Quick take
- Build each day as one main area + one ‘golden hour’ moment.
- Day 1 is for Baixa/Chiado; Day 2 for Alfama/Graça; Day 3 for Belém or modern riverside.
- If you want only one day trip, choose Sintra (palaces) or Cascais (coast).
- Use the metro for the reset — but walk the ‘story’ parts of the city.
- Plan a fado night once, not every night.
- Always schedule a quiet hour: café, park, or riverfront.
How we update this guide
We try to keep advice here timeless (neighborhood logic, routes, pacing) and call out details that can change quickly (opening hours, transit patterns, prices, seasonal events). If something important changes, we want to hear it.
- Site-wide review date: 2025-12-31
- If you spot an error: send the page URL + what changed + the date you observed it.
- For anything time-sensitive, verify official sources close to travel time.
How these itineraries are built
Lisbon’s best experiences are clustered. These itineraries are built around that reality: each day is anchored in one area, with minimal cross-city bouncing.
You’ll see the biggest sights — but you’ll also keep space for Lisbon’s real magic: a viewpoint at the right time, a slow pastry ritual, and the kind of wandering that makes you feel at home.
- Each day: 1 anchor + 2 supporting stops + 1 sunset plan.
- If you’re a fast walker, add museums. If not, add cafés.
1 day in Lisbon (the greatest-hits loop)
If you have one day, keep it central. Start in Baixa, climb through Chiado, and end at a viewpoint near the river. You’ll get the geometry, the cafés, the lanes, and the light — without overcommitting to the hills.
If you want a taste of old Lisbon, add a short Alfama loop in the late afternoon, but keep it tight.
- Morning: Baixa squares + riverside breeze.
- Midday: Chiado cafés + shopping streets.
- Sunset: Santa Catarina (Adamastor) or a nearby terrace.
- Night: easy dinner in Chiado/Cais do Sodré.
2–3 days in Lisbon (classic + deep)
With two to three days, you can split Lisbon into its essential personalities: the elegant downtown, the old hillside neighborhoods, and the riverside icons of Belém.
Add one museum block and one slow garden/café block to keep the trip balanced.
- Day 1: Baixa + Chiado + Bairro Alto (sunset + nightlife optional).
- Day 2: Alfama + Graça viewpoints + fado night.
- Day 3: Belém monuments + riverfront museums + pastry ritual.
4–5 days in Lisbon (day trips + modern Lisbon)
At four to five days, Lisbon becomes a base rather than a checklist. You can add a day trip and still have time for modern Lisbon and for slow mornings that don’t feel like you’re ‘missing’ anything.
Parque das Nações is your best low-effort contrast day: wide promenades, modern architecture, and the Oceanário.
- Add 1 day trip: Sintra or Cascais (or both if you’re energetic).
- Add 1 slow day: Príncipe Real + Estrela + cafés.
- Add 1 modern day: Parque das Nações + riverside walk.