Lisbon 4-day itinerary: A stunning getaway that you will love

Save to Find It Later!

Are you looking for a Lisbon 4-day itinerary? Stop looking, you’ve found it! Lisbon has become one of our absolute favourite cities in Europe. There are so many must do in Lisbon that you could easily spend days or maybe even weeks in the sunny Portuguese capital. But most of you only have a limited amount of time to visit Lisbon. 

I have written this itinerary for Lisbon to save you both the work and time needed to plan the perfect Lisbon getaway. This itinerary is a mix of the must do in Lisbon and hidden gems in Lisbon that will give you the most immersive experience in the city. You can literally print this itinerary and just follow it when you land in Portugal!

Before we start, just note that this itinerary of the best things to do in Lisbon Portugal is on the fast side of things as we assume you want to explore as much as possible during your 4 days in Lisbon. However, we have marked some stops as optional if you want to take things slower. 

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links meaning we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Our opinion always remains honest.

What this Lisbon 4-day itinerary is:

• Complete, and detailed: this Lisbon 4-day itinerary is a detailed guide that you can just print before your trip and follow once you arrive in Lisbon. It is essentially saving you so much time and effort in planning your 4 days in Lisbon. It also comprises all the most famous Portuguese landmarks located in Lisbon and Sintra.
• Customizable: We understand that not everybody can or wants to travel like us. That’s why our guides are always customizable. We have included some additional visits that may be of interest to you and have also marked some stops as optional so you can easily switch and customise your own itinerary. 
• Affordable: In this guide, we have included our budget, cheap, mid-range and high end activities and stays. However, we have also included options and alternatives to fit YOUR budget so you can get the best experience in Lisbon without breaking your bank.
• For couples: This itinerary includes romantic places and activities to do as a couple while taking in the city. However, the guide can be adapted to your need.
• Filled with the crop of the cream: This guide will take you to visit the most famous spots in Lisbon along with some hidden gems. After these 4 days, you honestly will have seen 99% of Lisbon. 
• A mix: We honestly love experiencing lots of different aspects of the places we visit from the food and the history to the local life and landscapes. We also love mixing fast paced days with some more chill days. This guide has a little bit of everything so you can experience the city to the fullest. 
• Options: Of course, we will tell you about our own days in Lisbon. But we have also included options whether that be for day trips from Lisbon options or if you only have 3 days in Lisbon instead of 4 days in Lisbon.
• Geographically logical: This guide is written in a way that makes sense geographically so you can optimise your time in Lisbon and make the most out of your 4 days in Lisbon. 

What this 4 days in Lisbon itinerary isn’t:

• Cheap to the bone: Although this Lisbon itinerary includes some cheap and low budget activities, this isn’t a cheap guide to Lisbon, meaning we have included some mid-range and high end activities in it. We do not travel for cheap however we do travel on a budget. We work out our travel budget so we are able to travel as we want (that includes going to nicer hotels, including dream experiences, etc) without breaking the bank so we are still able to save money for our other dreams such as buying a house or eating out. This means we will save money on food, or negotiate our rent, to save more money that we can then allocate to our trips. We do use cheap travel hacks but they are not the foundation of our budget.
• Over the top: Yes, we have included some high-end experiences but we have also included a lot of free and low budget activities along with some well-rated alternatives to our high-end experiences. 

Why this Lisbon 4-days itinerary is good for couples on a budget

Lisbon is the perfect place for couples on a budget as it is a romantic city and can be a good fit for a large range of budgets!

Lisbon on a budget

Visiting Lisbon on a budget is totally possible whether that budget is small or large. For this trip, we would consider our budget to be quite large and over our average budget for a weekend trip. However, some people might consider it cheap so everything is relative. To give you an idea, there are lots to do in Lisbon that is free. Actually, in this Lisbon itinerary, most of the activities we have included are either free or low budget (under €10). 

Your biggest expenses for Lisbon will most likely be your flights and your accommodation. Flights from the EU can be cheap (under €100 per person roundtrip) especially off season which makes it a great destination for people with a budget on the lower end. Lisbon also offers a large range of accommodation types from hostels to 5 star hotels so you have got lots of choice there. We have included some accommodation options in the “Where to Stay” section below including our budget and where we stayed. 

Eating in Lisbon can also be kept cheap or you could go really high end as well. There are lots of Portuguese cafés where you can eat for about €10.

Transportation in Lisbon is cheap. There are several ways to get around which are all on the cheap end of things. We wouldn’t recommend renting a car, and we explain why below. One thing we would warn you about is the price of a taxi from the airport to Lisbon city centre. We got a bit ripped off there as we payed €30 whereas it shouldn’t be more than €20. Actually on our way back to the airport, we only paid €10 with no traffic. 

Insider Tip: Before getting into the taxi, ask how much it will cost you to go to the city centre. Agree a price with the driver beforehand so you don’t have any bad surprises!

Romantic Lisbon for couples

Now Lisbon is also really romantic. The history, the architecture, the views and the sunny weather just make it the perfect place to relax and connect as a couple. We got to stay at a very nice hotel with a private hot tub and views on the roofs of the city and it was super romantic!

Best time to visit Lisbon

The best time to visit Lisbon varies depending on what you are looking for.

Lisbon weather throughout the year

Lisbon weather in the summer

The best time to visit Lisbon for warm weather would be spring or summer. Average temperatures in Lisbon from June to October are around 25°C (about 74°F) but in the sun, this would go up to 30°C, sometimes more. In June, July and August, Lisbon gets less than 2 days of rain which is perfect if you like going to the beach and spending a lot of time outside.

Lisbon weather in February

Now, we visited Lisbon in February as we were looking to escape the grey weather of Dublin and find some sun. We actually were not disappointed at all! February temperatures officially average around 14°C with about 15 days of rain during the month, leaving pretty much half the month to sunshine and warmth. Our experience was a bit different and we had sun almost the whole time in Lisbon with warmer temperatures than the average.

Our first day in Lisbon, the sun was shining strong and it was actually warm out. The temperature outside was around 20°C-22°C with no wind and not a cloud in the sky. We spent the day exploring in T-shirts and crop top, looking for water because we were hot! At night, the temperature dropped but it was still nice. 

On our second day, the sky was still blue but with a bit more clouds. Temperatures were around 15°C-20°C depending on the tie of the day and weather we were in the shade or sun. Overall, we were still comfortable with just a T-shirt and a light sweater. 

On our last day, the weather was windier and greyer. We ended up getting a bit of rain at the end of the day but we didn’t care since we were leaving at that time. We were still able to visit without being rained on. However, that day was a bit colder and we wore thicker sweaters and our scarfs.

I think it’s important to remember that, outside of winter, even if it rains, it’s unlikely that you will get rain all day every day. It might rain for part of the day and then be sunny the rest of your trip. That’s why we love the south of Portugal, right? 

Lisbon weather in March and Lisbon weather in April

In March and April, temperatures average between 10°C and 15°C with less than 15 days of rain, meaning you have a good chance of getting a sunny weekend trip. 

Lisbon weather in the winter

Winter in Lisbon is a bit colder and greyer with average temperatures around 10°C and up to 20 days of rain. If you are visiting Lisbon in the winter, you will definitely need to pack sweaters and bring your coat!

Lisbon touristy crowds

Lisbon is a very popular destination but it is busiest in the summer when the temperatures are at their highest. However, if you are traveling off season, you will find that Lisbon is still touristy but at a much smaller scale. In February, we had no issues finding a taxi, finding room at restaurants and din’t have to wait to visit the castle. We imagine it’s much different in the summer. 

