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Flights from South Africa to Portugal

Cheap Flights to Portugal

There are no direct flights from South Africa to Portugal. You can fly 1-stop to Lisbon, Porto, Funchal (Madeira) or Faro from Johannesburg and Cape Town. Lisbons' Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) and Porto's Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO) are the biggest and busiests airports in Portugal.

Airlines operating 1-stop flights to Lisbon and Portugal from South Africa includes TAP, KLM, TAAG, Turkish Airlines, British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France and Emirates.

TAAG often runs flight specials to Lisbon and Porto from both Cape Town and Johannesburg.

For cheap flight quotations to Portugal:

  1. Search, contrast & book the cheapest flight deal using the airfare comparison tool on the left.

  1. Use SouthAfrica.TO discount vouchers to reduce flight costs. If you've got no discount vouchers, then start accummulating them with your flight to Portugal - simply send us an email describing your flight experience and we will issue you with a voucher.

From Johannesburg
From Cape Town
From Durban
Visa Requirements
Attractions
When to Go

Johannesburg to Portugal

Fly from Johannesburg to Lisbon (LIS, Lisboa Airport) with Emirates (via Dubai), Turkish Airlines (via Istanbul), SAA/TAP (via London), TAP Air Portugal (via Maputo), Swiss (via Zurich), BA (via London), Lufthansa (via Frankfurt), KLM (via Amsterdam), Virgin Atlantic (via London), Air France (via Paris) or TAAG Angola (via Luanda).

Fly from Johannesburg to Porto (OPO) with Emirates/TAP (via Dubai & Lisbon), Lufthansa (via Frankfurt), Virgin Atlantic (via London), Swiss (via Zurich), TAAG Angola (via Luanda) or SAA/TAP (via London).

Fly from Johannesburg to Funchal (FNC) with Emirates/TAP (via Dubai & Lisbon) or SAA/TAP (via London).

Fly from Johannesburg to Faro (FAO) with Emirates/TAP (via Dubai & Lisbon), Lufthansa/TAP (via Frankfurt & Lisbon), KLM/Transavia (via Amsterdam), Swiss (via Zurich) or SAA/Lufthansa (via Munich).

Cape Town to Portugal

Fly from Cape Town to Lisbon (LIS, Lisboa Airport) with Emirates (via Dubai), Turkish Airlines (via Istanbul), BA (via London), KLM (via Amsterdam), Virgin Atlantic (via London), Air France (via Paris) or TAAG Angola (via Luanda).

Fly from Johannesburg to Porto (OPO) with Emirates/TAP (via Dubai & Lisbon), KLM (via Amsterdam), Air France (via Paris), Virgin Atlantic (via London) or TAAG Angola (via Luanda).

Fly from Cape Town to Faro (FAO) with Emirates/TAP (via Dubai & Lisbon) or KLM (via Amsterdam).

Durban to Portugal

Fly from Durban to Lisbon (LIS, Lisboa Airport) with Emirates (via Dubai).

Visa Requirements

Portugal is part of the Schengen Area, so you are probably going to want to apply for a Schengen visa. For the latest up to date requirements, please check the website of the Embassy of the Republic of Portugal or contact them at 012-341-3975 or geral@embaixadaportugal.org.za. Their physical address in South Africa is 599 Leyds Street, Muckleneuk, Pretoria. Consulates are also located in Johannesburg (011-622-0645 / mail@cgjoa.dgaccp.pt), Durban (031-305-7511), East London (0431-22518), and Port Elizabeth (041-32-1693 / vieira@eastcapenet.co.za). The embassy and consulates are closed on Portuguese public holidays.

South African Consulate in Portugal

Keep these contact details handy in case you lose your passport, or something happens in Portugal requiring embassy assistance.

Languages

Portuguese is the official language. English is spoken by roughly a third of the population.

Currency

The currency used in Portugal is the Euro.

Attractions

Places of interest in Portugal include:

  • The Algarve is the holiday destination of choice for many visitors with its lively party scene, pretty towns, long beaches, bays, towering cliffs, and resorts a-plenty. Lagos is the town to visit if you’re looking to party. Monchique and Tavira are more laid-back and offer peaceful settings and historical elegance. Sagres is the destination of choice for surfers. It’s easy to step aside the tourist path, too and seek out quieter beaches, tranquil castle towns, and peaceful countryside, especially if you travel outside of the July to September high season.

  • Porto is the city that gave the fortified wine ‘port’ its name. Its downtown was named a UNESCO World Heritage site for the quality of its architecture. The ancient stone buildings lend an atmospheric feel as do the endless narrow alleys and streets. The waterfront, lined with old granite and tile homes, is especially picturesque. Porto’s mix of restaurants, bars, and cafés also make for a heady nightlife.

  • Vila Franca do Campo, Azores is actually half way between the mainland and Boston in the United States. These nine wild islands are perfect for adventure activities such as water sports, diving, horseback riding, and cycling. The Azores are most famous for whale watching and is considered one of the top 10 spots in the world to see a variety of whales such as orcas, sperm, northern bottle nose, and more.

  • Évora is renowned as much for its architecture as its setting. This 2000 year old city boasts Roman temples and baths, Gothic doorways, Moorish courtyards, and Renaissance fountains. The winding streets, public squares, and turrets just add to the city’s ancient charm as well as its location at the foot of a mountain range of the same name.

When to Travel to Portugal

Mid-June to mid-September is the most common time to travel to Portugal when the weather hovers around 27°C. July and August can reach unbearable heights of 45°C, especially in the upper Douro valley, the Alentejo, and the Algarve. Spring or autumn still bring warm temperatures and less tourists. November to March is the winter season which brings periodic rains, particularly in the north.

Public holidays in Portugal

You may either want to time your visit to Portugal to coincide with a public holiday and join in the fun, or avoid the date so as to avoid additional travel costs (and possible crowds):

  • 1 January

  • 25 April (Freedom Day)

  • 1 June (Azores Day)

  • 10 June (Portugal Day)

  • 15 August (Assumption)

  • 5 October (Republic Day)

  • 1 November (All Saint’s Day)

  • 1 December (Restoration of Independence)

  • 8 December (Immaculate Conception)

  • 25 December

Floating Public Holidays:

  • Carnival

  • Good Friday

  • Easter

  • Freedom Day

  • Corpus Christi


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