A Blissful Escape: 5-Day Solo Female’s Trip to Portugal
Portuaga’s cities Porto and Lisbon will entice you with their charming streets, rich culture, authentic cuisines to indulge in, and a whirlwind of experiences that will leave a lasting impression as it did on me. My journey serves as an invitation to you to discover the best it has to offer as Porto and Lisborn truly are gems waiting to be explored.
Day 1 - A taste of Northern Portugal, the city of Porto
It was 23 January 2023 when I took a cheap Brussels Airline flight from Brussels, Belgium to Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport, Porto, Portugal with no real plans except for accommodation. As I stepped off the plane in Porto with only carry-on luggage, the first day of the 5-day solo trip in Portugal was filled with excitement and anticipation as I embarked on the adventure.
After a smooth airport transport using the airport shuttle bus outside of the airport terminal, I checked into my hotel room at the Exmo Hotel - Olivia House to find the beautifully decorated room overlooking the magical Douro River and towards the Mosterio da Serra do Pilar (former monastery and round church). The charming historical streets were so enticing that first up I strolled around the local district and stumbled upon Paco Episcopal do Porto after impatiently trying to use one of the local hop-on-hop-off tour buses, which I only recommend using if you love sitting at stops for 20 minutes with a feeling of not going anywhere. Overall, Porto’s rustic charm and friendly locals instantly won me over - a romantic city.
Highlights:
Strolling along the iconic metal bridge crossing the Douro River, Dom Luis I Bridge.
Listening to buskers playing their guitars and watching the sunset from Mosterio da Serra do Pilar.
Exploring the local area around the hotel to discover a Camino trail yellow arrow just outside the Paco Episcopal do Porto.
Views from my Exmo hotel room of the Dom Luis I Bridge where I later walked across the bridge and sat at the round church watching the sunset on my first and only night in Porto.
Day 2 - Arriving in Lisbon, Portugal
Today was a travel day from Port to Lisbon with a quick one-hour trip by TAP Portugal. Paid for the flight directly with TAP Portugal, received great service, and even paid a little extra to try out their airport lounge I was not left disappointed. I did try to book a train as suggested by other travel bloggers as I wanted to experience the sights along the way, however and unfortunately, I got scammed with fake rail tickets that I purchased through a website called Rail Ninja (highly avoid). I became concerned when I never received the rail tickets in the timeframe that was noted in the confirmation email, and after surfing the web found the site was not legitimate, hence flew to Lisbon instead which was fantastic as I got to spend more time in a beautiful historical city. Anyway, as I stepped off the plane in Lisbon, Portugal, the warm but cool breeze greeted me like a friend and I arrived at my hotel and explored some of the nearby streets and looked for something to eat. In the night as I could not sleep, I made a last-minute booking through Expedia to learn more about Lisborn’s history - Best of Lisbon Small-Group Walking Tour by Inside Lisbon (got to try Portugal’s famous tart - Pastel de Nata and stopped for a glass of wine)
Highlights:
Exploring some of the streets of Lisbon
Ate at the yummy LOCAL Avendia where I experienced prompt and welcoming service.
Day 3 - Discovering Lisbon’s History and Changed Up the Hotel
So after one night at the hotel (forgot the hotel’s name sorry) of listening to construction noice in the early hours of the morning, the air conditioning not working due to management turning it off for the whole building, and no sleep due to a very hard bed, I made a rapid decision of booking another hotel for the remainder of my stay in Lisbon at Madelenda by The Beautique Hotel that I booked through Booking.com and was very pleased with my decision as the hotel’s location it was way better and closer to the harbor, awesome and delicious buffet breakfast, beautifully decorated room….the bed was so comfy and the air conditioning worked (yeah!!), plus the service was fantastic as they gave great tips and helped with transportation ideas back to the airport (I learned that day there is a train that goes directly from the centre of Lisbon to the airport).
Highlights:
Half-day tour exploring Lisbon city where I learned about the hidden elevators so one does not have to walk up the steep streets, trying authentic Portuguese tarts, sipping wine, visiting a district that is not accessible by car, and hanging out with new people.
Exploring the nightlife with a quick visit to Aldi supermarket to get some chocolate (felt very safe as a solo female traveler).
Admiring the tile works of some of the historical homes…..they were beautiful.
View of a typical street in the heart of Lisbon
Traditional porteguese houses decorated with beautiful tiles.
Day 4 - A Day Strolling Around Lisbon and Experiencing More History
Today was about diving into more of Lisbon’s rich history but also taking some time out of not rushing around, and because my day trip to Sintra was canceled once again (tried booking it twice with two different tour operators). I began my day with a sleep-in and eventually made it to the hotel’s yummy buffet breakfast. Thereafter, I visited the world’s oldest and still operating bookstore, the Bertrand Bookstore, followed by a quick bite at one of the restaurants in Praca do Comercio Square - known as the Commerical Square, and kept on exploring for the rest of the day until bedtime.
Highlights:
As I made my way along the harbor shores of Lisbon and took in the views, I enjoyed a delicious ice cream.
A visit to the Lisbon Earthquake Museum known as the Quake.
I walked back from the Quake to the hotel at night where I experienced views of the nightlights across the harbor and also got a great workout (it was a long walk back to the hotel, so recommend taking a bus back).
Day 5 - Farewell to Portugal
My last day in Portugal was a blend of relaxation and reflection and a train ride back to the airport where I caught a Brussels Airline flight direct to Belgium and a train ride to the home base city of Gent, Belgium. I felt grateful for the unforgettable experiences and newfound knowledge and independence of traveling solo.
Highlights:
Savoring Portuguese tarts and sipping slowly on wine.
Reflecting on the journey by the harbor of Lisbon.
Soaking in the final moments of Lisbon’s charm and friendly locals.
Conclusion
My 5-days solo female’s adventure to Porto and Lisbon, Portugal had been an incredible trip filled with culture, delicious food, beautiful landscapes, and amazing history. From the rustic charm of Porto to the vibrant streets of Lisbon, Portugal was amazing and will hold a special place in my memories, inspiring me to embark on more solo adventures in the future. Portugal truly is a gem wanting to be explored by every adventurous traveler, so what are you waiting for, go on and discover the best of what Portugal has to offer.