Lisbon costs

Flights are also the cheapest during the off-season, especially if you are coming from a country within the EU. With flights costing as less as €28 in March, Lisbon is definitely a destination you will want to consider if you are traveling on a low budget. 

How many days in Lisbon 

From our experience in Lisbon, we would recommend spending from a long weekend in Lisbon to one week in Lisbon, especially if you are planning on doing Lisbon day trips. We spent 3 days in Lisbon and thought this was a good amount of time to spend in the city and see almost everything. However, this is a four days in Lisbon itinerary as we would have liked another day in Lisbon (who wouldn’t!!). We would say that 3 or 4 days in Lisbon is a good amount of time to see all the main landmarks in Lisbon, visit the Castle and do a day trip from Lisbon. 

In our opinion, a Lisbon day trip is feasible but definitely a bit short to do everything. If you are only staying in Lisbon for a day, you will need to really handpick what you want to see especially if you are travelling on the same day. You probably won’t have time to visit the castle and will need to see all the landmarks from outside. Either way, you won’t have time to do everything in just one day in Lisbon. If you can, try to extend your trip to at least two days to have a bit more time to explore.

Although we could have spent days in Lisbon, this four days in Lisbon itinerary will cover all of your grounds to make the perfect trip to Lisbon. 

How to get to Lisbon

Lisbon is located in the south of Portugal by the Atlantic Ocean. It is accessible by air, by land and by sea. 

Going to Lisbon by Airplane

The first mean of transportation to Lisbon is, of course, by airplane. Lisbon being located in Europe, there are flights from Paris, London, Dublin, Madrid, Brussels, Milan. Whether you are a European citizen or a third country citizen visiting Europe, you will definitely find a flight to visit Lisbon.

A flight from Paris to Lisbon takes about 2h25min and can be as cheap as €30. A flight from London is around the same time and cost. During the off season, flights are usually under €100 with prices increasing in April. 

There are a couple of airlines that can take you to Lisbon from Europe including Ryanair and TAP Portugal. Originally Eric had booked the roundtrip flights with TAP Portugal leaving at 5am from Dublin on the Friday and coming back at 11pm in Dublin on the Sunday. The idea was that those times allowed us to have full days in Lisbon even on the days we were travelling. We also booked one hold luggage with those flights.

Our budget for flights to Lisbon with TAP Portugal: The flights were €108 roundtrip each with taxes and the one checked bag cost us €78. Our total with TAP was €295. Needless to say that the checked bag cost is outrageously expensive and way above the market rate. The flights were slightly above the average flight cost at that time of the year for one simple reason: the departure and arrival times are in high demand since they allow you to spend a full day at your destination and therefore make the most out of your trip. For us it is definitely worth spending a bit more if that means we get more time where we want to go.

Now, wouldn’t it be nice if the story ended here! About 2 weeks before our flight, TAP emailed us saying that our departing flight had been pushed to 5pm. Obviously, that was a big game changer as taking that flight would have meant missing out on our first day in Lisbon. We are a travel couple who works full time so we actually did take the day off on Friday. There was no way we were going to waste that day off by taking a late flight. 

So we checked our best friend Ryanair’s website and found a flight at 6am arriving in Lisbon at 9am. We booked that flight with a hold luggage for the outbound only. This means that we flew to Lisbon with Ryanair and came back with TAP Portugal. 

How to get a refund from TAP Portugal: Since we replaced the outbound flight by a Ryanair flight, we called TAP to be refunded of that flight. We called TAP Portugal at their customer service number. We waited for about 20 minutes before someone answered by calling early in the morning. They explained to us that as we bought the roundtrip flights together, TAP could only refund us the first flight after the trip to allow us to take the flight back to Dublin with them. They made a note on our query and said to call back after the trip. We did call back the day after we came home. Eric talked to someone who said they started the refund process and someone would be in touch with us by email. It’s a week after now and we are still waiting for the refund. We will probably call back next week if nothing happens in the meantime. We will update you here after we have received the refund. Overall, if this also happens to you, just know it might be slow to get your refund (hopefully we get there though). 

Our budget for flights with Ryanair: Ryanair flights to Lisbon cost us €76 each one way. We added one hold luggage for €20 with a limit of 20 kilos. 

Our total budget for flights with Ryanair and TAP Portugal: Our total budget for flights (after refund) was €243 roundtrip total (108+76+20+(78/2)=243). 

Going to Lisbon by train

When we were living on the main European continent, the train is always something we would consider when traveling. That said, it might be tricky to travel by train to Lisbon.

For example, there are no direct train from London, UK to Lisbon. However, you can catch a train at London St Pancras Eurostar which will take you to Paris Nord train station. From there you will need to go to Paris Montparnasse station and take a train to Hendaye. In Hendaye, you will need to change train to Santa Apolonia in Lisbon. Easy right? We would recommend taking the train only if you plan on visiting Paris at the same time. Otherwise, this 22 hour journey is just not worth it for a 4 day trip.

There is a train every day departing from Madrid with RailEurope. However, it is a 10 hour trip and tickets range from €30 to €60. This can be a good option if you are road tripping through Europe. However, if you are just visiting Lisbon for four days as a weekend trip, it’s just not cost-efficient. 

Now, there are lots of trains from Lisbon to other cities in Portugal. For example, a train ride from Lisbon to Porto lasts about 3 hours and costs around €30 per person.

Going to Lisbon by car 

Lisbon is a city which is very easily accessible by car whether you are coming from France, Spain or even Italy. In Lisbon, you will need to drive on the right side of the road. When we visited Lisbon, we flew in and then walked most of the time, took public transportation or took taxis to get around. So we didn’t rent a car and we loved it. 

There really isn’t a need for a car to get around Lisbon so unless there is a specific reason for which you would come to Lisbon by car, we would recommend avoiding bringing a car. Lisbon seems to be quite easy to drive in, however there are some streets that are quite narrow and steep which might be a bit difficult if you are used to driving big trucks on North American roads (hello my dear US friends). You might also struggle a bit to find parking in the city. That said nothing is impossible.

If like us, you are traveling on a budget and would like to save money on some expenses to allocate that money somewhere else (e.g.:to a nicer hotel), then definitely skip on the car rental.

Going to Lisbon by ferry

Lisbon is located on the Tejo Estuary and is constituted of a northern side (the main side) and southern side. There are ferries that take you from one side to another or that take you on a tour to see the Ponte 25 de Abril and other famous Lisbon landmarks. There are five routes which you can take from three terminals on Lisbon’s northern side and four terminals on the southern side. All together, those ferries are more of a way to visit Lisbon or get around Lisbon than getting to Lisbon.

Going to Lisbon by bus

Europe is known for having good bus systems and making it easy to travel by bus. There are indeed buses that can take you to Lisbon although it might not be cost efficient considering how long the journey is. One of the main companies to find cheap bus routes is Flixbus. For example, Flixbus proposes a bus departing from Berlin late on a Friday with a 47 hour journey to Lisbon for €121. Now due to the current situation, the number of buses is actually limited which therefore doesn’t make it an ideal way of going to Lisbon. 

Why do we compare Lisbon to San Francisco

Lisbon is often referred to as the “European San Francisco” and after having spent some time in both cities, I can definitely see why. 

I have actually visited San Francisco twice and to this day, it remains one of my favourite cities in the world (don’t worry I also have lots of other favourites lol). Both times, I spent about 3 days in San Francisco. It is a beautiful city located in California and surrounded by water. It features lovely neighbourhoods like Sausalito and the Victorian houses. There is definitely lots to do in San Fran’! But before anything else, San Francisco is know for three of its highlights: the Golden Gate Bridge, the Cable Car and the hills of course! 

