Introduction
My friend Emma and I took a short trip to Lisbon in early 2023. We both were traveling from Boston and managed to find direct flights.
I had been to Iceland years before, but this Lisbon trip was my first jaunt to mainland Europe. And what a dream it was. My only regret was not setting aside more vacation time to extend my trip.
When and Where to Stay
Our trip took place in February, which Emma and I have since established as an annual tradition. We learned that we like to break up winter with some sort of girls’ trip. Plus, February is the off-season in most places so you tend to find amazing deals and fewer fellow tourists.
We didn’t experience a ton of rain, even though this is considered one of Lisbon’s wettest months. The weather hovered around the mid-50s and high-60s, and we were always comfortable. February in Lisbon was still a breath of warm air compared to New England winter.
Late June to early September is considered Lisbon’s peak season. May to early June and middle September to October are considered shoulder seasons. I feel confident saying you could visit year round and enjoy yourself.
Hotel Mundial is just a few blocks from Rossio Square, which is commonly referred to as the Heart of Lisbon.
We booked a room in Hotel Mundial, which is a nice mid-tier hotel. We were allowed early check-in and our stay included a complimentary breakfast buffet. The hotel is just a few blocks from Rossio Square, which is commonly referred to as the Heart of Lisbon, and I can attest to that nickname. It seemed as though everyone, tourists and locals alike, congregated at Rossio Square.
As with most cities throughout Europe, Lisbon offers a wide range of hostels for budget-conscious travelers. The two I’ll highlight here play off each other adorably. Goodmorning Solo Traveller Hostel and Good Night Hostel are both near Rossio Square.
Altis Belém Hotel & Spa is a luxury option west of the city center that boasts amazing views of the Tagus River. This hotel also has easy access to the Tower of Belém if 16th-century architecture is your jam. For a luxury stay closer to the action of downtown, Bairro Alto Hotel is nestled between two of Lisbon's most iconic neighborhoods: Bairro Alto and Chiado.
It’s important to note that Lisbon might be challenging to explore on foot if you are unable to walk on uneven ground and for long periods of time. Most sidewalks are made of tiles, which get very slippery (even more so when wet). Plus, most streets are steep and tight. So those like older folks and wheelchair users may struggle getting around with ease. I highly recommend bringing durable non-slip shoes (my Doc Martens came in clutch).
Most sidewalks in Lisbon look like this. Pretty, but precarious.
Now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for: Here’s how Emma and I filled our short time in Lisbon.
Day 1: A Tour of Culture and History
Morning Arrival
We took a redeye from Boston and landed in Lisbon around 6 am. We spent about an hour waking up and gathering ourselves in the airport (caffeine is a Godsend). We also used this time to exchange USD for EUR and then booked an Uber to our hotel.
Click here to review the 5 steps I take when visiting a new country.
9:30 am - Walking Tour
Rossio Square
We booked a 3-hour walking tour through GetYourGuide, which was a great way to get a feel for the city.
We met Anna, our local guide, at Rossio Square and she took us through the most historic and popular parts of the city. This was an incredible learning experience, and we saw nearly every region of Lisbon. I appreciated the background knowledge and cultural insights from a local perspective.
For example, we learned about the neo-Manueline architecture at Rossio Central Station and, at Carmo Square, we learned about the Carnation Revolution of 1974, which ended 48 years of dictatorship.
Chiado and Baixa
We also toured the Chiado district with its old cafés, elegant boutiques, and quaint bookstores, and the Baixa neighborhood, which was completely rebuilt after an 18th century earthquake. In Baixa, we climbed up the Santa Junta Lift, which offered amazing views. I would highly recommend.
Rua do Carmo is the main street in the shopping district of Baixa and connects Rossio Square to Chiado. This picture was taken from the Santa Justa Lift.
This bakery on Rua Augusta in the Biaxa district served my favorite pastéis de nata.
Our tour included samples of many popular foods. We tried Portugal’s famous pastéis de nata (egg custard tart) from two places to compare the most popular bakery versus the most authentic one.
We also tried pastéis de bacalhau (breaded codfish cakes), port wine (typically a sweet red wine served with dessert), and vinho verde (green wine). Everything was delicious.
A scene from Alfama.
Alfama
We then wound through the steep streets of Alfama, which is Lisbon’s oldest neighborhood and home to many elderly locals.
As a side note, the historic Tram 28 will take you through the Alfama neighborhood. This could be a great option if you prefer to sit and ride rather than hike thorough the steep labyrinth of streets.
You can learn more about Tram 28 here.
During our tour of Alfama, we learned about a beautiful art installation that celebrates its long-time residents.
Camilla Watson is the artist behind Alma de Alfama (“The Soul of Alfama”), which includes portraits of Lisbon’s older residents. The portraits are hung on the external walls of buildings throughout Alfama, often near where the subjects lived and worked. I loved walking around the neighborhood and randomly stumbling upon a portrait.
You can learn more about this project on Camilla’s website.
