How many days in Lisbon is enough?

Four full days covers the centre, Belém, and one day trip such as Sintra. Two days is enough for the central neighbourhoods and Belém, but the pace will be tight. If you only have three, stay in the centre and skip the extra day trip.

Compared with Paris or London it is still cheap, but it is no longer the bargain it was. A mid-range budget for a tourist in the centre is €80–€120 a day per person, not counting accommodation; sit-down meals run €15–€30. You can eat well cheaply at tascas and pastelarias.

The centre is compact, with the Baixa, Chiado, Alfama and Bairro Alto within a 15–25 minute walk of each other. The hills are steep and the cobbles are slippery, so a good pair of shoes matters more than a car. The tram is worth it for any long uphill leg.

Do people speak English in Lisbon?

In the centre and among people under forty, yes. Older people in the older quarters are more comfortable in Portuguese; learn the greetings and 'faz favor'. Menus are usually printed in both languages.

Is Lisbon safe at night?

Central Lisbon is safe to walk at night, with the usual caveat. The Bairro Alto and Cais do Sodré are lively until late, and the darker alleys of Alfama and Mouraria are best avoided after midnight. Keep your wallet at the front of your body on packed trams.

Is Lisbon worth it in winter?

Winter is the quietest and cheapest season and the weather is mild for European winter, but it is grey and wet. If your priority is empty museums and lower prices, yes; if you want sunshine, no.

Lisbon, Portugal travel guide, printable

Lisbon sits on a series of hills above the Tagus, an old Atlantic capital of limestone, tiled facades and electric trams. It feels like a town that was a city before it was a capital: sides of hills covered in terraced houses, alleys so narrow that two people cannot pass, and a lowness that lets the light flood the whole basin. The sea is close but not visible from most of the centre, and the pace is relaxed.

When to go

Spring: Spring is the best overall season: dry by the standards of northern Europe, with temperatures mostly 15–22°C. The flowers are out, the queues are shorter than in summer, and hotel prices sit between the winter floor and the summer peak. Occasional showers come in short bursts.
Summer: Summer is hot and tourist-heavy. Temperatures average 24–27°C but often touch the low 30s, the streets are full, and hotel prices peak. Everything is open, the evening is the best time to be outside, and the river brings a small breeze. If you only have summer, book in June or September rather than July and August.
Autumn: September arguably has the best weather: the sea is warm, the light is long and the crowds have thinned. October is still pleasant, then November turns wet. The city is often cheaper in October than in May.
Winter: Winter is mild and damp, with temperatures around 10–15°C and rain likely on several days each week. Christmas lights, cheap flights and empty museums are the advantages; the grey can wear thin. If you are not bothered by rain, it is a bargain.

Getting your bearings

The centre is the Baixa, a flat grid between Praça do Comércio on the river and Praça da Figueira about 600 metres north. Alfama lies uphill to the east, Bairro Alto to the west, Chiado in between. The castle sits on the hill above Alfama, about a 15-minute uphill walk from the Baixa. The riverfront promenade is roughly a 20-minute walk from the castle and a 10-minute walk from the Bairro Alto.

Getting around

The simplest ticket is a Viva Viagem card, bought at any metro station or newsstand for €0.50, then loaded with a single ride for about €1.80. That single ride covers one Metro, tram, bus, funicular or the Santa Justa elevator. The metro is clean, cheap and frequent, but it avoids the old quarters. The classic tram 28 runs through Alfama, Graça, Baixa and Bairro Alto; walking is often faster than waiting for the trams, but the hills are steep.

