14 Day Road Trip Through Northern Portugal

Over the course of 14 days, my husband and I traveled to eight different cities within Northern Portugal. Our trip began in Lisbon, since this is where we are based. From there we went to: Coimbra, Viseu, the Duoro Valley (Casal do Capelinhos), Pinhao, Geres, Braga, Viana do Castelo, Aveiro & then back to Lisbon. Spending one to two nights in each city, this trip was jam-packed. If time isn’t on your side, I’d love to share suggestions of which cities can be made into day trips, rather than overnight trips. The possibilities are endless!

You may be wondering why Porto isn’t listed. We traveled to Porto separately, prior to this road trip, so we decided to dedicate this time to places we had not yet been to. If you’ve never traveled to Porto, I definitely recommend adding it to your road trip. It is only 45 minutes from Braga, or an hour from Aveiro, so can be squeezed into the itinerary seamlessly.

I’m sure the thought of eight destinations over 14 days may seem to be a bit much. I’ll acknowledge that we may have been ambitious, and there were definitely times when we wished we had more time in a city than we planned for. We planned this trip with a “gotta see ‘em all” mentality. My United States friends, don’t forget that the size of Portugal bodes well for road exploration, making it quite easy to bop from one city to the next. The max amount of time we spent on the road, traveling between cities was just under three hours, making this the most digestible road trip I’ve ever been on (Europe, I love you!).

For those curious about the destinations we chose, here’s a quick highlight of the eight cities:

Coimbra

Only two hours from Lisbon, this historic town is full of culture and academic tradition. It is home to one of the oldest universities in Europe, founded in 1290. Students still attend this university and can be found wearing the traditional all-black cape around campus. Some of our favorite moments included a free walking tour of the city & dinner at Terraco da Alta.

Viseu

A little over an hour drive and we arrived in the city of Viseu. We had a lot of rain during our time here (a variable to consider when traveling to Portugal during the winter months). So, the food and wine were definitely the highlight for us — we tried a rice dish with wild boar and it was delicious.

Casal dos Capelinhos (Douro Valley)

A quick hour drive from Viseu led us to the incredible Duoro Valley. We enjoyed an intimate stay at a Portuguese vineyard. We spent our time with wine tastings and playing endless amounts of gin rummy on our patio overlooking the vineyard — need I say more? (Check out my trip report for more details on our Two nights at Casal dos Capelinhos!)

Pinhao

Only 40-minutes from Casal dos Capelinhos, we stayed one night in Pinhao to experience more of Douro’s Quintas. We embarked on a full-day tour which included a river cruise, learning more about the history of Pinhao, lunch at an authentic Portuguese restaurant, and of course, touring two more Quinta’s and tasting their incredible wine.

• Tip: Many Douro Valley tours begin in Porto or Pinhao, so plan accordingly.

Geres

Next up is the village of Geres, which is located within the Peneda-Geres National Park, the only National Park in Portugal. This drive was one of the longest of the entire road trip, marking just under three hours. We stayed in a treehouse & did a hike that was way harder than the All Trails reviews made it up to be. It was the perfect stop to take a step back and be in tune with nature.

Braga

We then made our way to one of Portugal’s oldest cities, Braga. Only an hour from Geres, we loved this city's vibrant landscaping and active city center. The Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte is an absolute must-see. You can walk the many stairs to the top, or pay one euro to park your car within the area. For dinner, I recommend Inato Bistro, with a craft beer at Letraria before calling it a night.

• Tip: Staying primarily in Braga and doing a day trip to Geres for nature & hiking would make for a great trip if you don’t have time to dedicate to both.

Viana do Castelo

In just 45-minutes, we found ourselves at the coast of the Atlantic. Unfortunately, we were met with consistent rain during this leg of our trip (cue the gin rummy). But we saw enough to know that I plan to return to enjoy one of the many beaches Viana do Castelo has to offer. If you find yourself here, visiting Pastelaria Confeitaria Manuel Natário and ordering a Bola de Belem is a must do. I cannot express how insanely delicious this doughnut is.

• Tip: While the bakery opens early and has many sweet treats to choose from, the Bola da Belem’s are not ready until 10 am or 11 am each day, so plan accordingly. Also, this spot is cash only!

Aveiro

Time for our final stop of our trip, Aveiro. An hour and a half drive back South, we drove through Porto to arrive at our destination. When speaking to locals about our road trip destinations, Aveiro seemed to be the city that consistently held a special place in each of their hearts. Known for its canals (some call it the Venice of Portugal) and colorful buildings, Aveiro was one of our favorite stops. The beaches were to die for — you will absolutely find me back here during the summer months.

Lisbon

From Aveiro, we made our final journey back to our home base of Lisbon. If you haven’t picked up on it by now, Portugal has so much to offer. From North to South, there’s much to see and I can assure you that you will not be disappointed. Let’s chat about how we can customize this trip to match your travel preferences!

We used SIXT, a Portuguese rental car company, for our rental car and had a great experience! Your travel advisor can help you get your rental car squared away, so no worries there. As for the driving itself, Portugal’s cars mimic cars in the US, and they drive on the same sides of the road as we do.

Be sure to talk through the toll procedure when picking up your rental car. Pretty much all of the highways we used required toll payments — SIXT had an electronic toll tag that allowed us to proceed through the tolls without worry, paying the total at the end of our trip.