The best things to do in Lisbon include six that cost nothing: the miradouros at sunset, Alfama, the riverfront and parks, LX Factory, the beaches and an evening in Bairro Alto. This guide sets out our 15 picks, from Belém and fado to Sintra's palaces and Cascais, and compares the tours worth paying for.
What You Should Know
- Fifteen things to do in Lisbon, from sunset at the miradouros and a morning in Alfama to Belém, fado, a sail on the Tagus, Sintra's palaces and a day in Cascais. Six of the fifteen cost nothing at all.
- Three full days covers central Lisbon and Belém at a comfortable pace; add a fourth for Sintra and Cascais. Most sights sit in a compact strip along the river, but the old town is built on steep hills.
- Paid experiences run from €2.99 (the booking fee on a tip-based walking tour) and €13.99 for a 50-minute fado show to €104 for a food and wine walk and €130 each for a couple on a private tuk-tuk.
- Belém is about 6 km west of the centre and Jerónimos Monastery is closed on Mondays, so plan Belém for another day. The top viewpoints face different directions: Santa Catarina and São Pedro de Alcântara suit sunset, Santa Luzia and Portas do Sol suit the morning.
Things to Do in Lisbon
The best things to do in Lisbon are split almost evenly between the free and the paid, and the free half is not the lesser half. The miradouros (hilltop viewpoints) at sunset, a morning lost in Alfama, the riverfront from Praça do Comércio to Belém, the city's parks and the Atlantic beaches a short train ride away cost nothing. What is worth paying for is the stuff that needs a guide, a ticket or a boat: a food walk, fado, the castle, a sail on the Tagus and a day in Sintra.
This guide sets out our 15 picks for a first visit, lists the free ones separately, and compares 15 bookable experiences worth your money on price, rating and practical detail, with live listing data checked on 30 September 2026, including the five most-reviewed Sintra day trips. Travelling with someone specific? We have separate guides to the best things to do in Lisbon for couples, for families and for seniors. For a guided introduction to the old town, start with our Lisbon walking tour guide. For an evening of Portugal's national music, see our fado in Lisbon guide.
Eating Europe: Undiscovered Lisbon Food & Wine Tour
Why it leads our comparison: we weighed breadth of experience, review quality, group size, inclusions, price and departure times, not review count alone. The tip-based walk and the tuk-tuk have more reviews, but this is the one experience that combines food, drink, a fado house and two old neighbourhoods (Baixa and Mouraria) in one outing, with nine tastings and four drinks included, 5.0 from 8,656 reviews and 0.4 percent at one or two stars, groups of up to twelve and 11 start times a day.
Book NowTours and Experiences Worth Booking in Lisbon
| Experience | Operator | Type | Price | Online Rating | Duration | Max Group | Start | Good to Know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our Pick Undiscovered Lisbon Food & Wine Tour Check availability |
Eating Europe Food Tours Lisbon | Food and wine walk | €104 (ages 4 to 12 €83) | ⭐ 5.0 (8,656 reviews) Read Reviews |
3.5 hrs, 11 start times daily | 12 | Central Baixa meeting point | Nine tastings and four drinks through Baixa and Mouraria, a fado house visit and a pastel de nata to finish |
| Lisbon City Center Tour: The Unmissable Lisbon Check availability |
Take Lisboa | Tip-based walking tour | €2.99 booking fee; under 16 free; guide paid in tips | ⭐ 5.0 (26,650 reviews) Read Reviews |
2.5 hrs, daily from 10:00 | 6 per booking | Central Lisbon square | Rossio and the Baixa; entry, food and transport not included |
| Age of Discoveries Walking Tour in Belém Check availability |
Take Lisboa | Tip-based walking tour, Belém | €2.99 booking fee; under 13 free | ⭐ 4.9 (2,009 reviews) Read Reviews |
2.5 hrs, 10:30 to 16:00 | 6 per booking | By the Afonso de Albuquerque statue | Jerónimos and Belém's monuments from outside, with a stop at the Pastéis de Belém bakery |
