5 Amazing Days in Lisbon: Your Complete Guide

Updated: September 21, 2026

We spent 5 days in Lisbon, and it was so easy to fall in love with all its pretty streets. It truly is a “must-see” kinda place, and I hope the photos in this post inspire your trip even more. This guide will help you create your perfect Lisbon itinerary. This beautiful city in Portugal is built on seven hills, but I’d say it is much easier to walk than the vertical town of Positano.

Lisbon’s architecture is colorful and full of character; the tiles on the facades are unique, and the food is worth the trip alone. Favorite part about it? It’s one of the more affordable places to visit in Europe. Cheap and gorgeous? Yes, please!

Getting Around Lisbon

Uber is highly recommended to make commuting easier on your feet. Their Uber prices are the cheapest I’ve seen anywhere. We took an Uber from the airport to Lisbon’s old town, and most rides within the city only cost a few euros. However, the city can be walkable if you set out to explore on foot.

If you’d rather not rely on public transportation, booking an airport transfer in advance is another easy option, especially if you’re arriving with luggage.

Many of the places recommended below are close together. If you’re a visitor from a city like San Francisco, then the hills will be no problem! Trams are readily available, except Tram 28, which I’ll discuss in more detail later.

Best Place to Stay in Lisbon 

Our Airbnbs were in great locations, but they were so noisy I wouldn’t stay there again. However, I can link to the one that’s still available if you’re willing to overlook the noise and prefer a great location. I’ll also link a map with the best neighborhoods to stay in, marked as points of interest.

If you want to stay closer to the best-reviewed restaurants, cafes, and bars, consider Cais do Sodré, Baixa, Chiado, Alfama, or Bairro Alto. Here are some of the best-reviewed hotels I’d stay at in those areas: 

• Casa do Barão is located in the sophisticated district of Chiado in the center of Lisbon. This bed and breakfast is set in a completely refurbished 18th-century building.

• Ouro Rossio Hotel is located in Baixa and has beautiful views over Lisbon. They also offer a buffet breakfast!

• 54 São Paulo is an exclusive Apartment Hotel in Lisbon. It also offers apartments with balconies. Guests enjoy private check-in and check-out, a paid shuttle service, and a concierge. Plus, you’ll be on the flatter side of town.

• Residentas Arco do Bandeira are gorgeous apartments right in the heart of Lisbon. They’re beautifully decorated, and some offer balconies where you can sit and enjoy the view.

If you’re looking to stay in a more historic area with amazing views of the whole city, then Alfama is for you. But just note, it’s also the hillier (much hillier) part of town.

The hillier part didn’t fly with this Chicago flatland girl. So we moved on over to Cais do Sodré. This new place is a few blocks from the Time Out Market and the Bairro Alto area. 

Hey, handsome <3

Where to Eat in Lisbon

We were hardly disappointed with our meals in Lisbon, and as I mentioned, the prices were fair. A meal won’t cost you as much as a sit-down restaurant in Paris, but it won’t be as cheap as Naples.

You’ll notice this food section is long, but Lisbon just has so much to offer. If you want to dive deeper into Lisbon’s food scene, a food tour is an easy way to try several Portuguese specialties in one outing. This tour has won awards and has over 8,000 5-star reviews!

COFFEE + BREAKFAST

The Mill – FAVE. We went twice. I had the best B(E)LT sandwich I’ve ever had here! The food was full of flavor.

Dear Breakfast – Another delicious breakfast option with excellent coffee.

Nicolau – A bit cheaper than other breakfast places and a little closer to some touristy spots, but the food was good, and the restaurant was adorable.

Fábrica Coffee Roasters – Awesome coffee and a good place for a cheap meal. This was our first stop when we arrived in Lisbon, and we got some sandwiches and lattes.

Hello, Kristof – On the hunt for another cheaper breakfast, we came here for more lattes and some croissants. Excellent stuff.

Pastelaria Alfama Doce – A little local bakery in the Alfama area. Our Airbnb host recommended it.

DINNER + DRINKS

Cruzes Credo – FAVE again! Another place we visited twice. I had the most delicious shrimp rice. If you get the pitcher of sangria, it’s so good, and they jazz it up. The prices are great too.

Time Out Market – It’s a good spot on rainy days, which seem to happen a lot in Lisbon. This is also the original Time Out Market before they expanded to other cities.

