Planning a trip to Portugal but not sure how to pack? This outfit guide is designed to help you know what to wear depending on the city or region in Portugal you’re visiting. If you’re looking for in-depth details about different cities in Portugal, you can find more guides on Lily Travel.
We spent 20 days in Portugal in late May and early June, so we packed A LOT of different outfits. This trip was a little different from most, because we eloped in Portugal, which meant my wedding dress and a second wedding-related outfit were riding along in my suitcase. This blog post covers exactly what I packed and what I’d bring again, destination by destination.
How the Portuguese Dress
Let me start by saying the Portuguese are very stylish, but they’re also incredibly laid-back, and nobody is going to judge you for what you wear. People dress nicely, especially in Lisbon, and they clearly appreciate a great outfit. Comfort and practicality and key aspects of how they dress, and quality and taste are also important.
I saw a lot of practical, yet attractive and high-quality shoes, which were well suited to the cobblestone streets of several of the cities we visited. I never once saw stilettos or high-heels. The Portuguese flawlessly blend style with comfort – they make comfort look good.
How to Not Look Like a Tourist
Leave the athleisure at home. I packed quite a bit of athleisure attire for museum and city touring, and felt underdressed (again, never judged, just felt a bit out of place). I wore nice, fairly pricey pieces from Alo Yoga, Lululemon, Athleta and Vuori, so these were nicer looking outfits, but still not up to par with how the Portuguese dress.
For once in my life, I packed too many athleisure outfits and not enough “cute, dressy” outfits – a big contrast from my usual struggles with packing for American trips. I didn’t end up wearing all of my Alo Yoga and Lululemon pieces during the trip because they just didn’t fit the vibe. While I was incredibly comfortable walking around all day in my athleisure, if I could pack over again, I would only bring my blue Vuori set, and leave the other athleisure pieces at home.
While there were some younger people dressed like us in Lisbon, I would say overall the athleisure made us look like tourists. This isn’t necessarily an issue, as the Portuguese are very nice to tourists, I just tend to prefer to blend in more when I travel.
Portugal Weather in Late May and Early June
The weather played a major role in the outfits I chose for this trip. The weather was comfortable the whole time we were there. Nights were in the mid to high 60s F (about 18–20°C), and daytime temperatures reached the mid 80s F (about 29°C). Some of the days in Lisbon and Lagos did get quite hot, but no more so than I would have encountered home in the States during that time of year.
A quick note about Sintra if you’re taking a day trip from Lisbon: it has its own microclimate and runs slightly cooler in the mornings and evenings, so plan on a light layer there. We got married in Sintra and were there for several days and my outfits here were quite varied based on the differing temperatures.
How I Packed for 20 Days in Portugal
I used packing cubes to keep my outfits organized and together, and they proved essential. With a 20-day trip and lots of activities planned, being able to grab a complete outfit for the day made life much easier. If you haven’t already invested in packing cubes, I strongly recommend it – they aren’t a gimmick – they really do help you stay organized. You can see which cubes I use in my Travel Products article.
Outfits to Pack for Portugal
I packed by activity, so I’d have the right outfit for every day:
- Dinner outfits
- Museum outfits
- Winery touring outfits
- Castle exploring outfits
- Equestrian and riding outfits (I rode three times in Portugal)
- Birding outfits
- Beach outfits
I wore a lot of sundresses and flowy linens, since it got hot during the day, and they suited the Portuguese style perfectly. I recommend you avoid clingy fabrics during this time of year.
Some of the Brands I Wore
While this isn’t a comprehensive list of the brands I wore, here are some highlights and staples:
- Burberry, Ray Ban & Sunski (sunglasses)
- On Running, Converse, Gucci, Christian Louboutin, Melissa (shoes)
- Reformation, Faherty J. Crew, (dinner and wineries)
- Lululemon, Vuori, Alo Yoga, Athleta, Patagonia (athleisure & birding)
- Ariat (riding activities)
- a few random Amazon pieces to fill in the gaps
I’ve already started shopping for our next trip, which will be in France, and many of those outfits are from Commense and Quince (stay tuned for an article on those ‘fits 😉 ).