| True 4-Hour Private Tuk Tuk Tour Check availability |
I Took a Tuk Tuk | Private tuk-tuk | €130 each for 2; €50 each for 6 | ⭐ 5.0 (11,235 reviews) Read Reviews |
4 hrs, daily from 08:30 | 6 | Hotel pickup (city centre) | Viewpoints, Graça, Alfama and Belém; children under 7 not permitted on tuk-tuks |
| 2 Hour Lisbon Sunset and Wine Sailing Tour Check availability |
RENT A BOAT | Sailing, Belém waterfront | €55 | ⭐ 4.9 (2,911 reviews) Read Reviews |
2 hrs, departures 16:00 to 19:30 | 12 | Doca de Belém | Portuguese wine and a skipper included; food extra |
| Skip the Line Ticket Castelo de S. Jorge Check availability |
Ticket Online | Castle entry ticket | €31; 65+ €26; 13 to 25 €19; under 13 free | ⭐ 4.7 (589 reviews) Read Reviews |
2 to 3 hrs, 09:00 to 18:30 | 30 | Castle entrance | A reseller ticket with a map and escort, not a guided tour |
| Traditional Fado & Port Wine in Historic Lisbon Check availability |
Lisboa em Fado | Live fado show | From €13.99 (€15.99 on most dates); ages 4 to 11 €14 | ⭐ 4.7 (314 reviews) Read Reviews |
50 mins, 15:00 to 21:00 | 15 | Fado house in the old centre | A glass of port or juice included; no under-4s |
| Sintra-Cascais-Pena Palace 8-People Small Group Tour Check availability |
Lisbon Riders | Day trip | €55 (no entry); €70 or €80 with Pena | ⭐ 4.9 (1,956 reviews) Read Reviews |
9 hrs, 08:00 daily | 8 | Avenida da Liberdade 9 | Sintra, Cabo da Roca and Cascais; English only |
| Best of Lisbon Small-Group Guided Walking Tour Check availability |
Inside Lisbon | Small-group walking tour | €19; under 12 free | ⭐ 4.9 (5,520 reviews) Read Reviews |
3 to 4 hrs, 09:30 or 14:30 | 14 | Rossio Square | A wine tasting with a tapa and a pastel de nata included; monument entry extra |
| Sintra and Cascais Small-Group Day Trip Check availability |
Inside Lisbon | Sintra day trip | From €49 (no entry); €71 with Pena Park; €79 with Park + Palace | ⭐ 4.8 (7,988 reviews) Read Reviews |
8 hrs, 08:00 daily | Small group | Outside the Hard Rock Cafe, Restauradores | The most-reviewed Sintra tour here; Regaleira only on the upgrade option |
| Small Group Tour to Sintra, Pena Palace, Cabo Roca and Cascais Check availability |
Tour Sweet Tours | Sintra day trip | €70 (€75 on Mondays) | ⭐ 4.9 (4,924 reviews) Read Reviews |
8 hrs, 08:00 daily | 8 | Hotel pickup (city centre) | Guided outside the monuments; Pena ticket paid to the guide on the day |
| Guided Tour to Sintra, Pena, Regaleira, Cabo da Roca and Cascais Check availability |
SPR Tours | Sintra day trip | From €80 (€98 for 2 to 6, May to October) | ⭐ 4.9 (3,912 reviews) Read Reviews |
10 hrs, 08:00 daily | 8 | Hotel pickup (city centre) | Includes a guided Quinta da Regaleira visit; tickets paid in cash on the day; adult age band listed to 75 |
| Sintra, Pena Palace, Regaleira, Roca, Cascais Small Group Tour Check availability |
Moovearound | Sintra day trip | From €46.40; about €66 to €97 by Pena ticket option | ⭐ 4.9 (2,277 reviews) Read Reviews |
8 to 9 hrs, 08:00 daily | 8 | Hotel pickup (city centre) | Choose no ticket, Pena terraces or the palace interior; Regaleira slot booked separately |
| Fatima, Nazare, Obidos 8-People Small Group Day Tour Check availability |
Lisbon Riders | Day trip north | €80 | ⭐ 4.9 (1,273 reviews) Read Reviews |
9 hrs, 08:30 daily | 8 | Avenida da Liberdade 9 | Fátima, the fishing town of Nazaré and walled Óbidos; English only |
| Porto, Nazaré & Óbidos in One Day Check availability |
World Experience | Long day trip | From €65.99 (one date); usually €87.99 to €109.99 | ⭐ 4.7 (4,387 reviews) Read Reviews |
13 hrs, 08:00 daily | Not published | Hotel Fénix, Praça Marquês de Pombal | About three hours in Porto after stops in Óbidos and Nazaré |
ℹ️ We checked each listing's live price, availability, schedule, inclusions and review data on September 30, 2026. Prices are per person in euros; the tip-based walking tours charge a booking fee and the guide is paid in tips on the day. Prices and availability change, so always confirm at checkout before booking.
