Lisbon, Porto & Fátima — 6 Days Self-Launched from Madrid
6 days · Portugal & Spain
Click Tours charges £700
No-markup version: ~£342 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY, self-launched version of Click Tours' 6-day Madrid–Porto–Fátima–Lisbon coach loop. Instead of a 50-person coach with a fixed daily schedule, you'll use Spain and Portugal's excellent (and cheap) train and bus networks: a Madrid–Salamanca–Porto bus, the Douro by local river boat and port cellar tour, a Coimbra stop en route to Fátima, the Batalha and Alcobaça monasteries plus Nazaré by regional bus, and a full Lisbon day before the Alsa/Iberocoach coach back to Madrid via Cáceres. Same sights, same route — done independently at budget-traveller prices. All costs are rough per-person estimates in GBP and will vary by season.
Day-by-day
Madrid to Porto via Salamanca
Madrid → Salamanca → Porto
Start early at Madrid's Méndez Álvaro bus station (or Estación Sur) — take an Alsa or FlixBus to Salamanca (~2h45, from £12). Drop your bag at the bus station lockers or a café, then spend 2–3 hours walking Salamanca's golden-stone old town: Plaza Mayor, the two cathedrals, the Universidad and the Casa de las Conchas. Grab a cheap menú del día lunch (~£9) before continuing. From Salamanca take the afternoon Alsa/Rede Expressos coach to Porto (~4h, from £18), crossing into Portugal. Arrive Porto in the evening and check in to a Ribeira or Trindade-area hostel; wander down to the river for a first look at the Dom Luís I bridge and a cheap francesinha or bifana.
🚌Alsa/FlixBus Madrid–Salamanca ~£12; Alsa/Rede Expressos Salamanca–Porto ~£18
🛏Hostel in Porto (Ribeira/Trindade) — dorm £14–20 or private budget room £30–40
- →Salamanca old town walk (Plaza Mayor, cathedrals, university facade)
- →Cross-border coach to Porto
- →Evening walk on Ribeira riverside
Porto: old town, cathedral, port cellars & Douro river
Porto
Do-it-yourself walking tour of the historic centre: start at São Bento station's azulejo panels, then Porto Cathedral (Sé, ~£3), walk down through Ribeira, and cross the top deck of the Dom Luís I bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia. Book a port wine cellar tour and tasting direct with Sandeman, Graham's, Taylor's or Calém (~£14–20 incl. tasting) — no need to pay a tour operator for this. For the river, take the public Douro river taxi (Barco do Douro, ~£3–5) or a short six-bridges boat cruise from Ribeira (~£12–15) instead of the operator's private BlueBoats charter. Optionally add the Palácio da Bolsa / Stock Exchange building interior tour (~£10) and Santa Clara church. Evening: cheap dinner in the Bombarda or Bolhão area and a drink in a Gaia cellar bar.
🚌Walking + metro day pass ~£6
🛏Hostel in Porto — dorm £14–20 or private budget room £30–40
- →São Bento station & Porto Cathedral
- →Walk across Dom Luís I bridge to Gaia
- →Port cellar tour & tasting (book direct)
- →Douro river boat ride
- →Optional Palácio da Bolsa / Stock Exchange visit
Coimbra, then Fátima
Porto → Coimbra → Fátima
Take an early Rede Expressos or FlixBus from Porto to Coimbra (~1h15, from £6). Leave your bag at Coimbra-B or the bus station and spend 3 hours in Portugal's university city: the Joanina Library and university tower (~£12 combined ticket), the old cathedral and the narrow streets of Alta. Lunch cheaply near Praça do Comércio. In the afternoon catch the bus or train to Fátima (~1h–1h30, from £5). Check into a hostel or pilgrim guesthouse in Fátima, then visit the Basilica, Cova da Iria and Chapel of the Apparitions at your own pace. In season (May–Oct) the evening candlelight rosary procession (usually 21:30) is free to join and genuinely moving.
