rick steves portugal tour

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Rick Steves Portugal (Travel Guide) Paperback – January 31, 2023

Purchase options and add-ons.

• Comprehensive coverage for spending a week or more exploring Portugal
• Rick's strategic advice on how to get the most out of your time and money, with rankings of his must-see favorites
• Top sights and hidden gems, from the bone chapel of Évora and the palaces of Sintra to seaside street food and lush vineyards
• How to connect with culture: Chat with friendly locals over a glass of vinho verde , enjoy a dinner of fresh seafood stew, or spend an evening at a bluesy fado bar
• Beat the crowds, skip the lines, and avoid tourist traps with Rick's candid, humorous insight
• The best places to eat, sleep, and relax with a glass of local port
• Self-guided walking tours of lively neighborhoods and historic museums
• Detailed maps for exploring on the go
• Useful resources including a packing list, a Portuguese phrase book, a historical overview, and recommended reading
• Over 400 bible-thin pages include everything worth seeing without weighing you down
• Complete, up-to-date information on Lisbon, Sintra, Salema, Cape Sagres, Lagos, Tavira, Évora, Nazaré, Batalha, Fátima, Alcobaça, Óbidos, Coimbra, Porto, Peso de Régua, Pinhão, and more
• Print length 480 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Rick Steves
• Publication date January 31, 2023
• Dimensions 4.5 x 1.55 x 8 inches
• ISBN-10 1641715138
• ISBN-13 978-1641715133
• See all details

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What sets Rick Steves apart from other travel guides?

A personal and experienced take - Rick Steves has spent over 40 years traveling Europe and he shares his favorite spots and essential travel strategies with you.

Are these books updated for current travel?

Rick and his team fan out across Europe personally checking and updating each listing in his guidebooks. These are the most accurate guides to Europe!

Why should I use a Rick Steves guidebook?

Rick will point you toward worthwhile experiences and help avoid expensive mistakes. A Rick Steves book is like having a tour guide in your pocket!

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About the author, product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rick Steves; 12th edition (January 31, 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1641715138
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1641715133
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.1 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.5 x 1.55 x 8 inches
• #1 in General Spain Travel Guides
• #1 in General Portugal Travel Guides
• #3 in Tourist Destinations & Museums Guides

About the author

Rick steves.

Guidebook author and travel TV host Rick Steves is America's most respected authority on European travel. Rick took his first trip to Europe in 1969, visiting piano factories with his father, a piano importer. As an 18-year-old, Rick began traveling on his own, funding his trips by teaching piano lessons. In 1976, he started his business, Rick Steves' Europe, which has grown from a one-man operation to a company with a staff of 100 full-time, well-travelled employees at his headquarters in Washington state. There he produces more than 50 guidebooks on European travel, America's most popular travel series on public television, a weekly hour-long national public radio show, a weekly syndicated column, and free travel information available through his travel center and ricksteves.com. Rick Steves' Europe also runs a successful European tour program. Rick Steves lives and works in his hometown of Edmonds, Washington. His office window overlooks his old junior high school.

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A Stop in Porto, Portugal’s Second City

The city of Porto (about three hours north of Lisbon) is well worth working into your Portugal itinerary. The cityscape is amazingly well-preserved. I like the way that something built in a fleeting-yet-elegant style 100 or 150 years ago can grow old and run-down over a generation or two of neglect and economic doldrums — and then be burnished with a modern love of heritage and affluence. The result is a city twinkling with crusty and fun-loving facades that are filled with an inviting world of shops, cafés, and happening eateries. Just walking the streets of Porto (especially like I get to — with a great local guide at my side, to give everything meaning) is a travel treat.

Porto has its own very strong culture. The local gut-bomb is the Francesinha , a Portuguese multi-layer patty melt smothered in a special gravy. I have to admit, it sounds horrible to me, and I’m trying to eat healthily, so I’ve never actually tried one…until this trip. Sitting at the bar in a popular diner, I snapped a photo of two locals with Francesinhas , who appeared to not be totally enjoying the sandwiches they were choking down.

In Portugal, local food traditions are so strong, they can bend a McDonald’s menu. My guide explained that Portugal is a soupy culture — so soupy that McDonald’s would not survive without including basic Portuguese soups in its menu.

Flying home reminded me of the wisdom that even smaller cities can have efficient airports. While many American travelers in Porto might assume they’d need to return to Lisbon to fly home, remember to take full advantage of “open-jaw” flying from wherever you end up. Returning to Seattle was a breeze: Just a quick hop from Porto’s delightful little airport to Amsterdam, and then the big transatlantic flight back home.

I’m home now for a short break — and to figure out what I’m doing with my beard. (What do you think? Should I keep it?) Stay tuned for part two of my 100-day trip to Europe, beginning with Day 61 in Budapest — and then heading to Vienna, Prague, Berlin, Scotland (where I’m filming three new episodes of Rick Steves’ Europe ), and Iceland.