Where to stay

Baixa: The low-lying grid between the river and the castle hill, rebuilt after 1755. It has the grand squares and the main pedestrian shopping streets; staying here is convenient but the noise from trams and nightlife can work against a good sleep.
Alfama: The oldest quarter, a tangle of alleys climbing under the castle. It is relatively quiet, residential, with small squares and miradouros. Staying here means hills, very few cars and the smell of grills in summer; a room with a view is worth the climb.
Bairro Alto: The late-night quarter of narrow streets and bars. It is sleepy by day and loud at weekends until the early hours. Not the place for a quiet holiday, but it is the place to be after midnight.
Chiado: The cultural and shopping district between Baixa and Bairro Alto. It has old cafés, bookshops, and the Elevador de Santa Justa at its edge. Staying here is central, airy and slightly more expensive.
Príncipe Real: A gentrified hilltop with a garden square and a weekend market. It has a mix of design shops and old tascas, and it sits just above Bairro Alto; a good base if you want quiet streets and local daytime life.
Graça: A residential hill east of the castle, dotted with tiny squares and two famous viewpoints. It is cheaper than the centre, a little rough around the edges, and the walk from Graça to Alfama is all downhill one way and steep the other.

A day here

One day in the old city

Miradouro das Portas do SolThe big terrace over Alfama and the Tagus is quiet at 8am and costs nothing. Fifteen minutes is enough; the view of the red roofscape is the city in one glance. By 10am the tour drops arrive.
Castelo de São JorgeClimb up to the castle walls and the view over the Baixa. Around €15, opens at 9am, and the quickest way in is to be at the gate when it opens; an hour inside is enough. After 11am the queue wraps round the plot.
Tram 28Board at Largo Martim Moniz and ride the whole route to Campo de Ourique, through Alfama, Baixa, Chiado and Estrela. It costs a standard fare, takes about 50 minutes, and it is usually rammed; go after the castle before the lunch rush.
Mercado da Ribeira (Time Out Market)The old city market is now a parade of food stands from Lisbon's big-name kitchens. Lunch of three or four plates runs €15–€25; it is at its most crowded between 1 and 2pm, so arriving at 11:45 or after 2:30 gives you a seat.
BelémTake the train from Cais do Sodré (six minutes) or the 15E tram (twenty-five). The Jerónimos Monastery costs around €10 and its cloister is the reason to go; the custard tarts at Pastéis de Belém are a few minutes away. Give Belém two hours and go after 3pm, when the monastery queues shrink.
Miradouro da Senhora do MonteTake the 15E tram back to Praça do Comércio, then walk up through Alfama and Graça for about 25 minutes (it is all uphill). The Miradouro da Senhora do Monte is the highest viewpoint in the city, free, and busy at sunset; arrive 20 minutes before the sun goes down.

Eating

Pastel de nata: The national custard tart, eaten warm with a coffee. The most famous version is at Pastéis de Belém in Belém, but every pastelaria in town has a decent one; an espresso with it is the city's standard mid-morning break. Typically €1.50–€2.50 each.
Bifana: A flat roll stuffed with thin marinated pork, sharp mustard, and sometimes a little piri-piri. The best are from tascas and the Mercado da Ribeira. Cheap street food, roughly €3–€5, and the standard snack with a small beer.
Bacalhau à Brás: Shredded salt cod with matchstick potatoes and scrambled egg, one of the classic bacalhau dishes. Served in most traditional restaurants and tascas; a main course will cost €15–€20. It's heavy, so order it at lunch.
Grilled sardines: For a couple of months around June, the grills appear outside restaurants in Alfama and the smell of sardines fills the lanes. Outside that window, a can of good Portuguese sardines is not a poor substitute. A plate of three or four comes to about €10–€15 during the season.
Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato: Clams cooked in white wine, garlic, oil and coriander. A light, garlicky first course, best in a seafood house; around €15–€20 a portion in the centre.
Cervejaria: Lisbon's seafood halls, the most famous being the old Cervejaria Ramiro in the north of the centre. They serve prawns, clams, and pica-pau (spicy beef chunks to start). Prices vary; on average €25–€40 a head with beer. Don't order the expensive lobster unless you've seen the price.
Mercado da Ribeira: The old market hall on the riverfront, now a food court of high-end vendors. Useful for one-person meals and for trying several plates at once; €12–€20 buys lunch. At 1pm it's shoulder to shoulder, so go off-peak.
Tascas: The city's classic hole-in-the-wall bars, serving grilled items and petiscos at short counters. Look for a room with few tables, a tiled front, and a handwritten menu; a meal with wine and coffee is €10–€15. Some are tourist traps now, but the good ones are still there.

