Attraction
Jerónimos Monastery
Begun in 1501 for King Manuel I, this Manueline monastery in Belém holds the tombs of Vasco da Gama and Luís de Camões and is a…
The things to do in Lisbon range from Manueline monasteries and hilltop castles to fado nights, riverside museums and plates of fresh Atlantic seafood. Portugal's capital spreads over a series of hills on the north bank of the Tagus, and much of its charm lies in simply walking between them: through the medieval lanes of Alfama, the grid of the Baixa rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake, the shops and cafés of the Chiado and the bars of Bairro Alto. Belém, to the west, holds the monuments of the age of discoveries, while Parque das Nações, to the east, shows the modern city built for Expo '98.
Food is a major reason to visit. Lisbon has traditional tascas and beer halls, historic pastry shops famous for custard tarts and a growing number of chef-led restaurants, and its markets and food halls make it easy to sample widely. Three or four days is enough to see the main sights at a comfortable pace, and a fifth day allows a trip to Sintra or the coast at Cascais.
Attraction
Begun in 1501 for King Manuel I, this Manueline monastery in Belém holds the tombs of Vasco da Gama and Luís de Camões and is a…
Attraction
Built between about 1514 and 1519 to guard the mouth of the Tagus, Belém Tower is a Manueline fortress that reopened in May 2026 after restoration.
Attraction
The hilltop castle above Alfama, taken from the Moors in 1147 and later a royal palace, has wall walks, a camera obscura and wide views of…
Attraction
Oil magnate Calouste Gulbenkian's art collection, from ancient Egypt to Lalique jewellery, set in a landscaped garden alongside the Kengo Kuma-redesigned modern art centre.
Attraction
Built for Expo '98 on a pier in Parque das Nações, Lisbon's aquarium centres on a five-million-litre tank holding sharks, rays and an ocean sunfish.
Attraction
The great riverside square laid out after the 1755 earthquake on the site of the Ribeira Palace, framed by arcades and the Rua Augusta Arch.
Café
Since 1837 this Belém bakery has made its custard tarts by hand to a closely guarded recipe linked to the nearby Jerónimos Monastery.
Café
Opened in 1905 on Rua Garrett, this listed Chiado café was a meeting place for Lisbon's modernists, and a statue of Fernando Pessoa sits on its…
Café
Founded in 1829 on Praça da Figueira, Confeitaria Nacional introduced Bolo-Rei to Portugal in 1875 and still sells pastries from its original recipes.
Café
An Art Deco café on Rossio, opened in 1929 on the site of an eighteenth-century coffee house, with a terrace facing the square and a statue…
Café
A grand pastry café opened in 1922 on Avenida da República, with mirrors, marble and carved wood, known for breakfasts, steaks and chocolate cake.
Café
A Lisbon specialty coffee roaster founded in 2015, whose Portas de Santo Antão café serves coffee from beans it roasts itself near Sintra.
Hotel
A five-star modernist landmark opened in 1959 above Eduardo VII Park, with a celebrated collection of mid-century Portuguese art and the Michelin-starred CURA.
Hotel
A five-star boutique hotel on Praça Luís de Camões, between Chiado and Bairro Alto, with a river-view terrace and a fifth-floor restaurant.
Hotel
A five-star hotel in a nineteenth-century palace in the embassy district of Lapa, with subtropical gardens and views over the Tagus.
Hotel
A large hotel on Avenida da Liberdade with 264 rooms, the SEEN rooftop bar, an outdoor pool in a garden and an Anantara spa.
Hotel
A five-star boutique hotel and spa in Bairro Alto, with studios and suites, a rooftop bar and restaurant with city views, and a spa and gym.
Hotel
A 75-room Chiado hotel inspired by the poet Fernando Pessoa, with the Mensagem rooftop restaurant and bar and the Azure wellness spa.
Bar
Founded in 1995 by guitarist Mário Pacheco beside the cathedral, Clube de Fado serves a set Portuguese dinner with live fado every night.
