Your First Trip to Lisbon: Everything You Need to Know
On my first trip to Lisbon I fell in love with the city. I was on my way to meet up with my then-boyfriend, now-husband, who is Portuguese. I’ve been to Portugal at least 20 times since then and I love it more every time I visit.
I flew out of San Francisco, and for some reason, the flight path went over the Golden Gate Bridge, which does not happen that often. I remember looking down and thinking how beautiful it is. Fast forward 17 hours through multiple movies, a book, some Suduko and one Newark connection…the plane began its descent into Lisbon.
Looking out the window I saw the Ponte 25 de Abril suspension bridge, which looks EXACTLY like the Golden Gate. I felt like I had entered the Twilight Zone.
We visit Portugal every year. We first wrote this guide because we had so many friends ask us for tips that we put together a guide.
Enjoy your first trip to Lisbon, we hope you find our Lisbon guide helpful for your first visit!
Hey there, just a quick heads up.
Love Letters To Portugal is reader-supported which means that when you purchase, book or reserve through affiliate links on our site, we may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you).
When to Go to Lisbon
The best time to visit Lisbon is the shoulder season, meaning March-May and September-October. The weather will not be as hot, and the crowds will be fewer. This past August, we spent a night in Lisbon and it was SO CROWDED. So while the peak season summer months are a popular time to travel, our next trip will be in the fall.
The spring weather is a bit cooler than late summer and fall. Of course, make sure to check the weather before you go, because you never know. In general, you should find mostly sunny days during those months.
How to Get There
Humberto Delgado Lisbon International Airport
The airport is close to the city – just 7 kilometers (just shy of 4.5 miles) from the center, which makes it easy to get in and out of the city. Most major European cities have flights to Lisbon, and most US East Coast hubs do too.
We fly from San Francisco, which means if we connect, it’s usually through Newark.
The Portuguese airline TAP does have a direct flight now from SFO to Lisbon, so we try to take that one when we can.
Getting to Lisbon from the Airport and Getting Around Lisbon
Taxi
When we are staying within the city of Lisbon, we do not rent a car.
We usually take a cab from the airport to the hotel and walk or use taxis/Ubers to get around the city.
Uber
We sometimes use Uber within the city itself, but at the time that I am writing this, Uber is not allowed to pick up from the airport.
Public Transportation
You can buy a Viva Viagem card for use on buses, trains, the Santa Justa lift, trams and the metro. It’s a reloadable card and you can buy single trips, for 24 hour periods, or pre-load for multiple trips.
Car Rental
Only if we are venturing outside of Lisbon, to Cascais for example, do we rent a car at the airport. There are a variety of rental agencies that have cars at the airport, so you don’t need to shuttle anywhere.
PRO TIP: It is extremely important to go over the car with the rental agent before you leave, marking down any dings or scratches in the car. Also, some of the agencies seem cheap, but can come back with high fees for small amounts of damage. We recently rented from EuroCar and had an excellent experience. Be warned, the garage where you pick up your car is tight! Getting in and out of the garage was for us the trickiest part of the rental. And again if you are staying in the city center, I don’t recommend a car.
Tuk tuk
You can negotiate with a tuk tuk driver to take you around the city. They don’t have a meter so you do need to find a price in advance. It’s pricey if you are solo, from €30 to €45 per hour, depending on how busy it is. They are nice because you can hop on or off. Make sure you find a driver you can communicate with!
Where to Stay in Lisbon
Hotel do Chiado
I love Hotel do Chiado. We’ve stayed here a couple of times, including a few days that we spent in Lisbon just prior to flying to Funchal for our wedding. The hotel is super centrally located so you do not really need a car – you can easily walk around the city from here. It has nicely appointed, smallish European sized rooms, an absolutely wonderful breakfast, and a deck with a view of the city, river and castle. The deck is a lovely spot to have a glass of wine at the end of a day of sight seeing and relax before dinner.
Pestana Palace
This hotel took my breath away. Pestana Palace is literally a restored 19th century royal palace and so in addition to being an amazing luxurious hotel, it is also a historic national monument. The rooms are large and luxuriously appointed and the grounds meticulous. This hotel is a resort within the city, and as such, there are two pools where you can relax on a day off from sightseeing. Oh, and the breakfast buffet is sumptuous, really just unbelievable.
Sheraton Lisboa
The Sheraton Lisboa is our go to hotel for a quick overnight. Most often in Lisbon we fly through for just one or two nights after visiting family on the island of Madeira. We make a stop in Lisbon to see friends before our journey back to California, and this is our home base. The hotel is a 15 minute taxi ride from the airport, and it is close to downtown. The rooms are small but comfortable, the beds are amazing. We get adjoining rooms – one for the parents and one for the kids! The location of this hotel is less charming than Chiado, but most places you will want to visit are just a cab ride away.
Dare Hotel Lisbon
The Dare Hotel Lisbon is a charming boutique hotel is a perfect place to stay for walkers. It is right in the city centre, right near Rossio Square, and within walking distance of the main attractions. The staff is known to be amazing and extremely helpful to the guests. The hotel itself is a renovated historic building on a walking street. The 23 apartments are done with a modern style and some have floor-to-ceiling French windows that overlook the street.
