Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in Europe. Known for its hills, panoramic views, and pastéis de nata, Lisbon is a city full of life, history, and culture. Read this article to help you plan your adventure to Portugal’s capital.
How many days should you spend in Lisbon?
This intinerary recommends four days, one of those being a day trip to Sintra. Three days is the ideal amount of time to spend in Lisbon (including travel days).
When should you visit Lisbon?
My friends and I did our trip in February 2022. It was sunny and relatively warm, but we did have one cloudy day. They say that late spring (March – June) and early fall (September – November) are the best times to visit, when there are fewer tourists but the weather is still pleasant.
Where to stay in Lisbon:
- Sant Jordi Hostel is a very popular and inexpensive hostel chain that also has 3 locations in Barcelona. If you’re looking for a young and social hostel with fun activities, this is your place. Beds typically cost 20-30€ per night.
- Booking.com has lots of affordable options in Lisbon for individuals, couples, and small groups.
How to get around Lisbon:
You can get around lisbon by foot, car, cable car, metro, bus, train, and more.
- Walking: most of Lisbon’s main attractions are within walking distance of each other, so make sure you bring a good pair of shoes.
- Cable Car: Tram nº 28 is a popular tourist attraction. The cable car takes you through old neighborhoods and to important sites, but it is not the most efficient way to get around.
- Bus & Metro: taking the bus or the metro is definitely a faster way to get around, although less romanticized. Purchase the Viva Viagem card (€0.50) at metro and train stations to access buses, trams, elevators, funiculars and the metro for 24 hours for just €6.60.
- Train: The train is important for getting to Sintra and Belém. You can get to Sintra by taking the Sintra train from Rossio Train Station. Take the Cascais line from Cais do Sodré to get to Belém. The trains come less frequently so make sure you plan ahead. You can purchase tickets at the station.
Day 1:
Upon arrival at Lisbon Airport, we took a quick 15-minute Uber to Sant Jordi Hostel. There are also buses that run from the airport to the city center. We found Uber in Lisbon to be really cheap (~3-4€ per ride).
After dropping the bags off in our room, we headed out for Day 1.
1. Tram nº 28
Lisbon is not a super large city, but it is quite hilly. Many people compare it to San Francisco because of the hills, cable cars, and the copycat Golden Gate Bridge.
You’ve probably seen photos of Tram nº 28 on Lisbon postcards before, famous for its bright yellow exterior and vintage wood interior. Each ride costs 3€. Take the cable car from R. Maria Fonte to Lg. Academia Nacional Belas Artes for your first stop on Day 1, Lisbon’s famous pink street.
If you’re unsure how to navigate public transportation on Google Maps, take a look at this article.
2. Pink Street
We saw so many pictures of the pink street, also known as Rua Nova do Carvalho, and we couldn’t resist checking it out. It’s located in Cais do Sodre, a neighborhood in Lisbon known for its food and nightlife.
3. Time Out Market
We walked from the pink street to Time Out Market, Lisboa. Located in Mercado da Ribeira, Time Out Market is a chic dining hall with food stalls and cocktail bars. This would’ve been a great place to go for dinner as well. We indulged in a few aperol spritzes before heading to the next stop.
4. Praça do Comércio & Arco da Rua Augusta
From there we walked about 10 minutes to the heart of the city, Baixa District. This is where you’ll find Arco da Rua Augusta, a historical landmark in Lisbon that frames the Praça do Comércio, Lisbon’s main plaza.
5. Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara
Next, we braved the 20 minute walk uphill to Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara. Lisbon is a city of many vistas, but this miradouro is one of the more popular places to take in the views. You can stop at Elevador de Santa Justa (the Santa Justa Lift) on the way if you’d like, but we heard that it’s not really worth the wait in line.
Even on a cloudy day, the views from Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara are spectacular.
6. Bairro Alto & Chiado
We continued our stroll around Bairro Alto and Chiado. These are two of the most popular neighborhoods to explore in Lisbon. You’ll find streets filled with vintage shops, cafes, plant stores, restaurants, bars, and more.
