Stories · Portugal
3 days in Lisbon
Told the way I’d tell a friend, step by step.
Lisbon goes up and down. The hills, the yellow trams, the miradouros where you sit with a beer watching the Tagus: the city tires your legs and rests your head. I suggest taking it neighbourhood by neighbourhood, and ending each day facing the river.
Day 1 · The icons
In the morning, head to Jerónimos Monastery. The monastery cloister, the tower at the water’s edge, and pastéis de nata still warm from the historic pastry shop next door. A full morning, by tram. Practical: here is the route by public transport, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your tickets or also check Tiqets.
Then, meet me at Belém Tower. Take the time to walk all the way around it; the best views are rarely at the entrance. 4.5 out of 5 across 118,228 reviews: few places are this unanimous. To get organised: the public-transport route; skip-the-line book your visit, otherwise go through Tiqets.
At lunchtime, stay around Praça do Império 1400-206 Lisboa: a noisy room, a dish of the day, and you’ve understood everything.
In the afternoon, it’s Chafariz das Necessidades. You’ve seen it a hundred times in pictures; in person it is bigger, closer, more alive. To get organised: how to get there; skip-the-line get your tickets in advance, otherwise compare on Tiqets.
In the evening, let go: a terrace, a walk, and Lisbon does the rest.
Day 2 · The icons
To start, I make my way to Miradouro da Graça. It’s the kind of place that makes you go quiet for a moment, even when you thought you knew it all. Travellers give it 4.7 out of 5 (13,163 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. To get organised: how to get there; skip-the-line get your tickets in advance, otherwise also check Tiqets.
Around noon, meet me at Chafariz do Largo do Mastro. It’s the kind of place that makes you go quiet for a moment, even when you thought you knew it all. Practical: here is the route by public transport, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your visit or compare on Tiqets.
Lunch without a plan: the first noisy room you pass is often the right one.
After lunch, meet me at Our Lady of the Mount Viewpoint. You’ve seen it a hundred times in pictures; in person it is bigger, closer, more alive. 4.8 out of 5 across 29,599 reviews: few places are this unanimous. To get organised: how to get there; skip-the-line book your tickets, otherwise go through Tiqets.
In the evening, Fado night: A small house in Alfama or Mouraria, a simple dinner, and a voice that takes your breath away. Book; the rooms are tiny. To get organised: how to get there; skip-the-line get your tickets in advance, otherwise also check Tiqets.
Day 3 · Day trip
Early in the morning, I make my way to Sintra. Forty minutes by train: Pena Palace perched in the clouds, Quinta da Regaleira and its initiation well. Leave early; it is everyone’s day trip, and it deserves it. To get organised: here is the route by public transport; skip-the-line book your visit, otherwise go through Tiqets.
Late morning, it’s Cascais. The train runs along the ocean to this old seaside resort: beaches, the Boca do Inferno cliffs, grilled fish by the harbour. Getting there: how to get there. To get a feel for it: what visitors say.
If you’re still hungry
Other places I wish I could have fitted in: Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, Miradouro das Portas do Sol, Rua Augusta Arch, LX Factory, Miradouro da Senhora do Monte and Miradouro de Santa Luzia. Slip them in wherever a day feels light.
My advice
The rechargeable Viva Viagem card works for metro, trams, buses and ferries.
Tascas without an English menu serve the best food: bacalhau, sardines, a glass of vinho verde.
The cobbles are slippery: shoes with grip, especially when it rains.
And if you go, tell me what you loved. Lisbon changes, and so do I.
A Triovol story · written by someone who would go back tomorrow
Opening hours, prices and closures change: a quick look at the venue’s website before you go avoids bad surprises.