Unlocking Lisbon’s Charm: Top-Ranked Activities and Experiences in Portugal’s Capital!

February 21, 2024 Gaia Comments 0 Comment

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Things To Do / Famous sites :

1. It’s a great city to walk around . Very hilly , cobble stone streets and pretty buildings with parks all over .

2. One way to start your exploring is from :

Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, Rua de São Pedro de Alcântara( Take an Uber to get here / walk here – based off where you are located ) . Beautiful park / lookout . Usually has good stalls or Christmas Market during December. Great place to hang out & people watch .

Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara (Lookout ) , Lisbon, Portugal

Pink Street ( good for photos during day time , instagram famous , at night full of drunk ppl ) . You can walk here from the lookout . Don’t bother eating at the restaurants near here – very touristy .

Pink Street, Lisbon , Portugal- Daytime vs Night Time

Time Out Market ( 15 minutes – this place is good for a snack or lunch , variety of food stalls , can be crowded – just have to wait around and grab a table, one stall you have to try is : Manteigaria . Really good Portuguese tarts ) .

After food you can walk to : Arco da Rua Augusta/ Praça do Comércio( 13 minute walk , one of the larger squares , yellow and white buildings and near the water )

Arco da Rua Augusta/ Praça do Comércio ( Yellow & White Square) , Lisbon, Portugal

3. Another area to visit is the Belem Tower area :

Best to take an Uber here . It’s about an hour and half by walking from the core of Lisbon . Belem Tower – historical monument. It was built to defend Lisbon from enemy ships . One of the last sights Portugal sailors saw as they left in voyages . You can buy a ticket to go inside .

Belem Tower – Celebrating Portugal Explorers, Lisbon, Portugal

Cross the road and you can visit Jerónimos Monastery ( 15 minute walk ) . It’s one of the top attractions in Portugal – was closed when we went . Photos look pretty .

Pasteis De Belem ( 3 minute walk ) – this is the place that started selling pastel de nata. Very touristy- but the line moves past . We found it to have one of the best pastel de nata .

LX factory ( 31 minute walk ) – this is like a hipster area ( small shops , book store & restaurants) . If you are short on time – can skip this .

4. São Jorge Castle & Area :

São Jorge Castle- This is a 11 th century castle with a lot of view points where you can see the city . Take Uber . It’s an uphill walk . Seeing the whole castle inside will probably take an hour or two . We went during Covid so it wasn’t crowded – now it might be .

The area near the castle is famous – called Alfama . From the castle you can walk to Lisbon cathedral ( 6 minute walk ) – one of their nicer churches – you can walk around this neighborhood- few viewpoints near here .

Santa Justa Lift – this is an old outdoor elevator . Iconic Lisbon attraction ( 10 minute walk ) – might be a long line to go up .

Views From Santa Justa Lift , Lisbon , Portugal

There are also lots of stores near here for shopping . Cerâmicas na Linha – ( 5 minute walk ) this store sells authentic ceramics . Found while looking for authentic souvenirs. They will bubble wrap items for an extra Euro . They have some charming items .

5. Tram 28 – yellow tram that shows up in lots of Lisbon photos . You can see on google map where the stops are and take the tram . It is popular so can get crowded . It will give a sense of Lisbon , goes through some nice streets . You want to take it toward the Alfama district ( where the Jorge castle is ) .

6. Shopping :

A shorter alternative to tram 28 is a funicular ride . There is one right by this lookout Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara called Glória Funicular.

If you take this down it will take you near an area filled with lots of stores called Avenida da Liberdade . This road has lots of luxury stores on it similar to Champs-Élysées. Lots restaurants and cafes near by as well .

7. Day Trip To Sintra :

One of the things you have to do is a day trip to Sintra to see Palácio Nacional da Pena. Sintra was a rich people’s vacationing town . Has lots palaces and fancy houses . Most famous one is Peña Palace . It looks to be under 1 hour and 20 minutes by train/ taxi . Uber also might be an option . You can see the Palace in 2 to 3 hours or even shorter .

Palácio Nacional da Pena, Sintra, Portugal

We also went to Castelo dos Mouros. Took uber between the two . This is a nice castle – not a must do if you are short on time . We bought all the tickets at the entrance – we went during Covid and it wasn’t crowded . Might be better to buy tickets to Peña palace early – it is very popular .