Portugal

Lisbon:

Things To Do:

Sandeman Free Walking Tour: Great tour that takes you to the city’s most interesting and symbolic sights. Hop on and hop off whenever you’d like. Tipping is encouraged at the end, but not required.
Ride a TukTuk (~5 euros).
Ride on the Santa Justa Lift, an elevator that ends with beautiful views of the city. You don’t need to pay to go to the top; walk to the main base and the views are just as good.
Try a shot of Ginja, a Portuguese liqueur made from sour cherries (also try it in a chocolate cup).
Ride on tram 28. It takes you up to the castle and around Old Town.
Stroll around Rue Augusta, a great shopping area with chain stores as well as small boutiques.
Try green wine or green sangria. “Green” means young, so when you have a glass of green wine, it’s made from young grapes.
Explore the Alfama area. It’s one of the oldest districts in Lisbon and is known for its cobblestone streets and old houses.
Try Super Bock, a brand of Portuguese beer.
Visit the Sao Jorge Castle.
Try Port Wine, a unique blend of Portuguese indigenous grapes. It’s a very sweet, fortified wine that is typically served with dessert.

Accommodation:

Airbnb has great options and reasonable prices. I would recommend staying in the Alfama area. It’s a peaceful spot that makes you feel like you’re staying in a small European village.

Food / Drinks:

Restaurant Oishii: Good happy hour deals, great cocktails and a fun vibe.
Dear Breakfast: A trendy breakfast place.
Timeout Market: A large market with a variety of food stands, most have a focus on seafood. My favorite was the gyoza at Asian Lab.
Cafeteria a Mouraria: A local place that serves great green sangria.
Chapito a Mesa: Stunning views over Alfama. It used to be an old women’s prison and now is a school of circus. I recommend getting the Eco Potatoes as an appetizer.
Tram 28 Café: A really cute café near the castle.

Nightlife:

Notes:

Most of the restaurants in Portugal focus on seafood. Some of the dishes will fall under another section of the menu but still have seafood in them. If you don’t eat seafood, make sure you check with your server that your dish doesn’t have seafood in it before ordering.
Watch out for pickpockets, they are prevalent all around the city.

Sintra (day trip):

Sintra is a day trip from Lisbon. It’s ~1 hour by train from Lisbon and costs 5 euro round trip.
Visit Pena Palace. To get there, take a TukTuk or a bus. Once you enter the castle grounds, walk to High Cross Viewpoint for a great view of city and the castle.
- There are plenty of other castles and palaces to visit in Sintra, but Pena Palace is the most famous.
Walk around the city center; there are a bunch of small mom and pop shops, winding allies and live music.
Have lunch at Paco Real. They have good sangria and great pizza.

Porto:

Things To Do:

Sandeman Free Walking Tour.
Explore the Sao Bento Train Station; it was Voted one of the most beautiful train stations in Europe.
Visit Livraria Lello, a stunning bookstore with a famous staircase. J.K. Rowling wrote part of the Harry Potter series here and some of the details in the book were inspired by this bookstore and the city of Porto itself.
Sign up for the Ferreira Tour & Tasting. Ferreira is one of the most famous port wine cellars in Portugal.
Walk across the Ponte Luis Bridge, which has great views of the city.
Watch sunset from the park at the top of the gondola.
Venture to Lecça Beach, which is ~1 hour from Porto by train. If you’re interested, it’s a great place to surf.
Try Port Wine, a unique blend of Portuguese indigenous grapes. It’s a very sweet, fortified wine that is typically served with dessert.

Food / Drinks:

Tasco: Tapas, Portuguese style.
Miss Pavolva: A little café, tucked away in the back of a store. I recommend trying the sweet potato chips and guacamole and the falafel salad.
Beira Rio Market: A bunch of small food stands with a cuisines from around the world.
Zenith: Fantastic brunch spot.

Nightlife:

Notes:

Porto is the port wine capital. It’s ~3 hours by train from Lisbon and costs ~20 euro one-way.
If you see students walking around in capes, it’s their school uniform. These school uniforms inspired the Hogwartz uniforms in Harry Potter.

Background photo taken from Ponte Luis Bridge in Porto, Portugal.