Hello, my name is Ella Puchkov.
I love traveling around the world using public transportation.
Here’s a summary of my 14-day trip to Portugal (including departure and arrival days) by public transportation.
I started planning this trip about six months in advance. I relied heavily on information from groups, plus a lot of online research and deep dives into websites.
I really like having everything organized and thought through so I never end up in a situation I don’t know how to handle.
For internet access: ESIM – I got a 15-day AIRALO package with 30GB for all of Portugal (MEO).
For maps and trails: MAPS.ME / MAPY.CZ / GOOGLE MAP
I also used: GETYOURGUIDE – a ticketing website where I also booked rides and tours.
I booked all my public transportation tickets, including the boat cruise, about two months in advance, and it saves a lot of money!
During the trip, I stayed in 3 different cities and took my day trips from there. When I choose a place to stay, it’s important to me that it be near a bus, metro, or train station, and that there’s also a supermarket or food shop nearby. I don’t mind if it’s not right in the city center. The main thing is that it shouldn’t be too expensive, since I only come back to the hotel to shower and sleep.
The cities I stayed in: Lisbon, Funchal (Madeira), Porto.
Day 1 – 12.06.2023 Arrival in Lisbon
I landed in Lisbon in the morning, and there were huge lines at passport control, even though the strike had already ended. The airport is enormous, and it took me about 10 minutes to walk to the baggage claim area.
After that, I picked up my “Lisboa card“ (for three days), which also includes public transportation, at the entrance/exit area and headed to bus 744 toward the city center.
After a long wait and a 20-minute delay, the driver told me I couldn’t board with my suitcase because it was “too big.” So I went to the metro instead. I got into the city, checked into my hotel, and headed out to explore.
So where did I go:
Museu Arquelogico do Carmo
I ate at Navega
Elevador de Santa Justa
Arco da Rua Agusta
Just to be clear, I went inside these places, not just past them. I’m also sharing photos, and of course I wandered through the city’s hills and stairways too.
Day 2 – 13.06.2023 – Lisbon
(Out of habit, my body woke up at 5:30 a.m. Central Europe time, but here it was 4:30 in the morning.)
I started the morning by taking bus 737 to “Câmera Escura do Castelo São Jorge”. I got to the castle a little before 10:00, and it was still pretty empty. I went in and walked along the walls, which overlook all of central Lisbon. By the time I came out, there was already a huge line to get in. So many people.
From there, I started making my way downhill toward Lisbon Cathedral, a beautiful place. It turned out I had gone down from the castle rather than the other way around, which was lucky because I had no desire to climb all that. I recommend planning the route that way, especially for anyone dealing with leg or knee pain.
After that, I took bus 10B toward the “Santa Engrácia” church, which was closed for some reason (Google said it was open), so I went to eat at Farol instead.
From there, I continued to the “National Tile Museum” on bus 759. For some reason, the museum was also closed that day. (Worth noting: the museum closes at 1:00 p.m. and reopens at 2:00 p.m. This happens at many museums in Portugal because the staff go out for lunch.)
So I switched to a backup plan. I went to buy a “Yellow Bus” ticket, which includes buses and a boat ride. First I took the city sightseeing bus with commentary, and after that I sailed on the Tagus River. All in all, it was a fun day.
Day 3 – 06/14/2023 – Sintra – Cabo da Roca
I started the morning at “Site Rios” train station and took the train to Sintra.
Once I got to Sintra, bus 434 to Pena Palace leaves from right nearby (check the schedule). I got to the entrance, and from there there’s a shuttle up to the palace; you can buy a shuttle ticket on site or online.
The shuttle stops exactly where the long line for the palace entrance already begins. I had a 9:30 ticket, and there was already a big crowd. The palace is beautiful, and the mix of colors is especially striking.
From there, I walked about 10 minutes to “Castelo dos Mouros”. The castle has lots of stairs, so keep that in mind. The views are stunning, including great views of Pena Palace.
After that, I walked downhill to the town center and took bus 435 to “Park and Palace of Onserrate”. It’s a really beautiful place, with lots of trails and scenic views along the ups and downs. What I loved most was how uncrowded it felt along the way.
From there I took route 1253 to “Cabo da Roca”. It feels like the very edge of the continent… just wow, the views are incredible and the color of the water is mesmerizing. I walked halfway down.
Then I headed back and got on route 1624 toward the Sintra train station. So once again, I planned the day to be mostly downhill, and by the end of it I had walked 17 kilometers. It was an amazing day.
Day 4 – 06/15/2023 – Lisbon – Amadora
In the morning, I went to the places I hadn’t managed to visit two days earlier because they were closed.
“National Till Museum” – lots and lots of ceramic works (azulejos). After that I continued to “Lisbon Military Museum” – the museum has a lot of military and combat equipment from different periods.
