Hey there, fellow travelers! Today, we’re talking about how to build a travel itinerary to the Iberian countries of Spain and Portugal. Sometimes the most difficult part of travel is deciding where to go and building out a travel itinerary. There are so many cool places to visit in Spain and Portugal that it can be hard to narrow them down. Since most Americans get a two-week vacation at the most, we’re going to share our recommendations for a two-week Portugal and Spain trip.
Spain and Portugal Vacation Overview
The best option for this Spain and Portugal itinerary is to buy a multi-city ticket so you can make the most of your travel time. Before we get into the details, here’s an outline of this Spain and Portugal trip planner. We recommend spending 2-3 days in each of these locations, adding more day trips as you see fit.
- Fly to Barcelona
- Train to Madrid
- Train to Seville
- Bus to the Algarve
- Train from the Algarve to Lisbon
- Train from Lisbon to Porto
- Fly home from Porto
Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona is a great place to start your Spain and Portugal itinerary. Experience the Catalan culture of Barcelona and see some of the highlights of the city:
- Explore the Gothic neighborhood of Barcelona
- Visit the Sagrada Familia
- Go to Park Güell to see more of Gaudi’s work
- Hit the Barcelona beaches and beach bars (and clubs if you can stay up late enough!)
- Visit Barcelona Museums, including Museum Nacional Catalunya, and the Picasso Museum
Five Things You’ll Love & Hate About Barcelona
Madrid, Spain
From Barcelona, you can reach Madrid by train in under three hours. Spain’s capital city has some of the best museums in the world. Some of the best things to see in Madrid include:
- The Prado Museum, one of my favorite museums in the world
- Reina Sofia Museum, featuring Picasso’s Guernica
- Thyssen Art Museum
- The Royal Palace and Cathedral
- Plaza Mayor
Ten Things That Will Shock You in Madrid
There are also some good day trips from Madrid if you have some extra time:
- Segovia is a World Heritage City, just 30 minutes from Madrid by train. It’s best known for the castle and the Roman aqueduct.
- Toledo was the capital of Spain before it moved to Madrid. Just one hour from Madrid by train, Toledo is still the home of the Catholic Church in Spain and has some pretty amazing architecture.
Seville, Spain
From Madrid, make your way south to the city of Seville. The train from Madrid to Seville is about 2 ½ hours and you’ll find yourself in a stereotypical Spanish village. Enjoy paella and flamenco, attend a bullfight, or visit the cathedral and gardens. An easy day trip from Seville is to visit Cordoba for the afternoon. There, you’ll see the Mezquita-Catedral, which is a church built inside of a 7th-century mosque.
Five Things You’ll Love & Hate About Seville, Spain
Algarve, Portugal
From Seville, take a bus to the Algarve region of Portugal in under three hours. The Algarve is the beach resort region of Portugal, and you’ll be pleased to find prices in Portugal much cheaper than in Spain, which is already very affordable. Spend as much time as you’d like to explore the various beaches of the Algarve before continuing your Portugal and Spain trip in Lisbon.
Lisbon, Portugal
I lived in Lisbon for five years, so it’s near and dear to my heart. There are so many cool things to do in Portugal’s capital city. Some of my favorite things to do in Lisbon include:
- Experience the amazing nightlife in the Barrio Alto
- Visit the castle on the hill for amazing views of Lisbon
- Visit the Jerónimos Monastery
- Tour Belém Tower, a 16th-century fortress that marks the entrance to the city
- Try the custard tart at Pasteis de Belém
- Visit the Gulbenkian Museum, a once-private collection of art and antiques
- Visit the local beaches near Lisbon
- Take the city train out to Sintra to see the palace
Five Things You Will Love & Hate About Lisbon
Porto, Portugal
Lastly, you will wrap up your itinerary in Porto, Portugal. Porto has much more of an “old-world” feeling to it, and it’s a great city to explore. Porto is most famous for port wine, and visiting the wine caves to sample port wine is one of the most popular things to do in Porto. Other things to see in Porto include:
- Explore the food and drink of the Ribeira district
- Visit the Porto Cathedral, one of the oldest monuments in the city
- Go inside the São Bento train station to see the Azulejos blue tiles
- Eat a francesinha, which is like a “drowned sandwich” and they are so good!
From Porto, you can fly back home to end your Spain and Portugal vacation.
Grab Some Wolters World Travel Gear!
While I do recommend spending as much time in each of these cities as you can, realistically most of us have limited vacation time. This Spain and Portugal itinerary is meant to help you make the most of your time on your first trip to the Iberian Peninsula while giving you the chance to experience two unique countries and cultures. Looking for more tips on travel in Europe? Check out these other blog posts: