Portugal's hilly riverside capital, rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake around the Baixa grid, with medieval Alfama and Mouraria below the castle and the Age of Discovery monuments in Belém. Eating well means tascas with a handwritten prato do dia, bifanas and pastéis de nata at the counter, grilled sardines in summer and seafood beer halls; residents live and eat in Alvalade, Arroios, Graça, Campo de Ourique and the eastern riverside.
Must-see
The sights to fit in even on a short trip.
- 01Jerónimos Monastery
- 02Belém Tower
- 03São Jorge Castle
- 04Praça do Comércio
- 05Miradouro das Portas do Sol
- 06Miradouro de Santa Luzia
- 07Lisbon Cathedral
- 08Monument to the Discoveries
- 09Santa Justa Lift
History & museums 36
- Benfica Museum - Cosme Damião
- Aljube Museum - Resistance and Freedom
- Calouste Gulbenkian Museum
- Medeiros e Almeida House Museum
- Praça do Comércio
- Árpád Szenes - Vieira da Silva Foundation
- Bordalo Pinheiro Museum
- Mãe d'Água Reservoir
- Military Museum
- Money Museum (Banco de Portugal)
- Monument to the Discoveries
- Museum of Lisbon - Pimenta Palace
- National Coach Museum
- Puppet Museum
- Belém Tower
- Carmo Convent and Archaeological Museum
- Church and Museum of São Roque
- Jerónimos Monastery
- MAC/CCB Museum of Contemporary Art
- Museum of the Orient
- National Pantheon
- Navy Museum
- São Jorge Castle
- Anastácio Gonçalves House Museum
- Fado Museum
- Lisbon Cathedral
- Museum of Lisbon - Roman Theatre
- National Museum of Natural History and Science
- MAAT - Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology
- Santa Justa Lift
- MNAC - National Museum of Contemporary Art (Chiado)
- Ajuda National Palace
- Casa dos Bicos
- Casa Fernando Pessoa
- Church of São Domingos
- Monastery of São Vicente de Fora
Where to eat 52
- Pastéis de Belém
- Time Out Market Lisboa
- 50 Maravilhas
- A Casa do Bacalhau
- A Merendinha do Arco Bandeira
- A Taberna do Mar
- A Valenciana
- Alfredo
- Arkhe
- As Bifanas do Afonso
- Bairro do Avillez
- Belcanto
- Café de São Bento
- Café Tati
- Canalha
- Cantinho do Aziz
- Casa de Angola
- Cervejaria Ramiro
- Da Noi
- Dom Feijão
- Duro de Matar
- Encanto
- Essencial
- Familjen
- Floresta do Salitre
- Galeto
- Gambrinus
- Gancho
- Ground Burger
- JNcQUOI Fish
- Lupita
- Manteigaria (Chiado)
- Manteigaria Silva (Time Out Market stall)
- O Trevo
- O Velho Eurico
- Oliveira's Moçambicano
- Os Courenses
- Pomar de Alvalade
- Prado
- Ryoshi
- Sala de Corte
- Santa Joana
- SEM
- Skizzo
- Taberna Sal Grosso
- Tasca Pete
- Tico Tico
- Tricky's
- Último Porto
- Vida de Tasca
- Zé da Mouraria
- Zunzum Gastrobar
Night out 22
- A Tabacaria
- Bar Entretanto
- Casa Independente
- Cinco Lounge
- Ferroviário
- Finalmente Club
- Fúria
- Incógnito
- Lux Frágil
- Maria Caxuxa
- Maria da Mouraria
- Mesa de Frades
- Mona Verde
- Palácio Chiado
- Procópio
- Quiosque do Adamastor
- Quiosque Ribeira das Naus
- Red Frog
- Rumu
- The Monarch
- Vago
- Viagem das Horas
Locals only 27
- Miradouro da Senhora do Monte
- Miradouro de Santa Luzia
- Eduardo VII Park
- Jardim da Estrela
- Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara
- LX Factory
- Feira da Ladra flea market
- Parque das Nações riverside
- Benamôr (Chiado)
- Bertrand Chiado
- Carmo Rooftop
- Catch Me rooftop (Jardim 9 de Abril)
- Conserveira de Lisboa
- Costa da Caparica beaches
- Ferry from Belém to Trafaria
- Hotel Mundial Rooftop Bar
- IDB Lisboa
- Jardim Braancamp Freire
- Jardim do Caracol da Penha
- Juliana Penteado Pastry
- Mercado 31 de Janeiro
- Miradouro das Portas do Sol
- Monsanto Forest Park (trail to Belém)
- Pastelaria Aloma
- Pastelaria Versailles
- Prazeres Cemetery
- Rocha Conde de Óbidos viewpoint
Walking routes 7
- 01Baixa to the castle through the old Sé quarterUphill from the riverside square past the cathedral, the Roman theatre and the Alfama viewpoints to the castle, ending with a tasca lunch in Mouraria.
- 02Belém riverside: monastery, tower and custard tartsThe Age of Discovery sights strung along the river, with the original custard-tart bakery and a free rooftop walk at MAAT to finish.
- 03Baixa-Chiado food grazing: bifanas, tins, pastries and the marketA grazing walk through the everyday snack culture of downtown: a bifana at the counter, gizzards off Rossio, a croquete at a 1936 bar, custard tarts hot from the oven, a kiosk drink at a viewpoint and a finish in the Ribeira market hall.
- 04Flea market, pantheon and the highest viewpointThe eastern hills that locals still live in: the flea market, two great domes and cloisters, then up to Senhora do Monte and a Graça dinner.
- 05Chiado to Príncipe Real at sunsetFrom the earthquake ruins of Carmo through Bairro Alto's churches to the São Pedro de Alcântara viewpoint and the cocktail bars of Príncipe Real.
- 06Campo Grande museums and Alvalade tascasA residential Lisbon most visitors never see: two city museums in Campo Grande, then the neighbourhood tascas and snail bars of Alvalade.
- 07Estrela garden to Prazeres cemetery on the tram 28 lineFollow the western half of the tram 28 route on foot, from the Estrela garden through Campo de Ourique to the Romantic cemetery at the terminus.