Praça do Comércio
Our tour ended in Praça do Comércio, which is another popular square that faced the Tagus River. Like most of the city, it showcased some amazing architecture like the Arco da Rua Augusta. This square also houses offices for a lot of Lisbon’s state departments and the former entrance hall of the city.
The equestrian statue of King José I (foreground) and Arco da Rua Augusta (background) at Praça do Comércio
I walked away from this experience with a profound appreciation for Lisbon’s history (and a long list of recommendations that dictated the rest of our trip).
After our tour, Emma and I were pretty worn out so we settled into our hotel room and succumbed to jetlag. Afternoon naps for the wiin.
2 pm - Shopping in Baixa and Chiado
Handmade Leather Gloves
We each bought a pair of handmade leather gloves (about $70 USD each) from Luvaria Ulisses. The artisan was a kind woman who assessed our hands and then molded each pair to our specific measurements. It was a really enjoyable experience and I’m glad I invested in this memory.
Emma getting fitted for her handmade leather gloves.
A street scene from Baixa.
The World’s Oldest Bookstore
We also stopped into Livraria Bertrand, which is the world’s oldest bookstore that is still in operation. This gem was founded in 1732, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
Livraria Bertrand is filled with wooden bookshelves and apothecary-esque cabinets that remind you of its history. I will say, I was expecting to see more vintage books. However, the offerings were all fairly new and modern.
This small store also houses Portugal’s largest publisher: Grupo Porto Editora. So we spent some time perusing contemporary Portuguese literature.
One of the Portuguese authors featured in the world’s oldest continually operating bookstore.
Fun fact: Emma and I met while interning at the same poetry center. So this was a wonderful stop for us two Lit nerds.
Portuguese Ceramic Tiles
The last stop on our shopping trip was to Sant'Anna, where I bought a ceramic bird inspired by the azulejo tiles that you see all over the city.
Azulejos are steeped in an interesting history. The Portuguese and Spanish peoples started using these tiles in the 13th century, when part of the Iberian Peninsula was still being ruled by the Moors of Northern Africa.
In fact, a lot of Lisbon’s architecture has African/Arabic influences.
One of the many buildings completely covered in azulejos (Portuguese ceramic tiles).
Seen in Carmo Square, this is one example of African/Arabic influences prominent throughout Lisbon’s architecture.
7 pm: Early Dinner (By Lisbon standards)
Dinner in Lisbon is most commonly taken at 9:00 or 9:30 p.m. However, restaurants do open as early as 7:00 p.m.
We got a table outside at Bonjardim and dedicated our first dinner to piri-piri chicken, which was the right call.
This dish is considered a local comfort food, and for good reason. The chicken is marinated in a sauce of white wine, garlic, and paprika, and then grilled over charcoal. Our entree was served with Spanish rice and potatoes. Very tasty and very filling.
Just like the tiles and architecture, piri-piri chicken originated in Africa and was later brought to Portugal.
9 pm: Gelato
We spent the evening walking around downtown and soaking in the atmosphere of a warm European night.
We ended up in the Barrio Alto area to scope out the Fado scene. (A sneak peek of tomorrow.) There we grabbed a scoop of gelato from Sorbettino, which we enjoyed at a side table on the street.
11 pm - A Late-Night Snack
We ended our night by splitting a bifana sandwich from a deli called Casa das Bifanas. We got takeaway, which was nice because the deli was only a block or two from our hotel.
This sandwich is another Lisbon delicacy. It’s a warm bread roll filled with thin slices of pork that are marinated and simmered in piri-piri sauce. This mixture is topped with plenty of mustard and more piri-piri sauce. Simple, yet beautiful.
Bifanas are divine, and I bet this sandwich would be amazing after a night of drinking.
Day 2: Castles, Music, and Traditional Drinks
9 am - Breakfast
We started our morning with a complimentary breakfast at the hotel. However, Lisbon is really popular with remote workers, so visitors have an endless amount of cafes to choose from. The breakfast / brunch spots that caught my eye include:
Hello, Kristof
Heim Cafe
the mill
Dear Breakfast
Manifest Lisbon
After the most important meal of the day, we made our way to Praça do Comércio.
Random sidewalk appreciation post.
10 am - LX Factory
From Praça do Comércio, we went for walk along the Tagus River for about 40 minutes. Our goal was to get to LX Factory, which is another shopping district. However, we ended up on the wrong side of an interstate. So we caught an Uber from the Alcântara Marina to LX Factory.
A scene from our walk along the Tagus River. The statue of Jesus (far left) was inspired by the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro.
LX Factory is an old warehouse that was converted into an indoor/outdoor market with a lot of vendors selling jewelry and other knick-knacks. However, it felt super touristy. So, unless you love the vibe of gift shops, I think you could skip LX Factory and stick to shopping in Chiado, which felt much more authentic and lively.
While at LX Factory, I did pick up some postcards made of cork for loved ones. These souvenirs paid homage to Libson’s biggest export. Did you know that 70% of the world's cork products come from Portugal? I have my tour guide from Day 1 to thank for that fun fact.
After perusing the shops at LX Factory, we walked back through the Barrio Alto district and made sure to cut onto Rua de S. Paul to see the tracks for Elevador da Bica, which is the steepest tram in all of Lisbon (That’s saying a lot for a city of hills).
