This post is based off my trip to Lisboa in May 2024
If I’m being honest, Lisboa wasn’t a city I was interested in visiting on my trip to Portugal. A group of coworkers convinced me it was worth visiting since I was already going to visit Porto, and I’m glad they did. There’s actually a good amount of things to visit in Lisboa, from castles to plazas to stadiums and more. Below are my top 5 recommended tours and things to explore in this wonderful city:
#5: Evening Intimate Live Fado Music Show (Get Your Guide Tours)
Fado is Portugal’s national music, if you will. It actually originated from Lisboa, so what better thing to do than attend a show in the birthplace of this legendary genre of music. Looking to learn more about the Portuguese culture while listening to traditional songs? Look no further. In addition to the singing, the tour comes with videos explaining the history of Fado. This show lasted 50 minutes, which was not bad but I wish it would’ve lasted longer. I noticed most fado shows last around the same time. This tour costs around EUR 13, which is cheaper than the prices I saw in person in Porto for example. Plus, this show includes a glass of wine to enjoy while watching the show. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show! Get tickets here
#4: Elevador de Santa Justa
The famous lift gives you a nice view of the surrounding parts of Lisboa. You can see everything from the Castelo de Sao Jorge to the Praco do Comercio and Rossio. When you reach the top, there’s even a cafe that sells drinks and pastries like the famous pasteis de nata. The top of the lift offers great views worthy of Instagram posts. I personally took the lift at sunset to catch the views, but it’s open pretty early and closes pretty late. I do recommend wearing a sweater if you go late because the wind has no mercy! Tickets are EUR 6.50 for the lift up and down and only cash is accepted at the spot.
#3: Tour of Sintra, Pena, Regaleira & Cascais (Get Your Guide Tours)
This is probably what everyone sees on Instagram when they type Lisboa. Interestingly enough, this castle from the photo is located in Sintra, not too far from the heart of Lisboa. Pena and Regaleira are home to a church and the famous spiral stairs inside a well. Cascais is a beautiful town near the beach with a very lively environment and plenty of shops to look around.
The tour I’m suggesting provides transportation to the areas mentioned and a guided tour including tickets to various attractions. Lunch is not included, and you have to pay for water if you want a bottle. I got to learn about the history of the areas we visited and tried food suggestions our tour guides provided. There happened to be a beach soccer volleyball tournament going on the day I went, which was fun to watch. Tickets were EUR 90 for the tour when I purchased them. The tour’s meeting point is Rossio Square, which is where the bus drops everyone off once the tour is concluded. Get your tickets here
#2: Castelo de Sao Jorge
If you’re looking for amazing views of all of Lisboa, this castle is the place to go. Walking there itself is a great adventure and you get to admire the views while making your way up. You can see the whole city and the views are so breathtaking, worthy of an Instagram post. Be sure to walk the whole castle, as you can keep finding great photo backgrounds at every corner. I would recommend visiting the castle early, before the line gets crazy long. I got tickets at the entrance, which was worth it because I got to get a discount for being under 25 years old. Make sure you tell the person you’re paying about the discounts available, otherwise they won’t apply them. My ticket was EUR 7.50 with the discount. Children under 12 are free, seniors are EUR 12.50 and adults are EUR 15.
#1: Jeronimos Monastery (Get Your Guide Tours)
By far my favorite part of exploring Lisboa, for many reasons. For starters, the views were amazing, both inside and outside the monastery. There is a garden inside that nobody is allowed to walk on that serves as a great background for photos. There are also several rooms one can enter to learn more about the monastery. The gardens across from the monastery, as seen above, are open to the public with such amazing views.
There are many food stands near these gardens, from pizza to burgers to Mexican food. Near these stands, there are stairs that take you underground so you can cross the street to see the Monument to the Discoveries. This monument is massive and just so cool to see in person. If you keep walking along the water where the monument is at, you will see more food stands and souvenir shops. If you walk about 20 minutes along the water, you’ll reach the famous Belem Tower. If you walk in the opposite direction from the monument, there is a museum you can check out. I loved my day to the monastery because I covered so much in one day by foot. Tickets were EUR 12 when I went in May. So many great pictures and great food too. Get your tickets for the monastery here
I hope you enjoyed this review! I would like to say I think 4 days in Lisboa is perfect, most things I mentioned can be covered in one day if you like being out most of the day. I went to Lisboa for 5 days and thought the last day was too much since I had covered mainly everything. Feel free to check out my review of Porto and how you can save money if traveling to Portugal alone. Enjoy your trip to Lisboa if you visit someday!