Thanks for traveling with me — and stay around for more travel fun!

— Join our traveling community — connect with me on  Facebook  and  Twitter .

Fun on Tour: The Heart of Portugal in 12 Days

For me, a downside of traveling alone is trying to enjoy fine dinners solo. And that’s one of the joys of taking a tour: You have company! And thanks to our “no grumps” policy , when you travel with Rick Steves’ Europe Tours, you’ll have fun company.

I just wrapped up 12 wonderful days in Portugal — laughing, learning, and exploring with a great group of 25 new friends. Here are a few highlights from our time together:

Dinner — and Lots of Wine — in Porto

The wine is so good in Portugal, it can be tough to stop at a couple of glasses. During one round of toasts on our Heart of Portugal tour , I realized the words on my T-shirt summed up what I wanted to say. So, startling my group, I stood up, unbuttoned my shirt, and (almost) bared my chest, declaring “Keep on travelin’!”

Rambling Around a Family-Run Cork Farm

Midway through each Rick Steves tour, our guides give everyone in the group a chance to evaluate the experience so far. Everyone fills out a little sheet with suggestions on how we can make the tour better — and tour members often share their highlights. On this tour, the highlights included doing hands-on activities and meeting families at local farms — farms that produce grapes for port wine and grow cork trees so that the port will stay in the bottle until it’s ready to be enjoyed.

Deep in Portugal’s interior, the wonderful Rovisco Garcia family harvests the bark off a vast forest of cork trees. Their farm has become a popular stop on our Portugal tours. They are so eager to show us around, they built a special trailer for their tractor so that whole groups can ramble around the farm together while the sons talk about their work and the cork industry. Eventually, the trailer ends up at the big farmhouse where the family — under grandma’s direction — serves the group an amazing meal featuring local produce, traditional dishes, and more of that great local wine.

Comic Relief at a Cloister

Most of us enjoy a break from American politics when we’re on vacation. But at one venerable cloister, I noticed our group was pointing and laughing at something carved into a fine old relief. It was a character, chiseled 500 years ago, that was the spitting image of our president. I’ve been visiting this monastery for 20 years…and suddenly it has an unforgettable new stop.

DIY Souvenirs

Throughout Europe, Rick Steves guides find lots of ways to help our groups roll up their sleeves and have literal hands-on experiences. For example, on my Heart of Portugal tour , we visited a tile factory and learned about the tiles that are so integral to Portuguese cityscapes — and we each got a chance to paint our own tile as a souvenir of the trip. Our personal tiles were then fired and waiting for us at our hotel the next day. I was impressed by the fun designs, the hidden artistic talent in our group, and the joy this project brought each member of the tour.

Want to join the fun? Travel with Rick Steves’ Europe Tours on a Heart of Portugal in 12 Days Tour .

Video: Porto’s Temporary Bolhão Market

Porto , Portugal’s second city, is a bit stressed out. Its beloved Bolhão Market had gotten really dilapidated and, earlier this year, it was closed for a much-needed renovation. The vendors — with a firm promise that they’d be back home in July of 2020, and with the reassuring presence of their Virgin of the Immaculate Conception — are carrying on in the basement of a nearby department store…and so are those shopper-merchant relationships that literally go back generations. Follow me for a peek at Porto’s temporary Bolhão Market.

— Join our traveling community — connect with me on Facebook and Twitter .

Porto’s Taberna Santo António: My Kind of Restaurant

I spend nearly every evening in Europe hunting…hunting for places like Porto’s Taberna Santo António. This impromptu clip gives a sense of the neighborhood energy of a great little eatery, with a local friend giving me what we agreed is a little bit of “heaven on a spo­on.”

Looking for great new restaurants to recommend in the next edition of one of my guidebooks is also a lot like fishing: Sometimes you go home empty-handed, and sometimes you score. In Porto, I was a happy guidebook writer, having found several great new restaurants — some characteristic and rough like this one, others more romantic and elegant.

Here’s the write-up for the Rick Steves Portugal guidebook :

[$$] Taberna Santo António is a convivial, hole-in-the-wall place — the quintessence of a family-run, neighborhood favorite. There’s a tight dining room and a few prime seats at the bar where eaters are choosing from six traditional stews, marveling at the homemade desserts, and having fun with the waitstaff (Rua das Virtudes 32, tel. 222-055-306).

Video: Porto’s People-Friendly Vibe

It’s Day 60 of my 100-day trip to Europe, and I’m in Porto — Portugal’s “second city.”

