Best time to go: spring or autumn are very good seasons to go and enjoy sunny Lisbon. July and August are quite touristic months and the beaches get full of tourists.
General Advice: if you are planning on visiting any of the surrounding areas of Lisbon like Sintra or Casacais, I would definitely recommend to rent a car.
The recommended hotel at Lisbon is "The Vintage Hotel & Spa”, very well located at Avenida da Liberdade which features a rooftop bar with panoramic views over the city.
Day 1: Arrival
After arrival I recommend you go for dinner at "Versículo d'o faia” at Bairro Alto and enjoy the famous Portuguese fish. Another good option depending on the location of your hotel is “Taberna Moderna” at Alfama, a restaurant serving Portuguese dishes with a modern twist.
Day 2: Baixa and Barrio Alto
Spend your first day walking around the city centre, the suggested itinerary is as follows:
Praça do Comércio - Situated near the Tagus river, the square is still commonly known as Terreiro do Paço. At the end of the Rua Augusta is the huge and imposing Arco Triunfal that leads right into the Praca do Commercio, which is the heart of Lisbon.
Rua Augusta - near the Praca do Comercio. The architecture is old and many of the structures are original. This is a very beautiful street. The area is a wide, mosaic tiled walkway and it is closed to traffic.
Rossio - the popular name of the King Pedro IV Square located in the Pombaline Downtown of Lisbon has been one of its main squares since the Middle Ages.
Santa Justa Lift - a lift situated at the end of Rua de Santa Justa that connects the lower streets of the Baixa with the higher Largo do Carmo.
Carmo Convent - highly recommended to visit the inside. A former Catholic convent ruined during the sequence of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake; the destroyed Gothic Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, on the southern facade of the convent, is the main trace of the great earthquake still visible in the old city.
On the back of Carmo Convent there is a fantastic terrace to have drink from where you can enjoy wonderful views of the city “Topo Chiado”.
Bairro Alto - visit lavish São Roque Church and take in the views from Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara. Many of the centuries-old houses in the neighbourhood are decorated with vivid street art.
A good stop to have lunch is the Mercado da Ribeira Time Out where you can find many bars and restaurants to have a very tasty lunch.
The Pink Street in the same neighbourhood is worth going for a walk down, as the Mercado Da Ribeira is the hipster area.
Suggested dinner at “Ramiro”, the most famous seafood restaurant in Lisbon usually with a long queue to wait before you get seated. Another option is to go to "Peixaria da Esquina” but for sure while you are in Portugal you have to try the seafood with a glass of vino verde.
Day 3: Belem and Alfama
On your last day I would suggest to visit Alfama and Belem, the suggested itinerary for this day is:
Belém Tower - built between 1514 and 1520. This tower was used to defend the city and years later it was transformed into a lighthouse and customs house. This 16th-century fortification served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers and as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon.
Padrão dos Descobrimentos - a monument on the northern bank of the Tagus River estuary that celebrates the 15 and 16th-century Portuguese explorers and visionaries. On the eastern side of the monument are statues of Portugal’s great explorers, while on the western side are the key supporters who empowered the 15th century “Age of Discovery”.
Jerónimos Monastery - the monastery was populated by monks of the Order of Saint Jerome, whose spiritual job was to give guidance to sailors and pray for the king's soul. It's one of the great triumphs of European Gothic.
It is time for a stop at the most popular bakery to try the fantastic Pasteis de Nata at “Pateis de Belem”.
Alfama - the steep streets of Alfama, one of Lisbon’s oldest areas, are lined with shops selling traditional crafts and cafes. Passengers pack the historic no. 28 tram, which winds through Alfama on its way up to 11th-century São Jorge Castle.
Miradouro das Portas do Sol Viewpoint - the most photographed viewpoint of Lisbon, popular due to its location on the main tram route through Alfama and close to the Se Cathedral and castle.
São Jorge Castle - built in the mid-11th century, during the Moorish period, this fortification is situated at the top of the hill. The purpose of the castle was to house military troops and in case of siege, the elite who lived in the alcáçova. Unlike most European castles it was not meant as a residence.
Suggested dinner at “Lugar Marcado”, a very nice restaurant that offers meat and fish dishes made with local products accompanied by a glass of wine from their own cellar. After dinner have a nice cocktail next door at “Union Portugal”!
Day 4: Sintra
There is a lot to explore in Sintra so if you want to visit it in just one day you will have to choose which palaces you really want to visit inside. Some ideas are:
Sintra National Palace - we decided on just visiting the outside as we didn’t have enough time to visit all of them. This is the best-preserved medieval royal palace in Portugal with a minimalistic gothic exterior and decorative rooms. The palace’s long history has been intertwined with Portugal’s ruling nobility, who resided here from the early 15th through to the late 19th century.
Quinta da Regaleira - at the Quinta we decided to visit directly the gardens as it is the most impressive part. This is a 20th-century villa ornate with a gothic style in the outside surrounded by amazing gardens.
Park and National Palace of Pena - in this case we also decided to visit the outside and surrounding area. This palace exemplifies the 19th century Romanticism style of architecture. The palace is a mix of painted terraces, decorative battlements and mythological statues. The interior of the palace has been restored to reflect the decor in 1910, when the Portuguese nobility fled to Brazil to escape the revolution.
Park and Palace of Monserrate - we visited the palace and the park and it was absolutely beautiful and highly recommended! The villa is of an Arabian design, surrounded by classical English gardens, and set in the jagged hills of the Serra da Sintra.
If you have more days, I would recommend to visit Cascais to spend sometime relaxing at the beach.
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