Then I walked up to “Panteao Nacinal” – a somewhat boring church…
From there I continued to the city of “Amadora” to the National Palace of Queluz (a grand 18th-century royal summer palace). After that I went back to the hotel because in the evening there was a “Kokhav Lisbon” tour – a free night tour of old Lisbon.
“Free Night Tour of Old Lisbon” with Itamar (you can find them on Google). It was a real pleasure listening to his views and the history of the different areas. He recommended lots of things. Thank you very much.
The route: the tour lasts about two and a half hours, more or less, and covers around 5 kilometers, mostly downhill. There are breaks along the way, so you can sit down and rest while listening to the explanations.
Day 5 – 06/16/2023 – Lisbon – Peniche – Berlenga Island
I left in the morning at 10:35 from Oriente station for Peniche (PENICHE) on a Flixbus bus. When I arrived in Peniche, the moment the doors opened there was a strong smell of sea and fish. I walked around the town a bit and had something to eat. Then I made my way toward the marina, strolled around there, and headed to the boat for Berlenga Island. The boat left the marina at 14:45. Keep in mind that you can sail to the island only twice a day.
I chose the ticket that also included the cave boat tour with Feeling Berlenga. Why them? Because they’re faster than the others, and that matters because the return bus leaves at 19:30, and you have half an hour to get to the central station (the station is closed at that hour, so if you need a restroom, take care of it on the way there).
The island is gorgeous, and the scenery, the sea, and the colors are just wow. I did all the trails, all the stairs, and wandered around the fort too. You can also bring a swimsuit and go into the water there, but I’m not really into saltwater.
At 18:15 you need to board the boat back, and that’s also the last boat. Try not to be late; it arrives at the marina at 19:00. We got back to the marina, and I walked about 15 minutes to the central station. There I got on a Rede Expressos bus. (I bought my bus and boat tickets in advance.)
Day 6 – 06/17/2023 – Lisbon – Cascais – Lisbon
In the morning I took the train from “Cais do Sodré” to Cascais, where I walked around town and visited:
Parque Marechal Carmona
Museu Condes de Castro Guimarães
Santa Maria House Museum
I ate at “Taberna Clandestina Cascais”
It was nice. Then I headed back to Lisbon and went to the National Coach Museum.
It was really beautiful; the carriages are true works of art. At 16:00 there was a free guided tour from “Kokhav Lisbon” – “Lisbon’s Belém District”. It was wonderful, and we ate “Pastel de Belém” from the famous bakery. We learned a lot. It’s highly recommended to bring water, a hat, and sunscreen.
Day 7 – Last day in Lisbon – 06/18/2023
I started the morning at “Museu do Tesouro Real”. No question, there really are lots of diamonds and gold there. Entering feels like going into a vault, and the security screening is very strict. You can leave your things in lockers. They didn’t even let me in with a lighter, so empty everything out of your pockets.
After that I continued to “Ajuda National Palace,” an impressive place with very few tourists, just the way I like it. Then, on the recommendation of Itamar, the guide from “Kokhav Lisbon,” I went to the “Maritime Museum,” which was very nice.
I ate at “Poke House” and went to the “El Corte Inglés” mall. That was the end of my Lisbon chapter, and the next morning I was flying to “Madeira,” so I also went to the hotel, picked up my suitcase, and left it at:
“Luggage Storage Lisbon – Parque das Nações” for my entire time in Madeira, and flew with just a backpack.
Day 8 – 19.06.2023 – Lisbon – Madeira
In the morning, I took a flight of about an hour and a half to Madeira (with Funchal as its capital). There was about a one-hour delay before takeoff.
After landing, I found that there’s a bus from the airport to Funchal, the capital of the Madeira district, roughly every half hour. Keep in mind that there’s usually a line. The bus costs €5.
I did a light walk around the city and then took the cable car to “Monte Palace Madeira”. The cable car departs from “Av. do Mar e das Comunidades Madeirenses, 9060-190 Funchal”. I bought a one-way ticket only.
The park is absolutely beautiful—so green and mountainous, with lovely viewpoints. There are lots of stairs and quite a few descents, which also means climbing back up, so it’s worth being prepared for that.
To get back, I took bus line 22. It cost €1.90 back into the city. Even the bus ride itself felt like an experience, with so many twists and turns on the way down and such a narrow road.
Day 9 – 20.06.2023 – Madeira
Today I went hiking to “Pico Ruivo”. The trail is stunning, and the views are just wow. There are lots of descents, and then comes the very tough climb… (I’m attaching information and my route).
By the way, I flew to Madeira just for this hike. The route I did is about 10 kilometers, and unfortunately, because of the fog, visibility on the mountain was basically zero. I relied a lot on my trekking poles. Proper shoes are also really important, along with a hat and some fruit and nuts to get your energy back up.
Day 10 – 21.06.2023 – Madeira – Lisbon – Porto
I woke up a little tired after the Pico Ruivo hike. I had coffee downstairs at the restaurant and went for a walk around the city before my flight back to Lisbon.