A First Day in Lisbon
A first day in Lisbon, from the Baixa to a fado house.
- 0110:00
Walking tour of the Baixa
Start with a tip-based or small-group walking tour from Rossio or Praça do Comércio. Two and a half hours covers the 1755 earthquake, the rebuilt grid and where everything else sits.
- 02~12:30
Lunch by the river
Walk down to Cais do Sodré and the Time Out Market, which is free to enter, or eat at a tasca in the Baixa.
- 03~14:30
Up to Alfama
Take Tram 28 or a tuk-tuk up the hill, or walk from the Sé. Wander Alfama's alleys with no fixed route.
- 04~16:00
Castelo de São Jorge
The castle ramparts and the view over the city. Allow two hours, and buy the ticket in advance in summer.
- 05~18:30
Sunset at a miradouro
Walk to Senhora do Monte in Graça for sunset over the whole old town, or head west to Santa Catarina for the bridge. Both are free.
- 06~20:30
Fado and dinner
A 50-minute fado show in the old centre, then dinner in Alfama or Bairro Alto. Lisbon eats late; most restaurants are busiest after 20:30.
- 01
Walking tour of the Baixa
Start with a tip-based or small-group walking tour from Rossio or Praça do Comércio. Two and a half hours covers the 1755 earthquake, the rebuilt grid and where everything else sits.
10:00 - ~12:3002
Lunch by the river
Walk down to Cais do Sodré and the Time Out Market, which is free to enter, or eat at a tasca in the Baixa.
- 03
Up to Alfama
Take Tram 28 or a tuk-tuk up the hill, or walk from the Sé. Wander Alfama's alleys with no fixed route.
~14:30 - ~16:0004
Castelo de São Jorge
The castle ramparts and the view over the city. Allow two hours, and buy the ticket in advance in summer.
- 05
Sunset at a miradouro
Walk to Senhora do Monte in Graça for sunset over the whole old town, or head west to Santa Catarina for the bridge. Both are free.
~18:30 - ~20:3006
Fado and dinner
A 50-minute fado show in the old centre, then dinner in Alfama or Bairro Alto. Lisbon eats late; most restaurants are busiest after 20:30.
Lisbon is compact but steep, and the order you do things in matters more than it would in a flat city. This first day starts low in the Baixa, climbs through the old town in the afternoon and finishes at a viewpoint and a fado house.
Our take (the rating behind the rating): The headline scores here all sit between 4.7 and 5.0, so look at the share of one and two-star ratings instead. It is under 1 percent for ten of the 15 experiences compared, between 1.1 and 2.2 percent for the fado show, the Porto day and two of the Sintra tours, and 4.9 percent for the castle ticket, the highest here.
Our take (tip-based does not mean free): The €2.99 on a tip-based walking tour is a booking fee that secures a place, not payment for the tour. The guide is paid in tips at the end, so budget for that when comparing it against a paid small-group walk.
