Lisbon City Guide: everything you need to know

This complete Lisbon city guide contains all the information you need to plan your trip to the vivid colorful city of Lisbon. Delightful places to visit, eat and stay; name it and you will find it all in this travel guide!

The Complete Lisbon City Guide

Over the past years Lisbon has become one of the top destinations in Europe. Its popularity has risen sky high the last ten years. What makes Lisbon so attractive is its imperfection. Next to the colorful or tiled houses, there are a lot of old houses that could use a fix, but they are still amazingly charming. You can find a lot of graffiti on the city’s walls and trams. The street art of Lisbon is incredible.

I think the contrast that you can find in Lisbon is what makes this city so interesting. One street you smell the scent of clean washed laundry hanging in the streets, flowers or freshly baked bread and pastries. In the next one you will have to endure the smells of garbage and pee (Thankfully just for a short moment! Just being truthful here). The vivid shopping areas Baixa and Restauradores are surrounded by the more traditional and quiet neighborhoods like Alfama, Mouraria and Castelo de Sao Jorge.

It is obvious Lisbon is working hard to clean up and restore its city with all the cranes touching the sky. So go visit Lisbon quickly before it becomes too perfect! 😉

Where is Lisbon?

Lisbon is the capital of Portugal and is situated in the Southwest where the Tagus river flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The city is built on eight hills (not seven like the legend of São Nicolau de Oliveira claims). So when visiting Lisbon, be prepared to do some serious climbing! Heels and shoes without good support are a no go. Sneakers or walking shoes are more appropriate gear!

How to get there?

There are a lot of airlines that fly to Lisbon’s airport. It is an important European hub for South America and Africa. Portugal’s main airline is TAP Air Portugal.

From the airport you can take a taxi for about 15-20€ or buy a Viva Viagem card at the metro station for 0.50€, charge it with the amount you prefer and take the metro (A one-way ticket €1.40 or a daily pass for €6). There are also buses you can take. All detailed info can be found on the Lisbon Airport website.

When is the best time to visit Lisbon?

Between the months April and October the weather is quite warm. But Winters in Lisbon are also mild with day temperatures of around 18°C. It can get very rainy though. Try to avoid July and August since it gets very crowded then and temperatures of 35°C can make it hard to walk around this hilly city.

Where to stay in Lisbon?

The Lumiares Hotel & Spa *****

Buy my slipdress here.

I spent two nights at this beautiful boutique hotel and truly loved it. Not only is the hotel’s interior absolutely fabulous, its location in Barrio Alto is just perfect to start exploring the city!

The Lumiares does not have rooms, but apartments to offer the most comfortable stay. I really loved my one bedroom apartment with its modern interior. In the morning I could see the sun rising from behind the hill and Castelo de Sao Jorge.

After a long day of exploring you can enjoy a drink at Lumi, the rooftop bar & restaurant, which offers the most amazing views. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are also served at Lumi, where you can indulge on the breakfast buffet or order something à la carte.

There is a Spa if you are in serious need of some pampering! I will post more about my Lumiares experience later!

Book your stay at The Lumiares Hotel & Spa here.

Marino Lisboa Boutique Hotel

Buy my slipdress here.

If you are looking for a nice budget hotel with a good location, the Marino Lisboa Boutique Hotel could be the hotel you are looking for. The rooms aren’t that big, but clean and decorated with blue fish.

The breakfast room at the rooftop is rather small, but cozy with a nice view of the surrounding colorful streets.

Book your stay at the Marino Lisboa Boutique Hotel here.

Turim Avenida Liberdade ****

The Turim Avenida Liberdade is located a little outside the old town center near the Marques de Pombal square. I used to stay there a few years ago. It takes a 20 minute walk to get to Rossio station. Breakfast was good here and the rooms were quite modern. If you don’t mind to be a little outside of the center, this could be a good option for you. Metro station Marques de Pombal is only 2 minutes walking from the hotel.

Book your stay at the Turim Avenida Liberdade here.

How long should you stay in Lisbon?

I could probably spend a month in Lisbon and still enjoy myself. But reality is that this is not possible with a full time job and limited vacation days. So I’d say 4 nights is perfect. That way you have enough time to explore not only the city, but also some surrounding areas like Sintra, Queluz or Cascais.

How to visit Lisbon?

This Lisbon city guide wouldn’t be complete without some tips on how you can experience the city at its best;

Wake up early at least one morning to experience the city before it comes to life
Walk as much as possible instead of taking the metro
Do not just go from one place to another holding a map. Wander and get lost, take some side streets and discover what’s hidden behind the corner
Don’t only go to the famous photo spots, Lisbon is a city you have to experience
Get in touch with the locals. They are one of the friendliest people I ever met. Elderly ladies waving from their windows, local men stopping by and watching me, fascinated by my tripod work and smiling and encouraging me. I experienced it all and loved it!
If you don’t want to overspend on elevadores and trams I suggest to buy a Viva Viagem card. You can buy the card at metro and train stations for 0.50€. You can charge the card with the amount you prefer. It is cheaper to use this card, then to buy a ticket on board.
The Lisboa Card is also budget friendly if you plan on visiting a lot of museums/monuments and taking public transport.

Lisbon City Guide: what to see and do?

Elevadores, ascencores & trams

You can’t go to Lisbon and not take a little tram or ascensor. Lisbon is built on eight hills which makes it hard for your calf muscles. But the city has a very charming solution to spare your feet and muscles; the “ascensores”. Three little yellow vintage trams take you up the hills in no time: the Ascensor da Bica (Sao Paulo – Bairro Alto), Ascensor da Gloria (Restauradores – Bairro Alto) and the Ascensor do Lavra (Liberdade – Torel).

