r/travel City Destination of the Week: Lisbon

[u/AutoModerator]

Weekly topic thread, this week featuring the city of Libon. Please contribute all and any questions / thoughts / suggestions / ideas / stories about this travel destination.

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[u/ananananaaaaa → u/[deleted]]

Highly recommend the Time Out Market at Mercado da Ribeira.

I love this place and sometimes go there for a pastel de nata or just to use the bathroom on a night out, but I never had lunch/dinner there, despite all of the cool options it has. It's just SO crowded ALL the time. And it's very noisy as well.

For a smaller and quieter version of it, there's the Mercado de Algés, but that's a little out of the way.

[u/jayflying → u/[deleted]]

Although Lisboa was on my list of places to go, it wasn't on the top until I saw this. Thank you for the recommendations!

Would you recommend staying in Lisboa for a week (including day trips to places like Sintra), or is a week too long?

[u/toptravelstuff → u/jayflying]

You can also take the train out to Cascais - beautiful little beachside town at the end of the Belem train line - a great way to spend an afternoon, especially if the weather is good.

[u/CantLookUp → u/jayflying]

I did 5 days a few years back and it was more than enough. One of those was spent in Sintra, and I could have definitely knocked a day off Lisbon without missing anything out: A day or two for central Lisbon and a day for the Belem area.

I went back to Portugal earlier this year and did a couple of nights in Lisbon (again with Sintra), but spent more time in Porto this time around.

If you have a week, I'd spend it between the two of them in a 4/3 (either way) split.

[u/TareXmd → u/CantLookUp]

I'm leaving tomorrow and will be spending 4 days in Lisbon.... Didn't have time to prepare anything! Please tell me your exact itinerary... I am alone and have no car! Thanks!

[u/s-samalex → u/jayflying]

Lisboa

I would like to say that going top Faro in the same trip makes more sense in the same week. It will be a unique experience by visiting different regions of Portugal in a same trip!

[u/trocky9 → u/[deleted]]

Second everything on Sintra. We felt rushed going through the sights since we packed in a lot in one day. But instead of waiting on buses, we also just hired the tuk-tuks. $5/person will take you pretty much anywhere in Sintra, so the price really isn't bad for a fun ride and ensuring you got to see everything you wanted to see.

[u/ani_svnit]

Visited Lisbon Feb 2016

• We bought a Lisboa Card for 48 hours (€32) and covered the cost easily while enjoying the convenience of a museum & public transport pass rolled into one.

• We visited primarily for food (not the Timeout Market variety) and the area near the Intendente metro station was a great base not only for food (seafood at Cervejaria Ramiro & mirandesa steak at Carvojaria Jacto are unmissable) but also to catch the famous tram 28 just as it starts climbing the hill towards Alfama. Our best meal was in a tiny, nondescript restaurant in Bairro Alto called Cantinho do bem estar where 2 of us were stuffed and had food left over for a reasonable €20. The Duoro Valley port wine body run Lisboa Solar was an classy and excellent place to enjoy port in for people like us not visiting Porto (hard to find, it is inside an office-building like place)

• As mentioned by /u/cramp, it is worth taking time to visit Belem and combine its 3 attractions in one visit (Jeronimo's Monastery, Belem Tower, Pasteis de Belem).

• For Lisbon views, we preferred the Rua Augusta arch over the more popular Santa Justa elevator. The arch is also covered by the Lisboa card (€2.50 otherwise) and is IMO the cheaper and better alternative for some superb views of the city.

• Sintra is a must-visit. We wish we had more time to do more than just the Pena Palace.

• Favourite attraction was the tile museum, it is super out of the way from the city centre but 100% worth the trip. Most of our trip pictures were the city's myriad tile patterns to begin with and the museum just takes it to the next level.

• Regret: Not having a single Fado experience

Our pictures, Lisboa card math and more experiences are documented in this blogpost. Will be happy to field questions, especially on public transport.

[u/trocky9 → u/ani_svnit]

I hear you on the Fado experience. We had about 10 days in Portugal and didn't make time for Fado until the later third of our trip when we were in Porto. Absolutely worth finding places to listen to Fado, even if you go to a touristy place to do it (which we did for our first experience). You can still find some great musicians who care deeply about the music and perform amazingly.

