by Lisbon is a city full of history and traditions that are still in force today. Start by exploring centuries-old attractions such as the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos or the Torre de Belém, before hopping on a wooden tram through the city’s prettiest and most historic streets. You can also join a walking tour to trace the stories behind the families who have been salting cod and preparing piri-piri chicken for generations, tasting as you go. But the city also has a modern side, with creative and colorful street art sprayed on the sides of various buildings. Find out the best things to do during a visit here and the main attractions for you to discover the heart of Lisbon so wonderfully.
Below our experts have shared their top tips for making the most of your time in the city, and here you’ll find our guides focusing on the best hotels, restaurants, bars and shopping in Lisbon, as well like how to spend a weekend in Lisbon.
Belém
Explore a centuries-old monastery
This 15th century Manueline imperial monastery was built to commemorate Vasco da Gama’s ‘discovery’ of India. The main attraction of the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos is the delicate Gothic church that opens onto a large cloister, in which some of Portugal’s most historic figures are embedded.
Insider tip: If you are visiting over a weekend, choose a time when the mass is in progress, which allows you to access the church without queuing and see it in its full glory as a church rather than a museum.
Contact: patrimoniocultural.gov.pt
Price: ££; free on the first Sunday of every month
Peer at the Atlantic from inside an impressive tower
The early 16th century Torre de Belém stands out over the mouth of the Tejo, guarding the entrance to the city’s harbor. It is a symbol of maritime Lisbon, and is reached by a walkway that rises above the water on wood. Inside it is filled with intricate stonework and has sweeping views of the Atlantic.
Insider tip: Look for the sculpted rhinoceros on the base of a turret, which is considered to be the first sculpture of such an animal in Western European art. It probably represents the rhinoceros sent by King Manuel 1 to Pope Leo X in 1515.
Contact: patrimoniocultural.gov.pt
Price: £
Alfama
Survey the city from the castle walls
The medieval streets of Lisbon’s oldest neighborhood, Alfama, wind up to the city’s Moorish hill, Castelo de São Jorge. The dust-orange walls of the ancient castle date back to the ninth century and tower over the city – they are visible from almost every street. The view from the top isn’t bad either.
Insider tip: Don’t just visit the castle, but also pop into Lisbon’s great 12th-century cathedral nearby and then stop for coffee at Audrey’s Café in the Santiago de Alfama hotel, which overlooks the church where Christopher Columbus was married.
Contact: castelodesaojorge.pt
Nearest Metro: Santa Apolonia
Price: ££
Get the inside scoop on Alfama
There are plenty of free walking tours in Lisbon, many hosted by tipsy students, but nothing comes close to Discover Walks, a globally acclaimed company . There is a wide range of options, but start with the free 90-minute tour of Alfama, Lisbon’s most interesting district where history is writ large on every narrow street.
Insider tip: This tour has something for everyone: history, yes, but it also explores Lisbon’s music, fado, its flag, its patron saint and the famous azulejos (tiles) that characterize the city. Take a camera and flat shoes for the hills and cobblestones.
Contact: discoverwalks.com
Price: £
Bairro Alto
Hop aboard a tram to reach the steep hills of Lisbon
The best way to tick off a few sights is to ride the wooden tram 28 as it wanders through Lisbon’s prettiest and most historic streets. Starting at the foot of Bairro Alto, the vintage transport passes through the shopping districts of Baixa and Chiado before lurching and laboring past the churches and castles on the cobbled hills of the Alfama and Graça neighborhoods.
Insider tip: Avoid carrying valuables on board the tram if possible and protect your pocket, handbag and wallet as this tour is famous among the locals as it is aimed at pickpockets as most it is used by tourists.
leaving: From Praca Luis de Camões to Graça every 15 minutes
Price: £
Avenida Novas
Discover an amazing private art collection
One of the great philanthropists of the 20th century, Calouste Gulbenkian, an Armenian, left much of his art and historical artefacts to his favorite city, Lisbon. The museum founded in his honour, Museu Calouste Gulbenkian, 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 also an affiliated modern art museum over there.
Insider tip: Don’t miss the special room dedicated to the French artist René Lalique, which has an amazing collection of his jewelery and glass. It is just one example of an impressive work on the decorative arts.
Contact: gulbenkian.pt
Nearest Metro: Entrecampos
Price: £
Go to Sodré
Download the best street art
Underdogs is a cultural platform located in the capital and founded by Vhils, Lisbon’s most famous street artist. By prior arrangement, you can book a three-hour guided tour to visit diversity or urban art around the city, such as Obey Giant by Vhils and Shephard Fairey. You can also visit the platform gallery to see the current works on display.
Insider tip: The tour ends at the Underdogs Art Store in Cais do Sodré, where you can buy limited editions of the work visited, as well as a wide range of signed editions by Vhils and other artists and books by and about them.
Contact: under-dogs.net
Nearest Metro: Go to Sodré
Price: £££
Alcantara
Tick your taste buds with classic Lisbon dishes
Culinary Backstreets offers three very different tours (each celebrating a different neighborhood), which take you into hidden Lisbon where generations of families have been salting cod and preparing piri-piri chicken over charcoal pits. On the Song of the Sea tour, you’ll venture past food markets and docks in search of cod fritters and goose roe in the narrow streets of the working-class district of Alcântara.
Insider tip: As big as the people and the place as the kitchen, these tours are for lovers of everything, but make sure you try the little-known Portuguese sheep’s cheeses, rich in variety and taste.
Contact: culinarybackstreets.com
Price: £££
Day trips
Sintra
This aristocratic hill town on the west side of the city is full of fairytale palaces, botanical gardens and wild woodlands. It is famous for its misty, cool microclimate, which is one of the main reasons why royalty flock here from Lisbon during the hot summers. The train to Sintra departs from Rossio station every 20 minutes and takes around 40 minutes.
Insider tip: Allow a full day to visit Sintra, which the poet Lord Byron described as ‘Eden’. Between 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 beach towns are the best of the city’s seaside suburbs. Destinations in themselves, they are connected by a promenade facing the Atlantic. The best beaches in the region (Adraga, Guincho and Grande) can be found on the coast road to the north, past Cascais. From Cais do Sodré station, the coastal train to Cascais and Estoril leaves every 20 minutes and takes about 40 minutes.
Insider tip: Stop for a drink at the charming old hotel Palácio in Estoril. Built in the 1930s, the hotel has an air of grandeur and was the location for the Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
