38.73° N · 9.15° W
Portugal's capital on the Tagus estuary, with seven hills, sloping districts such as Alfama and Graça, trams that climb single-lane streets and the Manueline monuments of Belém beside the river.
Part of Walkable CitiesHistoric bookshops and libraries of Europe
What to do
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
Tram 28 from Martim Moniz to Campo de Ourique through Graça, Alfama, the Baixa and the Chiado: 7 km in 40–50 min, €3.30 on board.
On foot · 2 hrs · 2 km downhill · Free
A fortress above Alfama with eleven towers and walls you can walk right round: open daily, €15 adults, free up to age 12.
Itineraries
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Getaways from Lisbon
Plan the trip
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
From March to June and in September and October: gentle warmth, long light and shorter queues than in summer. In July and August the hills are hot and Alfama fills up; in winter it rains on and off but almost everything stays open.
How you travel
Choose how you're travelling and we'll tell you where to stay, how to get around, where to eat and which services you'll need. We only show the ways of travelling that make sense here.
In Lisbon a car is a nuisance: the streets in the centre are narrow, parking is scarce and expensive, and public transport reaches everything, including the airport and the train to Sintra.
Lisbon has very well-kept hostels and cheap transport. With a one-day pass, a dormitory bed and food from a tasca, the city works out quite a bit cheaper than other capitals.
The most refined Lisbon is split between a palace with a garden near Belém and the small hotels of Alfama. Book a special dinner well ahead: the good tables go fast.
If you arrive from Spain by car, the key is to sleep where you can leave it and not touch it again until you head for Sintra, the Arrábida or the Alentejo.
Lisbon is the easiest destination in Portugal to reach by air from Spain: there are direct flights from almost all the big cities, and Humberto Delgado airport is inside the city, about 20 minutes by metro from the centre. You need no car either to arrive or to get around; you only need one if you carry on to the Arrábida or the Alentejo.
Who you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
Slopes tire the little ones before the grown-ups. What works is alternating a stretch on foot with a tram, a boat or the metro, and keeping a whole morning for Parque das Nações, which is flat and has room to run.
Lisbon is done hill by hill, with a stop at every viewpoint and another at every terrace. For a group the good thing is that everything is cheap: a tip-based tour, a ferry for €2 and seafood you order by the kilo. Wear comfortable shoes, because you climb and descend all day, and note that the Feira da Ladra flea market only opens on Tuesdays and Saturdays, so it is worth fitting your trip around those days.
Where to stay
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Why we like it: A small hotel at the top of Alfama, beside the cathedral, with a terrace and wine bar above the rooftops and the Tagus. Guided walk included if you book direct.
Why we like it: A 19th-century palace turned five-star hotel, with gardens declared a national monument, pools and spa, between Alcântara and Belém.
Why we like it: A family-run hostel in the heart of the Baixa, with dormitories and private rooms and home-cooked dinner by Mamma, the owner's mother.
Why we like it: A campsite in the Monsanto forest park, 8 km from the centre, with pitches, a motorhome service area, bungalows and a pool in summer.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
What to order: some clams Bulhão Pato and the seafood by weight; ask for the toasted bread with butter.
What to order: the tasting menu with Portuguese wine pairing, if it is your special dinner of the trip.
Takeaway and markets
Nearby
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
38.64° N · 9.24° W
By carCar-freeBy plane
38.80° N · 9.39° W
Car-freeLuxuryOn footBackpacking
38.70° N · 9.42° W
Car-freeBy carBy plane
38.54° N · 8.96° W
By carLuxuryBy plane
Tips
Go up by tram or metro to Graça or the castle and walk down. Lisbon's hills are easier that way.
Before nine there are no queues at Martim Moniz and the cloister is emptier first thing.
The white stone pavements are slippery, even more so in the rain.
Narrow streets, hills, little parking. Leave it at the hotel or don't bring it: the metro, tram and boat reach everything that matters.
By air, with direct flights from almost all large Spanish cities. The airport is inside the city: the red metro line takes you to the centre in about 20 minutes with one change. By car it is about 625 km from Madrid along the Badajoz and Elvas motorway; Portuguese motorways have electronic tolls on some stretches, so check how to pay before crossing.
On foot, uphill and downhill, and by public transport when your legs say enough. Buy the Navegante or Viva Viagem card at any metro station and top it up: with it a metro, bus or tram journey costs much less than on board, and the 24-hour pass costs €7.25. Tram 15 goes to Belém, the 28 crosses the old districts and the boat to Cacilhas uses the same card. A car in the centre is a nuisance: parking is difficult and the streets of Alfama are not made for it.
The Jerónimos and the Oceanário sell tickets for set times: book online and you avoid the queue at the door. The castle and the viewpoints don't need it if you go early. In spring and in June, with the Santos Populares festivities, accommodation in Alfama and the Baixa fills up early.
Questions
Three or four nights: one day for Alfama, the castle and the Baixa, another for Belém, half a day for Parque das Nações and the Oceanário, and another for Sintra.
Yes. They like the Oceanário, the boat to Cacilhas and the castle; children under 13 do not pay at the castle. With a pushchair, avoid Alfama and use a baby carrier.
If you are going to use transport a lot and enter the Jerónimos and the castle within a day or two, yes: it includes transport and entry to both.
By metro, red line, changing at Alameda or Saldanha depending on your destination. It costs a normal ticket loaded on the Navegante card.
Spring and early autumn. June brings the Santos Populares festivities, with sardines in the street and lots of people.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/lisbon-region/lisbon
