Things You Should Always Do When Visiting Portugal

There’s so much more to Portugal than just Lisbon, yet many visitors never get past the capital or begin to scratch below the surface of the country’s culture. Bear in mind the following tips to get more out of your trip to Portugal.

Want to visit? Let our Local Insider show you the best of Portugal on our specially curated nine-day Northern Portugal adventure.

Take it easy

Slow down, and be fully present in each place you visit instead of rushing around the country to see as many destinations as possible. Pay as much attention to the sounds, smells and flavours you experience as to the sights themselves, and take the time to learn something about each landmark. Portugal’s rich history and traditions may surprise you.

Experience the cuisine like a local

Bacalhau à Brás is a popular Portuguese dish

Visit an outdoor market

The outdoor markets are usually full of energy and often the best places to buy treats, gifts and souvenirs.

Buy souvenirs along the embankment of Vila Nova de Gaia

Sample the different wines

You can purchase a good bottle of Portuguese wine for as little as €2 (£1.80) in the market, and a glass at a restaurant can cost even less. Ask one of the locals for advice, and sample wines from different regions, such as Tejo, Alentejo or Vinho Verde. Winemaking is taken seriously in Portugal, and the locals will love explaining the different varieties to you. How about sipping a glass of excellent Portuguese wine while floating down the Douro River on a rabelo boat? You can do so with Culture Trip on our nine-day small-group Northern Portugal tour.

Don’t stay in Lisbon (Porto doesn’t count!)

Everyone should visit Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve at least once, but that doesn’t mean you should only stay in these areas. The smaller cities and rural districts will offer a more traditional side of the culture that may be missed in the larger, metropolitan cities.

Spend time in Minho, and visit Peneda-Gerês National Park

The north of Portugal is home to the oldest, and many of the most beautiful, areas in the country. From the rolling green hills in Minho to the ancient villages, flora and fauna of the only national park in Portugal, this region is one of the country’s treasures.

Head to the beaches in Central and Northern Portugal

While everyone else is swarming to the beaches around Lisbon and in the Algarve, go north, and find your own spot under the sun along a different stretch of the coast.

Eat seafood by the sea

This may seem like a no-brainer, but many visitors forget to enjoy their seafood at the seaside. A fantastic experience in Portugal is ordering a mariscada (mixed seafood platter) by the beach in one of the fishing villages and washing it down with a local wine or beer.

Unwind at a seafront cafe in Carvoeiro, Portugal

Try speaking Portuguese

No one is expecting fluent Portuguese to roll off the tongues of visitors, but knowing the small things such as obrigado (thank you) and bom dia (good morning) can make a big difference. Before visiting Portugal, make sure to learn some of the commonly used phrases to help you communicate.

Have fun, but be mindful

Enjoy your time in Portugal, but remember to respect the local culture and people. It’s your holiday; for locals, it’s their home.

Follow Rua Augusta in Lisbon to Rua Augusta Arch

Visit the islands

Visiting the Azores and Madeira will never be easier than when flying from mainland Portugal, so look into flights, and try hopping over to one or more of the islands if time allows. The two national airlines, TAP Air Portugal and Azores Airlines, regularly fly to the islands, and there are also low-cost options, such as Ryanair.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.