Three Day Travel Guide to Lisbon, Portugal
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Lisbon… oh, how you stole my heart in just 3 short days. Portugal has been on my radar for years, probably since I had a layover there in 2014 on my way to Barcelona. At the time, I didn’t have enough time to get off the plane & I’ve regretted not taking a peek ever since. Portugal is small but has so much to offer. Lisbon is the heart and its’ history, food, and wine won me over immediately. My mom and I spent New Year’s in Paris and decided to extend our trip by adding on 3 nights in Lisbon. I’m a huge fan of TAP Air Portugal (again, since flying with them to Barcelona all of those years ago) and I remembered that they offer free stopovers in Lisbon as well as discounted hotel rates when you do so. And since I had been wanting to go for so long, this was the perfect opportunity to visit for a few days. This part of the trip was completely different than the first. Lisbon is so laid back compared to Paris and the temperature was a little warmer too! I’m usually an itinerary freak but there was something about Lisbon that made me want to just explore and not be on any type of time crunch. We flew in from Paris on New Year’s Day and landed around 9pm and our driver (arranged through the hotel) was waiting for us as we approached baggage claim. The hotel I chose for us was Dear Lisbon - Charming House and I couldn’t have been happier! It’s a smaller, boutique hotel in a fantastic location, was very clean, had extremely friendly staff, and had a delicious breakfast… I honestly couldn’t have asked for more. We lucked out with the weather too! It was cloudy and chilly most of the first full day there but the second & third days were gorgeous and no jacket was required, just a sweater. I would recommend visiting at the beginning of the year like this as the temperatures are moderate (50s-60s) and there weren’t a lot of tourists. If you’ve never been to Lisbon, you’re in for a treat! There is beautiful architecture, design, color, hills (lots and lots of hills to walk!), amazing food & music. Most natives speak English and everyone we encountered were very friendly. And how could I forget to mention the transportation!? Lisbon has the cutest trams I’ve ever seen! Below is our daily activities & restaurant recommendations.
Day 1: The Best Walking Tour in Lisbon
We started the day with a free three-hour walking tour with Sandeman’s. I found this company while researching the best things to do in Lisbon months before and we were so glad that we did it! I know, three hours seems like a long time but it’s worth doing, especially on your first day. It gets you comfortable with the lay of the land and the different neighborhoods and we ended up walking by and stopping in front of a lot of the sites I already had on our itinerary. This company offers free walking tours in many other countries as well as tours that are not free so be sure to check them out before your next vacation. Our guide was amazing and knew the answers to all of our groups questions! During our walk we went to the Santa Justa Lift, which is an elevator you can pay to ride up and usually has pretty long lines, but our guide took us a back way and we were able to go up to the lookout deck for free without riding in the actual elevator. We also stopped at Bertrand, the oldest recorded bookstore in the world founded in 1732, so we of course had to buy a couple of books. It was such a cool hidden gem and the cashier will even stamp the inside of your book. We loved our guide so much that we ended up going on his afternoon tour as well! After lunch, we met back at Praça do Comércio and were ready for round two of walking! One of my favorite stops on this walking tour was Pastéis de Belém. I had been anticipating tasting the wildly popular egg tarts for months leading up to our trip and these did not disappoint. This specific bakery is probably the most well-known for Lisbon’s famous tarts and rightfully so, as they use the oldest recipe for the pasties. Make sure you get a sleeve or two when you stop in! Next, we took the train for about 10 minutes and got off to see the Jerónimos Monastery and the Monument to the Discoveries where we heard about the history of Lisbon. The clouds were rolling in and the temperature was dropping so we were happy to get back on the train and head back to the hotel. We hadn’t made dinner reservations so we asked our hotel for any recommendations and they kindly made reservations for us at Distinto. It’s a small, casual yet cozy place where the food is really good and the prices are even better, plus they have great wine. Restaurants seem to prefer reservations and the popular ones book up fast so make sure you make reservations.
