Lisbon, Porto and the Douro Valley in 10 Days

Fado nights in Lisbon, port by the river in Porto and a quinta above the Douro vineyards

10 days3 stops

Original illustration

At a glance

Land in Lisbon for three nights of viewpoints, seafood and fado, take the train three hours north to Porto for port lodges and river sunsets, then end with three slow nights at a wine estate in the terraced Douro Valley. It suits couples who love food, wine and walkable cities. Go from May to June or September to early October, with late September bringing the Douro harvest.

By the Honeymoon Huts editors · How we research

This is Portugal's classic first honeymoon. It runs in a straight line from south to north. Lisbon is the easy arrival, with nonstops from about a dozen US cities and a lazy first day of viewpoints and custard tarts. Porto, three hours north by fast train, is smaller and steeper, built in dark granite above a river lined with port lodges. The Douro Valley, upriver from Porto, is the slow finale, with terraced vineyards, whitewashed wine estates and very quiet nights.

You change hotels only twice and never drive in a city. The cities give you energy, food and music. The valley gives you a pool above the vines and nothing to tick off. If you want a single splurge, put it in the Douro, where a river-view room at a quinta shapes every hour of the day. Prices across the route are gentler than in Paris, London or Italy, so a better room is often within reach.

The route

Best months: May to June and September to early October
Trip length: 10 days
Budget: About $250–750 a night for two in boutique hotels and wine estates (approximate)

Day by day

Days 1–3: Lisbon

Nonstops land at Lisbon Airport (LIS) in the morning. A taxi or ride-hail takes 20 to 30 minutes to the center. Stay in Chiado, Príncipe Real or Alfama. The Bairro Alto Hotel sits on the square at the edge of Chiado with a rooftop terrace over the river. Keep the first day slow with a nap, a walk and an early seafood dinner.

On day two, visit the Jerónimos Monastery cloister at opening time, then eat custard tarts warm from the oven in Belém. In the evening, board a small sailboat for two hours on the Tagus, timed for sunset under the 25 de Abril Bridge.

Day three is for wandering the hills. Climb from Graça to the Miradouro da Senhora do Monte with a picnic and a chilled bottle of vinho verde. Book a table at a tiny Alfama tavern for fado, where singers perform without microphones between courses. If you would rather see palaces, take the 40-minute train to Sintra instead.

Days 4–6: Porto

Take the Alfa Pendular train from Lisbon to Porto Campanhã in about three hours. Stay on the Ribeira for the riverfront or across the Dom Luís I bridge in Vila Nova de Gaia, where The Yeatman looks straight back at the old city from its hillside terraces.

Spend day four in the Ribeira and the streets above it, then take a short six bridges cruise in late afternoon when the facades glow. Walk across the upper deck of the bridge to the Serra do Pilar terrace for sunset.

On day five, tour the barrel cellars in Gaia. Pick one lodge for a full tour and another for a quick flight comparing ruby, tawny and white ports. Day six is for the ocean. Ride the vintage line 1 tram to Foz, walk the promenade to the lighthouse and follow the smoke to a grilled fish lunch in Matosinhos. Pack shoes with real grip, because Porto's granite cobbles turn slick in the rain.

Days 7–10: Douro Valley and Home

Ride the regional train from Porto's São Bento station, itself worth seeing for its blue tile murals. The final stretch follows the river to Pinhão in about two and a half hours. Or pick up a car and drive in about 1.5 to 2 hours. Stay near Pinhão or between Régua and Lamego. Six Senses Douro Valley, a restored 19th-century manor above the river, is the splurge.

These are the slow days. Book a private tasting comparing 10, 20 and 40-year-old tawnies with a winemaker. Let your quinta pack a picnic of local cheese and smoked ham for a terrace above the river. Board a small rabelo-style boat from Pinhão for a sunset trip along the river. Drive up to the São Leonardo de Galafura viewpoint one evening for one of the widest views of the terraces.

On day 10, drive or take a transfer of about 1.5 to 2 hours to Porto Airport (OPO). It has a nonstop to Newark, or connect through Lisbon.

Getting Between Stops

Lisbon to Porto is easiest by train. The Alfa Pendular reaches Porto Campanhã in about three hours, with regular departures. Book seats in advance in summer, though fares are reasonable even close to the date.

For the Douro, the train is the romantic way in. Regional trains from São Bento follow the river for the last hour to Régua and Pinhão. Once in the valley, quintas sit on steep, narrow roads and taxis are scarce, so either rent a car in Porto or arrange a private driver through your hotel for tasting days. Portugal's blood alcohol limit is lower than in most US states.

For the flight home, Porto Airport is about 1.5 to 2 hours from the Douro. It has a nonstop from Newark and seasonal service from Boston. Lisbon has many more US flights and is about three hours from Porto by train, so allow a night in Lisbon if your flight leaves from there.

