A First-Timer’s Lisbon Itinerary in 7 Days (Updated 2024)
Last Updated on November 18, 2024 by Erin Donahue
Looking for a Western European destination where you get the ultimate bang for your buck? Look no further than this Lisbon itinerary! This trip was part of a series of trips I went on right after I quit my job. The other destinations I went to were The Balkans, Savannah, and Miami. The number one reason I chose to go to Lisbon was because it’s budget-friendly, has easy public transportation, and direct flights from the US, and heard great things about the food. It’s a city with a ton of history (Lisbon is the 2nd oldest city in Europe after Athens) mixed with a modern flair.
My go-to method to plan a trip is to collect a bunch of locations that will be good for photography and tourist spots, the rest I just wing it. For this trip, I traveled with a friend who is a chef and had previously visited Lisbon so you can bet she took me to the good eating spots! The below itinerary is what I did get to do during my time there mixed in with things I had on my list but didn’t get to.
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Getting to Lisbon
Usually, I’ll talk about how I chose my destination because it’s dependent on if I was able to use points for my flight. The first time I visited in 2021, my Lisbon itinerary wasn’t dependent on whether or not I travel hacked. I did not use any points because the flight prices were just so low and using points was so high. It didn’t make sense to use up the majority of my points for basic economy. In a quick cost-benefit analysis, I bit the bullet and paid $392 for a round-trip basic economy seat on Delta. A $400 round trip to Europe during the summer is significantly cheap!
When I first wrote this article in 2021, Portugal had travel restrictions in place. Even though COVID is still a significant health threat, the world has now classified it as endemic and dropped travel restrictions. It feels like another world away that I was traveling during a global pandemic.
Getting Around Lisbon
Public transportation in Lisbon is incredibly easy and accessible! Whenever I visit a city with a good public transportation infrastructure I opt for that instead of rideshares, shuttles, or taxis. I actually didn’t have phone service for most of the trip because my phone was locked so I couldn’t use a SIM card. I did have an offline map, but it was pretty useless so I navigated a lot of the city the old-fashioned way: wandering around.
There are a few options for what kind of metro card fare to purchase. The “Viva Viagem” is their public transportation card that is used for all buses, metro, and trams. To buy a card is €0.50 in addition to the ride fare. Most locations fall under Zone 1 which is 1.50€. The most economical way to travel around town though is by zapping. It’s based on pay-as-you-go rather than a time horizon.
If you’re planning on visiting a lot of attractions though then get a Lisbon Card instead because it comes with unlimited public transportation in addition to discounted or even free entry. Prices are 20€ for 24 hours, 34€ for 48-hours, and 42€ for 72-hours
Staying in Lisbon
The hotel I stayed at was Hotel Mundial, which has an amazing rooftop with a 360 view of Lisbon! Staying here was surprisingly budget-friendly (the overall theme of Lisbon). Their website claims they are 4 stars, but from my evaluation, I would say it’s more than 3 stars. At least free breakfast was included every day! They’re very popular and coincidentally, my friend who I did this trip realized she had previously been at Hotel Mundial for her cousin’s wedding. Small world!
Best Photolocations in Lisbon
- Tram 28 at its route stops
- Skip paying for the Santa Justo elevator. You can get the same view just by walking over to the Carmo Convent (Comento do Carmo) in the Chiado district.
- Miradouro da Senhora do Monte
- Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara
- Miradouro das Portas do Sol
- Miradouro da Graça
- Botanical Garden of Lisbon
Things to do in Lisbon
Take a free walking tour
This is the fastest way to learn more about the culture, architecture, and history. Expect to walk around for 2-3 hours soaking up everything, and make sure to bring water! Even though it’s free, don’t forget to tip the tour guide!
Listen to live fado
Fado is a popular genre of Portuguese music with historical context, and melancholy theme, and accompanied by mandolins or guitars.
Spend a half day on the Belém side of town
- See the Belém Tower, but no need to go inside. It was also closed when I went. I overheard a conversation of a local explaining to a tourist that there was a dispute over the management (not sure how accurate that is).
- Eat a Pasteis de Belém (the OG pasteis de nata)
- Check out Jerónimos Monastery
- Pass by Padrão dos Descobrimentos
Things NOT to do in Lisbon
- Be careful of random trying to sell hashish. It was pretty common around Arco da Rua Augusta.
- Taking Tram 28. It has long lines and is always crowded. You get the same route and experience with Tram 12.
Day Trips from Lisbon
Sintra
A day trip from Lisbon to Sintra is a popular excursion since it’s only about a 40-minute commute. Take the train (Comboios de Portugal) from either the Rossio or Oriente station. The Rossio-Sintra train departs from the historic center of Lisbon.
Try to go before 9 am! During the peak times (10 am-12 am) Rossio station can get very busy, and there can be long lines to buy train tickets.
Once you arrive in Sintra, taking the 434 bus is recommended because of how long and steep it is up to Park and the National Palace of Pena. Since everyone goes to the historic center first, start at the Palace of Pena in order to avoid the lines for the bus and then make your way down. There is also a walking route carved out on the side of the road for hikers.
Be sure to also check out
- Sintra National Palace
- Quinta da Regaleira
- Castle of the Moors (Castelo dos Mouros)
Cascais
A secondary day trip to do only after you have gone to Sintra is to visit Cascais. It’s a coastal town that was known as the summer destination for the Portuguese royals. We came here specifically to eat at Furnas do Guincho, and WOW their food is amazing, and their bathroom is so pretty!
Eats in Lisbon
You can literally walk around the corner and the food will be delicious, but these are some honorable mentions:
- Pasteis de Nata: you can’t come to Portugal and not eat their famous pastry. My friend’s favorite was from Manteigaria and mine was from Fábrica da Nata. Fábrica’s was a bit sweeter so that’s probably why. Make sure to add cinnamon and have it with an espresso or some coffee!
- Uma: traditional style of Portugal’s famous marisqueira dish
- A Ginjinha Bar: Enjoy (?) a shot of authentic Ginjinha, the famous cherry liqueur. The cherries are marinated for over a year in alcohol and is strong. It’s for sipping, not pounding it back!
- Rei Dos Frangos: known for their grilled chicken with piri-piri chili oil. Caution: the sauce is spicy!
Lisbon Airport Experience
As this long post comes to a close, I have to say that coming into and out of Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) was probably my worst experience to date. There was a strike going on and when I arrived, so I had to wait in the customs line for 4 hours. Departing from LIS was only slightly better. I didn’t know the customs gate was after the lounge area, so we got stuck waiting in another line and almost missed our flight. Thankfully, other people on our flight were in the same situation and they brought in additional staff to move the lines quickly. Between this or six-hour delays on JetBlue in Puerto Rico, I’m not sure which is worse. Whoever designed the flow of LIS should rethink it. There’s no point in relaxing in their nice lounge if there are still more obstacles to go to get to your gate.
Things to know
- Hello: Olá
- Thank you: Obrigada
- Bread is not free at restaurants
- The emergency number in Lisbon is 112
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