Elevador da Bica is the steepest tram in all of Lisbon.
1 pm: Lunch
We then grabbed lunch at Neighbourhood Cafe Lisbon, which had outdoor seating so we could soak up the Mediterranean air. Plus, this cafe was right by Rua da Silva (also called Green Street Lisbon), which is considered one of the most photogenic streets in all of Lisbon.
All of the cafes I listed above, plus Neighbourhood Cafe Lisbon, are within a few blocks of each other and near the photogenic Green Street. I’d love to come back for a longer trip to try each of these places.
After lunch, we fully embraced the laid-back Portuguese way of life with another siesta.
5 pm: Castelo de S. Jorge
Taken from inside the grounds of Castelo de S. Jorge.
We then hiked (and I say hiked, not walked) up the hill district to Castelo de S. Jorge (St. George’s Castle).
The views were worth the journey, but prepare yourselves. Like much of Lisbon, this route was pretty intense and winded up through very narrow streets with uneven sidewalks.
We purchased tickets ahead of time (about 15 euros each), which I highly recommend. We got to skip the long line at the door and entered the grounds with virtually no wait.
We spent an hour or two walking around the castle then found a bench near the perimeter to soak in the sunset and views of the city below.
We also were graced with the presence of…peacocks. I had no idea they would be there but, sure enough, they were perched in the trees and screaming their hearts out. Here’s a video that perfectly captures what it sounded like.
The castle was definitely one of the highlights of our trip, and I highly recommend coming an hour or so before sunset to witness beauty in its purest form.
7 pm: Dinner and Drinks
Emma looking out at Lisbon from inside Castelo de S. Jorge.
From the castle, we walked down to the Barrio Alto district for dinner.
We got a table outside in an alley off the main walkway up to Barrio Alto. I can’t remember the name of the restaurant, but it was near Calçada do Carmo. This area is filled with nice alleys and terraces to enjoy a meal outside.
We split a dinner of octopus and cod, both of which melted in our mouths. We also split a bottle of vihno verde, which paired beautifully with our seafood.
8 pm - Fado Bar
We ended the night with more drinks at Tasca do Chico, which is a live Fado bar.
Fado is Lisbon’s unique genre of music, and I would describe it as a cross between Opera and Blues. It is full of soul, and achingly sad at moments. There was something incredible about not understanding a word, but feeling the emotion emanating from the artists.
Clearly, Emma loved ginja.
Tasca do Chico was covered in portraits of famous Fado musicians. The little bar was rustic and cozy, but also cramped from the moment we got there.
Their drink menu was simple, either vinho verde or sangria by the glass. We also got some tapas, which honestly were underwhelming. (I’d stick to the drink menu.)
Plus, you can’t make reservations so you’ll need to arrive early. The doors open at 7 p.m. and most shows start around 9 p.m. We got there around 8 and ended up waiting outside for about 45 minutes before getting in.
We were first seated at the bar, and later got to move to a booth right by the band.
The entire time we were elbow-to-elbow with strangers, but I just embraced the experience. We stayed for numerous sets, and this was the absolute highlight of the trip for me.
I loved being cramped in there like sardines, surrounded by a language I couldn’t speak, and riding the ebb and flow of noise from those around me (silence while the performers sang, and rowdiness from groups chatting during breaks).
11 pm: Drink Ginja
On our walk home we stopped by this tiny corner bar called Ginginha do Carmo. Here we each enjoyed a shot of ginja (also known as ginjinha), which is cherry liquor served in a chocolate shot glass. Boy, was it small but mighty.
You can order ginja with or without actual cherries. We ordered it with cherries, which is how I believe most locals enjoy the drink.
Then we made our way back to the hotel and immediately fell into our beds. The following morning we had a semi-early flight home. So we spent our last few hours packing up the hotel room, grabbing continental breakfast, and catching an Uber to the airport.
Conclusion
This trip was short, but jam-packed. For as much as we saw (we averaged 10 miles per day), Emma and I shared plenty of moments sitting and daydreaming about the European way of life. Looking back, my only regret is that I didn’t give myself longer to embrace this city’s warmth.
Lisbon feels like a city rooted in connection. It is a place to share long meals with friends and spend the majority of your days outside. The food is simple - fish, pastries, rice, wine - but, much like the value of a good friend, the beauty lies in the high-quality of these basic ingredients. That ethos clearly carries over into Portuguese quality-of-life.
This also felt like one of the safest cities I’ve ever been. As two women traveling alone, there was never a moment where Emma and I felt unsafe. Not only were all the people we met kind and welcoming, but the streets were well-lit at night. Plus, with how bustling the city was at all hours of the day, we never found ourselves walking down a sketchy alley alone. There was a constant sense of companionship.
Clearly Lisbon’s reward is two-fold: This can be a romantic getaway for couples and a fun yet safe place for traveling alone or with friends. Please consider adding this city to your travel bucket list and, while there, honor the locals by embracing their customs. I know I will be going back..and extending the length of my trip.