Quick take
- Day 1 is for Baixa/Chiado and an easy sunset near the river.
- Day 2 is for old Lisbon: Alfama + viewpoints + (optional) fado night.
- Choose one iconic moment (Tram 28) and one calm one (a garden or café).
- Keep lunch simple and let evenings be slow — that’s Lisbon.
- If you arrive Friday night, do a short river walk and an early dinner.
- If you leave Sunday late, add Belém for a half-day (flat and iconic).
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 this weekend itinerary is built
Two days in Lisbon is enough for a beautiful first taste — if you plan in clusters. This itinerary avoids cross-city bouncing and uses the city’s natural strengths: walkable central areas, atmospheric old lanes, and golden-hour viewpoints.
Your goal isn’t to “see everything.” Your goal is to leave loving the rhythm: coffee, walking, light, and long evenings.
- One main area per day.
- One sunset plan per day.
- One intentional night (optional).
Day 1: Baixa → Chiado → sunset near the river
Start in the central core while your legs are fresh and your sense of direction is still forming. Baixa is the readable grid; Chiado is the café-and-culture layer.
Finish with a viewpoint or riverside golden hour, then a slow dinner. This is the day that makes Lisbon feel easy.
- Morning: Baixa plazas + central wandering.
- Afternoon: Chiado cafés + browsing streets.
- Golden hour: a miradouro near the river.
Day 2: Alfama + Graça viewpoints + evening atmosphere
Day two is for old Lisbon texture: Alfama lanes, viewpoints, and the sense that the city is older than your itinerary.
If you want one classic night experience, make it fado — but only once, and only if the mood fits your trip.
- Start high: viewpoints first, then drift downhill.
- Wander slowly in Alfama; don’t turn it into a checklist.
- Optional: fado night as your intentional evening highlight.
Optional add-on: Belém if you have extra time
If your weekend includes a third half-day (late Sunday departure, early Friday arrival), Belém is the best add-on. It’s flatter, iconic, and built around riverfront walking.