Is 10 days enough for Portugal?
Yes. Ten days is enough for Lisbon, Porto and one additional area. The easiest route is Lisbon, Coimbra and Porto, or Lisbon and Porto with a short Douro stay. The Algarve can fit, but the trip will involve a long north–south journey and less time in each city.
Full answer
Ten days is enough for a satisfying first trip to Portugal.
The question is not whether Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve can fit. They can. The question is whether the extra travel is worth taking time from the places you came to see.
Lisbon, Porto and one nearby addition
This is the best plan for most first visitors.
Spend four nights in Lisbon, three in Porto and use the remaining nights for Coimbra or the Douro Valley.
Coimbra breaks the train journey naturally. One night is enough for the university, old centre and an evening in the city. The Douro is better with two nights, especially if you want a slow river journey, a winery visit or time to drive through the valley.
This route uses trains well and avoids a domestic flight or a full-day journey to the south.
Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve
This works when the coast is a major part of the holiday.
A possible plan is four nights in Lisbon, three in the Algarve and three in Porto. Fly or take the train for the longest leg according to the schedule and the base you choose.
The drawback is that both Lisbon and Porto receive less time, and the Algarve becomes a short stay rather than a beach holiday. Choose one Algarve base. Moving between Lagos, Tavira and Sagres will waste much of the coastal section.
Lisbon and the Algarve
For travellers who prefer beaches to another city, skip Porto.
Spend four or five nights in Lisbon and the rest in the Algarve. This creates a slower trip, works well for families and leaves room for Sintra or a day along the coast.
Porto is excellent, but it does not need to be included in every first visit.
What can be added without another hotel
From Lisbon, choose one or two of Sintra, Cascais, Évora or Óbidos. Sintra is the most popular and needs a full day if you want to see more than one palace.
From Porto, visit Braga, Guimarães or part of the Douro. A full Douro day is long, so stay overnight if wine and scenery are a major interest.
A useful rule
Ten days handles three bases well. A fourth base is possible but rarely improves the trip.
Each hotel change takes time for packing, checkout, travel and finding the next place. Portugal is pleasant partly because meals, evenings and small streets reward a slower pace. Leave room for those parts of the day.