What to Do in Lisbon, Portugal

We recently visited Portugal for the first time and loved our time there. The weather may have been a major determining factor (it was spring sunshiny and beautiful), but the city is also just so easy to enjoy! Here is a handy list for what to do in Lisbon along with everything to know about doing a day trip to Sintra (it isn’t straightforward).

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What to Do in Lisbon

Having just come from Madrid, Lisbon was a different pace of travel. Again, the beautiful weather was probably a determining factor for how much we truly enjoyed Lisbon, but it’s also just the city itself. You can go and try to see everything or go and try to do nothing – and you’ll have a lovely time.

Below are all the things we found interesting and enjoyable. I’ve also included a day trip to Sintra below as it’s the most popular day trip destination from Lisbon. It’s very easy to get to, but there’s a lot to know before you go (none of which we knew). While it was a beautiful place, in the end, I don’t know if it was worth the hassle. So, hopefully everything I learned and am sharing below will help you avoid the hassle part and just get the beauty part!

See what to do in Madrid and get my Portugal Packing List for my 2 weeks list of everything I packed!!

What to Know About Visiting Lisbon

Getting into Lisbon from the Airport

The airport isn’t far out of town and car is the easiest way to get into town. We went by Uber, but there are Taxis aplenty. A note that the “eco” or compact car is much more compact in Europe than here in the US, so if you have lots of luggage or more than 2 people, you’ll want to go to the next level up at least. Our Uber trips to/from the airport were $14 and $16 respectively, so not expensive.

Shoes Matter in Lisbon

Wear shoes with good traction. All the sidewalks are made with small stones that can get slippery easily. Down by the water, sidewalks are wider and flatter (though with occasional stones missing). Up on the hill – in the Chiado area, the sidewalks can get VERY narrow and you’re on a hill (and there are still frequent stones missing). So, your shoes matter – sandals, sneakers, or otherwise – make sure they have good traction.

Getting around Lisbon

Lisbon has an extensive bus system. It includes old trolleys, electric buses, and ‘normal’ buses. They’re easy to access and use. You can buy your ticket when you board by just tapping your credit card on board. The price ranges from €2-€4, depending on which line you’re using – the picturesque old-time trolleys cost more, I think!

Museums, Churches, & Monuments to Visit in Central Lisbon

This just covers the central area in Lisbon. See below for what to do in Lisbon east and west of the central area (both of which I highly recommend).

Sé de Lisboa (Lisbon Cathedral)

A beautiful cathedral on the hill, the Lisbon Cathedral has a long history, including the epic earthquake of 1755. This earthquake is referenced basically everywhere…here’s why. It’s estimated to have been about 8.5 in magnitude. It also brought a tsunami and fires, killing roughly 60,000 people in Lisbon alone. It’s a monumental part of the city’s modern history, so it’s referenced nearly everywhere you go! The cathedral is free and open to public, just look out for services.

Castelo de S. Jorge

The Castle of S. Jorge was a hilltop Moorish castle and royal residence and palace over the years. It looks out onto Lisbon, the port, and the River Tagus entering the Atlantic Ocean. It’s easy and lovely to walk around, with a small museum full of artifacts. There are peacocks roaming free!

We arrived just after it opened and easily got tickets, but by the time we left, there was a hefty line down the hill. You can buy your tickets online here. Once inside, it’s a wide open space and easy walking. There are a number of stairs to get up to the topmost viewpoints, but you can easily enjoy and get a view without doing all those steps.

Wander around Chiado

Up on the hill – accessible by hills, steps, and the bus, this is a more quaint area of Lisbon. You can get a beautiful view of the city (and the castle) from the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara. And there are loads of yummy restaurants and cute shops in the area. It’s just off a main shopping area tucked between Rossio, Chiado, and Baixa.

The Shopping Area

There’s an extensive shopping area in Lisbon. It reaches from Rossio train station down to the Arco Triunfal da Rua Augusta and across several streets. Most of the shopping in this area is international, well-known brands. I saw smaller, local shops up in Chiado but didn’t get a chance to get much shopping in up there, sadly.

Oceanário de Lisboa – Must Do!

Just because we travel with a kid (currently 6 years old) doesn’t mean we do kid stuff (or that I recommend everybody do those things). The Oceanário de Lisboa aquarium, however, made the list of things to do in Lisbon without a doubt. Each of us LOVED it and would wholeheartedly recommend visiting it.