We went to dinner that night at Casanostra, a cute Italian restaurant in Bairro Alto.
Day 2:
We started our second day with a free walking tour. GuruWalk is a resource for walking tours around the world. Sara, the amazing tour guide that showed us around the city, actually just started her own free walking tour company. Check out her website here.
2. Lunch at Paladarium
After the tour, we stopped for some lunch at an enticing little restaurant called Paladarium. Nestled underneath a set of stairs, the interior of the restaurant has an arching, cellar-like ceiling made of stone. We had an amazing plate of local meats and cheeses, wine, and fresh codfish.
5. Dinner at Lumi Rooftop Bar & Restaurant
We had a little bit of down time at the hostel before going back out for dinner at Lumi Rooftop Bar & Restaurant. The plates are made to share, tapas style. It’s a little on the pricier side, but the food is delicious.
6. Bairro Alto
After dinner we went out for drinks. Lumi is located in the perfect spot if you want to go out in Bairro Alto. Walk around the neighborhood and you’ll find streets lined with bars and people spilling out of them on all sides.
We went back to this neighborhood on Day 3 because we had so much fun!
Day 3:
1. Train to Sintra
On the third day, we took a day trip to the mystical town of Sintra. Known for its Romantic-style palaces and historic castles, people come from all over to see the impressive mountain town.
This should be high on the priority list for anyone spending more than 2 days in Lisbon. You can catch the train from Rossio Train Station (Estação Ferroviária do Rossio) in Lisbon. The quickest ride, which departs every hour, is 41 minutes long and 14 stops. It’s really easy to purchase tickets at the station, just make sure you arrive with enough time before the train takes off.
2. Pena Palace
The first thing you should do when you get to Sintra is go up to Pena Palace. You may have seen photos of the stunning yellow castle perched on a hill. We made the mistake of doing a walking tour, lunch, and Palacio de Quinta da Regaleira first, and ended up missing out on Pena Palace because it had already closed.
You can find information about the opening hours and ticket prices here. Pena Palace is accessible from the town of Sintra by bus, private car, or foot.
- Bus: bus 434 (Scotturb) starts at the Sintra train station and goes up to the palace.
- Car: you can also get there by taxi, Uber, or Tuk Tuk. Here is a tuk tuk tour of Sintra and its palaces.
- Walking: there are 3 trails to the palace. Click here to find more information about how to get to Pena Palace and other landmarks in Sintra.
3. Moorish Castle & Quinta da Regaleira
If you’re interested, you can also stop at the Moorish Castle located across from Pena Palace before making your way back down the Villa Sassetti Trail.
Eventually, you’ll find the Quinta da Regaleira. This is a beautiful and eerie castle with a nine-level well to represent the levels of Hell from Dante’s Inferno. The property was built by a man who held a certain affinity for the supernatural. It is speculated that this well was used to perform Mason initiation rituals. Our GuruWalk tour guide hinted that the well might still be in use for certain spiritual practices. You can descend the 9 levels during your visit to the castle.
Tickets are 11€, which you can purchase tickets in advance here.
4. Lunch at Cantinho da Vila
You’ll be hungry after all this walking around. I recommend Cantinho da Vila, a charming Portuguese restaurant with local classics. I had the bacalhau à brás, cod fish shredded and mixed with straw potato and eggs. I know it sounds strange, but it was delicious!
5. Travesseiros & Queijadas at Casa Piriquita
You may not leave Sintra without trying travesseiros and queijadas.
Head to Casa Piriquita, the world famous pastry shop established in 1862, to try the town’s best desserts.
Travesseiros, which literally translates to “pillows,” are puff pastries filled with a sweet almond cream. Queijadas or “cheesecakes” are doughy cupcake-shaped bites made of sugar, cheese, flour, egg, and cinnamon. Although cheese is one of the ingredients, they have a strong cinnamon flavor. Apparently, these little cupcakes are likely the oldest sweet of Sintra’s gastronomy.