Porto is real. Its economy isn’t driven by tourism, but by hard work, good governance, and a great urban vision. Walk with me (past a couple using my Rick Steves Portugal guidebook — always a happy sight) through what used to be a parking lot and is now a romantic olive grove in the middle of Portugal’s second city.

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Porto and Lisbon day trips

We will be spending a week in Porto, a week in Lisbon and a week in Lagos (rental car) in May. I am looking for day trips from Porto and Lisbon via train. Coimbra? Aveiro? Douro Valley River Cruise? Obidos? Is Sintra worth it or will the crowds in late May be unbearable? Your experiences and recommendations are appreciated.

Porto: Braga (Bom Jesus) and Guimarães (birth place of Portugal). I would mention a few more places in the Minho region, but without a car it would be a bit more difficult to visit.

Lisbon: Evora and if you are into ancient history, take a tour of the megaliths. https://www.eboramegalithica.com/?lang=en

I dislike crowds but love Sintra. The main area that is crowded is if you want to enter Pena Palace. Personally not my favorite palace in Sintra anyways. You can view the grounds of Pena (Park of Pena ticket), Quinta da Regaleira (really fun place to explore with the well and tunnels), National Palace of Sintra (right in town and liked the rooms), Monserrate (amazing gardens, not crowded and my favorite), and the Moorish Castle. https://www.parquesdesintra.pt/en/parks-monuments/

Just my opinion. We enjoyed all your suggested day trips except Aveiro - found that underwhelming. I thought it was billed as the Venice of Portugal. Umm, no.

Skip Aviero. Prioritize Guimares.

I too was underwhelmed with Aveiro in September. There are a couple canals with the typical tourist boat ride, but not much else. It didn’t help that a large portion of the historic district along the canal was a huge construction zone.

Óbidos is worth a couple hours to walk along the wall and walk by the castle, but the main street through town is jammed full of day trippers until about 7pm.

We thoroughly enjoyed Coimbra and I feel it deserves a couple full days.

Other possible places to visit could include Batalha and Alcobaca monasteries, Fátima, and Tomar’s Convent of Christ. We had a rental car so I can’t speak to reaching anyplace using public transportation.

I spent a few hours in Braga and it is wonderful. Check out the Cathedral of Braga and The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sameiro.

In Lisbon, check into Belem as well as Sintra. I was there late October and it was still very crowded. Lisbon is going to be very crowded in May no matter what and so is Sintra but Sintra is worth it.

Two very short train trips from Lisbon are Cascais and Sintra. Both have plenty to see and are very different from one another and from Lisbon itself. We spent 2 nights in each and also stayed a couple of nights in Belem. In Sintra we beat most of the crowd by taking a tuk-tuk up to Pena Palace before the day trippers could arrive from Lisbon and beating the public busses from town by a half hour or so. We had planned to take the bus from Sintra to Cascais but Uber was so inexpensive in Portugal that we just called for a car.

If you are at all interested in wine, take a day tour of the Douro valley. It’s easiest by organized small group tour. There are many. Gaia - across the river from Porto is fun - again if you’re interested in wine. Matosinhos is a nice metro or bus ride from Porto for great a great fish lunch. They grill them outside and the aroma in the area is great. The fish is wonderful, too. Obidos is a bit difficult by train and, as mentioned, is overrun with tourists. I’d skip it. I agree with being underwhelmed by Aveiro. Coimbrã is great and worth your time. Conimbriga, outside of town is very nice, also. Evora would be my preference over Sintra, simply because of the crowds. I don’t go over there (Sintra) anymore for that reason. However, you can visit Montserrat without all the crowds and it’s lovely. You really won’t have time for many day trips with just a week in Lisbon.

What I personally think is a pleasant day in Sintra in Spring without getting overwhelmed with crowds would be.. 1st thing in morning Quinta da Regaleira (can walk from the train station). Mostly outdoors and the two places where there are lines are the Initiation Well and Palace itself. Go to the Initiation Well early then view the rest of the grounds. Next, catch a bus to Monserrate Palace (there is one that leaves from Regaleira so no need to return to town). Explore the wonderful gardens etc. then head back to town via bus or tuk tuk or uber/taxi. Depending on your energy level, visit the National Palace of Sintra that is right in town at the end of the day. Then head back by train to Lisbon.

You can get lunch at Regaleira or bring sandwiches with you to eat on the lawn at Monserrate by the Palace. Lots of families relaxing on that lawn. Peaceful place.

Thank you, fellow travelers. I knew I could count on you! Porto - we will scratch Aveiro, which seemed to be your unanimous decision ;-). I love the idea of the Douro wine tour, but alas, my husband doesn’t drink wine so… I will look into Guimaraes. It wasn’t even on my radar! Lisbon - one morning in Belem and a day in Sintra, but skip the interior of Peña Palace Driving from Lisbon to Lagos - Evora and the megaliths Thank you again for your help!

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