Yep! Touted as the best aquarium in the world, it obviously has something going for it. they have such a wide array of sea life and all nicely displayed with signs in English as well as Portuguese. There’s a three floor tank (with viewpoints on each floor) in the middle that you can just stare at all day, seeing all the various animals move around in the big space. There’s also a very cool fountain just outside of the aquarium and an underwater forest exhibit that’s really nice and soothing.

The aquarium isn’t in the downtown area – it’s east, along the water. You can easily get to the aquarium on the 728 bus – pick up at the Praça do Comércio. It’s about a 25 minute ride. And then a 5 minute walk over to the aquarium. I’d recommend buying your tickets online – there was a discount code to save 10% I think on their site.

There is an option to do the cable car tour along with the aquarium ticket, but then you can’t use the online discount. And the cable car is the same price whether you buy the ticket for it with the aquarium ticket or not. So I’d recommend buying them separately!

Restelo – West of Central Lisbon

I don’t think downtown or central is the right name for the popular area at the Praça do Comércio and Baixa and Chiado, but I’m not sure what to call it. Anyway, west of that area is an area called Restelo and if it hadn’t been for my mom (and her previous trips to Lisbon), we would’ve missed a lot of great things in this area…

This big sculpture is Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries). With such a strong maritime history of Europeans sailing to the Americas and around Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries, this statue is a beautiful representation of what Lisbon and Portugal have meant to Europe and to connecting the people of the continents of the world.

This is just up the road from Belém Tower – the famous Medieval Tower along the water. Sadly the tower was closed when we were there, so we didn’t get to see it.

And there’s also the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Jerónimos Monastery) just a bit inland. To get across the big road and train tracks, access the staircase to go underground. It’s just north (away from the water) from the Monument to the Discoveries.

Also in the Restelo area is the Carriage Museum where you can see the evolution of carriages in the last 800 years. This was a destination my mom picked, so she and I visited one day. It was interesting to us (though I desperately would’ve liked more history on the persons who owned and gifted the carriages), but probably not for everybody – just a heads up!

There are plenty of restaurants in this area and you can easily access it via the 728 bus (yep, the same one you take to the aquarium, just the opposite direction). A quick note on catching this bus to take you west from Praça do Comércio. The stop is actually a bit west of the plaza. You can see it on the map here.

Lisbon Restaurants to Enjoy

Here were some of the meals and spots we enjoyed the most in Lisbon. We even went back to a few of these because they were so yummy!

Maria Catita – Favorite meal in Lisbon? Yep. We went back here twice and loved it each time. Get all the seafood and local dishes here – all scrumptiously made. The shrimp in chili oil (not spicy), the veggies, the fries, and get the Pica-Pau. Pica-Pau a Portuguese beef dish in a sauce and this was the best version of it we had on our entire trip. And, and you have to get bread (or use the fries) because all the sauces are so good, you can’t leave them behind!
Maria do Carmo – this was tied for another favorite, however. We ate out in the plaza (kitty-corner from the restaurant itself) for lunch. The charcuterie plates, shrimp in oil, and croquettes were delectable. And how beautiful are those spritzes?!
Em Alta na baixa – This was one of the ones we went back to as well. Their food was tasty and the service was nice. We sat outside both times, but they have a decent amount of indoor seating. On the menu was pasta, grilled meats, and lots of veggies! Just a dependably tasty spot and not far from Rua Augusta.
da Prata 52 – If you’re looking for authentic Portuguese food, this is the spot – and right near the central area. It’s a small restaurant, so reservations are probably a good idea. When we walked in, the servers explained about their menu and made very clear that we needed to order a full meal (not just a tapa or app to share). Once we assured them we were, however, we sat down and enjoyed our meal. Everything was a little different and it was all SUPER delicious! The wrapped green beans (pictured above) were a hit at our table! Absolutely worth going to.
Fábrica Coffee – a yummy coffee spot just off Rua Augusta, near the Arco Triunfal da Rua Augusta.
Boa Bao – a fun spot when you’re ready for something a little different. Imagine a tapas style restaurant with dishes from all over Asia – Pad Thai, Phô, Bao buns, satay, crafted cocktails, and desserts! It gets crowded, so get there early or get a reservation.
Hygge Kaffe Baixa – a yummy brunch spot with good food and coffee! It can get crowded though, so make a reservation or expect a wait!

