A typical first trip here runs about $650 to $875 per person for 7 days at a mid-range style, before flights. Get your own number from the Budget Calculator.
- Pastel de nata (custard tart), a national obsession, best in Belém
- Bacalhau (salt cod), said to have 365 recipes, one for every day
- Fresh seafood: grilled sardines, percebes (barnacles), octopus
- Vinho Verde (green wine), light, slightly sparkling white wine
- Festa de Santo António (June 13), Lisbon's biggest street festival
- Fado music, melancholic traditional genre, UNESCO heritage
- Carnival (Nazaré and Torres Vedras are famous)
- Semana Santa (Holy Week), solemn religious processions
Portuguese is the official language. English is common in Lisbon, Porto, and tourist areas.
Portuguese people are warm and appreciate even small attempts to speak their language.
- Greet with two cheek kisses (women) or handshake (men)
- Lunch (1–3pm) is the main meal; dinner is late (8–10pm)
- Saudade, embrace the melancholy beauty, it's part of the culture
- Tipping: not mandatory but 5–10% is appreciated
Latest for Portugal
Updates for Portugal will appear here as they are published. Every update cites official sources, so you can plan on it.