Well, Lisbon is actually very similar to San Francisco, just in a European style. First, you cannot miss the Ponte 25 de Abril which is a long red suspension bridge which connects Lisbon to Almada and the Cristo Rei statue. Lisbon Golden Gate Bridge is to Lisbon what Lions Gate Bridge is to Vancouver; it is a big feature of the city! The Ponte 25 de Abril is referred to as Lisbon Golden Gate Bridge as both are long red suspension bridges. See for yourself below:

Second, Lisbon is built on hills which are actually quite high and sometimes quite steep. The entire historical centre is built on the hills, including the castle which gave the king a really good view on the land surrounding the city. When walking around Lisbon, you will definitely notice the hills!

Finally, Lisbon is, just like San Francisco, known for its cable cars, also called the tramway. There are several in the city going up and down and the most famous Lisbon Cable Car is Tram 28. You can take them for a ride for fun or to actually go from one spot to another. They are still used by locals as well. 

Where to stay in Lisbon

Casa Balthazar, a dream come true

We visited Lisbon to celebrate our 5th year anniversary so, of course, we chose to stay at a very nice hotel. We stayed at Casa Balthazar in the Castel Jacuzzi Terrace II which is a 25.80 square meters big suite. The suite offers breathtaking views on the city of Lisbon, the orange roofs, Rossio Square and a direct view on St George’s Castle. Obviously, the best part of the Castel Jacuzzi Terrace II Suite is the large terrace with the hot tub. In our opinion, this is the best room Casa Balthazar offers, undeniably because of the hot tub and the unique views! 

The room features a large bathroom with a shower and a small kitchen area with a minibar. The king size bed was extremely comfortable! It was really special to wake up every morning with the incredible view on Lisbon through the large sliding glass doors. The brick wall was also a unique touch and made the room feel more authentic. 

Once we landed at Lisbon airport, we hopped on a taxi and went straight to the hotel. Casa Balthazar is located on Rua do Duque, just a few seconds from the Guarda Nacional Republicana Museum.

We arrived around 10am and our room was ready. Patricia welcomed us very nicely and took us on a tour of the Casa first. The hotel has a couple of rooms that are for everyone by the welcoming desk. There, you can sit and relax, have a coffee, or eat some of the homemade Bolo Rei (a traditional Portuguese Christmas King’s cake). The rooms give on the inner courtyard with views on the pool. It is a greta place to relax after a long day of walking around Lisbon. We spent some time in this room before we left, to charge our phones and wait for the taxi to take us to the airport.

After the tour, Patricia took us to our room. Eric actually booked the hotel without telling me so I hd no idea he had picked such a nice room with the terrace and hot tub. It was an incredible surprise! 

I cannot stress enough how amazing it was to just hop in the hot tub in the early morning when the city was still quiet and see the sun rising and the city waking up. We also enjoyed the hot tub at night when the castle was lit. Definitely a memorable experience!

Breakfast at Casa Balthazar was also amazing. We got fresh orange juice, fresh croissants and bread, ham and cheese, delicious cakes from the partnering bakery, some biscuits and fresh fruits. We sipped our orange juice in the tub and honestly didn’t hold back on the croissants and cakes! (Why would you?)

On our last day, check out time was at 12pm and our flight at 8:30pm. However, Casa Balthazar lets you leave your luggage at the front desk so you don’t have to carry them around all day. This was very convenient. Casa Balthazar also reserved a taxi to come pick us up at 6pm. The taxi was on time and everything was smooth. 

If you are looking for a special experience in Lisbon, we can recommend Casa Balthazar 100%. If you are looking for a special Lisbon day spa hotel, Casa Balthazar offers a range of rooms with access to the spa and sauna. Casa Balthazar also features a heated pool located in the inner court of the house so you can bathe at any time of the year.

Budget: €260 per night, breakfast included.

How to budget for a luxury stay: As you may know by now, we travel on a budget but we do not travel for cheap. Because, yes, there is a difference. Although we do sometimes cheap out on a few aspects of traveling, making our entire trips cheap isn’t our priority. Our priority is to travel as we want and be able to afford exploring places as we dream. This means that we don’t want to go to Greece and not be able to book a boat tour for the day to see the volcano. By traveling on a budget, we decide where we want our money to go without having to cheap out on everything. To us, budgeting is key to make your dream travel happen. Once you have your budget, you can use cheap travel hacks to offset some of your bigger expenses.

Of course, we understand that not everyone is in a position or want to afford a high-end stay in Lisbon. That’s why we have included some low budget and mid-range budget stay options below. Actually, mixing a range of accommodations is a great way to budget as well!

Mid-range budget options

• The Color Suites & Rooms: A lovely double room with a private kitchen and a private bathroom in the heart of Lisbon for €40 per night. 
• Contador Mor Guesthouse: A double room with a private bathroom right by Rossio Square for €59 per night.
• Lisbon Story Guesthouse: One double room with city views and a private bathroom for €84 per night, breakfast included. 
• LeL Madalena Guesthouse: One double room with a private bathroom and city views for €88 per night.

Low budget options

• Lisbonera Guesthouse: A double room with a shared bathroom in the city centre for €36 per night.
• Pena Guesthouse: A double room with a private kitchen and shared bathroom in the city centre for €29 per night. 

Overview of this Lisbon 4-day itinerary 

This Lisbon 4-day itinerary is more of a fast paced itinerary as we like to make the most out of our trips. Following this itinerary will allow you to see almost everything in Lisbon. Each day in this Lisbon itinerary is a full day as we were able to fly in early in the morning and out late at night. You can, of course, customise this itinerary to your needs and preferences. We have also marked some stops as optional in case you prefer taking things slower. We have also included alternatives at the end of the itinerary so you can easily switch activities to your preference. 

Day 1 of this Lisbon 4-days itinerary focuses on Lisbon historical centre and involves a lot of walking with beautiful stops along the way. 

Day 2 of this 4 day in Lisbon itinerary is a day trip from Lisbon to Sintra. We cover how to get to Sintra and what to plan for a day in Sintra. This section also includes other popular day trips from Lisbon so you can see all of your options. 

Day 3 of this Lisbon guide focuses on the northern bank of the Tagus River. In this section, we cover, how to get to that part of Lisbon since it is a bit farther from the city centre. We also cover what to do and a couple of fun activities. 

Day 4 focuses on some of the remaining highlights of Lisbon that will both immerse you in the Portuguese culture and make you travel abroad as well. 

4 days in Lisbon itinerary

Day 1: Lisbon historical city centre

Our flight from Dublin departed at 6:15am and arrived in Lisbon at 9am. It took us about one hour to get out of the airport and after a 30 minute taxi ride, we arrived at our hotel, Casa Balthazar, a 4 star hotel located in the heart of the city. As explained above, we got a tour of the Casa and discovered our romantic high end room with our private terrace and private hot tub with incredible views on the city. After dropping off our luggage, we went out to start our day in Lisbon, which soon became one of the best Portuguese cities in our eyes!

Begin your walk to the St George’s Castle

We recommend heading for the St George’s Castle first as you will see a lot of the main landmarks on your way there.

Stop 1: Rossio Square

On your way to the castle, your first stop is Rossio Square. With its monuments and statue, this is one of the main squares in Lisbon. Here you can admire the architecture and feel right in the centre of Lisbon.

Stop 2: Igreja de São Domingos

You can now take a left and head to the São Domingos Church just a couple meters away. On your way, pay attention to the shops around you, and especially the one with the cod and dry ham!

