This is our tried and tested 3-day itinerary for a perfect city break to Lisbon. Before we go on a trip, we do extensive research on what there is to do, and where to eat (and what we should eat!). We then only recommend things we enjoyed/would do again to you guys, saving you time (and hassle) when planning your own trips.
We prefer to enjoy cities at a relaxed pace (so you don’t feel like you need another holiday afterwards to relax and recover!).
This means, we hit the key sights (and food) but also build in time for wandering and freedom to go along with anything else we may stumble across (like a festival, a cool cafe, or a dinner/celebration at a local’s house – it’s happened before!).
If you are a jam-packed type of traveller, fear not! This means there is also room to add things in (which we will also provide suggestions for because we are helpful like that!).
- Getting to Lisbon
- Day 1 – Central Lisbon (Baixo Chiado district)
- Day 2 – Alfama District (oldest neighbourhood)
- Day 3 – Balém District
Flights & Accomodation
First things first you’ll need to arrange to get to Lisbon.
Luckily, we’ve helped you out here too – follow our guide to get flights and accommodation in Lisbon for under £135 each! We also talk about the best area to base yourself in because Lisbon is huge!
Night 1 –
We flew in dinner time-ish on the first day which meant we had a bonus night to spend eating food in Lisbon!
🍴Dinner at Tu & Eu
We ate a beautiful meal at Tu & Eu which came highly recommended and it was clear why. It’s a family-run restaurant which has opened up more restaurants across the city due to its popularity.
We went to the one in Alfama, and it’s set in a gorgeous laneway with cosy indoor and outdoor options. We ate outdoors because it was January and we could! It had a lovely atmosphere and the staff were really friendly – the food was delicious!
Try the Bacalhau à Brás (a national salted cod dish) and the grilled squid. These dishes are a must try at least once whilst in Portugal!
You can’t book, but tables became available quickly. Arrive a bit before you want to eat to keep the hanger at bay in case it’s busy! We arrived around 7pm and got a table straight away (out of season).
After dinner, we wandered through Alfama to the Bairro Alto district.
🍺Miradouro (viewpoint) de São Pedro de Alcântara
We had Miradouro (viewpoint) de São Pedro de Alcântara on our list but stumbled across it by accident on our first night.
There was a live pianist, and we got a beer at the kiosk at the end and sat and soaked up the atmosphere and the view.
Day 1 – Baixo Chiado
🍴Breakfast – Go to The Mill for an insane breakfast.
Check out their menu here.
This was honestly one of the nicest breakfasts I’ve ever had. I went for the breakfast bagel and it was to die for!
We were fine in the off-season but it can get packed in the summer months. They let you put your name down and go for a wander though.
📍11am – 1pm – Free Walking Tour of Lisbon starting at Praça Luís de Camões (9 min walk from The Mill)
Everywhere we go, we do a free walking tour. It’s a great way to learn about the city’s history and current daily life.
The guides also often have great local recommendations since they are from the city or lived there for many years. They always have a way of telling historic events and weaving them together to make them memorable, and as though they’re being told like a story (not out of a textbook).
We learnt all about the 1755 earthquake that shaped so much of European history (and religious shifts!) and about their dictatorship. We were taught about the fall of the dictatorship stood in the very square it happened. I don’t want to give any spoilers but it’s a story IMO the whole world needs to hear about – they ended the dictatorship with conversations and carnations (not violence and war).
We did the tour with Sandemans and definitely recommend it. The way it works is there is no fee to pay, and then at the end of the tour you pay what you think it was worth to you.
You end the tour at Praça do Comércio. From here you can either:-
🍴Head to Time Out Market for Lunch
- A pleasant 15-minute stroll down the promenade
- Food market made up of local restaurants that were ranked 4 or 5 out of 5 by Time Out
- You can’t go wrong with food choices but we recommend the below dishes (pictured) and the croquettes from the Croqueteria stall (not pictured!)
- We did a lot of research about what were must tries in Lisbon. The below dishes are all on that list!
🍴Grab a quick lunch at O’Trevo
- We couldn’t visit because it’s closed on Sundays, but it was recommended by our walking tour guide (oh, and Anthony Bourdain)
- Try the Bifana (marinated pork sandwich, a must when in Lisbon)
When we visited, we were lucky enough to stumble on an outdoor market in the square nearby Time Out Market. It was full of artisan products and we wandered through there, and stopped for a sangria and beer in the park kiosk stall and did some people watching. If it’s on when you’re there be sure to check it out. If it’s not, don’t worry – we did the below on our last day but it’s a perfect fit here.
📍Go up the Arco da Rua Augusta
This is located right where the walking tour wrapped up & easy to get to no matter which lunch option you choose.
For just €3.50 you can get panoramic views of the city.
To find the entrance, head from the Praça do Comércio square towards the city. Go under the arch and on the right there is a small shop selling tickets, hop in the lift and you’re there!
