As I said in my previous article “Where To Go In Portugal”, I think you need to spend 3 full days in this city. If I could go back in time, this is how I would plan my time in Lisbon.
- Best way to enjoy your morning (breakfast)
- List of activities
- Best way to enjoy lunch & dinner
- Enjoy the nightlife
- How many nights you should spend in Lisbon
Best way to enjoy your morning (breakfast)
If you’ve arrived the night before and are starting your day early in Lisbon, don’t waste any time. Get up and go walk around to find a little place to eat breakfast. Portugal is known for its great grilled sardines and cataplana de Marisco. The only place worth having breakfast at is Pasteis de Belém. So except for the day you will be going there, don’t try so hard to find breakfast. Save some place for lunch and dinner and go explore the city.
List of activities
Here is a list of activities I recommend doing. Since you are spending three days in Lisbon, I wrote at the end of each activity how long it takes to fully experience them. The order doesn’t matter, build your itinerary as you prefer.
Augusta Street: If you want to spend money shopping or eating, this is definitely for you! You can easily spend an entire afternoon walking around on Augusta Street.
The best way to do it is to start at the Elevador de Santa Justa and walk all the way down to the Rua Augusta Arc. You’ll be walking on beautiful cobbled the entire time.
Belém Tower is one of the most popular historical attractions in Lisbon.
I recommend doing this activity first thing in the morning so you can eat at Pasteis de Belém. They offer a great variety of pastries, but the most important thing to try is Pastel de Nada. This is technically a dessert, but I ate it for breakfast and I won’t tell anyone if you do the same. They invented this tasty dessert in 1837. Don’t miss it!!
It should take you 2 hours to do this activity.
São Jorge Castle is another great historical activity. At the entrance of the castle, you will find a beautiful terrace where you can enjoy a drink while looking at the best viewpoint in the whole city. After that, you can visit the castle, which can take up to half a day if you take your time. You will see beautiful peacocks walking around freely.
Tram 28 is an iconic symbol of Lisbon. The yellow tramway is something you need to do at least one time. It starts in Plaza Martim Moniz and goes into many well-known neighbourhoods such as Alfama, Baixa & Chiado. In Plaza Martim Moniz there are many signs saying Tram 28 “starts here”. It costs €3. If you plan on doing a ride, consider going early in the morning that’s when it’s quieter. You can wait 40–50 minutes to get on the tramway when it’s very busy.
It should take you about 1 to 2 hours to do this activity depending on the time of the day.
Sintra is a muuuust in Lisbon. It’s a little city with colourful palaces, old castles and a beautiful viewpoint of the ocean. It needs to be on your to-do list in Portugal.
To know more about this place, check out “3 Of The Best Things To Do In Sintra” where I talk way more precisely about this activity.
I recommend spending at least an entire day in Sintra. I went for 2 entire days & still haven’t seen everything. Get there early and enjoy! Sintra is one of my favorite things to do in Portugal.
Best way to enjoy lunch & dinner
Lunch in Portugal is normally between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. & dinner is around 9 p.m. Here is a list of restaurants I have tried in Lisbon and loved:
Time Out Market: The place for affordable food with various options. This is my go-to for dinner every time I go to Lisbon. You will find the city’s best food and drinks. You can go 10 times & you still won’t have tried half of the options.
Honest Greens: Honestly, one of the best restaurants I have been to in Portugal. The food is so fresh and delicious. Super close to the Oriente Metro Station which makes it very easy to get to.
Jardim das Cerejas: Incredible vegan all-you-can-eat for only €11.50. The food is sooo good, and the atmosphere is very cozy.
+ As you can see in the picture, they don’t go small on the wine glasses!
Collect: Great burgers and cocktails spot. However, it was very long before we received our food. If you go there, don’t be on a tight schedule.
Enjoy the nightlife
Right now, Lisbon is one of the best cities in Europe to go out and enjoy the nightlife. I personally loved my time going out in Lisbon. Most people don’t go to the clubs until 2 a.m. But let me tell you this city is filled with life. The best nightlife area is Bairro Alto and the pink street.
How many nights you should spend in Lisbon
Here are the 2 options I mainly recommend:
If you arrive late at night there’s not much you can do except go out for dinner and enjoy the nightlife. That is why I recommend waking up early the next morning and spending the next three days in Lisbon. Sleep three more nights (4 in total) and leave the next morning.
If you arrive in the morning / the day, start exploring the city as soon as you are settled. Spend 3 nights there so you have 3 full days exploring this incredible city and leave the next morning.
You have now had the perfect three full days in Lisbon. You have, in my opinion, seen the best side of it. It is now time for you to start exploring the amazing other regions of Portugal in the following days. Check out Where To Go In Portugal to find out about them.
I need to to thank you for this very good read!! I absolutely enjoyed every bit of it. I have got you book-marked to check out new stuff you postÖ