This Church is classified as a National Monument and used to host Portuguese royal weddings. You can enter the Church and admire the architecture and the glass. Please take off your hat when entering. Also note that photos are not allowed.

Time recommended: 10 minutes

Budget: Free

Stop 3: Praça da Figueira

Keep walking to Praça da Figueira which is a large iconic square with a statue in the centre located in the Baixa District. This is also a transportation hub with buses, taxis, tuktuks and a metro stop. This is an area that was reorganised after the earthquake that shook Lisbon in 1755. 

Time recommended: 5 minutes

Budget: Free

Stop 4: St George’s Castle

St George’s Castle is a statement in Lisbon and one landmark you should definitely visit. There are a few things to know about how to get there and how to make the best out of your visit.

How to get there

From Praça da Figueira, keep walking towards Martim Moniz Square. From there, you can take the electric stairs (escadinhas da Sáude) to go up the hill. You’ll need to take regular stairs to the top to Costa do Castelo.

Once arrived at Costa do Castelo, take a left for one of the best views on the city and on the Miradouro da Graça. Don’t forget to check out the houses with the traditional tiles. Then come back down and follow Costa do Castelo all the way down. Do not go up as, even though it does lead to the castle, it is not the nicest way to get there. While going down, always keep left. This took us a while to figure out as Google Maps wasn’t giving us the right route. A nice local lady actually helped us so trust us when we say to go down.

Once you arrive on Rua Saudad, turn left in direction of the castle. 

The Castle of St George

St George’s Castle is a fortress with several layers of walls. You can visit the castle along with the gardens. The castle features an archeological site and access to the high towers. From the towers, you have an amazing 360° panoramic view on the city. It was truly amazing!

You might find it funny also that some of the locals are peacocks! Actually, there were dozens of them roaming around or just chilling on the trees. They were very beautiful and didn’t seem bothered by tourists at all. 

If you are a bit hungry from your journey (our day started at 3am so we were definitely hungry), we recommend getting Mista crepes at Crepe 28. This is a crepe version of the traditional Tosta Mista (see below). The crepes were huge.

After you’re done at the castle, you can walk around the fortress and look at the small shops there. 

Time recommended: 1h20 minutes

Budget: Entrance to the castle was €10 per ticket and crepes were €5 each.

Insider Tip: Skip the line to the castle by buying tickets online. Once at the castle, scan the QR code, purchase your tickets and head to the electronic doors. 

Stop 5: Miradouro de Santa Luzia 

From the castle, walk 9 minutes through the streets of Lisbon to the Miradouro de Santa Luzia. The Miradouro de Santa Luzia is one of the Miradouros of Lisbon and one you should not miss out on. First the Miradouro itself is built in the Portuguese traditions with its decorative tiles. Second, the Miradouro overlooks the Alfama neighbourhood with a view on the estuary and Ponte 25 de Abril. There is also live music there which will immerse you in the culture. 

From this Miradouro, you will also have a premium view on Lisa, a mural painted by Tami Hopf on the walls of the Alfama. We loved this piece with represents a blindfolded woman, standing in front of the sun and releasing white birds. We thought it gave out positive vibes which was perfect as we were having such a good time. 

Time recommended: About 20-25 minutes. Sit and relax while looking at the views with live music. Take your time to look at the tiles as well.

Budget: Free

Stop 6: Cable Car Ride (optional)

During your four days in Lisbon, you will for sure, come across Lisbon’s cable cars also called the tramway. From the Miradouro de Santa Luzia, walk up the street just a few meters and you will see one of the stops of Tram 28, the most famous tramway in Lisbon. 

Now you can choose to ride it but this is completely optional. We chose not to ride it as we had other things planned. You will see them also by Praça do Commercio, and by the cathedral. We were happy with just looking at them!

Time recommended: 5 minutes if you just observe it, more if you decide to ride it.

Budget: Free or €3 if you decide to ride the tramway.

Stop 6: Miradouro das Portas do Sol (optional)

The Miradouro das Portas do Sol is only a few minutes from the Miradouro de Santa Luzia and is another viewpoint where you can admire the city from. Since it is located just one minute from Santa Luzia viewpoint, the views are very similar to what you have seen until now. That’s why we have marked it as optional.

Time recommended: 5 minutes 

Budget: Free

Stop 7: Walk in the Alfama neighbourhood 

From Largo Portas do Sol (where the tram is), walk down the stairs passed the public washroom and go down Rua Norberto de Araujo. You have now entered the Alfama, one of Lisbon’s oldest areas. If there is one neighbourhood you must visit in Lisbon, this is the one!

Stop 8: Elevador de Santa Luzia and Lisbon Street Art

On your way down the street, you will pass the Elevador da Santa Luzia. We didn’t take it as we wanted to spend our time somewhere else but this is something you could consider doing.

On another note, Lisbon is filled with beautiful murals and you will for sure come across some of them while roaming around. Right next to the Elevador de Santa Luzia, you will find two murals. The first ones Lisa. You will have seen this one from the Miradouro de Santa Luzia already, but here you can see it even better as you’re really close. 

The second one is a piece depicting a traditional Portuguese lifestyle moment. It’s colourful and joyous. The colours used are blue and yellow which are colours you will notice a lot when walking around Lisbon. 

You can see both of those from Calçadinha da Figueira. 

Time recommended: 10 minutes 

Budget: Free or €1,50 for the Elevador de Santa Luzia.

Stop 9: Lisbon Cathedral

Now your next stop is Lisbon’s Cathedral. Lisbon’s Cathedral is also known as the Cathedral of Saint Mary Major or Sé. It’s only a 12 minute walk from the Miradouro de Santa Luzia and it’s all downhill. 

On your way to the cathedral, make sure to keep your eyes open as there are beautiful tile covered buildings on those streets. It’s actually funny how we noticed them while no-one seemed to care. Then all of a sudden, while we started taking photos, more people stopped to capture those building!

Lisbon’s Cathedral was a great visit. The entrance is cheap but you get to visit both levels of the Cathedral which is rare enough! We even got to go up on the balcony outside right in front of the rose window! We definitely recommend this one.

Time recommended: 40 minutes

Budget: €4 per ticket

Insider tip: By respect, make sure you cover your shoulders when entering the cathedral.

Stop 10: Arco da Rua Augusta

Your next stop is the Arco da Rua Augusta, a stone arch which was built in honour of the reconstruction of the city after it suffered from the 1755 earthquake. It is possible to go up the Arch to the viewing platform, however we skipped that as we had already seen quite a number of views that day. It is right by Praça do Comércio, which is your next stop.

Time recommended: 10 minutes

Budget: Free or €2,50 if you decide to go up the Arch

Budget Tip: We would recommend sticking with the free viewpoints, especially if you are on a budget. A lot of the views look similar and honestly, the Miradouros cover it!

Stop 11: Praça do Comércio

Praça do Comércio is a large famous square by Lisbon’s waterfront. From this square, you can look at the Arch, take photos of the tramway or stop for a snack at one of the cafés. If you look up you will notice the architecture of the yellow buildings. In the centre, there is a statue of King Joseph I on a horse.

The Plaça is also home to Lisbon’s oldest restaurant, the Marthino da Arcada. 

Time recommended: 10-15 minutes

Budget: Free

Stop 12: Avenue Ribeira das Naus 

At this stage, you’ll probably be a bit tired but we have a few more steps to go. You have time to take a break though so do so if you need a little snack boost (hello Pastéis de Nata!).