Where to Stay

In Lisbon, your neighborhood shapes the trip. Alfama is the oldest quarter, with fado at night. Memmo Alfama has a small pool terrace over the rooftops. Chiado and Príncipe Real are more polished, with the best restaurant density. The Bairro Alto Hotel sits on the square at the edge of Chiado. Avoid the Bairro Alto nightlife streets unless you enjoy noise until 2 a.m.

In Porto, Pestana Vintage Porto sits on the Ribeira quay. The Yeatman in Gaia is a wine hotel with a serious cellar and every room facing the river. The Infante Sagres in the Baixa is a long-standing classic.

In the Douro, sleep at a wine estate. Six Senses Douro Valley has a large spa. The Vintage House sits on the riverbank in Pinhão. Quinta do Vallado near Régua and Quinta da Pacheca, with suites built into giant wine barrels, let you eat at the estate.

When to Go

May, June and September to early October are the best months for this route. Days are warm, evenings are pleasant for outdoor dinners and the Douro's pools are open. Late September is the Douro harvest, when estates fill with pickers and some invite guests to tread grapes in stone lagars in the evening. Book harvest dates months ahead.

July and August are hot in the Douro Valley, which sits inland in a deep river canyon. Lisbon is busy too. They still work if you plan for pool afternoons and early morning walks.

Winter is cheaper and quiet, but Porto is rainy and many Douro estates scale back their services. Porto around June 23 hosts the Festa de São João, an all-night street party with sardines and fireworks over the river, which is great fun but means higher hotel prices that week.

What It Costs

Portugal remains one of the better-value honeymoon countries in Western Europe. As an approximate guide, good boutique hotels in Lisbon and Porto run about $250 to $450 a night for two, with the Bairro Alto Hotel and The Yeatman starting roughly in the $400s. In the Douro, simple quintas cost less, while Six Senses Douro Valley starts around $700 a night.

Trains between the cities are inexpensive. Port lodge tours and tastings are modestly priced, with private tastings of old tawnies costing more.

Spend on the Douro. A river-view room, a private driver for one tasting day and a sunset boat trip from Pinhão add the most to the trip. Lisbon and Porto are cities where cheap seafood lunches and miradouro wine kiosks are some of the best meals you will have.

Tips for the Two of You

Both cities are steep. Pack comfortable shoes with grip for each of you and use cheap ride-hail cars for the climbs at night. The historic trams and funiculars are fun once but slow. Pickpockets work the crowded ones, especially Lisbon's tram 28.

Lisbon and Porto are relaxed about dress. Churches expect covered shoulders for both of you, so carry a light layer. The Douro is casual, though smarter estate restaurants appreciate a step up at dinner.

The route works for different tastes. One partner might spend a morning at a museum such as the Gulbenkian in Lisbon while the other surfs or swims near Cascais. In the Douro, one of you can join a vineyard walk while the other books a spa treatment. Reserve fado in Alfama and the best Douro estates ahead in high season.

Make It Shorter or Longer

With a week, spend two nights in Lisbon, two in Porto and three in the Douro, or skip Lisbon and fly straight into Porto on the Newark nonstop.

With two weeks, add a beach. The Algarve is about 2.5 to 3 hours south of Lisbon by car. Four nights on its cliffs and coves make a relaxing finale. Or fly from Porto or Lisbon to Madeira, under two hours, for levada walks and lava pools.

Couples who love palaces can add two nights in Sintra before Lisbon, sleeping among the gardens to see Pena Palace at opening time. Those who want more countryside could add two nights in the Alentejo, about 1.5 hours east of Lisbon, for wine estates, cork oaks and some of the darkest night skies in Europe.

FAQ

Planning this trip

Should we start in Lisbon or Porto?

Starting in Lisbon makes sense for most US couples because it has nonstops from about a dozen US cities. Porto has a nonstop from Newark, so you can fly into Lisbon and home from Porto. That avoids backtracking and leaves the slow Douro days at the end, close to the airport you fly out of.

How do we get from Porto to the Douro Valley?

Take the regional train from São Bento station to Pinhão, about two and a half hours, with the river beside the tracks for the final hour. Or drive in about 1.5 to 2 hours. A car or private driver is useful once you arrive, since wine estates sit on steep, narrow roads.

How many nights should we spend in the Douro Valley?

Three nights is the right amount for a honeymoon. It gives you two full days for a tasting, a boat trip, a picnic and long afternoons by the pool. Two nights feels rushed once you count the travel. Book a river-view room at a wine estate to make the most of the stay.

When is the Douro harvest?

The harvest usually runs through late September and into early October, depending on the year. Estates are busy, the air smells of crushed grapes and some quintas invite guests to join the evening grape treading. It is the most atmospheric time to visit, so book rooms months ahead.

Is Lisbon or Porto more romantic?

Each has its own charm. Lisbon is bigger and sunnier, with viewpoints, fado and river sails. Porto is smaller and moodier, with port lodges and granite streets falling to the river. Most couples love both, which is why this route gives each three nights before the quiet of the Douro.

Stops on this route

Portugal

Lisbon

Portugal

Porto

Portugal

Douro Valley

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