Lisbon is a city steeped in history and traditions that still play a role today. Start by exploring ancient landmarks such as the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos or the Torre de Belém, before hopping on a wooden tram through the city’s most beautiful and historic streets. You can also take part in a walking tour and look for the stories behind the families who have been salting cod and preparing piri-piri chicken for generations, while you taste. But the city also has a modern side, with creative and colorful street art spray-painted on the sides of various buildings. Discover the best things to do when visiting and the top attractions here 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, while here you’ll find our guides focusing on Lisbon’s best hotels, restaurants, bars and shops, plus how to spend a weekend in Lisbon .
Find an attraction by area
Belem
Explore a centuries-old monastery
This imperious 15th-century Manueline monastery was built to commemorate Vasco da Gama’s ‘discovery’ of India. The main attraction of the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos is the delicate Gothic chapel that opens onto a grand monastery, in which some of Portugal’s greatest historical figures are buried.
Insider tip: If you are visiting on a weekend, choose a time when mass is held so you can get into the church without the queue 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
Gaze at the Atlantic Ocean from an impressive tower
The early 16th-century Torre de Belém rises above the mouth of the Tejo and guards the entrance to the city’s harbour. It is a symbol of maritime Lisbon and can be reached via a wooden walkway that extends over the water. Inside, it is filled with intricate stonework and has expansive views of the Atlantic Ocean.
Insider tip: Look for the rhinoceros sculpted on the base of a turret, believed to be the first sculpture of such an animal in Western European art. It probably represents the rhino that King Manuel I sent to Pope Leo X in 1515.
Contact: patrimoniocultural.gov.pt
Price: £
Alphama
View the city from the castle walls
The winding medieval streets of Lisbon’s oldest district, Alfama, wind their way to the city’s Moorish highlight, Castelo de São Jorge. The dusky orange walls of the old castle date from the ninth century and dominate the city – they are visible from almost every street. The view from the top isn’t bad either.
Insider tip: As well as the castle, delve into the nearby imposing 12th-century Lisbon Cathedral and then grab a coffee at Audrey’s Café at the Santiago de Alfama hotel, overlooking the church where Christopher Columbus was married.
Contact: castelodesaojorge.pt
Nearest metro: Santa Apolonia
Price: ££
Discover the inside scoop on Alfama
There are many free walking tours in Lisbon, many organized by students who benefit from tips, but nothing comes close to Discover Walks, a globally rolled out company that has won widespread acclaim. There are plenty of options, but start with the free 90-minute tour of Alfama, Lisbon’s most fascinating neighborhood, where history is writ large in every narrow street.
Insider tip: This tour has something for everyone: history, yes, but you’ll also explore Lisbon’s music, fado, its flag, its patron saint and the famous azulejos (tiles) that characterize the city. Bring a camera and flat shoes for the hills and cobblestones.
Contact: Discoverwalks.com
Price: £
Bairro Alto
Hop aboard a tram and climb the steep hills of Lisbon
The most charming way to tick off a few sights is to ride the wooden tram 28 as it passes through Lisbon’s most beautiful and historic streets. Starting at the foot of the Bairro Alto, the vintage carriage rides through the shopping districts of Baixa and Chiado before winding and toiling past the churches and castles on the cobbled hills of the Alfama and Graça neighborhoods.
Insider tip: If possible, avoid valuables on the tram and protect your cell phone, handbag and wallet, as this ride is notorious among locals for being targeted by pickpockets as it is mainly used by tourists.
Leaves: From Praca Luis de Camoes to Graça every 15 minutes
Price: £
Avenida Novas
Discover a remarkable private collection of art
One of the greatest philanthropists of the 20th century, the Armenian Calouste Gulbenkian, left much of his art and historical objects to his favorite city, Lisbon. The museum founded in his honor, Museu Calouste Gulbenkian, now houses one of the most epic collections in Europe. Look out for priceless Greek vases, ancient Chinese porcelain and paintings by Rembrandt, Monet and Van Dyck. There is also an affiliated modern art museum across the street.
Insider tip: Don’t miss the special room dedicated to the French artist René Lalique, where a beautiful collection of his jewelry and glass is on display. It is just one example of an impressive oeuvre in the field of decorative arts.
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 most famous street artist, Vhils. By appointment you can book a three-hour tour to visit all kinds of urban art throughout the city, such as Obey Giant by Vhils and Shephard Fairey. You can also visit the platform’s gallery to view the current works on display.
Insider tip: The tour ends at the Underdogs Art Store in Cais do Sodré, where you can purchase limited editions of the works 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: Cais do Sodre
Price: £££
Alcantara
Tantalize your taste buds with classic dishes from Lisbon
Culinary Backstreets offers three very different tours (each with a different neighborhood), taking you to a hidden Lisbon where generations of families have salted cod and prepared piri-piri chicken over charcoal pits. On the Song of the Sea tour, you’ll wander through food markets and harbors in search of cod fritters and goose mussels in the narrow streets of the working-class neighborhood of Alcântara.
Insider tip: These tours are as much about the people and the place as they are about the cuisine: they are aimed at avid gourmets who want everything, but be sure to try the little-known Portuguese sheep cheeses, rich in variety and taste.
Contact: culinarybackstreets.com
Price: £££
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Lisbon, Porto and the Douro Valley
Guided trips | Riviera travels
See the Jeronimos Monastery and other treasures in Lisbon. Visit the Royal Palace in Sintra, taste port in Porto and explore the lush Douro Valley.
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Days out
Sintra
This aristocratic hill town west of the city is dotted with fairytale palaces, botanical gardens and wild forests. It is known for its misty, cool microclimate, which is one of the main reasons why the royal family retreated here from Lisbon during the hot summers. The train to Sintra leaves every 20 minutes from Rossio station and takes about 40 minutes.
Insider tip: Take a whole day to visit Sintra, which poet Lord Byron described as an ‘Eden’. Among the 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 resorts are the city’s best coastal suburbs. Destinations in themselves, they are connected by a promenade on the Atlantic Ocean. The region’s best beaches (Adraga, Guincho and Grande) are found on the coastal road in 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 retained its grandeur and was the setting for the Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