From Praça do Comércio, you’ll want to engage on Avenue Ribeira das Naus in the direction of the Ponte 25 de Abril. This promenade is very popular among tourists but especially among the locals. You will see lots of them hanging out here especially on a nice day. 

On your way, you will be able to see the other side of the Tejo Estuary. You can even sit for a little bit or walk on the beach. If you are tired of walking, you can hop on a tuktuk or rent an electric scooter to get to our next stop. 

Time recommended: 10 minutes

Budget: Free. If you take a tuktuk, it shouldn’t be more than €5 per person. 

Stop 13: Time out market / Mercado da Ribeira 

The Time Out Market, also known as Mercado da Ribeira is located right across Cais do Sodré. This is one of the oldest markets in Lisbon and has become a hub for food. It is open from 10 am to 12am and has lots of different foods from traditional Pastéis de Nata to soups, donuts and more. 

We ordered two Pastéis de Nata and one coffee for Manteigaria for a total of €4.

Time recommended: as long as you want.

Budget: Depends on what you order but should be on the cheap side. 

Stop 14: Pink Street (optional)

At this time, you will be making your way back into the centre. On our way back, we decided to stop by Pink Street, this popular street whose grounds are painted pink. Now, everyone might not agree with us, but we really weren’t too impressed by it. The street is really small and short, with part of it under construction.There are also umbrellas hanging over the street in a similar way as Anne’s Lane in Dublin. But overall, it is essentially a street you go to for drinks or to have dinner. You don’t have to add it to your Lisbon 4-day itinerary if you don’t have the time.

There are lots of bars and restaurants there so it might be a good idea to go later in the evening instead.

Overall, we weren’t impressed and if you are under time pressure, we would recommend just skipping it. 

Time recommended: 10 minutes

Budget: Free

Stop 15: Elevador de Santa Justa 

Now, one thing you don’t see everyday is the Elevador de Santa Justa. It is located in the historical centre of Lisbon by Rua do Carmo. 

The lift takes you from the Baixa neighbourhood to the Bairro Alto district, essentially taking you from upper Lisbon to lower Lisbon. It is built in the same style as the French Eiffel Tower and you will definitely notice that when visiting. 

We didn’t ride the elevator as it was closed for a period of time when we visited. However, we did go check it out from under and from the top. The structure is impressive and it’s definitely something unique. We definitely recommend checking it out even if you can’t ride it. At night, it is lit up which is quite cool!

At the bottom of the lift, you will notice a majestic piece of street art which left us speechless. This mural represents two pelicans on a 5×5 meter large painting. What is so impressive is that this is a 3D piece. We had never seen anything like this before! You’ll find it on Rua de Santa Justa. It was painted by Bordalo II.

Time recommended: 20 minutes

Budget: A return ticket costs €5.15

Day 2: A day trip from Lisbon and a dinner experience you’ll never forget

On our second day, we chose to take a Lisbon day trip to Sintra as we had heard great things about this town. Below, we have included other Lisbon day trips you can do so you have options.

Of course, we started our day with breakfast at Casa Balthazar and a morning dip in the hot tub while the city was still waking up!  If you’ve already been to Sintra, a great alternative is a day trip to Ericeira!

Stop 1: Lisbon to Sintra Day trip to UNESCO World Heritage Sites

How to get to Sintra

If you are visiting Lisbon in 4 days, you definitely should include a Lisbon-Sintra day trip. Getting to Sintra is quite easy. From Lisbon, take the train at Rossio station. The train station is easy to navigate and there are trains at least every hour from Rossio to Sintra and Sintra to Rossio. Sintra is about 40 minutes by train from Lisbon. 

Once in Sintra, note that all the visits are quite spread out. It is possible to walk from one to another but it takes a while, sometimes up to an hour walk and can be quite steep. When arriving at the train station, you will see tuktuks, vans and the small train that can all take you around.

What to do on a Lisbon-Sintra day trip

In our opinion, there are two main visits you should do in Sintra which is what we did during our trip. However, we did write a full on Lisbon day trip to Sintra guide to help you decide what you should do in Sintra. 

The first visit is the Pena Palace. Honestly, we had never seen something like this so it’s not surprising that it’s a very popular visit. To get to the Pena Palace, we chose to get a tuktuk. Mario, our driver, took us around Sintra and showed us some of the other famous Sintra landmarks while telling us a bit of history about each. We really appreciated Mario’s historical expertise. going around in the tuktuk allowed us to see things we wouldn’t have noticed by ourselves. As we didn’t have time to visit everything in Sintra, it was nice to get a tour and still see some of the places we didn’t have time to visit.

Then Mario dropped us off at the Pena Palace. The Pena Palace essentially looks like a Disney castle. It’s pretty amazing to see all the different styles and colours coming together. We only visited the gardens and the terrace of the castle as in our opinion, this was the most interesting part of the palace. You can, however, visit the inside of the castle if you wish to do so. Some of the highlights of the visit are the terrace, gardens, lakes, and the high cross.

Time recommended: 2-3 hours

Budget: Train tickets were €5 each roundtrip. Our Tuktuk to Pena Palace was €10 per person (with the tour). Pena Palace tickets were €7,50 each for the gardens and terrace. The full access tickets to the Pena Palace are €14 each.

Insider note: I would like to highlight that everything was really clean. There is a small shop at the castle where you can buy sandwiches.

Your second visit is the Quinta da Regaleira and the Initiation Well. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and honestly, this was one of the most surprising visits we did! It felt like we had just been teleported into the Jungle Book! We even saw a black cat which might have been Bagheera!

No joke though, this place was incredible. You could easily spend a half-day here as the site is huge and there is lots to see. We started with the Initiation Well and then made our way down to the house, while stopping at waterfalls, towers and other curiosities of the site. This was definitely a highlight of our trip!

Time recommended: 2-3 hours but could spend more time as well.

Budget: Tickets were about €10 each.

Other Lisbon day trips by train 

Although we absolutely loved Sintra, there are so many other day trips you could take from Lisbon. So we have included them in this section so you can easily pick the one that fits you better. 

• Lisbon to Cascais day trip: Cascais is just a 40 min train ride from Lisbon and is located on the Portuguese Riviera. You can catch the train from Cais do Sodre station. Cascais highlights include eating fresh seafood, exploring the town and looking at the villas, and of course, visiting the beaches.
• Lisbon to Obidos day trip: Obidos is located about an hour and a half from Lisbon. It is well known for its Ginga liqueur drink and its medieval castle.
• Lisbon to Nazaré day trip: Nazaré is located in the north of Lisbon. In addition to the train, there are buses daily from Lisboa Estacion de Oriente which take about 4 hours roundtrip. Highlights in Nazaré include Nazare beach, the Miradouro do Suberco and the St Miguel Fort.
• Lisbon to Aveiro day trip: A 2 hour train ride will take you to Aveiro, a town known for its canals reminding you of Venice, its architecture and its lagoon. 
• Lisbon day trip to Porto: A day trip from Lisbon to Porto is a bit of a bigger day as the train ride take 3 hours. However, Porto is an amazing city that we have visited and loved. Highlights include the castle, the waterfront, the bridge and of course, roaming the streets!
• Lisbon to Algarve day trip: There are about 5 trains a day from Lisbon Oriente station. The journey is about 3 hours. The Algarves are beautiful and highlights include Faro and its magnificent beaches such as Praia da Marinha.
• Lisbon to Evora day trip: With four trains per day connecting Lisbon to Evora in just one hour and thirty minutes, Evora is a great day trip form Lisbon. Evora is a charming town with cobblestone streets and traditional houses. Its specificity is that it is surrounded by an ancient city wall. 