DESSERTS

Manteigaria – Our favorite stop for pastéis de nata (Portuguese custard tart). We visited almost every day.

Pastéis de Belém – This shop is famous in Lisbon and is visited by many every single day. It’s located about 15 minutes outside Lisbon, so I recommend an Uber. The tarts were good, but honestly, Manteigaria’s were so much better.

A Ginjinha – A cherry-like liquor served in shots and a typical Lisbon drink. I wasn’t a fan, but for some reason, Jorge liked them.

Landeau – A rich, delicious chocolate cake. That’s their main dish! They have multiple locations, but we visited while we were at LX Factory.

Veggie Wave Juice – You can find this unique juice shop at the LX Factory. Every juice is freshly made, and since they don’t use electricity, you have to pedal a bike to power the blender! It’s a great place to stop if you’ve been overindulging and need a break.

Fun Things to Do in Lisbon

→ Walk the streets of Alfama, Bairro Alto, and the neighborhoods in between for all the best photo spots. Alfama is one of Lisbon’s oldest neighborhoods, known for its narrow, winding streets, colorful buildings, tiled facades, and steep stairways.

Bairro Alto has a different feel, with its traditional buildings, balconies, small shops, and lively streets. You’ll also find several of Lisbon’s famous viewpoints throughout these areas (more on that below). You won’t be disappointed with all the opportunities in those areas.

→ Check out a traditional live Fado show. Some restaurants offer this, but you need to reserve ahead of time. You can also book a Fado show in advance, which is a good idea if you have your heart set on a particular evening. 

Fado is a traditional Portuguese music genre, typically featuring a solo singer accompanied by the Portuguese guitarra and acoustic guitar, and it was added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2011. You cannot leave Portugal without seeing a performance at least once.

→ Make a stop at some of the viewpoints scattered throughout Alfama, including Miradouro de Santa Luzia, Miradouro das Portas do Sol, and Miradouro de Santo Estêvão. Each offers a slightly different view over the neighborhood’s terracotta rooftops and the Tagus River.

They’re also great spots to take photos or pause at a nearby café or rooftop terrace for a drink. The photo below is Miradouro das Portas do Sol. 

→ Visit the LX Factory for some shopping and food. LX Factory is housed in a former industrial complex dating back to 1846. Ler Devagar bookstore is located at LX Factory.  You may have seen it all over Instagram.

→ If you can get a spot on the oh-so-famous Tram 28, go for it. It’s the only line that allows you to see a lot of the city with just one ticket. It’s like a cheap tour of Lisbon on a traditional tram, but you’ll likely have to wait hours to get on.

If you want to venture further and explore Lisbon’s neighborhoods at your own pace, consider this tour, which offers access to five different hop-on-hop-off buses, including the trams. It also takes you to Belém, where you can stop for the famous tarts (more on that below).

→ If you can’t fit on the Tram 28 (which we never did, plus we didn’t want to wait) and want another unique experience, check out the tuk-tuk tours; I’ve heard great things about them. I found a great and affordable option on Viator, and a tuk-tuk tour would be a fun way to see more of Lisbon without tackling all those hills on foot.

→ Explore Belém and try their famous tarts, even if it’s just once, because Manteigaria is better. But you need to compare for yourself! Report back. If you choose the hop-on-hop-off tour, wandering around Belém will be a lot easier. The following few photos were taken in the Belém area.

Day Trips From Lisbon

One of Lisbon’s most popular day trips is Sintra. I thought it was a lovely place to visit, but the crowds were a bit of a letdown. We took a train from Lisbon, which left us only time for Pena Palace. If you visit, I recommend booking your Pena Palace ticket in advance so you don’t waste part of your day waiting in line. Trust me; you want to skip that line.

If I could do it all over again, I’d go to the medieval town of Óbidos instead. Another option for beach lovers is Cascais. Portugal has some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, so if that’s your thing, it’s worth the trip.

A tour is an excellent idea if you’re short on time to explore Lisbon and want to cover as much ground as possible. If you don’t want to deal with trains, transportation, and coordinating multiple stops yourself, a guided day trip can make the most of your limited time.

I hope this guide helped make your Lisbon trip a little simpler. I’m excited about all you’re going to experience in this beautiful city.

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