-18 · wine valley and Algarve islands

🛣️

Highways A1, A2 (tolls)

Via Verde tag recommended · ~€30 of tolls

Adapt by season

Warm Douro, swimmable Algarve

This road trip ends in the Algarve, ideal for swimming from June to September (water 20-22°C, beaches at their best). In shoulder season (May, October), the Algarve stays mild and the cliffs quieter, but swimming is cool. The Douro Valley is superb in spring (green vines) and at harvest in September. Avoid July-August on the south coast, where the beach resorts saturate.

Author tips

What I would redo (and change)

✅ Would redo

  • • In June 2025, I took the Benagil boat at 8:30am, at opening: the cave was almost empty, whereas by noon kayaks were jostling at the entrance.
  • • Spending a night at a Douro quinta, waking up to the terraced vines: the highlight of the north.
  • • Renting the car only from Porto, after seeing the city on foot: you avoid three days of pointless parking.
  • • Keep the Algarve for the end: Faro airport near the beaches, easy return.

⚠️ Would change

  • • Skip Coimbra if short on time, and give an extra night to the Douro.
  • • On 14 days, don't push to Cape St Vincent from Faro (long round trip).
  • • Swap Faro for Tavira if you want quieter and less touristy.
  • • Reverse the direction (Faro → Porto) if your flight lands in the south.

FAQ

Itinerary FAQ

Do you need a car for this road trip? +
Yes, it's the backbone of the trip. The Douro, the Alentejo and the Algarve are poorly served by rail. You can see Porto and Lisbon on public transport and rent the car for the rest.
Is two weeks the right tempo? +
Yes: cities, Douro vineyards, Alentejo plains and Algarve beaches without rushing. You enjoy each region instead of racing through.
When can you swim in the Algarve? +
June to September, water 20-22°C and beaches at their best. In shoulder season (May, October), the Algarve stays mild but swimming is cool. July-August saturate the resorts.
What budget for 14 days? +
Count around €1,500 backpacker, €1,950 comfort and €3,600 premium, flight from Paris included, per person.
Does the Douro Valley deserve two nights? +
Yes: cruise between the UNESCO slopes, tastings at the quintas, miradouros over the valley. Sleeping at a wine quinta is one of the highlights of the north.
How do you handle tolls in Portugal? +
The A1 and A2 highways are tolled. Ask for the Via Verde tag at pickup, which pays automatically. Count ~€30 of tolls across the whole route.

Marie Laurent ✓

·

Southeast Asia specialist · itinerary personally tested.

Last updated: June 1, 2026.

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