Bar
A bar opened in 1986 on Rua Dom Pedro V, its walls lined floor to ceiling with glass cabinets of toy soldiers, model planes, figurines and…
Bar
A tiny counter bar on Largo de São Domingos that has poured ginjinha, Lisbon's sour cherry liqueur, since it was opened by a Galician named Espinheira…
Bar
A rooftop bar on the top floor of a multi-storey car park on Calçada do Combro, with wide views over the river and the 25 de…
Bar
Opened in 1998 in a riverside warehouse near Santa Apolónia, Lux Frágil is Lisbon's best-known club, with electronic music and a roof terrace over the Tagus.
Bar
A speakeasy cocktail bar off Avenida da Liberdade, opened in 2015 by Emanuel Minez and Paulo Gomes, known for its signature cocktails.
Restaurant
José Avillez's two-Michelin-star restaurant in Chiado reinterprets Portuguese ingredients and traditions through a tasting menu or a structured à la carte.
Restaurant
A Lisbon seafood institution on Avenida Almirante Reis since 1956, serving shellfish by weight, garlic prawns and a steak sandwich to finish.
Restaurant
A beer hall opened in 1836 in the former Trinity convent, with nineteenth-century tile panels, steaks, seafood and petiscos served late into the night.
Restaurant
Serving since 1936 on Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, Gambrinus is a formal, old-school restaurant known for seafood, partridge pie and classic desserts.
Restaurant
José Avillez's Chiado food complex brings a tavern, the seafood-focused Páteo and other spaces together under one roof on Rua Nova da Trindade.
Restaurant
A family-run restaurant opened in 1974 by Evaristo Cardoso from Monção, known for Minho-style cooking, cured hams and seafood.
Thing to do
Lisbon's oldest quarter, a maze of steep lanes and stairways between the castle and the river that largely survived the 1755 earthquake.
Thing to do
Opened in 2014 inside the Mercado da Ribeira, this food hall gathers 26 restaurants and several bars chosen by Time Out's editors under one roof.
Thing to do
Lisbon's long-running flea market, with roots traced to the thirteenth century, fills Campo de Santa Clara behind São Vicente de Fora every Tuesday and Saturday.
Thing to do
A museum in a former Alfama pumping station that tells the story of fado, Lisbon's urban song, through instruments, recordings, paintings and singers' biographies.
Thing to do
A walk through the grid of the Pombaline Baixa, from the Rossio's wave-patterned square and Teatro Nacional to Rua Augusta and the river.
Tour operator
Running walking tours in Lisbon since 2005, Lisbon Walker offers daily English-language walks such as the Old Town and City of Spies, plus private tours.
Tour operator
A Lisbon food tour company offering market and neighbourhood food walks, cooking classes and dinners hosted in a local family's home.
Tour operator
A Lisbon tour company known for irreverent small-group tours capped at six people, from walking and van tours to day trips to Sintra and Cascais.
Tour operator
Small-group food walks in Lisbon exploring Mouraria and Graça, the port district and the city's post-colonial cuisines, from Goan to Angolan and Brazilian.
Tour operator
Run by Lisbon company Inside Tours Lda, Inside Lisbon offers small-group walking tours, day trips to Sintra and Fátima, sailing and fado experiences.
Three to four days covers the main neighbourhoods, Belém and a few museums, and five days lets you add a day trip to Sintra or Cascais.
The Baixa and Chiado are central and well connected, Alfama suits those who want old-town atmosphere, Avenida da Liberdade has larger hotels, and Bairro Alto is best for nightlife.
The red metro line runs from the airport and connects with the rest of the network, and taxis and ride-hailing cars take around twenty minutes outside rush hour.
It is generally more affordable than many Western European capitals, especially for food and public transport, although central hotels have become more expensive in recent years.
Lisbon is generally safe, but pickpocketing is common on crowded trams, in busy squares and at viewpoints, so keep valuables secure.