I’ve seen so many people going to Lisbon lately, I really wanted to see with my own eyes this beautiful city. I went there not expecting much but I totally feel in love. Lisbon is beautiful, friendly, safe, and sunny! Here’s the top thing you need to do while in the city.
WHAT TO SEE
Belem
First stop is the area of Belem. A little outside the city, on the coast, Belem is a must visit for 3 things : The Tower of Belem, the Jeronimos Monastery that is gorgeous and the famous Pastel de Belem.
Torre de Belem: I don’t recommend going there on the week-end or it will be packed. You can also go inside but apparently there’s not much to see, so don’t waste your time if the line is too long.
Jeronimos Monastery: A must seen, but you can start by visiting the church for free that has the same architecture.
Pastel de Belem: Even if the place can fit more than 400 people sitting, the line is very long to get in. So don’t be in a rush.
25 April Bridge
The famous bridge that looks like the Golden Bridge of San Francisco. It’s a must see in Lisbon, and you’ll pass it on your way to Belem.
Castle San Jorge
The Castle San Jorge is the biggest castle located on one of the highest hill of Lisbon. It was built before Christ and has a lot of history. And it’s also a pretty good spot to have a view of the city and catch the sunset.
Library Bertrand
This library is located in the city center named Chiado. This area has a lot of history, and a lot of old shops (that you can spot thanks to a little sign). One of them is the Library Bertrand. This library is on the Guinness Records for being the oldest bookstore still operating from 1732 till now! There’s not much to see inside but it’s still cool to just visit.
📍Rua Garrett 73, Lisbon
Sidecar Tour
You will see pretty fast that Lisbon is invaded by tuktuk (that are too expensive btw) but the best way to visit the city for me is doing a vintage moto sidecar tour. It’s a very fun way to discover the city through all the hills, learn about Lisbon history, and enjoy the sun. There’s a lot of tour online but here’s the one we took: here.
Catch the sunset
Lisbon is on the coast so it’s the perfect place to catch beautiful sunset, and there’s so many rooftop or hills to do it. My favorite spots are : Miradouro Santa Luzia, Senhora do monte, or the rooftop bar Park.
A day in Sintra/Cascais
Take the train from Lisbon and go explore the coast and its beautiful treasure in Sintra or Cascais. We just went to Sintra to visit the Pena Palace because we didn’t had enough time. But I recommend keeping a whole day to do everything in this area. The train to go from Lisbon to Sintra is just a 40 minutes train and costs 5 euros both ways. You can find a lot of tour operator that offers tour that do both, so check out to find the best one, or ask your hotel.
RESTAURANTS
Zenith Brunch & Cocktails
My favorite place to have brunch. We went there twice because it was so delicious. And they have vegan option too. Go there, you’ll love it!
📍Rua Telhal 4A, Lisbon
Fauna & Flora
I’ve hear a lot about this place. Haven’t had the opportunity to try it, but I think it worth it. Let me know if you tried it.
📍Rua da Esperança 33, Lisbon
Tagide Tapas & Wine
This is the first place we went for diner, and it was perfect. Food was delicious, service was very good, music too. There’s two restaurant in the building, a classy (and pricey) one or the regular tapas bar. Both are amazing so depends on what you’re looking for.
📍Largo da Academia Nacional de Belas Artes 19, Lisbon
La Vita E Bella
We went there a little by luck, and we loved it so much. The decoration is so gorgeous, food was also very delicious. A must try in Lisbon.
📍Rua da Prata 115, Lisbon
Park
Park is a famous rooftop bar in Lisbon. The entrance to go to the bar is a little original as you have to go through a parking garage. But be careful, the bar is closed on Mondays (had to learn that at my expense).
To find the bar: go inside the parking garage, and go to the elevators. Go to the last floor ( I think it’s the 5th) and then you’ll just have to use the stairs to go to the last floor to find the bar. The elevator is a little dirty but don’t worry you’re in the right way.
📍Rua de O Século 7A, Lisbon
Find more restaurants on my Mapstr map @morgylh
HOTELS
Four Seasons Ritz
Our first hotel was the Four Seasons Ritz, that is located a little outside the city. It’s one of the most beautiful hotel of Lisbon. See my full review of the hotel here.
📍Rua Rodrigo da Fonseca 88, Lisbon
💶 Around 570 euros for a night
Sofitel
The Sofitel is a beautiful and central hotel of the Portuguese capital. The design is very refined, chic and modern. And the bed are just one of the most confortable I’ve slept in of my life. Perfect stay if you want to walk around and visit the city by yourself.
📍Avenida da Liberdale 127, Lisbon
💶 Around 200 euros for a night
TRANSPORTATION
For transportation in the city, you can easily walk everywhere, but if you need Uber cost between 2-4 euros in town.
If you also want to visit Porto, you can travel by train. They have more than 30 trains by day, it tooks 3 hours and only cost 30 euros. Perfect way to travel in Portugal.
Check the website for schedule : here
