Portugal travel guide

The most common Portugal trip pairs two cities: Belém and Alfama in Lisbon in the south, then the riverside and bridges of Porto in the north.

The emergency number is 112.

Each city has its own airport, so decide where you will arrive when you buy flights.

With Monday closures and timed-entry tickets, making a day-by-day plan first makes everything much easier.

Visa and entry requirements for Portugal

Whether you need a visa, how long you can stay and which pre-arrival forms apply all depend on your nationality and the purpose of your trip. Check the official source below, and your own government's travel advice, before you book.

This country is in the Schengen Area. The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) registers non-EU travelers at the external border, and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is scheduled to apply to visa-exempt travelers; check the official EU site for who needs it, the start date and the fee. For visa-exempt travelers, Schengen stays are limited to 90 days in any 180-day period, and days in Portugal and Spain (and other Schengen countries) are added together. Your passport should be valid for at least three months beyond your planned departure date.

• Vistos (official visa portal of Portugal) (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal)
• ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) (European Union)
• EES (Entry/Exit System) (European Union)

In Lisbon, the Jerónimos Monastery in Belém and the hillside Alfama district each take a day. In Porto, you walk Ribeira on the Douro riverside, the Dom Luís I Bridge and Livraria Lello. Don't see both cities in one day; plan each separately.

With four nights or more, link the two. Travel between them by train, and check times and fares by date with the operator. Three nights in Lisbon and two in Porto is balanced; if Porto is your priority, swap them.

Based on official information.

Continue with Lisbon (in Korean) and Porto (in Korean).

Lisbon's Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower became UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1983. Construction of the monastery began in 1502, and Belém Tower is a fortress built around 1514 by Francisco de Arruda. Both are close together in Belém on the banks of the Tagus, so you can see them in one go.

Porto's historic center, together with the Dom Luís I Bridge and the Monastery of Serra do Pilar, became a World Heritage site in 1996. The Romans called the place Portus, meaning "port". The heritage zone covers 51 hectares and brings together buildings such as the cathedral, with its 12th-century Romanesque core, and São Bento station, built between 1900 and 1916. It is a hilly city above the mouth of the Douro with a lot of walking, so wear comfortable shoes.

For visa-exempt travelers, Schengen stays are limited to 90 days within the 180 days before your last departure. If you travel between Portugal and Spain, your days in both countries are added together.

Because there are no border checks within Europe, your movements are not stamped in your passport, so keep transport and accommodation receipts until the end of your trip. You can check your days with the EU's short-stay calculator.

From Lisbon airport, the metro Red Line runs to São Sebastião without changes. A single metro and bus ticket costs EUR 1.90, and the Navegante card costs EUR 0.50. From Porto airport, Metro Line E runs to Trindade; a Z4 single costs EUR 2.30, plus EUR 0.60 for the Andante card.

Train times and fares between the two cities vary by date, so check with the operator before booking. When you land, remember that each city has its own transport card rules.

Portugal's emergency number is 112. If you feel unwell or suspect an infectious disease, there is the health hotline 808 24 24 24. Reporting lost property or crimes at a tourist police station helps with communication. Lisbon's tourist police station is +351 21-902-1950, open 8:00 to 23:30; Porto's is +351 22-209-2006, open 8:00 to 24:00.

Reports must be made within six months of the incident. Save your own embassy's contacts too.

First check that your passport is valid for at least three months beyond your planned departure. EES and ETIAS information can change, so reread the official EU pages before you go. The Jerónimos Monastery is closed on Mondays, and Livraria Lello needs a timed-entry ticket. Put both dates in your plan first and fit the rest around them. Train times between the cities vary by date, so book once those dates are set.

Pre-departure checklist

• Check your passport is valid for at least three months beyond your planned departure
• Check the EES and ETIAS information
• Confirm whether you arrive in Lisbon or Porto
• Check the Jerónimos Monastery Monday closure
• Check your Livraria Lello ticket date and time

• For monuments and hills: split Belém and Alfama across days in Lisbon.
• For the riverside and the bookshop: link Ribeira and Livraria Lello in Porto.
• For both cities: four nights or more; check train times first.