🍴Dinner at Taberna Sal Grosso
We reserved a table here for dinner and it did not disappoint! It’s an intimate, lively setting for some of the best food we had in Lisbon.
It’s small plate style so pick a few and share. Our favourites were the croquettes, grilled octopus and the pork belly (pictured above).
If you can’t get a table, either go to Tu & Eu if you didn’t have the extra night like we did. Or head to A Baiuca for some dinner and Fado. Fado is a must when you’re in Lisbon (more about this in tomorrow’s itinerary!)
Day 2 – Alfama
Head to Alfama district to wander the winding streets and soak up the atmosphere. This is the oldest district of Lisbon as it was the only one not destroyed by the 1755 earthquake.
📍We do really recommend aimlessly wandering to see what you stumble across but if you do want some pointers, head to the spots below:-
📍Miradouro de Santa Luzia
🍴Just near the viewpoint on the street is a small takeout place called Pasteis de Bacalhau (cod cakes). We actually didn’t get the cod cakes but we got a Bifana sandwich (another must – a marinated pork sandwich) which was lovely from here. We took it across to the viewpoint with another pastel de nata of course!
🍷Portas do Sol for drinks with a view (or if you’re on a strict budget visit the kiosk on the upper level of this area in the square for a similar view)
🛍️XVIII – to purchase the perfect Lisbon souvenir – your own tile! It’s important to shop ethically for tiles in Lisbon. Avoid buying at flea markets or antique stores they may have been chipped off a building for re-sale, thus damaging the beautiful buildings that make Lisbon so beautiful. Shop at workshops/stores that recreate patterns as replicas to preserve and protect the history of the tiles.
XVIII have a workshop in the shop where you can see they glaze, and paint the tiles by hand. We picked up a gorgeous tile for just €14
📍Castelo de S. Jorge – wind your way up the streets toward the castle at the top
📍Miradouro do Recolhimento – another nice viewpoint with some park space and benches to relax
Once you’ve wandered and relaxed you might be ready for a museum stop. Head to the Castle or the Aljube Museum:-
Aljube Museum
- Museum about the dictatorship and the resistance
- The museum is within an old prison for political prisoners who were held during the resistance
- Learn how the resistance used flowers (red carnations) to bring about change not weapons
Castelo de S. Jorge
- We didn’t visit the Castle because our free walking tour guide told us it’s not the original castle but a replica
- We are told though the gardens are gorgeous to walk around and also give a good viewpoint over the city
🎶In the evening head to see some Fado (a must in Lisbon) at Tasca da tia Mancheta
Fado is a form of music that has been traced back to Lisbon. There is usually a singer, accompanied by a Portuguese guitar and the music is mournful (but not depressing!).
There are expensive tourist packages advertised for dinner and Fado but we got a more authentic (and cheaper!) experience at Tasca da tia Mancheta.
We did eat there and the food wasn’t badly priced (€16 euro for a pork shank, and €13 for a cod bake). It’s a small, intimate atmosphere and the Fado was brilliant.
Day 3 – Belém
Belém is a little out of the central districts. You’ll need to get public transport there taking between 30-40 minutes depending on where you are in the city. Check on Google Maps to find the quickest route from where you are.
📍Free walking tour of Belém
For a morning tour check out the times here and for an afternoon tour go with Sandemans (both free)
We had to do the morning one as we were flying home that day. Unfortunately, when we showed up there were only 3 people (minimum is 4 for this company) and they couldn’t offer the tour. The lady did show us around for 20-30 minutes and pointed us in the right direction. To be safe, go with Sandemans in the afternoon (3pm) if you can!
If you want to skip the free walking tour wander down the promenade and see the 📍Monument of the Discoveries and 📍Balém Tower. There isn’t a great deal of information about either though outside so a tour is worth it if you’re interested.
Another key thing to see whilst in Balém is the 📍Jerónimos Monastery (closed Mondays). We went in the church to the right of the entrance instead which was impressive (and free!). A ticket to inside the monastery costs around €12.
🍴Eat at Pastéis de Belém.
They serve the OG Pastel de Nata (there is a difference!). It’s a must try – the place is huge too so don’t worry about any queues.
It’s no coincidence these pastry delights are next door to the Jeronimos Monestery…
When the Church was losing money due to the decline in faith in Portugal (partly due to the earthquake) they needed some extra income. They had been eating these pastries because they had lots of spare eggs knocking around (the whites used to dye their cloaks and later the sails of the boats for the discovery voyages which they invested in to spread their faith across the world).
Only 6 people alive today know the recipe and they never travel together or are on shift together in case something happens to one of them. It’s a pretty big deal!
📍Browse LX Factory
It’s a converted factory now with lots of independent stores selling Portuguese products. We didn’t get a chance to go but this is a good stop on your way back to the centre
We nipped back to the Time Out Market before flying home for a quick bite but if you’ve got more time add in one of the above restaurants if you didn’t have the extra first night!
If this has helped you plan your trip to Lisbon – let us know how it went in the comments below! We’d love to hear about your trip.