🚌Bus/train Porto–Coimbra ~£6; Coimbra–Fátima ~£5
🛏Pilgrim guesthouse or hostel in Fátima — dorm £14–18 or private room £28–35
- →Coimbra university & Joanina Library
- →Coimbra old town walk
- →Fátima Basilica, Cova da Iria & Chapel of the Apparitions
- →Optional evening candlelight procession
Batalha Monastery, Alcobaça & Nazaré to Lisbon
Fátima → Batalha → Alcobaça → Nazaré → Lisbon
Take the regional bus from Fátima to Batalha (~40 min, ~£2) and visit the Batalha Monastery (Mosteiro da Batalha, entry ~£8) — the Manueline Founder's Chapel and Unfinished Chapels are the highlight. Continue by bus to Alcobaça (~30 min, ~£2) for the monastery there. Then a short bus to Nazaré (~30 min, ~£2) for seafood lunch and the clifftop viewpoint at Sitio with its famous surf-breaking Atlantic view. From Nazaré take the Rede Expressos coach to Lisbon (~1h45, from £8). Check into a hostel in Alfama, Baixa or Bairro Alto. In the evening, skip the operator's booked fado dinner and instead catch a live fado set in a small Alfama tasca (often free with a drink, or ~£15–20 with a set menu).
🚌Regional buses Fátima–Batalha–Alcobaça–Nazaré ~£6 total; Nazaré–Lisbon coach ~£8
🛏Hostel in Lisbon (Alfama/Baixa/Bairro Alto) — dorm £16–24 or private room £35–45
- →Batalha Monastery
- →Alcobaça Monastery
- →Nazaré Sitio clifftop viewpoint & beach
- →Fado in an Alfama tasca
Lisbon sightseeing & Alfama
Lisbon
Self-guided Lisbon day using the metro/tram day pass (~£6): start in Belém for the Belém Tower and Jerónimos Monastery (book the monastery online in advance, ~£10 — queues are long; tower ~£7). Walk to the Monument to the Discoverers and the riverfront. Take tram 15 back toward the centre, stopping at Marquês de Pombal Square and Avenida da Liberdade. Afternoon is Alfama and the Castle of São Jorge (~£11) with views over the Tagus, plus the Miradouro de Santa Luzia. Finish with a Time Out Market or cheap tasca dinner and a ginjinha. Budget travellers can swap Belém entry for the free riverside walk and the free Torre de Belém exterior.
🚌Lisbon metro/tram day pass ~£6
🛏Hostel in Lisbon — dorm £16–24 or private room £35–45
- →Belém Tower & Jerónimos Monastery
- →Monument to the Discoverers
- →Marquês de Pombal Square & Avenida da Liberdade
- →Alfama walk & São Jorge Castle
- →Time Out Market / tasca dinner
Lisbon to Cáceres to Madrid
Lisbon → Cáceres → Madrid
Take the early Alsa/Iberocoach coach from Lisbon Sete Rios to Cáceres (~4h, from £18). Leave your bag at the bus station and walk into Cáceres old town: Plaza Mayor, the medieval quarter, the Torre de Bujaco and the walled Ciudad Monumental (free to wander; some towers ~£3). Have lunch, then board the afternoon coach or train onward to Madrid (coach ~4h, from £16; train via Badajoz/Plasencia is faster but pricier). You'll arrive Madrid in the early evening, matching the original tour's 18:00–20:00 return window.
🚌Coach Lisbon–Cáceres ~£18; coach/train Cáceres–Madrid ~£16
🛏Not included — book a Madrid hostel if you're staying the night (£18–25 dorm)
- →Cáceres Plaza Mayor & medieval quarter
- →Ciudad Monumental walk
Self-launched vs. Click Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Click Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£342 | £700 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £358 per person (51%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Click Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£342
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Lisbon, Porto & Fátima — 6 Days Self-Launched from Madrid cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £342 per person for 6 days in Portugal & Spain. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Click Tours?+
Yes — Click Tours charges around £700 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £342 — a saving of roughly £358 (51%) per person.
How long is the Portugal & Spain trip?+
This itinerary runs 6 days, covering 6 day-by-day stops through Portugal & Spain.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, budget trip through Portugal & Spain, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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