The Elevador de Santa Justa connects the lower shopping area at Baixa with the Carmo square in the Chiado neighborhood.

The most famous tram in Lisbon is tram 28. It has one of the longest most picturesque routes. It takes you to the quarters of Graça and Mouraria. I wouldn’t advise to take it, since it is always overcrowded. You can easily visit these areas by foot to explore them at your own pace.

Miradouros

A city built on hills also means a lot of viewpoints or miradouros as they call them in Lisbon. Each miradouro gives you a different perspective of the city!

Miradouro de Sao Pedro de Alcantara
Miradouro do Carmo
Miradouro de Santa Luzia
Miradouro das Portas do Sol
Miradouro do Recolhimiento
Miradouro de Santo Estevao
Miradouro da Graça
Miradouro Nossa Senhora do Monte

Bairro Alto

This is probably the most vivid neighborhood of Lisbon during the evening. The streets are packed with bars and restaurants. When the temperatures are nice, locals have their drinks outside in the streets. The only downside of this is that the streets are always covered in plastic cups, used limes and mint leaves. Which is a bit outrageous, especially because there are trash cans…

Chiado

This area offers a lot of shopping at the Rua Garret, some nice squares like Praça Luis de Camoes and Largo do Carmo and the beautiful ruins of the Carmo church, which got destroyed by an earthquake in 1755.

Baixa & Restauradores

I put these two together since they are the lower heart of Lisbon. Here you can find many shopping streets, the Rossio train station, the Elevador de Santa Justa and the main squares such as Praça dos Restauradores, Praça Dom Pedro IV, Praça da Figueira and Praça do Comercio. This is the busiest area of Lisbon during the day. A little further from Praça do Comercio you will also find Rue Nova do Carvalho, better known as Pink Street.

Mouraria

This is the quarter north from the Castelo de Sao Jorge. It is rather quiet here and you can get a taste of the local life. You’ll probably end up here looking for the Miradouro da Graça and the Miradouro Nossa Senhora do Monte.

Castelo de Sao Jorge

This Moorish castle can be seen from almost everywhere in the city. Most of the castle was destroyed over the years but you can still walk on its walls and visit the towers. From here you also get wonderful views of the city. The neighborhood surrounding the castle is also fun to explore.

Alfama

Alfama is the other more quiet neighborhood behind the Se cathedral. I found myself often alone in its streets. Here you find a lot of tiled houses and cute little corners. Alfama has a very different vibe from the other neighborhoods. I encountered more locals, tiny alleys and more local traditional restaurants. Maybe I will stay here on my next visit to Lisbon.

Parque das Naçoes

This is the place where the 1998 world exposition was held. You can shop at the massive shopping center or take the cable car to get better views of the Vasco Da Gama bridge.

Belem

Belem is the most Southwestern point of Lisbon. You can visit the area by taking tram 15E at Praça da Figueira.

Here you will find the fantastic Jeronimos Monastery which is really worth your time visiting. Inside you can find the tomb of Vasco Da Gama and the courtyard is gorgeous. The Monastery is a fantastic piece of architecture and was built in celebration of successful Portuguese voyages around the world. You will discover a lot of maritime motifs here.

Near the monastery you can find the monument of the discoveries. Each side has different statues of writers, navigators and missionaries.

The nearby tower of Belem is another monument you should visit. The tower was built to remember Vasco Da Gama’s expedition.

Sintra

If you have the time I suggest to take the train at Rossio station to go to Sintra. It only takes a 40 minute train ride to reach this fairytale town filled with the most magnificent castles, palaces, royal retreats,… You can find a lot of information in my other more detailed post Magical Sintra: The Perfect Day Trip From Lisbon and the offical website Parques de Sintra .

The palaces I visited so far:

Palacio da Pena
Castelo dos Mouros
Quinta da Regaleira
Palacio de Monserrate

Palacio de Queluz

I am surprised that this palace isn’t as famous as the castles in Sintra. Because it is a very gorgeous palace. It was built in the 18th century. The gardens are lovely with many fountains and paths decorated with beautiful flowers and well-maintained hedges. The interior is very classic and impressive. I call it mini Versailles. You can reach it by taking the train at Rossio. It only takes about 17 minutes to get there.
Read more about it here.

Where to eat?

Blend: this modern restaurant with open kitchen offers a variety of local and international food. Make sure to try the white sangria. I ate twice here and took the Risotto Camarao and the tasty Veggy pizza which had a very thin crust.
Address: R. do Norte 24, 1200-108 Lisboa

Desnorte: Across the street of Blend you can find this little traditional restaurant. I came here for lunch and had a super delicious tropical salad with shrimps.
Address: R. do Norte 13, 1200-283 Lisboa
Mar ao Carmo: The receptionist of the Lumiares recommended me to eat at this place if I loved fish. I had the traditional dish Bacalhao a Braz and it was very good!
Address: Largo do Carmo 21, 1200-092 Lisboa

Maria do Carmo: I went here often for a watermelon cider at the terrace at the Carmso square, but their tropical salad was also good!
Address: R. da Oliveira ao Carmo 1, 1200-092 Lisboa

Lisbon City Guide: practical tips

Wear comfortable shoes: I recommend sneakers that give good support to your feet
Watch out for slippery soles, you will slide on the mosaic sidewalks!
Always take blister plasters with you (believe me, you’ll need them)
If you carry a lot of stuff like me (photography gear, water bottle, tripod,…) I suggest a backpack. That way you distribute the weight between your two shoulders, which is more pleasant when climbing.
Take a water bottle: You can fill it at the drinking fountains spread over the city.

This article was sponsored by Hunkemöller and The Lumiares Hotel & Spa, however my opinions are as always my own.

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Lisbon City Guide: everything you need to know