Top Things to Do in Lisbon
Explore the Alfama District
Spend a few hours meandering through Alfama, the oldest neighborhood in Lisbon. The maze of narrow streets begins at the River Tagus and goes all the way up to the Sao Jorge Castle.
You can walk the steep hills, or take one of Lisbon’s most famous trams, the #28.
PRO TIP: The trams can be crowded and tourists are prime targets for pickpockets. Make sure to guard your valuables!
Take in the Lisbon Views
Miradouro da Graça
One of the most popular viewpoints in the city is in a residential area with cobblestone streets. This vista point is on the border of the Alfama and Graça districts.
Miradouro de Santa Luzia
This vista point in the Alfama is near the São Jorge Castle. It is located in a small garden, which makes it a great place to stop and appreciate the beauty that is Lisbon.
Miradouro das Portas do Sol
Also in the Alfama, this viewpoint is considered to be the most photographed in Lisbon. It is a little lower on the hill so stop here and then continue on up to higher viewpoints.
Visit Castelo Sao Jorge
Castelo de Sao Jorge is a castle ruin really. The grounds have beautiful views of the city and are interesting to walk around. The best way to get there is the local route. Tram number 28 runs from Prace da Figueira, which is about 10 mins walk from Chiado. You will be with Portuguese of all ages as they go about their daily commutes, and it goes up these picturesque small roads up to the castle, where it seems it will never fit (but it always does). After visiting the castle walk down slowly back to downtown.
Visit Belem
Belem is an area of Lisbon with interesting museums and monuments to see. It was the starting off point for Portuguese explorers in the Age of Discovery. While there, you can stroll the Tagus River and visit the Torre de Belem, the Jerónimos Monastery. Also, and in keeping with my “I love to find good food when I travel” mindset, you must not miss the famous bakery called Pastéis de Belém, where they serve pastries of the same name. So delicious with coffee!
The Jeronimos Monastery and Belém Tower are each a Unesco World Heritage Site, and can be busy. You can avoid the crowds by arriving earlier in the day.
LX Factory
LX Factory is a collection of cafés and restaurants, shops, design spaces, and offices. The space was originally a fabric production plant from 1846 that over the years became abandoned and run down. Over 100 years later an investor purchased it to create an interesting and vibrant space. It’s a fun place to spend an afternoon. You can wander, get a coffee and find some souvenirs.
PRO TIP: Try Wish Slow Coffee House. It was named one of the best coffee shops in Lisbon by CondeNast Traveler.
Visit the Chiado Neighborhood
Start at Cafe Brasiliera. It’s a great place to people-watch. Have your late morning coffee here and check out all the people – both locals and tourists go by. One could argue that this should be in the Where to Eat section, but I put it here because going with friends “for a coffee” is a tried and true Portuguese activity. It’s a lovely way to spend some relaxed time in the morning before you start your day.
Take a Walking Tour
Why not take a walking food tour? This 3.5 hour tour comes highly recommended and visits 3 neighborhoods and samples some of the amazing food Lisbon has to offer.
On the other hand, this free walking tour, is a 3 hour guided tour that explores Bairro Alto, the Elevador de Santa Justa, the Praca do Comercio, and covers many aspects of Portuguese history.
Take a Day Trip
Where to Eat in Lisbon
The restaurant and food scene in Lisbon is exploding. I always recommend checking TheFork or Yelp to see if there is anything that really stands out to you and is more current than when I wrote this. That said, here are a few places to try.
Augosto Lisboa
Augsoto Lisboa is a breakfast and brunch in the Alfama district. A great place to start your day. They do not take reservations so getting there early will help you avoid the wait.
Docas restaurant district (pronounced Dockesh)
It literally means the docks, and is a lively strip of restaurants with both indoor and outdoor seating. You may be able to find restaurants with more gourmet food elsewhere in Lisbon, but the ambiance of the area is amazing and worth a visit. On a summer evening you find all types of people up and down the district, including huge families with grandparents and very young children all dining together.
PRO TIP: Expect to see kids at restaurants, even late into the evening.
One night when my son was about 4 or 5, we were having dinner with some Portuguese friends and their parents outside at a Docas restaurant. At one point I turned to say something to my son, who had been quite lively all night long, and he was sound asleep in his chair. It’s actually one of the things I find beautiful about the Portuguese culture, kids are welcome everywhere and when the family goes out for a meal, they come along, even at late hours. At the same time, they are allowed to be kids. Often, restaurants will have an official or even unofficial places where kids go play after they have finished their meals. Meals in Portugal can take hours, and the kids are expected to be well mannered at the table, but not expected to sit the whole time!
A view of Docas through the boats, Photograph Credit: VisitLisboa.com
Tasca da Esquina
One of my best meals ever in Portugal was at Tasca da Esquina. It’s a cozy restaurant in residential Lisbon that took me by surprise the first time we went. You can order off the menu, but I would highly recommend the tasting menu. You choose how many courses and the chef sends dishes to your table. The food is a modern version of Portuguese flavors and the wine is fantastic. The whole meal is just awesome!