Day 2: The Carmo Convent & City Views
Our second day was all about wine and exploring. We started the day by touring the Carmo Convent (pictured below). I recommend visiting close to opening hours to avoid crowds and it’s worth visiting whether you’re on a tour or exploring on your own. We had learned the history of the city and the of the convent the prior day during our walking tour but we were able to go inside on this day. The entry price is very low and it’s a self guided tour of walking through the ruins and there’s a small museum towards the back. Our next stop was supposed to be the São Jorge Castle, but we weren’t able to find the entrance so we skipped it. If it’s something you really want to see then be sure to do some research on the location of the entry because surprisingly we weren’t the only ones looking lost on the hill after following the signs haha! As we made our way back down the hill, we made a couple of pit stops at nearby viewpoints Portas do Sol & Santa Luzia. You can get a really great view of the city and the sea from both of these viewpoints and there’s a little café next door to Portas do Sol that has an upstairs terrace where you can have wine & a bite to eat with an amazing view. Afterwards, we walked down the Avenue of Liberdade which has many shops and cafes and we caught the famous tram 28 back to our hotel. Lisbon has so many winding streets and the tiles on the buildings are stunning. It’s such an easy city to walk (aside from the steep hills) and explore. Later that night, we had dinner at Bastardo, which was another great recommendation by the hotel, and it was SO good! The food, drinks, and service were amazing! If you’re looking for great food in Lisbon at a place that also has a fun atmosphere you have to check it out.
Day 3: Food Market Treats & the Pink Street
Sadly, this was our last day but our flight wasn’t until 4:45pm so we had most of the day to see more sites and walk around. Today was all about souvenirs for me. As I’ve mentioned before, I try to get an ornament for my Christmas tree every time I travel somewhere. There was a small tile/pottery shop that we passed by on our first day, so we stopped in again to see what they had and I found exactly what I was looking for, a hand painted tile ornament. We also walked over to the Pink Street which actually used to be Lisbon’s red light district and is currently where a lot of bars are located, but the street there is bright pink and makes for a great photo if you catch it when no one else is there. Afterwards, we spent the rest of the day at the Time Out Market, which has tons of local food vendors so I suggest going there on an empty stomach. We had the best steak sandwich from CAFÉ DE SÃO BENTO and picked up more trinkets from one of the main shops inside called Portuguese Life. And last but not least, I had to get more of the addictive pastéis de nata from the Manteigaria stall. I got a few slips to take back to share and also eat for the next couple of days! After our stomachs were full, it was back to the hotel and off to the airport.
As with any trip, there were a few things that we weren’t able to see or do but they will be on my list for when I visit again so I’ve noted those below.
Belém Tower - this historical monument just outside of Lisbon is easy to get via train. We walked near it on our walking tour but didn’t get close. Belem Tower is notorious for having long lines so book your ticket in advance.
National Coach Museum - located near the Belem Tower, this would be a great place to stop by before or after visiting the above monument. This museum is filled with old, ornate coaches.
Sintra and Cascais- we really wanted to take a day trip to Sintra to see the national palace, but we ultimately didn’t have enough time.
I hope that this has inspired you to visit Lisbon and I hope that you love it as much as I did. I can’t wait to go back and to also visit Porto in the North and Faro in the South. The laid back, welcoming vibe this city gives off is one of a kind! Feel free to leave a comment with any of your favorite spots that I missed or if you have any questions. I’d love to hear from you!
Happy travels!
- Tess
Tess Arnold
Hi! I’m Tess, founder of TravelingTessie.com, and not only do I love to travel, but I love immersing myself in new places and finding off the beaten path experiences wherever I go! I’ve lived in 4 different states & traveled to 13 countries and counting. I believe that tourism is meant to benefit both visitors and locals alike—and I want to bring that idea back into the travel industry by highlighting companies run by locals such as tours, hotels, restaurants, and more. On Traveling Tessie you can find hidden gems in top destinations around the world, travel tips, detailed city guides, and tons of inspiration for your next trip! If you love travel as much as I do, then please join me on this journey! I hope you enjoy my content as much as I enjoy providing it for you!