Outfits by Portuguese Destinations
What to Wear in Lisbon
Lisbon is where the Portuguese style really stands out, so dress up a little more than you think you need to. My days here were museums and fancy dinners, which means quite the variation in outfits.
Comfortable sneakers are a must in Lisbon, both for touring its many fabulous museums and because the cobblestone streets are tricky to walk on. I wore On Running shoes and Converse sneakers, and I rotated between them. While I would swap out one or two of my athleisure outfits from the trip for a flowy, casual sundress, I would wear the same shoes for sure.
For dinners, I wore slightly dressier shoes, but without a heel – so nicer sandals and slides that are easy to walk in but still look nice. Wedges are likely safe on cobblestones, but I saved mine for later in the trip. Definitely leave your stilettos at home.
Pro Tip: Cycling between two pairs of sneakers keeps my feet from getting sore on long museum days. I recommend that approach if you’re planning on touring as many museums as we did in a day. Also, bring moleskin to prevent blisters!
What to Wear in Sintra
Many travelers visit Sintra as a day trip from Lisbon. Since we were getting married in Sintra, we stayed here for several days and used it as a home-based for day trips to Cascais and other nearby destinations.
Sintra is all about castles and palaces, so think comfortable, easy-to-move-in outfits for lots of walking and climbing. The microclimate here runs slightly cooler in the mornings and evenings, so bring a light layer, even when the forecast looks warm. It will get hot during the day, so you will need to de-layer by late morning.
I wore my same comfy shoes from Lisbon with linen sundresses. Sintra is very hilly, so plan on lots of climbing – comfortable, supportive shoes are a MUST!
I did wear one athleisure outfit from Lululemon and Patagonia and since we did a hike that day, it was the right call in that case. I did change out of it before dinner though, as I would have been underdressed in the nice restaurants we dined in.
What to Wear in Cascais
Cascais was one of our beach stops. Bikinis are completely acceptable on Portuguese beaches, but remember to bring a beach cover-up so you can get lunch or pop into a wine bar when you need a break from the heat. I brought beach slides that were also easy to walk in since I knew we planned on exploring downtown Cascais a bit along with a tote bag for our sunscreen, etc.
Cascais has great shopping, and it’s where I bought two pairs of shoes that I ended up wearing constantly, including pairs from a Portuguese brand and from Melissa. My husband did a little shopping too, so having a spare tote was helpful.
Pro Tip: Bring a sun hat! The sun in Portugal is hot, and a hat makes a big difference at the beach.
What to Wear in the Alentejo Region
The Alentejo was where we visited wineries and vineyards, I enjoyed my equestrian activities and we did some birding. We also had some pool time and attended fancier dinners, so this is where my packing got the most varied. We stayed at a 5-star resort called the Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, so I brought some nicer outfits to wear during our stay.
Riding Outfits for the Alentejo
I rode three times in Portugal, including dressage lessons, and I packed my own tall boots for them. Boots take up a lot of suitcase space, but if you ride, it’s worth bringing your own. I also brought my own breeches, tall boot socks and a couple tops I knew I’d get a little sweaty in. I did not bring my own helmet – I borrowed theirs, which saved space in my suitcase.
Riding Outfits for the Alentejo
I rode three times in Portugal, including dressage lessons, and while I was able rewear the breeches, I did swap out the tops since the lessons were a good workout.
I packed my own tall boots to ride in and while boots take up a lot of suitcase space, if you really plan on riding in a serious lesson, it’s worth bringing your own.
I only brought one pair of breeches, which was enough for three rides. I also brought a few pairs of tall boot socks and a couple tops I knew I’d get a little sweaty in.
A couple of the days I wore a more casual t-shirt that was loose-fitting in the heat. My first dressage lesson though, I wore a nicer button down.
I did not bring my own helmet – I borrowed theirs, which saved space in my suitcase.