The Decadente Restaurant /Bar (in The Independent Hostel)
Old building turned into cool young modern hostel that won the best hostel in the world award a few years ago. It is a place frequented by all social classes and ages. The food is locally farmed and seasonal with all its freshness.
If you are there in the summer and they have the melon sangria you must try it.
STō Mercearia
Great spot for a late lunch, a wine tasting, or even brunch. Located in central Lisbon, many diners consider this a “don’t miss!”
Manteigaria
Delicious Pastel de Nata factory. And while you see these treats all over the place in Lisbon, this is the best I have ever had. And my niece and nephew who both attend university in Lisbon, swear these are the best. You may encounter a line, but they are worth it!
What to Eat
If you are looking for a cafe to some of the best coffee in Lisbon, check this post out:
Portuguese Food
For me, finding good food to eat is as important, if not more so, than finding cool things to see when we are traveling. So I will always talk about food first! Portuguese food is deceptively simple. It relies on a handful of spices, all of which conspire to bring out the brilliant and true flavors of the underlying meal. It is pretty hard to go wrong in Portugal from a food perspective.
Portuguese Dishes to Try
Bacalhau assado com batatas ao murro
Baked salt cod with “punched” potatoes (the potatoes are literally punched in the pan to break them so that it gets all the juices in them). Dishes are served with olive oil and vinegar on the table to flavor the potatoes. My California kids call it “Kombucha potatoes”. It’s really good!
Leitao Assado
Ideally, you have this in Bairrada, the area of Portugal that is known for leitao. It will be fresh and just oven baked. You can also find it in Lisbon restaurants, typically served cold or just warmed. They are baked in the same place, and then shipped across all of Portugal for restaurants and even supermarkets (look for them in the cold meats section of the supermarkets) It’s typically served with a peppery sauce that you can use or not use to your taste, a green salad and vinho verde, which is a green sparkling wine that compliments the flavor of the pork.
Carne Porco A Alentejana –
Baked pork with clams and potatoes. Wonderful mixture of flavors with a lot of “molho de pimentao” (a sauce made with red bell peppers after being put in salt to remove excess water for a week). The flavors of the dish are unexpected and I love this one!
Arroz de Marisco or Arroz de Tamboril –
The best place to have this is in restaurants by the sea shore close to Cascais, but they serve it everywhere. It is typically only served for 2 people or more. It is a big pot of rice cooked with a lot of shellfish, fish, and wonderful herbs. Marisco is the most traditional which is made primarily with shellfish. Tamboril is a type of white fish, which is very tasteful.
And for the more adventurous palate, try these!
Acorda de marisco
Acorda is mixture made of a very flavorful broth, a lot of herbs, bread, shrimp and finished with an egg on top. It tastes wonderful.
Grilled Sardines
This is only unusual because people in the US do not often eat whole fish. Sardines are one of the most traditional dishes in Lisbon and a lot of the fishing towns. At the end of May and beginning of June they migrate through Portugal and they are big, fat and flavorful. The sardines are simply prepared with sea salt and grilled on coals. They are wonderful because the fat starts melting, which drips on the coals and flavors them. In the traditional fairs in Lisbon they will sell them to you simply on a good piece of corn bread. If you do decide to go that route, get ready to suck your fingers because they are that good! They also serve them in restaurants with boiled potatoes with vinegar and olive oil.
Must have Desserts in Lisbon
Finally, desserts are a special thing in Portugal. Even the locals will rarely finish a meal without having some dessert. Portugal has a long history with desserts. Apparently, we had a lot of monasteries where the noble families would send their daughters to be nuns. Well… they did not have much to do other than cooking and desserts were their sinful pleasure on earth. You will notice a lot of the desserts are egg based. It is because nuns would use a lot of egg whites to iron their clothing and sheets. They had to do something with the egg yolks, so they mixed with sugar and made some great things – ovos moles; toucinho do ceu; fios de ovos are some to try. I usually can only have a bite because they are so rich, but worth a try while you are there.
In Portugal, if you love food you will have a great time and will likely encounter some new flavors. Just don’t expect to find a lot of fresh green salads as a main course, or undercooked vegetables. Portuguese love their meat, fish and starches!
Lisbon Travel Tips:
- Lisbon is generally safe, but it does have it’s share of pickpockets that target tourists. Keep your valuables secure, especially in crowded tourist areas.
- Portuguese is the primary language. That said, English is spoken by almost everyone I have encountered. And, on the few occasions when there is a language barrier, I find the Portuguese people to be warm and kind and willing to find a way to communicate.
- The money used in Portugal is the Euro
- Make sure to pack good walking shoes! Lisbon is extremely walkable, and cobblestone-y and hilly, so you will need good footwear!
- Laundry can be done at 5áSec Lavandaria. They do wash and fold service and can usually do same day if you drop off early.
