What to do in Lisbon: Lisboa Visiting Guide

Lisbon, Portugal is a vibrant city with colorful buildings everywhere. Its lively atmosphere is a huge draw, and there are many fun things to do for everyone.

The Portuguese capital is also great for anyone who likes beauty and culture, and delicious food to taste. You’ll find many outstanding museums in Lisbon and cozy cafés and restaurants and vibrant nightlife. 

Lisbon with its charming cobblestone streets and cute whitewashed old houses is paradise, if you are an architecture lover. Most of these places with interesting architecture don’t even have names, you just need to know where to go, and I’m here to help with that.

This post is a part of my Lisbon guide, and here is where I will show you what to do in the city, what to visit, best attractions you shouldn’t miss, and where all the most attractive architecture is.

Lisbon is one of my 3 favorite cities in the world and I stay here often, so you will hear me talking about it a lot on Alonga Travel.

Interesting facts about Lisbon

Here are a few interesting facts about Lisbon to get you started with this wonderful city and its history.

• Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in Western Europe, predating London, Paris, and Rome by centuries.
• The city is built on seven hills, similar to Rome.
• The city experienced a devastating earthquake in 1755 that destroyed much of its historic architecture, but the Águas Livres Aqueduct survived it intact and continued to supply water to the city.
• The Bertrand Bookstore in Chiado is the world’s oldest operating bookshop, established in 1732.
• Lisbon’s Santa Justa Lift was designed by a disciple of Gustave Eiffel… you know, the Eiffel Tower in Paris guy?
• Lisbon’s Baixa district with its Pombaline architecture was one of the world’s first examples of earthquake-resistant architecture.

• The Torre de Belém Tower was originally built in the middle of the Tagus River, but the riverbank has since moved. Imagine falling asleep for 100 years and waking up to the tower being moved.:) You would think that is a bit unusual… well, besides your 100 years sleep unsual, that is…
• The famous Pastéis de Belém bakery produces over 20,000 custard tarts daily! I help these numbers when I’m in Lisbon, do you?:)
• Lisbon’s Oceanário is one of the largest aquariums in Europe, with its tank holding 5 million liters of seawater.

• The city’s iconic yellow trams have been operating since 1901 and Lisbon’s famous No. 28 tram route passes by many of the city’s main attractions.
• Lisbon’s Vasco da Gama Bridge is the longest bridge in Europe at 10.7 miles (17.2 km).
• The city’s famous Calçada Portuguesa (Portuguese pavement) is hand-laid using small cube-shaped stones. It’s basically road art, that’s why it’s so attractive!

What attractions in Lisbon I have already covered on Alonga Travel

I have already covered a lot of top attractions in Lisbon on the famous tram 28 route. I even provided an interactive map to see where they are located and how close they are from tram 28 stops.

I also briefly covered some other major attractions in each one of the best neighborhoods in Lisbon in my neighborhoods guide. There so many amazing things to do in Lisbon, that it’s simply impossible to cover them all in one post.

Here is a list of attractions located on route 28 already covered in my tram route 28 in Lisbon and attractions nearby.

So, here, I will give you a background on all other attractions, not located on route 28.

Lisbon’s Lisbon Museums

Plan to visit museums during your stay, some are truly outstanding, including Lisbon Museum of Ancient Art.

Or, perhaps, you prefer museums like this? I’ve seen many people getting very excited, seeing this museum!:) You can have a meaningful cultural experience of visiting a museum 😉 while observing famous Lisbon attraction – The Square of Commerce: the double win!

Visit beautiful churches in Lisbon

Don’t miss Lisbon’s beautiful churches either, especially such unusual ones as São Vicente de Fora and the National Pantheon. Estrela Basilica (on route 28) deserves a visit, with its beautiful marble flooring.

Relax in Lavish gardens of Lisbon

Lisbon’s tropical, beautiful, and plentiful gardens are lifesavers during hot weather. They often have fountains that will make Rome jealous.