Day Trip to Sintra from Lisbon

Sintra was once the summer home of Portuguese royalty and the rich. Before that, it was a Moorish Castle and Fortress with an outlook on the Atlantic Ocean and River Tagus. The small town itself is on a hill, but the famous Pena Palace and Moorish Castle are truly on top of the hill.

I will reiterate again that visiting Sintra can be a hassle. It’s easy to get to, but the train station isn’t near the town of Sintra and the town of Sintra isn’t close to the Pena Palace or the Moorish Castle (which is a monumental uphill climb). There is a bus that helps and you absolutely need to buy your tickets to the attractions online – ahead of time.

Had we known these two things, it would’ve been a lot easier.

Buy Tickets Online Ahead of Time

Ok. This is a big one. You can buy tickets to each of the attractions ahead of time – and most of them in a single transaction. Buy them here. Some places like Pena Palace have specific entry times that you must abide by. Others, like the Moorish Castle, are open entry at any time.

Getting to Sintra from Lisbon

You can easily catch a train to Sintra from the Rossio train station. Buy your tickets at the station before boarding the train – they’re €2.50 each. It’s easiest to get your tickets to and from Sintra at the same time.

The train feels more like a metro than a long-distance train (no charging ports). And I’d recommend getting on a train car toward the far end (furthest away from when you enter the station at Rossio). Everyone crowds off the train at Sintra and there’s one main (small) exit, so it’s best to get off the train and out of the station first.

Upon exiting the train station, you will be bombarded with tour guides – just a warning. You can catch the bus here though!

Getting Around Sintra

Sintra is very small and hilly. They’ve got it down to a science now, but it can be overwhelming still. Basically there is a singular traffic loop through the area that EVERYONE uses. Buses, taxis, ubers, tours, you name it. Oh, but private cars aren’t allowed on the loop, I think. So don’t think about driving*.

The best (and waaaaay less expensive) way to get around is on the Sintra Tourist Bus 434. It’s the dedicated bus service that does this route. It’s just as fast as other methods because it’s just the one road. You can get all the information here about the bus. Buy the 24 hour pass – just €13.50 and you can hop on and off as you like!

*If you do drive to Sintra, there are parking lots outside of the tourist area and then you can hop on/off the bus. At least one lot has a stop of the bus route!

What to See in Sintra

There are five attractions to see in Sintra. The Park and National Palace of Pena, The Moorish Castle, The National Palace of Sintra, and the Park and Palace of Monserrate. Those four are part of that single transaction ticket. The fifth is the Quinta Da Regaleria and you can buy tickets here.

If you’re really gung-ho, I bet you could jam pack all of these into a single day, but you’d be exhausted. Three of them is probably a good, quite full day of visiting. And, honestly, you could easily just visit the Moorish Castle (the easiest to visit though with a lot of walking) and call it a nice easy day.

A note about the Moorish Castle. Nothing online really made it sound all that amazing and we saw it partly because we could easily get tickets. Though there are a lot of steps and walking there, the views really are lovely and the experience is nice! We each thought it was the highlight of our visit to Sintra.

The Palace of Pena is the touristy destination and it feels it. I’m not saying not to go, but if I had to pick between the two, I’d pick the the castle.

On the topic of the Palace of Pena, there’s an optional tram ride to the palace from the park entrance. It’s a bit of a climb and a visit to Sintra is a lot of walking, so I think it’s a good idea. We ended up getting the last tram up (very last minute) and then walking down. It’s definitely a downhill (or uphill on the way up) climb, so just a fair warning. The tram isn’t too expensive, but the walk also isn’t impossible.

Eating in Sintra

I don’t actually have any recommendations for where to eat. I found two highly rated spots – for lunch (Tascantiga) and afternoon goodies (Casa Piriquita) that were fine at best.

Casa Piriquita is famous for creating regional favorite pastries, which were fun to try. They have a second location up the way a bit that’s WAY bigger and less crowded (called Piriquita II). If you desperately want to go to the original location, however, sneak around the crowd buying pastries to the seated area where they have the same pastries, coffee, and table service!!