5 Nights in Lisbon, Portugal

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Advisor - Merissa D Bradford
Curated By

Merissa D Bradford

  • Lisbon

  • Arts & Culture

  • City Travel

  • Food & Wine

  • Local Food

  • Local Culture

  • Architecture

A narrow street between pastel-colored buildings
Curator’s statement

About a week before this trip, two friends and I were joking about seeing Taylor Swift in Europe. A few hours later, flights and concert tickets were booked to see her the following week in Lisbon! We were able to find great flight deals with a connection in Paris for only 65k points roundtrip. Many Americans have been flying to Europe to see the Eras Tour since it’s so much more expensive to get tickets in the US than it is in Europe. We decided to spend one night in Paris and have 24 hours there and the other five nights in Lisbon. Lisbon is the capital of Portugal, a beautiful coastal city on a hill with many neighborhoods and districts to explore. I think a few days there is enough to see the whole city! We did one day trip to Cascais, a cute beach town only 30 minutes away by car. One of the coolest parts about Lisbon was the hand painted tiles on many buildings and the stone sidewalk designs (pretty to look at but careful as they can be slippery!).

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Where to stay in Lisbon

Convent Square Lisbon, Vignette Collection

This former 13th-century Dominican convent has been restored to a luxury hotel with a welcoming neutral design, an indoor rooftop pool with scenic views and a firepit in the open-air cloister.

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Things to do in Lisbon

An aerial view of orange-roofed city buildings with the sea in the distance

There are so many places and sights to see in Lisbon it can be overwhelming! Here are some highlights we saw on our trip! I really recommend doing a TukTuk tour (you can book in advance on Viatour or find plenty in the main squares that are available day of). This is a quick and easy way to see all the viewpoints of the city and learn more about the history of Lisbon! Not to mention it’s much more pleasant than hiking up the hills by foot!

Take Tram 28 around the city to stop at iconic spots

São Jorge Castle: A beautiful hilltop castle, walk down from there and explore the quaint streets of Alfama- the oldest neighborhood in Lisbon

Pink Street: an instagrammable spot where the street is painted pink and has rainbow umbrellas hanging, this is also a big nightlife street.

Barrio Alto nightlife: near pink street, lined with fun bars.

Try a pastel de nata, the famous pastry in Lisbon. You can find this at any bakery in the city!

Time Out Market: a huge food hall with bars and restaurants of every food imaginable!

Watch the sunset on the Tagus River

Check out Livraria & Cafe, the oldest bookstore in Lisbon

Try a sample of Ginjinha, the famous cherry liquor

Port Tasting

Flea market: on Saturdays and Tuesdays

Advisor - Merissa D Bradford

A note from Merissa

We only had time to do one day trip and wanted to relax at a beach, so we chose Cascais which was only 30 minutes away. If we had more time we would’ve also done Sintra and Costa de Caparica. Cascais was a very cute and quaint beach town! We got an umbrella and chairs at Raihna Beach Club for the day, then walked around town to explore and get gelato.

Places to eat & drink in Lisbon

A city street with a restaurant sign reading "Dear Breakfast"

Here are some spots we went to and were recommended to go to! Try to reserve in advance in you can.

  • Rocco: the most beautiful restaurant/bar I’ve ever seen! Great Italian/Mediterranean style food. Make sure and check out the bathrooms too.

  • Sr. Lisboa: gourmet Portugese food

  • Mini Bar: our favorite meal of the trip! The restaurant has a speakeasy vibe and a Michelin starred chef

  • Memmo Rooftop Alfama: beautiful rooftop views for sunset apertif

  • Dear Breakfast: brunch here is a must!

  • Java Rooftop: views of the river, good nightlife

  • Rooftop Bar at Hotel Mundial: best panoramic rooftop views

  • Portas Do Sol: another beautiful rooftop with views of the river and city

  • Seen Rooftop: good nightlife scene

Need to know

Wearing heels in Lisbon is pretty much a no-go, so make sure and pack comfortable sneakers or sandals! Portugal is known to be pretty affordable as compared to many other European countries. Uber is very cheap (even cheaper than the metro if you’re splitting with a friend or two)!

Advisor - Merissa D Bradford

Travel Advisor

Merissa D Bradford

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This guide is part of our ongoing series on travel to Lisbon. Looking for more travel inspiration? Check out Laura Allen's guide, 5-Day Guide to Lisbon & the Algarve With Kids.