Stop 2: Dinner at Michelin Star restaurant Cura

Once we came back from Sintra, we actually were very excited for our evening. As I’ve mentioned this trip was to celebrate our anniversary. Eric had booked a special dinner at Cura, a Michelin star restaurant established at the Four Seasons Ritz Hotel in Lisbon. If you have time, we recommend adding Cura to your Lisbon 4-day itinerary.

Cura offered us three menus: one vegetarian, one with 7 courses and one with 13 courses. As Eric said, go big or go home, so we went with the 13 course Origens menu. Chef Pedro Pena Bastos and his team were amazing and made us the most delicious and fine dinner we have ever had. The whole dinner was an experience in itself. We also really appreciated that Francisco explained each dish to us and really took the time to answer our questions. 

Cura is the perfect place in Lisbon to have a romantic dinner or to celebrate a special occasion. We really like the vibe, the ambiance and how the kitchen was in the same room as us so we could see the team cook and prepare the dishes. 

As it was our anniversary, Cura surprised us with a chocolate and raspberry cake at the end of our dinner. Everything was perfect! 

Time recommended: From 7:30pm to 12:30am

Budget: €337 for 2 Origens Menus, drinks and the pairing wines.

As we know this might be too big of a budget for some of you, we have included some other restaurants that were recommended to us by our hotel:

• Lisboa 33
• Lumi Rooftop Bar Restaurant
• Versiculo do Faio
• Casa do Alentejo

Day 3: Lisbon’s UNESCO world heritage sites

On Day 3 in Lisbon, you’re going to want to head to some of the most beautiful UNESCO world heritage sites in Portugal. Lisbon has quite a few of Portugal UNESCO sites and they are so worth visiting. Day 3 of this Lisbon 4-day itinerary takes place on the northern bank of the Tagus River.

How to get there

Day 3 takes place in an area of Lisbon which takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes to walk to. This is quite the walk and from experience, you probably won’t want to walk all the way there from the city centre.

Walking

You can walk all the way to the first stop on the waterfront. However, it is a long walk so you might want to pick a different option.

Insider experience: We walked all the way to the bridge and then rented electric scooters as we were starting to be tired and wanted to save some energy for the day.

Insider Tip: You can book a 3 hour tour by electric scooter of that area of Lisbon. 

Tramway

From Praça do Comércio, you can take the tramway all the way to the Monastery of Jeronimos for €3. You can read our section on how to get around Lisbon for more information on day tickets and how everything works. 

Tuktuk

You can, of course, take a tuktuk for part of the walk, either from Praça do Comércio or later down the road. 

Electric scooter

This is what we chose to rent once we made it to the bridge. We rented our electric scooters through the Bird app which took 5 minutes to install and get set up on. The whole process was smooth. The scooters can go quite fast so be careful when driving. To start them, you have to push a bit with one foot. Hang on to the scooter as it goes fast when it starts! You can find our guide on how to rent electric scooters in Lisbon here which explains everything from the cost and the apps to where to ride and how it works.

We had a lot of fun riding the waterfront on those.

Time recommended: about 1 hour to get to the bridge with a mix of walking and electric scooters.

Budget: €4 for each scooter for about 20 minutes.

Stop 1: Ponte 25 de Abril area

The Ponte 25 de Abril is to Lisbon what the Golden Gate Bridge is to San Francisco. It is a long red suspension bridge which is undeniably worth seeing. Once you arrive to the Alcantara Mar area, you will be able to see it up close. The area resembles the Marina Del Rey in Los Angeles and is great is you need to stop for lunch or a coffee.

Time recommended: 30 minutes

Budget: Free

Stop 2: Discoveries monument

The Discoveries monument was built to represent Portugal’s discoveries, the courage and bravery of Portuguese navigators who discovered new lands. The monument is shaped has a ship with carvings of some of the most influential discoverers in Portugal’s history. 

We didn’t visit the inside but we thought it was quite a monument!

Time recommended: 15-20 minutes

Budget: Tickets range from €1,50 to €6 per person.

Stop 3: Belém Tower

The Belém Tower was built during the 16th century and served as an embarkation and disembarkation point for Portuguese discoverers. It also served as a fortress to protect Lisbon from attacks. It is famous for its architecture and is definitely worth checking out.

You can visit the inside which is split between five floors with a rooftop terrace. 

Time recommended: 20-30 minutes

Budget: Tickets are €6 per person. 

Stop 4: Stop for a bite

Now, you’ll probably be hungry at this stage so we suggest you cross the street and start walking to the Monastery while following the tramway lines. When getting near the Monastery, you will find the Casa de cha e café. Stop at that café and order tosta mistas. We had an amazing lunch there with two really big tosta mistas, chips and a coffee. That will give you some energy to keep going.

Time recommended: 20 minutes.

Budget: €10 total.

Stop 5: Mosteiro dos Jerónimos 

The Monastery is a very impressive monument that is worth seeing. You can either check out the monument from outside or visit the inside. As we were a bit under time pressure, we didn’t go inside as the line was pretty long. However, if you wish to visit it, we would recommend as it looked beautiful.

Time recommended: 2 hours.

Budget: Tickets are about €10 each and can be coupled with the Belém Tower. 

Insider tip: Buy your tickets online ahead of time to skip the lines. 

Stop 6: Dinner in Lisbon

Head back to Lisbon’s city centre for dinner. Find a Portuguese café or restaurant and dine in the streets of Lisbon like a local! 

Stop 7: Santa Justa lift by night (optional)

Before heading back to your hotel, check out the Santa Just a lift by night one last time! 

Time recommended: 5-10 minutes

Budget: Free

Insider note: If you only have 3 days in Lisbon, at this stage, you will have seen the main landmarks of Lisbon and visited most of the city.

Day 4: The last bit of Lisbon for a complete experience

Stop 1: The Tile Museum “Museu Nacional do Azulejo”

As you will have walked around Lisbon quite a bit, you will have noticed the importance of the tiles. They are everywhere whether that be on buildings, on paintings, on souvenirs and in your hotel. Tiles are an important part of Portugal’s culture and a must see on your Lisbon 4-day itinerary. You can learn all about them at the Museu Nacional do Azulejo and visit the chapel as well.

Time recommended: 2 hours.

Budget: Tickets are €5.

Stop 2: Monastery of São Vicente de Fora

The Church or Monastery of São Vicente de For was built in the 17th century. The Monastery also features the royal pantheon of the Braganza monarchs of Portugal. The Monastery is a beautiful building which you can see from the Miradouro das Portas do Sol. 

Time recommended: 2 hours.

Budget: Tickets are €5.

Stop 3: Bairro Alto

The Bairro Alto is a neighbourhood famous for being the place to be for food and drinks. But there are a few things to do there during the day as well.

First you can wander the cobblestone streets that will take you to centuries-old houses. While walking in the Bairro Alto, keep your eyes open for more street art murals!

Time recommended: 1 hour

Budget: Free

Second, head to the Church of St Roque, a Roman Catholic church. The heavily decorated inside of the church gives an interesting contrast with the clean white exterior of the church. 

Time recommended: 20 minutes

Budget: Tickets are €2,50 but it is free on Sundays until 2pm. 

Santa Catarina Viewpoint is your third stop in the Bairro Alto. It is one of the best viewpoints in Lisbon, sitting on one of Lisbon’s seven hills and giving an incredible view on the city. It is a place full of life where you can also enjoy a drink at the local café. 

Time recommended: 20 minutes

Budget: Free

And finally, you can also ride the Elevador da Gloria, a funicular which was opened in 1885. It is now classified as a national monument and takes you all the way up the the hill to the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara.

