Portugal · best-of list
15 Top Things to Do in Portugal
All 15 things to do our route editors picked in Portugal, across 3 destinations, gathered in one list. Each one is a stop on a route you can open and copy into a trip.
Our curated picks
15 things to do in Portugal, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Coimbra 5 picks
Biblioteca Joanina
Coimbra · On our Portugal by Rail route
Baroque library from the 1700s with gilded shelves and a colony of bats.
Tip: Entry is by timed slot; book ahead.
Photo: Alvesgaspar · CC BY-SA 3.0
Fado ao Centro
Coimbra · On our Portugal by Rail route
Nightly short show of Coimbra fado, sung by men in student capes.
Photo: Franco Amaru Fernandez Sica · Google
Mosteiro de Santa Cruz
Coimbra · On our Portugal by Rail route
Monastery holding the tombs of Portugal's first two kings.
Photo: Albert Engström · Google
Sé Velha
Coimbra · On our Portugal by Rail route
Fortress-like Romanesque cathedral from the 12th century.
Photo: gian marco Ortalli · Google
University of Coimbra
Coimbra · On our Portugal by Rail route
Hilltop university founded in 1290, with a clock tower and courtyard views.
Tip: Buy the combined ticket that includes the library.
Photo: claude quemerais · Google
Lisbon 5 picks
Belém Tower
Lisbon · On our Portugal by Rail route
16th-century fortified tower on the Tagus, built to guard the harbor.
Photo: Alvesgaspar · CC BY-SA 3.0
Castelo de São Jorge
Lisbon · On our Portugal by Rail route
Moorish castle walls above Alfama with the widest views of the city.
Photo: Angela Del Sarto · Google
Jerónimos Monastery
Lisbon · On our Portugal by Rail route
Manueline monastery with a carved cloister and Vasco da Gama's tomb.
Tip: Book online; closed Mondays.
Photo: Holger Uwe Schmitt · CC BY-SA 4.0
Pena Palace
Lisbon · On our Portugal by Rail route
Romantic hilltop palace in bright colors above Sintra, 40 minutes by train.
Tip: Book timed tickets and arrive at opening.
Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas · CC BY-SA 3.0
Tram 28
Lisbon · On our Portugal by Rail route
Vintage yellow tram climbing through Graça, Alfama and Baixa.
Tip: Board at Martim Moniz early to get a seat.
Photo: Václav Pavlík · Google
Porto 5 picks
Dom Luís I Bridge
Porto · On our Portugal by Rail route
Double-deck iron bridge; walk the top level for the classic view.
Photo: Deensel · CC BY 2.0
Ribeira
Porto · On our Portugal by Rail route
Riverside quarter of stacked houses and cafés below the old town.
Photo: Alvesgaspar · CC BY-SA 4.0
São Bento Station
Porto · On our Portugal by Rail route
Train station hall lined with 20,000 azulejo tiles of Portuguese history.
Photo: Manuel de Sousa · Public domain
Serralves
Porto · On our Portugal by Rail route
Contemporary art museum by Álvaro Siza set in large Art Deco gardens.
Photo: Geerd-Olaf Freyer from Aachen, Deutschland · CC BY-SA 2.0
Torre dos Clérigos
Porto · On our Portugal by Rail route
Baroque bell tower with a 240-step climb to a city view.
Photo: Carlo Lucini · Google
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the things to do in Portugal?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 15 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Portugal has the most things to do on this list?
Coimbra, Lisbon and Porto lead with 5 each; the other picks are spread across 0 more destinations.
Are any of these free?
3 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Dom Luís I Bridge, Ribeira and São Bento Station. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for Portugal
Top things to do nearby
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.