Which Lisbon Experience Should You Book?
| If you want | Do this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| An introduction on day one | A tip-based walking tour | €2.99 to book, 2.5 hours, and the guide is paid in tips |
| Food and drink | Eating Europe food and wine walk | Nine tastings, four drinks and a fado house in 3.5 hours |
| The views without the hills | A private tuk-tuk | Hotel pickup and the viewpoints, €50 each for six |
| Sunset | A miradouro (free) or a sunset sail | Santa Catarina costs nothing; a two-hour sail with wine is €55 |
| Music | A 50-minute fado show | From €13.99 with a glass of port |
| A day out of the city | Sintra and Cascais | Five tours compared from €46.40; three include hotel pickup |
| A day further afield | Fátima, Nazaré and Óbidos, or Porto | Nine hours north from €80, or 13 hours to Porto |
| Something free | Viewpoints, Alfama, parks, beaches | See the free list below |
15 Best Things to Do in Lisbon
Our 15 picks for a first visit, balancing free experiences with attractions and tours that are worth paying for, with the free ones marked. Most of these are in walking distance of each other along the river; Belém, the beaches and Sintra need transport.
Watch the sunset from a miradouro
Lisbon's hilltop viewpoints (miradouros) are free, open-air and the easiest way to see the city's layout. For sunset, Miradouro de Santa Catarina and São Pedro de Alcântara face west over the river and the 25 de Abril bridge; Senhora do Monte in Graça is the highest and looks over the whole old town. Santa Luzia and Portas do Sol, above Alfama's rooftops, are better in the morning light. All are open-air and free, and several have a kiosk café.
Get lost in Alfama
Lisbon's oldest neighbourhood, a maze of alleys and stairs that largely survived the 1755 earthquake. Walk up from the Sé cathedral with no plan and you will find laundry lines, tiny tascas and the viewpoints above. On Tuesday and Saturday mornings the Feira da Ladra flea market fills Campo de Santa Clara on its eastern edge.
Take a walking tour on your first day
The most-reviewed tour of any we checked in Lisbon is a tip-based walk of the centre with 26,650 reviews: you pay a €2.99 booking fee, under-16s go free, and the guide is paid in tips. It is the fastest way to understand the 1755 earthquake, the Baixa grid and where everything else on this list sits.
Check availabilitySpend a day in Belém
Jerónimos Monastery, the Belém Tower and the Monument to the Discoveries line the river 6 km west of the centre, with the Pastéis de Belém bakery, making custard tarts since 1837, in between. The riverfront is flat and free; Jerónimos is ticketed and closed on Mondays. A tip-based Belém walk costs €2.99 to book and covers the monuments from outside.
Check availabilityEat your way through Baixa and Mouraria
A guided food walk takes you into tascas and pastelarias that are easy to walk past. The top-rated food walk here runs 3.5 hours with nine tastings and four drinks for €104, finishing at a fado house and a neighbourhood pastelaria. Our Lisbon food tour guide compares eight more.
Check availabilityClimb to Castelo de São Jorge
The Moorish castle crowns the hill above Alfama with ramparts and a view over the whole city. Reseller skip-the-line tickets are €31 for adults, €26 for over-65s and free for under-13s. It is a steep walk up, so combine it with Alfama or take a tuk-tuk or taxi to the gate.
Check availabilityRide Tram 28
The yellow 1930s trams rattle up through Graça, Alfama and Estrela on a route no bus could take. A cash fare on board is €3.30, it runs point to point rather than as a loop, and the queue at Martim Moniz can be long. Board early in the day or mid-route. Our tram tour guide compares Tram 28 with the seated red Hills tram.
Hear fado in Alfama or Chiado
Portugal's melancholy song is at its most intimate in a small fado house. Fifty-minute shows start from €13.99 with a glass of port, and are the easy way in; dinner-and-fado evenings run longer. Children under four are not admitted to the show compared here.
Check availabilitySail the Tagus at sunset
Two hours on a sailing boat from Doca de Belém, past Jerónimos, the MAAT and under the 25 de Abril bridge, with Portuguese wine included, from €55. Departures run from 16:00 to 19:30 to follow the season's sunset. Our Lisbon sunset cruise guide compares the catamarans and sailing yachts.
