Rehearse your Portugal trip before you go

Entry rules by passport

Checked Oct 2026. Rules change: check the embassy or official site before you travel.

Traps travellers fall into

In the game these hide among the recommendations. See if you can spot them.

• Sightseeing on Tram 28 LisbonTram 28 is jammed and notorious for pickpockets. Ride very early, or take the quieter 12 or 24; walking the hills is better anyway
• A big fado dinner show LisbonThe most memorable fado is in small neighbourhood taverns on fado vadio nights
• A touting riverside terrace in the Ribeira PortoBread and olives placed on the table (couvert) are charged; send them back if you don't want them. Eat a street back from the river
• Starters you didn't order LisbonIn Portugal, bread and olives brought to the table (couvert) are charged; if you don't want them, leave them and ask for them to be taken away
• 'Hashish? Cocaine?' LisbonIgnore street sellers in central Lisbon and keep walking; it's illegal and usually fake

Month by month

• JanuaryJanuary in Lisbon is about 14°C; Porto is often rainy.
• FebruaryFebruary in Lisbon is about 15°C with some rain.
• MarchMarch reaches 17–18°C as spring arrives; Easter falls on 26–28 March.
• AprilApril reaches about 19°C; 25 April is Freedom Day.
• MayMay is a sunny 22°C, one of the best months.
• JuneJune reaches about 25°C. Lisbon celebrates St Anthony (12–13 June) and Porto St John (23–24 June) with all-night sardine grills.
• JulyJuly reaches 28°C in Lisbon and over 35°C in Évora; the Algarve beaches are in full summer swing.
• AugustAugust reaches about 28°C, with inland days near 40°C; the busiest month.
• SeptemberSeptember reaches about 26°C, with the grape harvest in the Douro valley.
• OctoberOctober reaches about 22°C as the rains return.
• NovemberNovember–December: Lisbon 15–17°C with some rain; the Algarve is a little warmer.
• DecemberDecember in Lisbon is about 15°C with frequent rain.

Sample routes

• ClassicClassic: Lisbon and PortoFrom Lisbon's hills and fado, by fast train to port-wine Porto.Lisbon → Porto
• DetourDetour: via university CoimbraA night in the town of the golden library, then north to Porto.Lisbon → Coimbra → Porto
• Off the pathOff the path: the Alentejo to the southern seaA chapel of bones and megalith plains, then golden cliffs by the sea.Lisbon → Évora → Lagos (Algarve)

Hidden gems

• The Graça viewpoints LisbonOne of the city's highest viewpoints: castle, river and sunset.
• The Douro Valley vineyards PortoA World Heritage valley of terraced vineyards, by train or tour.
• Santa Clara-a-Velha CoimbraA convent that sat half-drowned by the river for centuries.
• The Almendres Cromlech ÉvoraNinety-five standing stones, said to be older than Stonehenge; by car or tour.
• A bifana at the counter LisbonA standing-room counter on Praça Luís de Camões: pork simmered in white wine in a bun, with mustard or piri-piri. Closed Sunday.
• Bolhão Market PortoA restored 19th-century market of fishmongers, florists and standing bars.
• Coimbra fado CoimbraFado sung by men in black student capes, different from Lisbon's.
• Dish of the day in a neighbourhood tasca LisbonA five-table tasca beside the cathedral: pick a fish from the chiller and have it grilled. Closed Sunday.

9 more to find in the game.

Before you go

• Install a travel eSIMEssential for maps in hilly towns
• Install a ride-hailing appFor the airport and late nights