Lisbon is a city full of history and traditions that are still relevant today. Start by exploring centuries-old attractions such as Mosteiro dos Jerónimos or Torre de Belém, before boarding a wooden tram through the city’s most beautiful and historic streets. You can also join a walking tour to discover the stories of families who have been salting cod and preparing piri-piri chicken for generations. However, the city also has a modern side; creative and colorful street art sprinkled on the walls of different buildings. Discover the best things to do during your visit to get to the heart of what makes Lisbon so great.
Below, our experts share their top tips for making the most of your time in the city; Here you’ll find our guides focusing on Lisbon’s best hotels, restaurants, bars and shopping centres, as well as how to spend a weekend in Lisbon.
Belem
Explore a centuries-old monastery
This magnificent 15th-century Manueline monastery was built to commemorate Vasco da Gama’s ‘discovery’ of India. The main attraction of Mosteiro dos Jerónimos is the elegant Gothic chapel that opens into a large monastery containing the tombs of some of Portugal’s greatest historical figures.
Insider’s tip: If you’re visiting on a weekend, choose a time when services are held, which will allow you to access the church without queues and see it in all its glory as a church rather than a museum.
To contact: patrimonioculture.gov.pt
Price: ££; free on the first Sunday of every month
See the Atlantic from inside an impressive tower
The early 16th-century Torre de Belém guards the entrance to the city’s harbor at the mouth of the Tagus. It is a symbol of Lisbon’s seafaring and is reached via a walkway elevated above the water on wooden boards. The interior is filled with intricate stonework and has sweeping views of the Atlantic.
Insider’s tip: See the rhino statue carved into the base of the turret, considered the first sculpture of such an animal in Western European art. It probably depicts the rhinoceros that King Manuel I sent to Pope Leo X in 1515.
To contact: patrimonioculture.gov.pt
Price: £
Alfama
Examine the city from the castle walls
The winding medieval streets of Lisbon’s oldest neighbourhood, Alfama, wind their way up to the city’s Moorish pinnacle, Castelo de São Jorge. The ancient castle’s twilight orange walls date back to the ninth century and dominate the city; They can be seen from almost every street. The view from the top isn’t bad either.
Insider’s tip: Don’t just visit the castle, but dive into nearby Lisbon’s majestic 12th-century cathedral, and then head for a coffee at Audrey’s Café at the Santiago de Alfama hotel, where you’ll overlook the church where Christopher Columbus was married.
To contact: castelodesaojorge.pt
Nearest metro: Santa Apolonia
Price: ££
Get the inside scoop on Alfama
There are a number of free walking tours in Lisbon, many of which are hosted by students who benefit from the tips, but nothing comes close to the globally operating and highly praised company Discover Walks. There’s a wide variety of options, but start with a free 90-minute tour of Alfama, Lisbon’s most charming district, where history is written in capital letters on every narrow street.
Insider’s tip: There’s something for everyone on this tour: history, yes, but also exploring Lisbon’s music, fado, flag, patron saint and the famous azulejos (tiles) that characterize the city. Take a camera and flat shoes for the hills and cobbles.
To contact: discoverwalks.com
Price: £
Bairro Alto
Take the tram to climb Lisbon’s steep hills
The most fascinating way to visit some of the sights is to take the wooden tram number 28, which passes through the most beautiful and historical streets of Lisbon. Starting on the outskirts of Bairro Alto, the vintage car passes through the Baixa and Chiado shopping districts before lurching and crawling past churches and castles on the cobbled hills of the Alfama and Graça neighborhoods.
Insider’s tip: If possible, avoid carrying valuables on the tram and protect your mobile phone, handbag and wallet; Because this ride is mostly used by tourists, it is notorious among locals for being a target for pickpockets.
Departure: From Praca Luis de Camões to Graça every 15 minutes
Price: £
Avenidas Novas
Discover an extraordinary private art collection
Armenian Calouste Gulbenkian, one of the greatest philanthropists of the 20th century, left most of his art and historical artifacts to his favorite city, Lisbon. The Museu Calouste Gulbenkian museum, established in his honor, now houses one of the most epic collections in Europe. Look out for priceless Hellenic vases, ancient Chinese porcelain and paintings by Rembrandt, Monet and Van Dyck. There is a modern art museum opposite it.
Insider’s tip: Don’t miss the special room dedicated to the French artist René Lalique, with a magnificent collection of jewelery and glass. This is just one example of the impressive work done on decorative arts.
To contact: gulbenkian.pt
Nearest metro: entrecampos
Price: £
Cais do Sodre
Discover the best street art
Underdogs is a cultural platform based in the capital and founded by Lisbon’s best-known street artist, Vhils. By prior arrangement, you can book a three-hour guided tour to visit miscellaneous or urban artworks throughout the city, such as Obey Giant by Vhils and Shephard Fairey. You can also visit the gallery of the platform to see the current works in the exhibition.
Insider’s tip: The tour ends at Underdogs Art Shop in Cais do Sodré; here you can purchase limited edition prints of the works visited, as well as a wide range of signed prints by Vhils and other artists, and books by and about them.
To contact: under-dogs.net
Nearest metro: Cais do Sodre
Price: £££
Alcantara
Tickle your taste buds with classic Lisbon dishes
Culinary Backstreets offers three different tours (each celebrating a different neighborhood) that take you into a hidden Lisbon where generations of families have salted cod and prepared piri-piri chicken in charcoal pits. On the Song of the Sea tour, you’ll stroll through food markets and pass the docks in search of cod fritters and goose clams in the narrow streets of the working-class district of Alcântara.
Insider’s tip: These tours, which are as much about the people and the place as they are about the cuisine, are for food lovers who have an appetite for everything; but be sure to try the lesser-known Portuguese sheep cheeses, which are rich in both variety and flavor.
To contact: kitchenbackstreets.com
Price: £££
day trips
sintra
This aristocratic hill town to the west of the city is full of fairy-tale palaces, botanical gardens and wild woodlands. It is famous for its foggy and cool microclimate, which is one of the main reasons why the royal family retreats here from Lisbon during the hot summer months. The train to Sintra leaves Rossio station every 20 minutes and takes approximately 40 minutes.
Insider’s tip: Take a full day to visit Sintra, which poet Lord Byron described as ‘Paradise’. Among gardens and historic palaces, treat yourself to lunch at the elegant 18th-century Palacio de Seteais, now a luxury hotel.
Cascais, Estoril and beyond
These neighboring seaside towns are the best of the city’s seaside suburbs. The destinations themselves are connected by a promenade along the Atlantic coast. The region’s best beaches (Adraga, Guincho and Grande) are found on the coast road in the north, beyond Cascais. The coastal train from Cais do Sodré station to Cascais and Estoril leaves every 20 minutes and takes approximately 40 minutes.
Insider’s tip: Stop for a drink at the charming old Hotel Palácio in Estoril. Built in the 1930s, the hotel retains its grand feel and was the setting for the Bond movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