Check availabilitySee the palaces of Sintra
Pena Palace, Quinta da Regaleira and the Moorish Castle sit on a wooded ridge 40 minutes west of Lisbon, inside a UNESCO cultural landscape. The train from Rossio is €2.45 each way, or small-group tours start from €49 to €55 and add Cabo da Roca and Cascais. No guide can take you inside Pena Palace itself: guided groups tour the grounds, then enter on their own ticket. The section below compares five tours.
Check availabilitySpend a day in Cascais and Cabo da Roca
Cascais is a former fishing town on the Estoril coast with a sandy bay, an old town and the Boca do Inferno sea cliffs. The suburban train from Cais do Sodré runs along the coast all the way, passing the beaches, so it is easy to do on your own. Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of mainland Europe, is harder to reach without a car, which is why most Sintra tours finish with both.
Check availabilityGo to the beach
Lisbon is an Atlantic city. Carcavelos and the beaches along the Cascais line are reachable by suburban train from Cais do Sodré in under half an hour; Costa da Caparica stretches for kilometres across the river to the south. The water is cold even in summer, and Carcavelos and Caparica are where most surf schools teach.
Walk the riverfront and the city's gardens
Ribeira das Naus and the Cais das Colunas steps at Praça do Comércio, the Gulbenkian gardens, Jardim da Estrela and the view down Avenida da Liberdade from Parque Eduardo VII are all free. The riverside path runs west from Praça do Comércio towards Belém, flat all the way.
Browse LX Factory
A former industrial complex under the 25 de Abril bridge in Alcântara, now full of bookshops, cafés and design stores. Entry is free, it is busiest in the afternoon and evening, and it sits on the way to Belém, so it pairs well with the riverfront walk.
Spend an evening in Bairro Alto and Príncipe Real
After dark, bars spill into Bairro Alto's narrow streets, and the district is free to wander. Príncipe Real next door is calmer, with a garden square and independent shops. For sunset first, the São Pedro de Alcântara viewpoint sits between the two.
Also worth a look if you have more time: the Oceanário in Parque das Nações (covered in our family guide), the National Tile Museum, and a private tuk-tuk to the viewpoints if the hills are a problem.
Sintra and Cascais: The Day Trip to Add
If you have a fourth day, spend it west of the city. Sintra is 40 minutes away, and almost every Sintra tour continues to Cabo da Roca and ends in Cascais, so one day covers palaces, Atlantic cliffs and a seaside town. You can do it by train or with a small-group tour, and the right choice depends on how much of the three you want.
By train
The train from Rossio to Sintra is €2.45 each way and takes about 40 minutes, and the suburban line from Cais do Sodré follows the coast to Cascais. It is the cheapest way to do either, but linking Sintra, Cabo da Roca and Cascais in one day is hard without a car, and driving in Sintra is heavily restricted.