[u/ani_svnit → u/[deleted]]

Thank you for letting me know, how sad. May the owner rest in peace.

[u/annamale]

Lisbon Summer 2014,

• Day trip to Sintra is a must. Pena Palace is a great trip and worth it.
• We saw the oceanarium for a day trip but it's not something you have to do.
• There is an amazing private art collection in Belem. Also if in Belem you should try Pasties de Nata. There is a shop called Pasties de Belem that is really famous for serving hot ones. Sure it is a tourist shop but they are delicious.
• Look into the districts of Lisbon as it is extremely cool. Alfama is higher up and more medieval looking because a tsunami destroyed the lower elevation parts of the city.
• the bell tower is really cool too.
• Try Port too. It's a Portuguese wine from Porto.

[u/Boyeatsworld]

Visited Lisbon summer 2017.

As most have said and will say, you must go to Sintra. If you want a really good view of the ocean and some cliffs, you can go to Cabo de Rocha before or after your visit to Sintra.

Most will go to cascais beach, but I much preferred the Guincho beach area. It seemed little less busy and better views to me.

If you’re looking for a day trip, but don’t want to venture out too far from Lisbon, go check out Èvora. There’s a neat bone church, a winery (call in advance for reservation), some neat shops/restaurants/bars and an awesome cathedral with a university there as well.

De sao jorge castle in Lisbon is fun, but I would go when it opens, or as the sun is setting, you can get a really nice city view with sunset/sunrise or if it’s dark you have the lights in the city.

Rua augusta arch is a must see but also walk around the area, really pretty. Be prepared to get asked to buy weed (but also don’t buy any, if you’re into that stuff it won’t be good anyways). When you’re in the area, make sure to get a pasteis de bacalhau.

Belem is a nice area with a lot of things to see, I suggest a trip there.

Barrio alto in Lisbon the place to go for night life, but it starts pretty late. Can’t really suggest a bar for the area, but walk around and see what fancies you. Enjoy Lisbon if you travel there, walk around aimlessly and marvel at the all the tiles on buildings and gain a few pounds from the delicious foods. Lisbon is one of the neatest places I’ve been!

[u/storyuntoldpod]

Visited Lisbon in the summer of 2015 and would echo what others have written: the pasteis de nata (egg custard tarts) from Pasteis de Belem are heavenly, especially when eaten warm.

If you're the hosteling type, I stayed at Good Morning Lisbon and would fully recommend it: big waffles for breakfast, plus delicious food/cooking classes/wine nights throughout the week.

[u/triple_entente]

I think Lisbon is the ultimate foodie trip if you are on a budget. The restaurants are great and paying 8 dollars for an incredible lunch for two people does not get old.

[u/ellipsesdotdotdot → u/triple_entente]

Where are you getting lunch for 2 for $8 ?

[u/triple_entente → u/ellipsesdotdotdot]

Multiple cafes and sandwich shops

[u/[deleted]]

Go to Belem and eat nata.

[u/tokendasher]

Can’t recommend Yes !Hostel enough. I’ve stayed there three times this year so far, twice in Lisbon(February and June) and once in Porto(June). Awesome location, great for solo travelers, friendly staff, and super clean. They also offer a hostel family dinner every night for 10 euros with unlimited wine, sangria, and beer.

[u/rsmittyyy]

Lisbon's a really cool place to go to if you know what kind of experience you want from visiting the city-I personally really like checking out the lesser known places, like the LX factory and the conserveira de lisboa before going out to eat/drink at local businesses.

It's kinda hard to find places like this on my own so I like to either ask around for places the inhabitants of Lisbon about where to go/what to see while in the city, or I check out my favorite blog Spotted by Locals which has a lot of great content, especially if you're like me and you wanna check out some other more localised places besides the popular tourist areas

[u/trocky9]

So many good restaurants, especially outside of the more touristy areas. In fact, I'd highly recommend getting out a bit like Atalho Real or A Marisqueira do Lis. Some of the best steaks and seafood I've had in my life were at the restaurants further from the city center. Also, at Atalho Real, I had to wait an hour to be seated. Got there at 10pm, too. Likewise with A Marisqueira do Lis, I had to wait a while to get seated at around 9:30pm. If I recall, those were still both on weekdays (Tuesday and Thursday, respectively) So that's something to keep in mind. The wait was definitely worth it for both places.

