Know how to best spend a vacation in Lisbon with this Lisbon travel guide. Include expert tips, must-see places in Lisbon, best events and festivals, detailed daily travel guides and more!
Planning to visit Lisbon? This Lisbon travel guide will help you discover the city's must-see places, beaches, and best events for short stays in Portugal's vibrant capital.
Below you will find a list of must-see places in Lisbon for short stays. For easier navigation, I organised the sections into daily itineraries. If you are staying longer than 3 days feel free to split the places as you wish and consider the day trips from Lisbon also detailed further below =).
Day 1 Travel Guide in Lisbon: Must-see Places in Central Lisbon
Day 2 Travel Guide in Lisbon: Must-visit Places in Historic Lisbon
Day 3 Travel Guide in Lisbon: Must-explore Places in Modern Lisbon
Located by Lisbon's coastline, Cascais is famed for its marina and historic Old Town where Portuguese noblemen used to spend their summers.
Distance from Lisbon: 45 min
Recommended visit length: 6h
Must-see places in Cascais: Paredao de Cascais, Praia de Rainha, Condes de Gastro Guimarães, Boca do inferno.
Known as the 'land of palaces and forests' and a recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape just 40 min away from Lisbon.
Distance from Lisbon: 40 min
Recommended visit length: 7h+ (2 days)
Must-see places in Sintra: Pena Palace; Quinta da Regaleira; Monserrate Palace; Castle dos Moros; Cabo de Roca.
Located across the river and south of Lisbon, Caparica is known for its expansive beaches, surf, and popular summer playground.
Distance from Lisbon: 30 min
Recommended visit length: 6h+
Must-see places in Caparica: Extensive beach; surf; Cristo Rei monument.
To end this Lisbon travel guide, here are some of the best experiences in Lisboncthat I personally enjoy the most as a resident in this city:
And a lot more including rooftops (like TOPO rooftop), socialising, language exchange... But this all depends on your preferences and how long your stay is in Lisbon =).
The recommended time to stay in Lisbon is at least 3 days. There is a lot to see around Lisbon and if you also are interested in any of the day trips near Lisbon (which you should!), then you should stay for at least 5 days.
To know the best way to navigate Lisbon check out this very short travel guide on Getting Around Lisbon by Public Transport. In short, you can purchase a reusable Navegante card in any train/metro station ticket machine for €0.50 and top up the amount you need (€1.80 per journey), or purchase daily tickets for around €10.
During the month of June, the best summer events and festivals are the Santos Populares Arraials (local festivities) all over Lisbon (i.e. Alfama, Bairro Alto, Bica, etc.). There are other events in June and the rest of the summer months so have a look at the Best Events and Festivals in Lisbon for the Summer.
The best places to stay in Lisbon would be Baixa Chiado, Alfama or Bairro Alto which are the closest to the city center. Especially if you are looking for nightlife areas in Lisbon.
For larger places and more relaxed experiences you might consider Parque das Nações which is close to the airport and contains modern hotels.
For a more luxurious stay in Lisbon the best place would be in Avenida da Liberdade which has luxury hotels, shops and rooftops and is also very close to the city center.
See the best places to stay in Lisbon for more details =)
Lisbon is not an expensive city to visit when compared to other European or neighbour cities. Here is a cost breakdown of popular things in Lisbon:
Due to the hilly nature of the city and some uneven roads, getting around the city might be difficult for those with reduced movility so avoid hilly areas and try to stay near the center (i.e. Chiado, Praca de Comercio) or in flatter areas such as Parque das Nações. Transport is fine as there are elevators in almost every station
You don't need to rent a car in Lisbon. Lisbon is well connected, you can walk to many places, it's hard to find parking spaces, and Ubers/Bolts are cheaper when compared to other cities in Europe.
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