By tour
A small-group tour does all three in eight to ten hours. The five most-reviewed options, with 1,956 to 7,988 reviews each, differ mainly in price, pickup and what the ticket covers:
| Tour | Price | Online Rating | Duration | Group | Pickup | Good to Know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lisbon Riders Sintra-Cascais-Pena Palace Small Group Tour | €55 (no entry); €70 with Pena Park; €80 with Park and Palace | ⭐ 4.9 (1,956 reviews) | 9 hrs, 08:00 daily | Up to 8 | Meets on Avenida da Liberdade | Ticket options priced openly at checkout; English only |
| Inside Lisbon Sintra and Cascais Small-Group Day Trip | From €49 (from November; €56 until 31 October) | ⭐ 4.8 (7,988 reviews) | 8 hrs, 08:00 daily | Not published | Meets in central Lisbon | The most-reviewed Sintra tour; Pena and Regaleira sold as upgrades |
| SPR Tours Guided Tour to Sintra, Pena, Regaleira, Cabo da Roca and Cascais | From €80 | ⭐ 4.9 (3,912 reviews) | 10 hrs, 08:00 daily | Up to 8 | Hotel pickup (city centre) | Guided Quinta da Regaleira visit; tickets booked ahead but paid to the guide in cash |
| Tour Sweet Tours Small Group Tour to Sintra, Pena Palace, Cabo Roca and Cascais | €70 (€75 on Mondays) | ⭐ 4.9 (4,924 reviews) | 8 hrs, 08:00 daily | Up to 8 | Hotel pickup (city centre) | Guided outside the monuments; Pena ticket bought through the guide on the day |
| Moovearound Sintra, Pena Palace, Regaleira, Roca, Cascais Small Group Tour | From €46.40; about €66 to €97 by Pena ticket option | ⭐ 4.9 (2,277 reviews) | 8 to 9 hrs, 08:00 daily | Up to 8 | Hotel pickup (city centre) | Choose no ticket, Pena terraces or the palace interior; Regaleira slot booked separately |
Whichever you choose, no guide can take you inside Pena Palace: under current Parques de Sintra rules, guided groups are led around the gardens and terraces and then enter the palace on their own. Our Sintra day tours from Lisbon guide explains the ticket tiers and timed entry in detail, and our day trips from Lisbon guide compares Sintra with Nazaré, Évora, Arrábida and Porto.
Most Popular Tours
Free Things to Do in Lisbon
Six of our 15 main picks are free. If you are looking specifically for free things to do, here are 13 options that cost nothing beyond transport and a coffee.
| Free thing | Where | Best time |
|---|---|---|
| Miradouro de Santa Catarina | Between Chiado and Bica | Sunset, looking west to the bridge |
| Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara | Top of Bairro Alto | Late afternoon and sunset, across to the castle |
| Miradouro da Senhora do Monte | Graça | Sunset; the highest viewpoint in the old town |
| Santa Luzia and Portas do Sol | Above Alfama | Morning, over Alfama's rooftops to the river |
| Alfama's streets | Below the castle | Early morning, before the day trippers |
| Feira da Ladra flea market | Campo de Santa Clara | Tuesday and Saturday mornings |
| Praça do Comércio and Cais das Colunas | Baixa riverfront | Any time; the steps into the river at sunset |
| Belém riverfront | Belém, 6 km west | Afternoon, with a walk over the MAAT's roof |
| LX Factory | Alcântara | Afternoon and evening |
| Gulbenkian gardens | Avenidas Novas | Hot afternoons, in the shade |
| Jardim da Estrela | Estrela, opposite the basilica | Any time; a playground and a kiosk café |
| Parque Eduardo VII | Top of Avenida da Liberdade | For the view down to the river |
| Carcavelos, Cascais and Caparica beaches | By train or across the river | June to September for swimming |
Tip-based walking tours are close to free as well: the booking fee is €2.99 and you pay the guide what you think it was worth. The Lisbon neighbourhood walks in our walking tour guide include several of them.
How Much Do Things to Do in Lisbon Cost?
Many of the best things to do in Lisbon are free, and the paid highlights are mostly under €110 per person. A day of viewpoints, Alfama and the riverfront costs nothing; a castle ticket is €31, a fado show from €13.99, a sunset sail €55 and a food and wine walk €104.
The miradouros, Alfama, the riverfront, the parks, LX Factory and the beaches. Tip-based walking tours are €2.99 to book plus a tip.
A Tram 28 cash fare at €3.30, a 50-minute fado show from €13.99 and a castle ticket at €31 (€26 for over-65s, free for under-13s).
A sunset sail or a Sintra day trip from €55, a food and wine walk at €104, and a private tuk-tuk at €130 each for two (€50 each for six).
A realistic three-day budget for sightseeing is mostly the paid highlights you choose: the castle, one tour, one fado show and a day trip come to roughly €200 per person before food, and everything else on this page can be free.
Tips for Your Time in Lisbon
- Plan by hill, not by map. Two sights 500 m apart can be a steep climb. Do the Baixa and the river in one block, Alfama and the castle in another, and Bairro Alto and Chiado in a third.
