Lisbon

  • The Tile Museum - the city’s best museum. Tells the story of Lisbon through the most recognizable Portuguese visual artwork (helps that these tiles also survive centuries).
  • Take the Tuk Tuk tour - you’ll be glad that you did and you’ll have a blast.
  • Visit Belém and walk around it as much as you can. Explore the monastary and walk up the hill to the Lisbon Museum of the Royal Treasury - it’s extraordinary and the walk will take you through a cute neighborhood.

Sintra

  • Praia Grande - the best beach in the region. Nestled between a cliff that looks like a scene from Game of Thrones on one side and a coastal rise on the other. Solid food options too.

Things to skip

Some things are just not worth your time.

  • The inside of the Palacio Pena is just okay. However, the crowds will mean you need a few hours to see it. The whole operation is basically a very long single file line through the palace that moves glacially. Skip the interior (see the exterior) and add the Quinta da Regaleira down the hill instead.
  • The Algarve - this is just British Florida.
  • The Earthquake Experience Museum.
  • Shopping on Avenida da Liberdade - if you are from a major metro area in the States, this boulevard is pretty but is home to all of the same designer stores that you have back home. Instead, check out Portuguese boutques at Embaixada or in Chiado or at LX Factory.