Uber was also cheaper than what I'm used to in the US and made for a great way to travel when I wasn't taking the metro or the trains.

[u/toatsmahgoat → u/[deleted]]

Awesome endorsement of the city. Taking notes for our upcoming visit in May!

[u/Dingleberries_4U]

We'll be in Lisbon next week for 3 days, and 4 nights. I'm a Gen Xer looking for hidden gems that locals would frequent. We seek authenticity over trendy and value over ostentatious. My favorite type of restaurant is a little dated and worn with history, yet clean with homestyle cooking at reasonable pricing. After watching too many YT videos, I wonder if it still exists in Lisbon.
I get the irony of a tourist looking for non-touristy places. I also love old-man dive bars but my wife may not agree. Any good tips?

[u/[deleted]]

Was in Lisbon this time last month.

First thing: be prepared for walking, and walking up hills. Good to have some comfortable footwear and clothing.

We had an amazing Airbnb in Alfama, which was close to the main station and also the centre.

Around there I'd definitely recommend going up the hills in Alfama and exploring the churches and the Saturday market. Around there there's also a really lovely café, Adurey's Café.

There are some good rooftop bars to have a nice drink and look out over Lisbon:

• Memmo Alfama;
• PARK;
• Lost In;
• WOULD NOT recommend Sky Bar at Tivoli.

I'd also really recommend the Time Out Market in Cais Sodré, interesting selection of food from all around Portgual.

As others have said, Sintra is worth a trip, but is absolutely hectic. We hired a car (30ish minute drive) and came back round the coast, so we were able to stop at some beaches and chill out, which was great.

For getting around:

• metro;
• tram;
• bus.

We mostly used the metro, and taxis were also incredibly cheap. Getting an Uber was very easy and efficient.

If anyone's interested I made a map of sights/restaurants/bars etc.

[u/Dead_Architect]

Take a day trip out to sintra and eat as much nata as possible.

[u/1D_87]

I am going Lisbon and Porto. Please give me suggestion what to see there. Thank you

[u/rzsoar → u/1D_87]

If you havent gone to Lisbon yet and might be willing to help me out with a lost item in the airport, shoot me a PM!

https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/v0ynh3/anyone_flying_through_lisbon_lost_item/

[u/1D_87 → u/[deleted]]

In Porto I'm there for two days and Lisbon in 3. I usually like seeing the architecture and ceatherals and history of the place. Thanks for helping me out.

[u/Llewellyn90]

We’re a couple traveling to Lisbon for 5 days early Dec. Never been to Portugal before, so any suggestions for itineraries?

Points to take into account: 1. I have mobility issues (using crutches) - we are staying in Alfama 2. We are mainly on vegetarian/plant-based/egg free diet 3. Not a huge fan of big museums due to mobility restrictions, but do enjoy smaller museums and galleries 4. We love quirky and artsy shops (similar to areas such as Camden Market in London or Le Marais in Paris) 5. Which transport to use? Happy to consider the tram as well as Uber. 6. Bus or boat tour recommendations? 7. Any hidden gems you recommend?

Thanks all! 😊🇵🇹

[u/tanzu122 → u/Llewellyn90]

Following!

[u/Llewellyn90 → u/tanzu122]

Sadly no replies or tips yet from anyone 😕

[u/tanzu122 → u/Llewellyn90]

Post in the Portugal subreddit Maybe better reply

[u/ShalimarBojangles]

Hi all! Visiting Lisbon with my wife in August, and trying to see if there are any hotels in or near Alfalma that have both at least some rooms with bathtubs (which is tough to find) and a pool. Any suggestions?

[u/Comfortable-Yam9013]

Hi, you can buy a top up card at the airport for the transport in Lisbon. My question is can it be used also for the bus in Sintra. Is this top up card the best option to use?