- Keep Belém off Mondays. Jerónimos Monastery is closed on Mondays.
- Match the viewpoint to the time of day. Santa Catarina and São Pedro de Alcântara for sunset; Santa Luzia and Portas do Sol for the morning.
- Ride Tram 28 early. By late morning the queue at Martim Moniz is long and the carriages are packed, which is also when pickpockets work the route.
- Wear shoes with grip. Lisbon's limestone pavements (calçada) are polished smooth and slippery when wet.
- Book fado and sunset sails a day or two ahead in summer. The small fado houses and the popular sunset departures fill first.
- Travelling in a specific month? Our month-by-month guides cover the weather, prices and seasonal events: Lisbon in January, Lisbon in February, Lisbon in March, Lisbon in April, Lisbon in May, Lisbon in June, Lisbon in July, Lisbon in August, Lisbon in September, Lisbon in October, Lisbon in November and Lisbon in December.
- Carry a little cash. Tip-based walking tours, some tascas and tram fares on board are easiest with cash.
How We Selected These
The Vacation in Portugal team chose the 15 things to do in Lisbon for a first visit, balancing the free experiences that define the city against the paid ones that genuinely need a guide, a ticket or a boat. For the 15 bookable experiences, we checked each listing's live price, availability, schedule, inclusions and review data on 30 September 2026. We excluded anything without a guest review in the past six months, and compared the share of one and two-star ratings as well as the average. The top pick also weighs breadth of experience, group size, inclusions, price and departure times. For travellers with particular needs, our separate guides for couples, families and seniors cover different experiences in more depth.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best things to do in Lisbon?+
For a first visit: watch the sunset from a miradouro, explore Alfama, spend a day in Belém, take a food tour, climb to Castelo de São Jorge, ride Tram 28, hear fado, sail the Tagus at sunset and take a day trip to Sintra and Cascais. The viewpoints, Alfama, the riverfront, the parks and the beaches are all free.
How many days do you need in Lisbon?+
Three full days covers central Lisbon, Belém and the viewpoints at a comfortable pace, allowing for the hills. Add a fourth day for Sintra and Cascais, and a fifth if you want a beach day or a longer trip to Nazaré, Évora or Arrábida.
What can you do for free in Lisbon?+
Plenty. The miradouros (viewpoints), Alfama's streets, the riverfront from Praça do Comércio to Belém, LX Factory, the Gulbenkian gardens, Jardim da Estrela, Parque Eduardo VII and the beaches at Carcavelos, Cascais and Costa da Caparica are all free. The Feira da Ladra flea market runs on Tuesday and Saturday mornings.
Where is the best place to watch the sunset in Lisbon?+
Miradouro de Santa Catarina and São Pedro de Alcântara face west for sunset over the river and the 25 de Abril bridge, and Senhora do Monte in Graça looks over the whole old town. All three are free. For sunset on the water, a two-hour sail from Doca de Belém with wine included costs €55.
Is Lisbon a walkable city?+
Yes, but it is hilly. The Baixa and the riverfront are flat, while Alfama, Graça, the castle and Bairro Alto are steep climbs on smooth limestone paving. Plan your day by area, use Tram 28, the metro or a tuk-tuk for the climbs, and wear shoes with grip.
Is Sintra worth a day trip from Lisbon?+
Yes. It is about 40 minutes away and combines Pena Palace, Quinta da Regaleira and, on most tours, Cabo da Roca and Cascais in one day. Small-group tours start from €55. Our Sintra day tour guide explains the ticket options, which are the biggest difference between tours.
What is there to do in Lisbon when it rains?+
The Oceanário in Parque das Nações, the Gulbenkian Museum, the National Tile Museum and a food tour or fado show all work in the rain. Belém's Jerónimos Monastery is indoors too, though the walk between Belém's monuments is exposed.
Are free walking tours in Lisbon really free?+
Nearly. The tip-based tours compared here charge a €2.99 booking fee per adult, with under-16s free, and the guide is paid in tips at the end. Budget for a tip that reflects a two and a half hour guided walk.
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