5 Places to Visit in Portugal for your 2025 Bucket List

As time goes by, it’s time to make your wishes come true, and tick those places and destinations in Portugal you would like to visit. Portugal is, indeed, a small, big country.

A country where you can cross from north to south in approximately 6 hours, but quite big in terms of towns to hit, museums to visit, dishes to try out, and a thousand memorable landscapes to capture with your camera. As a tourism destination company, Across Portugal is fully prepared to provide you with the best recommendations and guiding you to build the best itinerary for this year.

With this list, you will find the best and trendy hot spots to visit in the Westernmost European tourism destination for 2025. From city guides to hiking places, always paired with local and delicious food, Portugal excels in being acknowledged as one of the best European travel destinations with its traditional gastronomy, top-rated hospitality, picturesque landscapes, and cultural heritage. 

Lisbon

The Portuguese capital is truly a must see if you’re planning to visit Portugal. Built upon 7 hills, as Rome, Lisbon is an authentic open-air museum filled with history, culture,
and heritage.

Its vibrant quarters such as the Alfama, Bairro Alto, and Rossio once witnessed an earthquake in 1755, are nowadays bursting with life, cafes, restaurants, museums, and art galleries, inviting anyone to drop by and get a true feeling of Lisbon’s vibe. The capital’s highlights differ from the Belém Tower, a symbol of the Portuguese Age of the Discoveries to the historical district of Alfama that will take you back to the Middle Ages.

Still, Lisbon embraces a new persona when the night falls. Many houses that host Fado shows are open until midnight where aside from having a local dinner, you can fully enjoy the taste of the Portuguese folk music as well. Concerning food and wine, this city has everything for everyone. For fish lovers, you must try the Codfish Brás with potatoes, onions and mixed with parsley; the seafood with rice rich in shellfish, and much more.The Bifana, even though it’s from the southern region of Alentejo, is quite popular in the capital, being a street food pork sandwich. Last but not least, the iconic and popular pastry, made by nuns, the custard tart Pastel de Nata (originally from Belém).

Porto

It’s often said that if Lisbon is the capital of Portugal, Porto holds the capital of the north. This UNESCO World Heritage site was awarded in 2022 as the best world destination by the World Travel Awards, Porto, like Lisbon, shares an intimacy with its river.

A city with more than 1000 years old of history and heritage, be prepared to face lesser hills than Lisbon, but still challenging. Blue-tiled churches such as the Carmelites or the Saint Ildefonso paint a beautiful canvas in the city, the Lello Bookstore that inspired a whole wizard saga, and even one of the most artistic McDonald’s in the world are all in Porto.

After discovering this charming old town, especially throughout its old alleys around the Cathedral or the Ribeira, it’s time to satisfy your hunger with a local Francesinha, a 1000 calories meat sandwich soaked with an orange gravy and paired with French fries. Alternatively, you can try a lesser caloric dish such as grilled sardines with salad or even the Codfish Braga with potatoes and onions.

The name Porto, which means Port, is also associated with its traditional beverage. After crossing the Bridge Luís I and heading to Gaia, you can visit the Port Wine cellars, and learn how this sweet wine is made, stored and how to be drank. 

Sintra

Sintra doesn’t require any introductions. Situated in the Sintra Hills, this quaint town will pull you to any Tolkien or fantasy film, resembling a magical and mysterious destination.

Related to many Portuguese towns, Sintra is also a UNESCO World Heritage site that combines natural beauty with jaw-dropping architecture, unique in the whole world. Dense green forests, colossal panoramic cliffs, and the blue Atlantic Ocean invite you to uncover this trendy tourism destination, if you are not far from Lisbon.

Sintra is also known for its architectural treasures, such as the Pena Palace, a miscellanea of different styles of colors and architecture sought by kings and queens as for its luxury and amenity. The Quinta da Regaleira, a gardened estate, is shrouded by mysticism and Masonry connections where visitors can explore the tunnels and be amazed by this 1800s building. If you’re a Middle Ages lover, the Moorish Castle is your must see, being one of the few last remnants of the early medieval times when Portugal was under the Moorish influence.

Stroll throughout the old charming town and indulge your palate with the local pastries. The Travesseiros (Pillow-shaped) are indeed a sweet delight, combining flaky layers filled with almond and egg cream, and powdered with sugar. Make sure you drop by Casa Piriquita, they have the best in town. Another heavenly culinary identity is the Queijada, as the name implies is filled with cheese, eggs, and sugar, sprayed with cinnamon that will make you mouthwatering with anticipation. 

Douro Valley

A river that flows from Spain towards Porto, covering a huge section of the Iberian Peninsula, the Douro River nicknamed its valley, where vineyards and the Port Wine estates sit atop the majestic cliffs.
Just a few hours inland from Porto, the Douro Valley is considered a sought luxury destination due not only to Port Wine, but to the luxury hotels, equipped with SPA & Wellness facilities; river cruises similar to the Norwegian Fjords, and most importantly visiting any wine estate to learn about the art of producing Port Wine.
This idyllic UNESCO World Heritage site is a great destination if you’re not a wine fan. Several hiking places are available for you to be in the elements, where nature plays a major role with inspiring vistas, unique fauna, and flora. Plus, this green region is surrounded by charismatic and pleasant towns like Vila Real, Lamego, or Amarante which are worth visiting its art, architecture and sampling the local delicacies such as the Pastry of São Gonçalo (Amarante).

The Douro Valley translates into peace and harmony, where the picturesque vineyards embellish this natural landscape, and allows the river to flow to Porto. The best way to get there, if you’d like to avoid using your car rental, is via train. In-between July and October, travel back in time with a 19th-century old historical train in Peso da Régua.

Coimbra

Despite not yet receiving any tourism awards, Coimbra packs a quaint and cozy town for a couple of days that are worth spending.

This gem nestled on the banks of the Mondego River, in central Portugal, holds ancient architecture that goes back to Roman times. It has one of the oldest universities in the world founded in the 13th century, being considered even today one of the topnotch universities. Not far from the university, the Joanina Library is an architectural wonder with golden leaf walls and several bats that are used as a mechanism to fight against insects that corrode old books and manuscripts. Boasting the combination of Romanesque and Gothic architecture, venturing 20 minutes outside of the old town, there’s Conimbriga, an ancient Roman complex with a Forum, Bathhouse, and much more.

This mystical town, which resembles a historical novel, was also the house of a forbidden medieval love. The Portuguese version of Romeo and Juliet took place in the Quinta das Lágrimas, across the river, where the love of Pedro and Inês conquered death and echoes in all eternity. Coimbra also has its own Fado version, distinct from Lisbon’s, performed by the university students, the lyrics represent a yearning and a sad nostalgia.

Undoubtedly, you’re going to be drawn to Coimbra’s charming student town. Either having a cafe outside on a sunny day, enjoying the festivity of S. Mateus or even visiting an art gallery.