[u/alwayshungry1131]

Best nightlife stuff to do. Clubs and whacky crazy bars. PLEASE

[u/slowdog1976]

So we are staying on the algarve but planning a day trip to Lisbon. the only absolute certainties in terms of on the visiting agenda are Pastéis de Belém and Time out market which will bookmark the visit, and we would be looking at around 5-6 hours in between.

Obviously there is a lot to see, and my feeling is that a bus tour to see a good chunk of the sights in one fell swoop would be the way to go with something more specific afterwards, but I was wondering if anyone else had thoughts on this or experience of doing similar

I realise thats a fairly limited amount of time, but we have kids and circumstances mean that this is pretty much all we can do there

Thanks

[u/khx16]

Any recommendations for affordable event space in Lisbon? For about 100 people?

[u/MonitorEvery4803]

Hi there,

I will be in Seville on June 10 and thinking of taking a bus up to Lisbon for the Lisbon Sardine Festival – the Feast of St. Anthony. I am wondering if anyone who has been can tell me their experience? was it a great time and any suggestions?? Afterwards, we will be in Portugal until June 19 and wondering if anyone has any suggestions of where to go nearby that are really wonderful and suggestions of activities? We love the outdoors, beaches but also food and cultural activities too!

[u/motorboatingaccident]

Need St Anthony's Day Advice for Lisbon trip!

My partner and I are travelling to Portugal for our first summer vacation together. We were planning on being in Lisbon between the 11th and 14th of June. I just found out about St Anthony's Day falling right in between. It sounds amazing(!!) but we could really use some guidance. Where and when to go and what to expect mostly.

We are also planning on taking a day trip to ericeira to surf a bit. Would it be better to do that on the 12th or the 13th?

Would appreciate any local advice, thanks! :)

[u/cestlavie33]

Hello! I'll be traveling to Lisbon in November and am so excited!

To anyone who has traveled to Lisbon and climbed up the Pantheon, how long would you say it took/ the whole visit took? Would the lines to go in be atrociously long at 10AM (when in opens)? If my flight out of Lisbon is at 2PM, would I have enough time or would it be cutting it close? TIA!

[u/letstravel1]

If any of you need help on what to do in Lisbon then you need to read this https://travelweekli.com/one-day-in-lisbon/

[u/cazwhiteley]

We’ve been to Lisbon before 2019 when we spent 2 nights outside a graveyard, in our camper van. This time we have opted for a house rental in the much overlooked Almada, which is situated south of the city centre, over the Tagus river a 9 minute, €3.50 ferry ride away from the Portuguese capital. I my a quick video as it looked great

[u/ReflexPoint → u/[deleted]]

I would say yes. Sintra park is a large area with a lot of historic attractions all in one area, including an amazing and colorful castle at the top called Pena where you can see views from Lisbon all the way out to sea since you're on the highest point in the region. The town of Sintra itself is a UNESCO heritage site, so definitely well worth the time exploring. Start early though.

[u/JakBlakbeard]

https://lisbontravelideas.com/2022/12/205-things-to-do-in-lisbon-the-ultimate-guide

[u/[deleted]]

Staying in Bairro Alto for a stag weekend and wondering where’s best to go - 14 Irish lads who love to drink and party 🕺🏻

[u/_StayHopeless_]

Headed to Lisbon in late December and wondering if the city center or Cascais is a better option for lodging? Also, on a plant based diet and very concerned about food, so veg/vegan restaurant suggestions are helpful. Punk/goth bars or clubs? And lastly, any specific off the beaten path urban exploring? Bone churches or Atlas Obscura type stuff please.

[u/[deleted]]

Im going to spend Christmas day and eve in Lisbon with my girlfriend, i was looking for some romantic and cozy places to have dinner on Christmas eve and things to do on Christmas day, thanks guys in advance.

[u/AnxietyLongjumping70]

We are traveling with a 2 and 4 y/o in mid-April. Our current plan is to land in Lisbon and drive straight to Lagos. Spend 4 nights in Lagos, then spend 1 night somewhere in Alentejo (maybe Albernoa or closer to Evora) and then spend 3 nights in Lisbon. Should we cut out the night in Alentejo? I love the idea of leisurely driving through Alentejo and spending a day on a winery / nice farm estate, but worry maybe it is just too much moving around for 10 days w/2 toddlers.