What I saw and where I visited…
Botanical Garden
Convento de Santa Clara
Museu Quinta das Cruzes
At around 1:20 PM, line 9 arrived heading to the airport. My flight was at 4:30 PM. We started driving, only to discover that the entire road had been closed because a vehicle had overturned, and no traffic could get through in either direction. I panicked, but we had a very cool driver—he reversed all the way back down the road and took a detour instead. We all applauded, because this bus line only goes to the airport, so everyone on board was trying to catch a flight.
Anyway, I landed in Lisbon, picked up my suitcase from luggage storage, and boarded a Flixbus to Porto.
Day 11 – 22.06.2023 – Porto – Aveiro
In the morning, I took a train from “Campanha” station to Aveiro. The ride was a little over an hour.
(If my hike in “Parque Nacional Peneda-Gerês” hadn’t been canceled, I probably wouldn’t have even thought about going to Aveiro.)
I took a gondola cruise, and it was short (not interesting, in my opinion).
After that, I went to visit:
Museu de Arte Nova
Aveiro City Museum
Infante Dom Pedro Park – City Park
Aveiro Museum
Sé Catedral de Aveiro
Most of the center was under renovation, so some of the beautiful building facades were hard to see—only from a meter away or from a distance over the construction fencing.
Day 12 – 23.06.2023 – Porto
I started the morning at the famous “Livraria lello” (it has nothing to do with Harry Potter).
Honestly, it wasn’t worth the €5 for the 5 minutes I spent there. Yes, it’s pretty, but that’s about it. The line is very long—I arrived about 20 minutes early and there was already a long queue.
From there, I walked to “Porto Cathedral”. Then we joined a free tour with Amir from “כוכב ליסבון”. Amir is incredibly knowledgeable, and there’s something very likable about the way he explains things. He took us to all the key spots in Porto.
After that, I walked back to “Porto Cathedral”, this time to go inside and look around. It’s very impressive, and there’s a viewpoint over the whole city. Right next to it is “Paco Episcopal do Porto”, where I also wandered around. I bought a “combo” ticket that included entry to both places.
Later, I went down a huge number of steps to the riverfront for the Douro River “6 Bridges” cruise with “Tomaz do douro”. By then it was already 6:00 PM. The plan was to head back to the hotel after about 14 kilometers on foot, but because there was a festival that day, there were no buses in the area, so once again I had to climb all the way back up to the “Porto Cathedral” area. I was exhausted, with aching legs.
Day 13 – 24.06.2023 – Guimarães – Braga – Porto
In the morning, I took a Flixbus from Campanhã central station to Guimarães. From there, I took minibus line 4 to the fortress at “Caminho do Castelo, Guimarães”—more accurately, a fortress with not all that much left of it.
After that, I went down to “Palace Duques de Bragança”. The palace is large and impressive, with a fascinating history.
Then I visited Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira, Padrão do Salado, and Museu de Alberto Sampaio. All of these are museums.
After that, I returned to the Guimarães central station and caught a Flixbus to Braga. Braga was celebrating a festival too. It was beautiful, lively, noisy, and most importantly, hot as an oven.
I took line 2 to “Bom Jesus do Monte”. Nearby there’s an old-style funicular, and I took it up—I had no energy for the stairs, especially in that heat. The church is very impressive and the views are amazing. A couple was getting married there at that exact moment, and the bells were playing a Christian wedding melody… Behind the church there’s a park with a small “lake” in the middle, and I walked around there before heading back to the funicular.
I went back down and took line 2 again, this time toward the city. I walked around town, also visited Braga Cathedral, and then returned to the central station in Braga, where I took a Flixbus back to Porto.
Once I got to Porto, I went to the Spiritus show. It was worth every euro—such a spectacular performance. All tickets had been bought in advance*. The day ended with 16 kilometers of walking.
Day 14 – 25.06.2023 – 516 Arouca Bridge – Paiva trail
In the morning, I went with a driver I had booked through Get your guide, and we drove to Arouca. We arrived at the famous bridge. It used to be the longest in the world in the “pedestrian suspension bridge” category. The bridge is 516 meters long one way. It sways, so I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone afraid of heights, especially since it stands 175 meters above the Paiva River. After crossing it there and back again (because there’s nowhere to continue on the other side, so you have to return the same way), there’s the start of a trail nearby that runs along the Paiva River. Most of the route is downhill, and there are two more small bridges along the way. Farther on, there are places where you can go down to the water. The scenery is very beautiful.
The trail is about 8 kilometers long. It was hot that day, and most of the route was in full sun. Bring plenty of water, sunscreen, and fruit and nuts, and it’s recommended to wear comfortable closed-toe shoes.
At the end of the trail, the driver was waiting for us. He took us to a restaurant serving traditional food, and then out for coffee and local desserts. After that, we continued to the monastery, and finally returned to Porto.
That’s where my two-week journey through Portugal came to an end.
I hope this helped you, even a little. Thanks for following along with my posts—this summary was written for you.
Have a great trip!