You can get both desserts from Casa Piriquita, or head to Fábrica das Verdadeiras Queijadas da Sapa for the queijadas.
6. Bairro Alto (again)
After lunch, we headed back to the train station to catch the next ride home. We got back to our hostel around 7pm.
That night, Sant Jordi was throwing a hostel party. We got dressed up and headed down to the bar. We partied and danced with other hostel friends before heading back to Bairro Alto for our last night out in Lisbon.
Day 4:
1. Pastéis de Belém
If you haven’t tried pastéis de nata until Day 4, you’re doing something wrong.
Luckily, the first stop on your last day in Lisbon is Pastéis de Belém (pastry shop), the world famous home of the original Pastéis de Belém (pastry). Established in 1837, the shop’s claim to fame is their secret, ancient recipe that comes from Jerónimos Monastery, located right next door.
You can find very high-quality pastéis de nata at bakeries all over the city, but you can only find the original Pastéis de Belém at Pastéis de Belém.
They are Portuguese egg custard tarts, flaky and buttery on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside. We probably ate 2-3 of these a day on our trip, but the best one, by far, was from Pastéis de Belém.
2. Jerónimos Monastery
We learned about Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, Jerónimos Monastery, on our walking tour with Sara. You can purchase tickets to Jerónimos Monastery here.
Check out this photo spot for views of the Ponte 25 de Abril (inspired by the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California) and the Santuario Nacional de Cristo Rei (inspired by the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).
Even if you don’t walk all the way to the bridge or the statue, you should be able to see them from many different POVs along the water.
More Things to Do in Lisbon:
- Go to a Fado performance: Fado is traditional Portuguese music. Shows are often accompanied by a meal. There are many Fado restaurants in Lisbon. One of my biggest regrets is not going to a show while we were in Lisbon.
- Igreja de São Domingos: a famous church in the Baixa District, and it’s free!
- LX Factory: located in Alcantara, there are more than 50 restaurants, coffee shops, bars, boutiques, and more. A friend recommended several of her favorite places at LX Factory.
- Wish Concept Store
- Ler Devagar: a bookstore with a nice cafe.
- Cucurico: a Portuguese free-range chicken restaurant.
- Central da Avenida: sandwiches, cheese, cured meats, and wine.
- Rio Maravilha: a Gastrobar with a terrific view!
- Campo de Ourique neighborhood: check out Jardim de São Bento and Campo de Ourique Market. Here are some market recommendations from a friend.
- O Moço dos Croissants: try one of their pain au chocolat croissants and the portuguese sponge cake.
- Aloma: fantastic pasteis de nata.
- O Melhor Bolo de Chocolate do Mundo: they claim to have the world’s best chocolate cake.
- Jardim da Estrela: one of the prettiest parks in Lisbon located in the Estrela neighborhood.
Where to Eat in Lisbon:
Note: these recommendations are from a friend I met while living in Valencia, Spain.
- Brunch
- Dear Breakfast
- Fauna & Flora
- The Mill
- Zenith
- Maria Limão Brunch
- Snacks / quick stops
- Campo de Ourique Market
- Time Out Market
- Rooftop bars & restaurants
- Lumi Rooftop Bar
- Bar Terraço de Santa Luzia
- Portas do Sol
- Memmo Alfama Hotel Lisboa
What to Eat in Lisbon:
- Seafood
- Cured ham
- Local cheese
- Beer
- Ginjinha – a special portuguese liqueur made from sour cherries
- Pastéis de Nata (you absolutely must try the ones from Pastéis de Belém) – Portuguese egg custard tart pastry
- Travesseiros de Sintra (you have to get them from Casa Piriquita in Sintra) – pillowy puff pastry filled with sweet almond cream
- Queijadas de Sintra (you can try queijadas from Lisbon too, but the ones from Sintra are the traditional kind) – Portuguese cupcakes made with sugar, cheese, flour, egg, and cinnamon
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