Only thing I forgot to bring were gloves. I was able to borrow a pair for my second lesson, but that is such a small, easy to pack item, I plan to bring them next time.
Birding Outfits
For birding, I brought Salomon trail sneakers instead of full hiking boots. The soles have more grip, and they take up much less room in a suitcase. I also had a hat from the Bird Collective to help me avoid sunbird. I re-wore this birding attire a few times throughout the course of our trip.
Winery & Dinner Outfits
I saved some of my fancier outfits for this part of the trip because I knew the restaurant at this 5-star resort would be quite elegant. I wore a lot of Reformation and J. Crew linens as well as my Christian Louboutin wedges and Gucci slides. If you stay at this resort (and I highly recommend you do, it is my favorite place ever), you should plan on a few more formal outfits.
What to Wear in Lagos (Algarve Region)
Lagos was our other beach stop, and while some are topless beaches, only a small percentage of beachgoers actually go topless. I did not for fear of sunburn, but I did have a few swimsuits I brought exclusively for the Algarve. Many of the beaches in this area are great for swimming, so be sure to wear a swimsuit that’s practical too if you plan on doing some snorkeling.
For dinners and exploring around historic Lagos, I wore mostly loose-fitting, comfy sundresses since this was also the warmest part of our trip (aside from Lisbon, which got quite warm). I wore comfy shoes again because there were cobblestones.
We also did some birding in the Algarve, so my Salomon trail sneakers came in handy. There is a wide range of outdoor activities in the Algarve, whether you’re into hiking, birding, sailing or anything in between, so active-wear is a must here.
What to Wear in Óbidos
Óbidos is a major castle destination, and it’s also quite hilly, so comfortable shoes are a must. We stayed in the tallest turret of Castelo de Óbidos, which requires some climbing on steeper stone steps, too.
It was quite windy in Óbidos, so I brought layers and wore sweaters in the evenings. Even in summer, evenings cooled down a bit and with the steady breeze, could be chilly. I recommend bringing layers with you if you’re exploring this medieval town and plan on staying out for dinner.
What to Wear in Porto
Porto was a mix of museum and city exploring days plus fancy dinners, so my Lisbon outfits worked well here too. My Converse sneakers and Teva sandals handled the sightseeing, and I saved the dressier outfits for dinner.
Porto is also a hillier city with some cobblestone, so I again recommend you avoid the stilettos and opt for a wedge, sandal or sneaker. It was cooler in Porto than in Lisbon (Porto is further north), so I wore jeans and a t-shirt on one of our exploring days and was very comfortable.
What to Wear in the Douro Valley
The Douro Valley was our winery stop, so this is where my winery outfits came out.
It was also very warm and sunny during our day trip, so we dressed with the heat in mind.
Sundresses and flowy linens were the right call for the heat, with comfortable shoes for walking through the vineyards.
I would like to return to the Douro Valley again some day, as a day trip was not enough time here and I think this would be a great destination for some hiking and birding.
If you’re into that, I recommend you pack with some outdoor activities in mind too.
Packing Wedding Outfits for Portugal
As I mentioned earlier, my husband and I eloped to Portugal and so I had some unique packing challenges. If you’re traveling for a wedding or an elopement, plan on your wedding clothes taking up more space than you’d think. My carry-on was my wedding dress, as I did not want to part with it for fear it could get lost with checked luggage ( we did not end up having any luggage issues, I just wasn’t willing to risk it). I recommend you bring your wedding dress as a carry-on for that reason as well. Mine fit in the overhead bins despite its larger size skirt. Some airlines have closets you can hang your dress in, though I don’t recommend counting on that, as it can depend on the plane.
Pack a travel steamer. I didn’t need one for my dress, but my husband needed it for his linen suit. If your fabrics are likely to wrinkle, a travel steamer will be a good investment and worth the luggage space.
To be honest, packing for a wedding/elopement merits its own article, as it was a process. I will write an article about it that goes into more detail so you can learn what worked and what didn’t from my experience.