Time recommended: a long or short as you want.

Budget: Tickets are €3,80.

Stop 4: Dinner or Lunch

Depending on the time of your flights, you might want to head to Casa do Alentejo either for lunch or dinner. This restaurant is located just off Rossio Square in a former 17th century Moorish Palace. It transports you to Morocco in a few minutes!

Stop 5: Back to the airport

At this time, there is no doubt you’ll be tired and that’s timely as it is time to go! Book a taxi and head back to the airport. Remember that a taxi shouldn’t cost you more than €15-€20. Ours back to the airport was less than €10!

Other things to do in Lisbon

As I’ve explained below, although our itinerary is pretty complete and a good mix of all the things there is to do in Lisbon, you might have different preferences when it comes to certain visits. In that spirit, we have included some of the other great things to do in Lisbon so you can customise your guide a much as you want!

• Fado show: a Fado show is essentially a traditional music act with a mournful sounding solo singer who is accompanied by a classical Portuguese guitar. UNESCO recognises Fado as an “intangible cultural heritage of humanity”. You have a few options of where you can see a Fado show:
  • Fado in Chiado
  • Fado Show in a typical Portuguese restaurant
• LX Factory: This co-operative working venue features a flea market, shops, bookstores, bars, restaurants and concept shops.
• Principal Real neighbourhood: This is one of Lisbon’s trendy neighbourhood. Highlights include antique boutiques, the Convento dos Cardaes, the Botanical Gardens and Zurita street.
• Marques de Pombal round about: If you are coming into Lisbon by air, you will see this roundabout when driving to the city centre. It’s quite massive!
• Parque Eduardo VII: One of Lisbon’s main parks at the end of the Avenida da Liberdade.
• Sardine stores: We saw sardine stores everywhere! They look like little casinos and are quite funny to look at!

• Cork item shops: There is a big production of cork in Portugal so you will see sellers of cork bags and other items in Lisbon. 
• Santa Maria de Belém Church: In case you haven’t seen enough churches, there’s always more!
• Jardim de São Bento and São Bento Palace: The Palace is now Portugal’s parliament and is surrounded by beautiful gardens. The Palace is a massive building and admission is free to the temporary exhibitions.
• Basilica da Estrela: This baroque and neoclassical church is monumental and is the home to the tomb of Queen Maria I. You can climb up to the terrace from which you have incredible views on the castle, Ponte 25 de Abril and the Amoreiras towers. 
• Archeological Museum: Located near the Monastery, this is a perfect visit if you are fond of history!

• Take a Lisbon sailing tour on the Tagus River for a different view on Lisbon. This one or two hour sailing tour takes you to the Ponte 25 de Abril, Belém tower, and other famous monuments while sipping on a drink and having a snack. 
• Take a hop on/hop off tour of the city to visit the most famous landmarks in Lisbon
• Visit the other side of the Tejo Estuary: take the ferry for a beautiful journey and head to the Cristo Rei and the beaches of the Costa da Caparica.

Best Miradouros in Lisbon (best viewpoints in Lisbon)

Lisbon is famous for its several Miradouros (viewpoints) all around the city, from which you have amazing views on the city and on the Tejo Estuary, one of Portugal’s natural reserves. Here are some of the best Miradouros you can add to your Lisbon 4-day itinerary.

Miradouro de Santa Luzia

The Miradouro de Santa Luzia is the one in the city centre which overlooks the Alfama neighbourhood. If you have to choose one Miradouro, this is the one!

Miradouro das Portas do Sol

Located only a few minutes from the Miradouro de Santa Luzia, the Miradouro das Portas do Sol also offers incredible views on the city. In particular, from there, you’ll have a beautiful view on Sao Vicente de Fora.

Miradouro da Graça/Miradouro Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen

This Miradouro is located by the gardens of Augusto Gil, north of Lisbon’s castle. From there, you’ll see the castle and the sea as well. 

Amoreiras

Amoreiras is a high-end shopping centre located at 1070-103 in Lisbon near Parque Eduardo VII (Park Eduardo VII).  The centre features over 200 shops with international high end brands such as Timberland and Swatch. The specificity of this shopping centre is its rooftop platform which offers a 360° panoramic view of Lisbon. To access the platform, you will need to purchase tickets for €5 each. Tickets can be purchased at the centre or online. 

St George’s Castle

Of course, one cannot forget about the amazing views from the Castle of St George. From up there, you will have views on the Alfama, the Ponte 25 de Abril. From the towers of the castle, you will have a 360° panoramic view on the city as well. 

How to get around for your on your Lisbon 4-day itinerary

Lisbon is very well equipped when it comes to public transportation which is great as it allows you to easily get around and keep it on a budget. When it comes to getting around Lisbon, you have lots of options.

Walking

Walking is probably the number one way to get around Lisbon. Lisbon is a big city but definitely walkable if you have comfortable shoes. Obviously, between the hills and the cobblestone streets, I wouldn’t recommend walking around in heels all day. But comfortable scandals in the summer, or comfortable walking shoes/snickers are good for Lisbon. 

Walking is a great way to see Lisbon and get immersed in the city. You can get lost in the streets of the Alfama, wander the Bairro Alto and walk by the Tejo Estuary while you take in the views. Plus, it’s free, so let’s go!

Tuktuk

One thing we were surprised by in Lisbon was how popular tuktuks were. Tuktuks are small open carriages with a small engine that take you around. They are literally everywhere whether that be by Lisbon’ cathedral, by the waterfront or in Sintra. The price varies depending on the distance but is usually cheap (around €10 per person).

They are definitely a fun way to go around the city and can be a nice way to take a break from walking while still visiting. Sometimes, the tuktuk drivers offer tours so they will take you to some points of interest before dropping you off at your destination. 

Segways

We did see segways in Lisbon so this is something else to consider if you don’t want to walk all day everyday. You can book a fun Lisbon Segway guided tour to visit the city centre and ride along the river.

3 wheel Go Car

We came across these bright yellow three wheel go cars in Lisbon and thought they were such a fun way to explore the city. The go car  tour is a GPS-guided tour in these yellow convertibles that takes you to some of the main landmarks of Lisbon such as the Monastery, the Graça Belveder and Praça de Commercio. This is such a fun and independent way to see the city and is also perfect for anyone who doesn’t want to walk all day. One go car sits two people. 

Electric scooters

Electric scooters are literally all over Lisbon and they are SO FUN. We definitely recommend riding them, especially if you have to walk for more than 20minutes! We had so much fun renting them and riding around, it was a great choice! 

One of the companies you can use is Bird. You can download the free app on your phone and create an account. This took us about two minutes. You will need to link either a credit or debit card or a paypal account. Once you have installed the app, you can scan your scooter which will unlock it. If the scooter has run out of juice, the app will let you know and you can pick a different scooter. 

Now, those scooters actually go quite fast so be mindful of that when you start out. You’ll get the hang of it very quickly though. For a distance of 3.7km in 21 minutes, we paid around €4 each.

Taxi

Of course, Lisbon has plenty of taxis but as you’ve seen, it might not be your first choice as there are lots of other ways to get around. Taxis are great to come from the airport though and as I’ve said above, you shouldn’t pay more than €10-€20 to go from the airport to the city centre.

Cable Car/Tramway

Lisbon is equipped with cable cars/tramway. There are two styles of tramways in Lisbon. One is both a mean of transportation through the city and a touristy curiosity, and that’s the original style of tramway reminding most tourists of San Francisco. The second one is more of a modern tramway. There are several tramway routes which you can find here.

