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Discovering Lisbon: A Traveler's Handbook to Portugal's Vibrant Capital

Writer's picture: Kathleen BarrKathleen Barr

Lisbon is such a great city, one of my favourites I’ve been to. The city streets are all cobblestone, and the architecture is stunning. However make sure to bring your best walking shoes, because Lisbon is super hilly. There are so many things to see and do in Lisbon, it was hard to fit it all in just 2 days but I think we were pretty successful. I’ve put this blog together to help you plan your trip to Lisbon. Below you will find where we stayed and what we did and hopefully, you’ll get some inspo for your next big adventure.



Where to Stay


We spent two nights in Lisbon. We stayed in Martim Moniz Square, which was very central and beside the Martim Moniz Metro Station. Lisbon is massive so being near a metro station is super important. Martim Moniz is just outside of the Alfama and Baixa districts which are the areas most travel blogs recommend staying in. We tried to get as close as possible to our budget and the other two districts were more expensive so Martim Moniz did the trick. Martim Moniz Square is where you can catch Tram 28 which is perfect, it’s also within walking distance to attractions such as Castelo de S. Jorge and Rossio Square. I haven’t stayed in the other two areas so I can’t argue that this neighbourhood is better but it was honestly perfect for us.


On our first day in Lisbon, we weren’t able to check in right away, but luckily our host let us store our luggage until we could. We went and grabbed some sangria and lunch right by our apartment and came back when the room was ready. Once we checked in, we showered and changed and headed out into the city.


Some cute buildings in our area!


How to Get Around


The public transit in Lisbon is super cheap and easy to use, so I would recommend taking the metro over getting a cab. We took the subway from the airport to Martim Moniz Metro Station. This took about 30 minutes and cost about €2.50 each. We rode the pink line from the airport then switched to the green line until our stop.


What To Do

  • Castelo de S. Jorge

Castelo de S. Jorge was my favourite part of Lisbon, it is absolutely a must-see. We went earlier in the evening but I bet the sunset here would be incredible. The attraction was only 200m (up hill) from our apartment. We bought our tickets online to avoid the line. We spent quite a few hours here, the castle is on the highest hill in Lisbon and you can look out over the entire city from the peak. There are also places to get food and drinks on the site. Outside of the castle, there are a ton of souvenir shops and cafes so we slowly made our way down the hill while stopping to shop and browse.


Views from Castelo de S. Jorge


  • Tram 28

Another must-do in Lisbon! The tram is a historic and iconic transit route in Lisbon, known for its picturesque journey through the city's charming neighbourhoods and significant landmarks. On day two we rode Tram 28 in the morning. Our apartment was literally behind the Tram stop, which was so convenient. We just rolled out of bed and got on fairly early in the morning. I definitely recommend taking the Tram early in the day because we had to wait about 35-40 minutes and the line wasn’t even that long. When we got back later in the day the line was massive. The tram was about €3 per person and you get to ride it for about an hour. The Tram is 100% the best way to see the city.



The famous Tram 28


  • Belém District

Once we got off the Tram, we walked to the nearest train station and then took the train to Belem station and visited Belém District. Belém is a unique district of Lisbon along the Tagus River. Here you will find the famous Belém Tower, Jerónimos Monastery and Padrão dos Descobrimentos monument. I recommend doing all of these attractions in one visit to Belém. When we got off the train, we walked over to Jerónimos Monastery which we unfortunately couldn’t go in because it’s closed on Mondays, but it looked beautiful. We then walked over to Belém Tower and walked over to the Padrão dos Descobrimentos monument.


Jerónimos Monastery


  • Baixa District

Baixa is a fun evening and nightlife area in Lisbon. On our second night here we walked to the Baixa district for dinner and found a spot on Rua Augusta, which has tons of restaurants and shops. We had the traditional Bitoque with Sangria and Pastéis de Nata for dessert. There was lots of live music and dancing going on in the restaurants and bars. I highly recommend coming to this area on one of your nights in Lisbon.


Dinner and Drinks in Baixa


  • Rossio Square

Rossio is the most vibrant square in the city. Visitors will often pause and unwind here as there are many great cafes, restaurants and shops. When we stopped by there was an outdoor market with great vendors selling jewelry, souvenirs, food and drinks. Right at the Rossio metro stop, I feel this would also be a great area to stay in.


  • Sintra

Unfortunately, we didn’t get to go to Sintra which was a bit disappointing. We were worried we wouldn’t have enough time since we were only in Lisbon for 2 days. We chose to go to Belém on our second day which was obviously great but I think if I could go back I would choose Sintra. It is a gorgeous Portuguese town found within the hills of the Serra de Sintra. The architecture and nature here are supposed to be like no other in the world. Sintra is about an hour by train out of Lisbon.


Photo by Full Suitcase


Where to Eat

  • Restaurante de Se

We ate dinner at an amazing restaurant called Restaurante de Se which is right across the street from Lisbon Cathedral. That was honestly one of my favourite meals on the whole trip. I got the seafood Paella and port wine. They have a nice outdoor dining space facing the Cathedral. It was the perfect first dinner in Portugal.


I'm awful at food photography lol but this meal was soooo good!


What to Eat

  • Paella

  • Bitoque

  • Pastéis de Nata

  • Piri Piri Chicken

  • Port Wine

  • Port Tonic

  • Ginja


Rooftop Bars

  • Topo

  • Hotel Mundial Rooftop

We wanted to hit up a rooftop patio for the sunset, which Martim Moniz Square was full of. However, these places are super overpriced and don’t have many food options. So we grabbed a drink and watched the sunset at the Hotel Mundial Rooftop. The Topo restaurant also had a great view and drink list for a similar price. The cocktails were honestly great and the view was amazing.


The Hotel Mondial rooftop has a beautiful view of the whole city and Castelo de S. Jorge


Our Two Day Itinerary


Day 1

  • Arrive in Lisbon

  • Store luggage at the apartment

  • Have lunch

  • Check-in

  • Visit Castelo de S. Jorge

  • Dinner at Restaurante de Se

  • Walk home

  • Early bedtime


Day 2

  • Breakfast at Martim Moniz Cafe

  • Ride Tram 28

  • Take the train to Belém District

  • Visit Jerónimos Monastery

  • Walk by Padrão dos Descobrimentos monument

  • Visit Belém Tower

  • Metro back to the apartment

  • Rooftop drink at Hotel Mondial

  • Dinner and drinks in Baixa District


Day 3

  • Check Out

  • Head to Bus Station

  • Bus to Lagos


So I think I hit all of the basics for Lisbon. I seriously loved this place and I would love to go back someday. Stay tuned for my next blog, which will be all about Lagos, Portugal. Thanks for reading and safe travels, everyone!


More views of this stunning city!

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Kathleen Barr

 

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