Read my post about popular festivals in Lisbon and the 2024 schedule of events to get some ideas on what else to do if your visit coincides with a festival in town.

I also have a very detailed guide on public transport in Lisbon (the Lisbon area is huge, so my guide is extensive as well). One of the means of transportation – funicular –  makes getting around Portugal particularly fun!

I explain in another post that you don’t even need to use transit; you can walk everywhere in Lisbon and also use inexpensive Lisbon rideshare. But if you decide to use public transit, you should use Navegante Electronic Card to pay for it to save time and money.

I loved this museum in Cascais, Portugal, decorated with beautiful Portuguese tiles. 

I also explain how to travel around Portugal between its cities, including from Lisbon to Sintra (don’t miss the beautiful Sintra Royal Palace!) and Lisbon to Cascais.

When it comes to where to eat in Lisbon, there are so many places that it will almost be shorter to list where not to eat. And most all restaurants in the center are very picturesque, like this one, located right outside of Lisbon Cathedral in Alfama District.

Try traditional octopus and other seafood, including the tasty cod fish Bacalhau perogy. Local farmers sausage is also delicious, don’t miss farmers markets in Lisbon! I had lots of fun sampling these sausages!

Try Ginjinha

I’m sure you’ll figure out your eating options, but did you know Portugal and Lisbon in particular have a cultural tradition of drinking ginja? Ginjinha (ginja) is a strong and sweet alcoholic liqueur. Sometimes it is consumed as a shot, and sometimes it is poured into a chocolate “shot glass.” In whichever form it is consumed, it’s a very interesting and delicious tradition, often enjoyed at special small shops.

Best souvenirs to buy in Lisbon to bring back home

You will likely adore Lisbon so much that you’ll want to bring a piece of it home. I resisted buying too many souvenirs, but ultimately settled on a few items that were perfect for me and as gifts. They were a big hit!

Here is my list of souvenirs to buy in Lisbon:

• Portuguese Azulejos, beautifully hand-painted ceramic tiles, are a unique and even practical souvenir you can bring home, as they can be used as hot pan holders. They can be found in almost any small souvenir shop, or you can buy them at the Sant’Anna Factory or National Tile Museum if you visit them.
• Fridge Magnets of Lisbon’s skyline view from its famous viewpoints are obvious items, but also buy the ones with the yellow tram, then it’s a must! The trams are just so cute! You can go further and buy a small toy model of the yellow tram – it’s such an iconic item and will be the winner for any child in your life for sure!
• Now, for the grown-up gift, Ginjinha (Cherry Liquor), the traditional cherry liqueur will bring you sweet memories of your time in Lisbon! Remember when you had to visit the ginjaria to have a sweet shot of it? You can also buy an entire bottle to take home with you.
• Local artisan Olive Oil you can afford the weight or just a kitchen towel if you’re traveling with a carry-on.
• These souvenirs not only remind you of your time in Lisbon but also contribute to the local community.

How many days in Lisbon

How many days to spend in Lisbon? At least 3-5 days.  You can see that even listing highlights of Lisbon takes many pages. This is because there is just so much to do in Lisbon, and don’t miss attractions in its Belem district as well!

It’s better to plan for at least 5 days, and you’ll be able to see some of the best parts of Lisbon and nearby Sintra Palaces! However, there were times when I just stayed for one day on the way to another place in Portugal, and it was still quite worth it for me to stop by.

There are many more things I’m planning tell you about Lisbon and Portugal soon, I’m just warming up! 😊 But I’ve been to so many places in Lisbon, and taken so many pictures and videos, that it will take some time to post everything. Thank you for being patient!

By the way, any support with helping with software costs and monthly website membership is much appreciated!

I hope this post will be helpful for planning your trip to Lisbon.

There are many more things I will tell you about Lisbon and Portugal soon, I’m just warming up! But I’m just one person who does everything, and I’ve been to so many places in Lisbon and taken so many pictures and videos, that it will take some time to post everything. Thank you for being patient!