7 Days in Portugal: Lisbon Flavors & Alentejo Wine

Morning · Arrive and settle into a hotel in Chiado or Baixa, both convenient for exploring without a car. Keep the first few hours flexible around your flight.

Afternoon · Explore Baixa and Chiado, stopping for coffee before heading to Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara for views across the city. Leave time simply to browse and get your bearings.

Evening · Share petiscos at a neighborhood wine bar in Chiado or Príncipe Real. Ask for small pours from different Portuguese regions to begin discovering your favorites.

Try bacalhau à Brás, octopus salad and sheep’s-milk cheese, paired with a fresh Arinto white or a lighter red from Dão.

Lisbon’s hills and polished paving reward comfortable, grippy shoes. Use a taxi for the uphill stretch if you are tired after traveling.

Morning · Head to Belém for a warm custard tart at Pastéis de Belém and a visit to Jerónimos Monastery, subject to its opening schedule. Allow roughly 25–45 minutes to reach Belém from central Lisbon, depending on transport and traffic.

Afternoon · Walk along the Tagus, then return to Mercado da Ribeira for a casual lunch at Time Out Market. Balance the busy market with a quiet afternoon back at your hotel or a café.

Evening · Book a traditional tasca for dinner, or choose an intimate fado restaurant in Alfama if music appeals. Treat fado as the evening’s main event rather than squeezing it between other plans.

Seek out amêijoas à Bulhão Pato—clams with garlic and coriander—and grilled fish with a mineral Bucelas white. Fresh grilled sardines are especially worth ordering in summer.

Check monument closure days before fixing the order of your Lisbon sightseeing. A short food walk with a local guide can help you find smaller establishments beyond the busiest streets.

Morning · Travel to Azeitão, approximately 40–55 minutes from Lisbon, for a prebooked visit at José Maria da Fonseca. Taste Moscatel de Setúbal and leave time to browse the village’s cheese and pastry shops.

Afternoon · Continue to Setúbal, around 20–30 minutes away, for a seafood lunch and a stroll beside the Sado estuary. If the weather is clear, add a short stop at the São Filipe fortress viewpoint, subject to access.

Evening · Return to Lisbon in roughly 50–75 minutes, allowing longer during commuter traffic. Keep dinner light and close to your hotel.

Taste buttery Queijo de Azeitão and tortas de Azeitão, then order Setúbal’s signature choco frito, or fried cuttlefish. Compare a dry regional white with the richer fortified Moscatel.

A private driver genuinely helps today, letting you enjoy the tasting without managing driving or village connections. Ask the winery about tour languages and reserve ahead.

Morning · Collect a rental car as you leave Lisbon and drive to Évora, allowing about 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes without stops. Check into your hotel for a three-night stay.

Afternoon · Explore Praça do Giraldo, the Roman Temple and the lanes surrounding Évora Cathedral. Visit the Chapel of Bones if it interests you, keeping room for a café break.

Evening · Enjoy the softer light around the Roman Temple and Jardim de Diana before dinner in a traditional Alentejo restaurant. Reserve a table at a small local favorite such as Botequim da Mouraria, checking its current service days.

Try sopa de cação, a coriander-rich dogfish soup, or migas with Alentejo pork. A regional red blending Aragonez, Trincadeira and Alicante Bouschet makes a fitting introduction.

Choose a hotel with parking or clear advice on nearby parking outside the walls. Évora’s historic center is best explored on foot, and some streets have restricted vehicle access.

Morning · Take a short taxi ride to the Cartuxa wine-tourism site near Évora for a reserved cellar visit and tasting. Choose one focused experience rather than scheduling several wineries.

Afternoon · Return for lunch and a leisurely afternoon browsing ceramics, cork goods and local food shops. In hot weather, take a proper midday break and resume walking later.

Evening · Book a relaxed dinner at a regional restaurant such as Fialho. Let the staff guide you toward a seasonal dish and a wine you have not yet tried.

Look for açorda à alentejana, made with bread, garlic and coriander, or slow-cooked lamb when available. Finish with sericaia, a delicate egg-and-cinnamon dessert, sometimes served with an Elvas plum.

Arrange your return taxi in advance rather than assuming one will be waiting at the winery. Premium wines such as Pêra-Manca are not necessarily included in standard tastings.

Morning · Travel approximately 40–50 minutes to Herdade do Esporão near Reguengos de Monsaraz for a prebooked wine or olive-oil experience. The estate offers a lovely opportunity to understand the Alentejo beyond its reds.

Afternoon · Have lunch at the estate if available and reserved, or in Reguengos, then continue around 25–35 minutes to Monsaraz. Wander its compact whitewashed streets and enjoy the views across Lake Alqueva.

Evening · Return to Évora, allowing about 50–60 minutes from Monsaraz. Share a simple final dinner and revisit your favorite wine from the trip.

Taste an Antão Vaz-based white alongside local olive oil, then look for seasonal vegetables, black pork or regional lamb at lunch. Keep portions modest if you plan a full dinner.

Book a private driver for this vineyard-and-village day so both of you can taste comfortably. In summer, explore Monsaraz late in the afternoon; in winter, arrive early enough to enjoy the views before sunset.

Morning · After breakfast, drive approximately 35–45 minutes to Estremoz for its marble-lined streets and castle-quarter views. If it is Saturday, browse the market in Rossio Marquês de Pombal for produce, cheeses and local life.

Afternoon · Enjoy an early lunch, then drive to Lisbon, allowing roughly 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours before traffic, fuel and car-return time. If you have an earlier flight, skip Estremoz and travel directly from Évora.

Evening · Depart Lisbon or stay an extra night if your flight schedule requires it. If remaining in the city, finish with a relaxed neighborhood dinner rather than another major outing.

Choose a final plate of Alentejo cheeses, cured meats and bread, or a seasonal regional lunch. Save any wine tasting for after the driving is finished.

The Estremoz detour suits a late flight or an additional Lisbon night, not a tight airport connection. For a morning departure, return to Lisbon on the evening of day six instead.