Practical

Money: Portugal uses the euro. For a tourist in the centre, budget €80–€120 a day excluding accommodation if you want the sit-down restaurants and a few museum tickets. A beer is about €3–€4, a coffee and a pastel de nata about €3, and a tram ride under €2. Cards are widely accepted, but pastelarias and tascas sometimes have a €5 minimum or only take cash.
Transport: The Viva Viagem card covers the metro, trams and buses; a single ride costs about €1.80 and the card itself €0.50. The trains to Sintra leave from Rossio station, the Cascais line from Cais do Sodré. Ride-hailing apps are cheap and better than taxis for going uphill at night.
Safety: Lisbon has low violent crime; the centre feels safe at night. Pickpockets work the busy trams and the escalators at the Baixa-Chiado metro. At night, the Bairro Alto is rowdy but not dangerous; the empty lanes of Alfama and Mouraria after midnight deserve normal caution.
Opening hours: Museums generally open at 10am and close between 5 and 6pm, with Mondays closed; the castle and most viewpoints are open every day. Shops in the Baixa and Chiado stay open through the afternoon, but many in older quarters close between 1 and 3pm. Restaurants serve lunch from 12:30 to 3pm and dinner from 7:30 to 10:30pm.
Seasons: Prices and crowds follow the sun: June to September is the peak, and the July and August heat drives many locals to the coast. The city gets busy for the festival of Santo António on 12 June, and empties during August weekend escapes. Outside June to September, you pay noticeably less.

Worth knowing

The Baixa was rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake; the oldest street pattern is in Alfama and Mouraria.
The 28 tram is the one you will read about, but it is often too crowded to board at the main stops; walking ten minutes to an earlier stop solves it.
Most of the city's famous viewpoints face west, so sunset is when they fill; a north-facing view like Graça is worth seeking out.
The city's hills are brutal on first-time knees; take bus routes rather than trams for the steepest climbs, and carry water even in spring.
Dinner at 8pm is early by local standards; most restaurants are nearly empty before 8pm and full after 9pm.

Questions

How many days in Lisbon is enough?: Four full days covers the centre, Belém, and one day trip such as Sintra. Two days is enough for the central neighbourhoods and Belém, but the pace will be tight. If you only have three, stay in the centre and skip the extra day trip.
Is Lisbon expensive?: Compared with Paris or London it is still cheap, but it is no longer the bargain it was. A mid-range budget for a tourist in the centre is €80–€120 a day per person, not counting accommodation; sit-down meals run €15–€30. You can eat well cheaply at tascas and pastelarias.
Is Lisbon walkable?: The centre is compact, with the Baixa, Chiado, Alfama and Bairro Alto within a 15–25 minute walk of each other. The hills are steep and the cobbles are slippery, so a good pair of shoes matters more than a car. The tram is worth it for any long uphill leg.
Do people speak English in Lisbon?: In the centre and among people under forty, yes. Older people in the older quarters are more comfortable in Portuguese; learn the greetings and 'faz favor'. Menus are usually printed in both languages.
Is Lisbon safe at night?: Central Lisbon is safe to walk at night, with the usual caveat. The Bairro Alto and Cais do Sodré are lively until late, and the darker alleys of Alfama and Mouraria are best avoided after midnight. Keep your wallet at the front of your body on packed trams.
Is Lisbon worth it in winter?: Winter is the quietest and cheapest season and the weather is mild for European winter, but it is grey and wet. If your priority is empty museums and lower prices, yes; if you want sunshine, no.