A tramway ticket costs €3 if purchased on the tramway. However, the traditional tramway can get crowded with a lot of tourists and it might be a bit of a mess to purchase a ticket there. Instead, you can purchase a 24 hour Viva Viagem Card for €6,40 which allows you to take any metro, tramway or bus for 24 hours. You will have to validate your ticket every time you get onto one of these transportations. One great thing about that ticket is that it includes the entrance to the Elevator da Gloria, and the Elvador de Santa Justa.

Bus

There are lots of buses in Lisbon and run from 5am to 1am throughout the city. You can find the map of the bus routes here. A flat fare is €1,80 but you can also purchase passes and one day tickets which give you access to the bus and metro. 

Train

There are quite a few trains that you can take to and from Lisbon. If you plan on taking the train for a day trip from Lisbon, you’ll want to check out Rossio Station as it is right by Rossio Square. The train station is easy to access and understand even if you don’t speak Portuguese. You can purchase tickets at the machine or at the office. You can find more information about the trains here.

Metro 

Lisbon is also equipped with a metro which is a great mean of transportation, especially if you are staying a bit outside the centre. Lisbon’s metro has four lines and serves a total of 56 stations throughout the city. A one way ticket costs €1,50 and a one day ticket costs €6,45. You can find more information here.

Lisbon 4-day itinerary food to try 

One thing we love to do when we travel is eating. Throughout our travels, we have tried quite a good number of restaurants like the authentic tavernas of Milos. No matter where you end up eating in Lisbon, here are some foods you should definitely try:

• Seafood: Lisbon being located on the estuary and right by the Atlantic ocean, you can imagine that seafood is quite big in Portugal. Lots of restaurants offer fresh seafood. One of the restaurants we liked was Lisboa 33 on Rua do Duque. Their fish platter was really good!

• Tosta Mista: A Tosta Mista is the Portuguese signature ham and cheese grilled sandwich. It’s a must have when in Portugal although I’m sure you’ve had ham and cheese sandwiches before! Tosta Mistas are usually really cheap and are easy to eat on the go! We had Tosta Mistas at the café by Lisbon’s Jeronimos Monastery for €10 total with two coffees and the sandwiches were huge and served with chips. 

• Pastéis de nata: Pastéis de Nata are a must-eat in Lisbon and honestly I don’t know anyone who hasn’t liked them. They are small custard pies and are delicious. 

• Bacalhau: Bacalhau is a Portuguese traditional dish made with salted cod. If you look around when walking in Lisbon, you might actually come across shops who sell the cod. It’s really good, especially if you like seafood.

• Wine: Portugal is very well known for its wine. If you are a wine enthusiast, you might want to look into booking a well rated Portuguese food and wine tour. 

Practical tips for your itinerary for Lisbon

• The Currency: Lisbon is located in Portugal which is in the south of Europe. Since Portugal is part of the European Union, the currency used in the country and therefore in Lisbon is the euro. If you come from a country without the euro, we recommend:
  • asking your bank how much fees you will be charged for using your credit cards in the EU and how much fees you’ll have to pay when withdrawing money at an ATM
  • Order euros through your bank before arriving in the EU as this usually is cheaper than exchanging your money at the airport.

• Cash: In Lisbon, it is very common for shops and taxis to only accept cash. We would recommend carrying about €50 with you so you don’t have to run to an ATM. There are ATMs all over the city though so don’t sweat it if you are running out of cash. The main paying landmarks like Lisbon castle accept card and you can even pay online.

• Skip the line: A few of the paying visits have big signs with QR codes which you can scan when you arrive. These QR codes take you to the online page to buy tickets. This is a good way to skip the line and get in faster. We did that for Lisbon castle and it probably saved us 20 minutes.

• Clean city: Overall, we though that Lisbon was very clean. There was no paper or cigarette butts on the ground, and public toilets at the different visit sites were well maintained and regularly cleaned. 

• Language: The language spoken in Portugal is Portuguese. However, everyone there speaks, reads and understands English very well. We had great conversations with the locals and their communication English was really good. There are a few basic words that you should know in Portuguese, just because it’s both fun and more immersive:
  • Olá: Hello
  • Bom dia: Hello/Good morning
  • Boa tarde/noite: Good evening/night
  • Por favor: please
  • Obrigad: thank you
  • Sim: yes
  • Não: no

• Safety: We thought that Lisbon was overall really safe. There are tourists everywhere day and night. However, just like any cities, there are a few precautions to take. First, pickpocketing is quite common in Europe. Never keep your wallet or phone in your back pocket and try to keep your valuable belongings on you. If you carry a bag pack, do not put anything valuable in the front pocket. Always keep an eye on your belongings no matter where you are and even if it feels safe.

When walking around Lisbon, you might come across people who sell drugs. Now, I was really surprised by this and actually didn’t really understand why this random man was weirdly coming towards me lol. A few men have drugs in their hand and will discreetly show it to you asking you if you want some. Just say no and move on, they are not insisting and will leave you alone. 

• Potable water: We have asked a couple of times and we were told every time that the water was potable in Lisbon. If you want to fill up your reusable water bottle like we did, maybe ask for confirmation so you don’t get sick.

• What to wear in Lisbon: In the summer, you’ll be able to wear shorts, tank tops and scandals as it’s sunny and warm in Lisbon. If you go to February like we did, you’ll want to bring a mix of clothes and here is what I recommend:
  • bring layers with a tank top and a light sweater for warmer days
  • bring a coat and a scarf for colder days
  • bring one heavier sweater for in between days

Lisbon 4-day itinerary essentials

When going to Lisbon, there are definitely a few essentials you should bring with you to make sure your trip is perfect!

• Sunscreen: If you are visiting during spring or summer, sunscreen is undeniably necessary to avoid any bad burn! The sun shines strong in the south of Portugal. Since most of the activities in Lisbon are outside, you will be happy to be protected. If you are visiting during the off season, sunscreen isn’t absolutely necessary but we would still recommend wearing some if it’s a sunny day as that could still damage your skin. Hoewever, we won’t judge you if you don’t as we’re not so good with that ourselves!
• Plug adapter: Lisbon, and Portugal in general, uses the same plugs as France which is just 2 round pins. You’ll definitely need an adapter if you come from the America, Ireland or the UK as the plugs are different.
• Good walking shoes: As we mentioned, one of the best ways to experience Lisbon is on foot. This means you should expect quite a bit of walking. In addition, Lisbon has lots of hills and lots of street are steep. So you’ll want to bring good walking shoes that are comfortable for you so you can walk around with no issues.
• Documentation: If you are an EU citizen, you don’t need a visa to visit Portugal as it is an EU country. However, if you are coming from a third country, you’ll want to check whether you need a visa or not. Some third country citizens are sometimes allowed into EU countries without a visa as long as they don’t stay longer than 3 months. So this is definitely something to check. You’ll also want to make sure you are bringing all of your document in relation to the current health situation. Our health documentation was checked when we landed and the experience was very smooth and quick. 
• Sunglasses: Don’t mind me who live sin Ireland and even forgot that sunglasses existed! I totally forgot to bring mine in Portugal. One might argue that you don’t need sunglasses when visiting Lisbon in February, but I would argue otherwise. The sun was strong and honestly I couldn’t see anything. So I bought myself a new pair for €10 by Rossio Square. Definitely bring sunglasses even in the winter. If you don’t you’ll still have an option to buy some in Lisbon, although you might find yourself limited in the choice of style. 

Any questions on your Lisbon 4-day itinerary? Drop them in the comments or on insta and we will get back to you asap.