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Accurate knowledge of the on-target pulse intensity is one of key prerequisites for the correct interpretation of high-field experiments due to their high sensitivity to the exact value of the pulse peak intensity caused by the nonlinearity of underlying processes. There are three parameters determining the peak intensity: pulse energy, spatial and temporal energy distribution. While the detection of pulse energy and spatial profile are well established, the unambiguous temporal characterization of intense optical pulses remains a challenge especially at relativistic intensities and a few-cycle pulse duration. We report on the progress in the temporal characterization of intense laser pulses and present the relativistic surface second harmonic generation dispersion scan (RSSHG-D-scan) – a new approach allowing direct on-target temporal characterization of high-energy few-cycle optical pulses at up to relativistic intensities.