Lisbon Travel Guide – By Neighbourhood
- Jan 24, 2021
- 10 min read
As one of Europe’s oldest cities, Lisbon attracts millions of tourists each year to appreciate and learn about its rich history, charming azulejo tiled architecture and its delicious, savoury foods. But in recent years, the city has also gained an appeal for its urban lifestyle and thriving cityscape vibes. Lisbon was my very first destination as a solo traveller and its diversity in attractions and things to do is what made it so easy to fall in love with!
In this blog post, I break down the top must-see places to visit in Lisbon’s most popular neighbourhoods.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
When to visit
Alfama
Baixa-Chiado
Cais do Sodre
Bairro Alto
Belém & Lisbon's west side
When to visit:
Lisbon (and the whole of Portugal) is best visited at any time of the year, really! It’s one of those places that is blessed with great weather and has a very mild winter, so choosing when to go is just a matter of personal preference.
Ultimately, I recommend basing your decision around tourist popularity. Do you want to avoid the major tourist crowds and the blazing hot sun? Then avoid coming in peak season, from around June – August. My personal recommendation is to visit anywhere from April – June or September – November to still enjoy warm, sunny weather while avoiding expensive costs and tourists.
Neighbourhood: ALFAMA
Alfama, located on the east-end of the city, is Lisbon’s oldest and perhaps most visited neighbourhood. There’s a unique charm to it and it’s an absolute must on everyone’s itinerary! From the plentiful historical attractions, endless maze of stairs and alleyways, to its thriving restaurant and Fado music scene – Alfama is arguably where you’ll get the most authentic Portuguese experience.
Castelo Sao Jorge
Castelo Sao Jorge is a large castle and national monument in the north of Alfama; popular for its distinct Moorish architecture and historical role in the Portuguese succession of Lisbon. The castle also offers a 360-degree view of the city.
Santa Engracia
A large and impressive 17th-century church that acts as the country’s national pantheon. Today, it's a widely visited monument, where you can pay respect to many past influential Portuguese figures and presidents. The stunning white marble interior and ginormous structural presence make this a must-see both from inside and outside!
Sé de Lisboa
This is Lisbon’s oldest church and a Portuguese national monument! It offers a pretty cool interior, with a mix of Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque styles. Plus, entry into this one is free!
Visit the Fado Museum
Learn all about the history and cultural significance of Fado - Portugal’s traditional musical genre, which is actually believed to have its origins in Alfama! For only 5 euros, you receive entry plus a helpful audioguide!
Visit a flea market
One of the most popular and oldest flea markets is that of Alfama’s Feira de Ladra! You’ll find beautifully ornate antiques and traditional azulejo tile work, hand-made jewelry, tons of budget-friendly second-hand gems and interesting souvenirs to bring home! The market happens every Tuesday and Saturday in the Campo de Santa Clara.
Traditional dining
Don’t leave Lisbon without a traditional dinner experience - and the Alfama district is just the place for it! You’ll really see this neighbourhood come to life during the evening hours. It’s an enchanting place with lots of restaurants and cafes sprawled over. Many of these restaurants offer traditional Fado dining, meaning a live Fado artist will sing intimately as you dine. Fado is full of emotion, heartfelt melancholies and nostalgic tunes. Hand-in-hand with a good ol’ unpretentious Portuguese meal and you’ve got yourself a recipe for a great night’s experience!
Portuguese dishes to try:
Sardinhas assadas - Grilled sardines
Bacalhau - Fresh cod (a Portuguese MUST)
Porco preto - Portugeuse cured ham
Francesinha - Meaty Portuguese grilled cheese
Chicken Piri Piri
Popular Fado restaurants:
Mesa de Frades
Parreirinha de Alfama
A Baîuca
Sr. Fado de Alfama
Enjoy a beautiful sunset view
There are tons (and I mean TONS) of great lookout points across the city, but perhaps the most well-known and one of the best is that of the Miradouro das Portas do Sol. Your eyes will be blessed with some incredible views of the ancient city, its iconic red roofs and a beautiful vista of the Tagus River.
Neighbourhood: BAIXA-CHIADO I’ve listed the beautiful neighbourhoods of Baixa and Chiado together as they’re tightly connected and often referred to together. Baixa literally translates to ‘low’ in Portuguese, which is fitting because this neighbourhood is located on the lower-end of the city and is also known as the downtown area. Meanwhile, Chiado is known as the shopping and theatre district of Lisbon. Here, you’ll find lots to see and do – from sightseeing many historical buildings, visiting antique bookstores and boutique shops, to dinning at cute cafes and restaurants.
Praça do Comércio
Arguably one of Lisbon’s most recognized and visited squares. The plaza is beautifully surrounded on all 3 sides by impressively large bright yellow, Pombaline-styled buildings. The fourth, lower-end side is open air, offering a scenic view over the Tagus River. This plaza holds great significance as it's where much commerce and sea expeditions took place.
Arco Triunfal da Rua Augusta
Literally located on the edge of Praça do Comércio, in between the northern-facing yellow buildings, you will find Lisbon’s famous triumphal arch. This grand archway is what connects the main square with the famous street of Rua Augusta. Take a stroll through as you make your way towards this pedestrian-friendly street!
Stroll through Rua Augusta
Rua Augusta, as mentioned, is Lisbon’s main pedestrian-only street. This place is lively and filled with outdoor restaurants, cafes, boutiques and international shops. You will also often find street performers and artists putting on public shows!
Rossio Square
Rossio Square is a very lively and colourful city square in Baixa. You’ll find lots of sightseers, performers and vendors, as well as lots of people dining around. This is also where many different sightseeing tours initially meet. I did 2 free walking tours with Discover Lisbon and loved them both! The free tours run constantly throughout the day, so it’s just a matter of showing up and getting started!
Rossio Railway Station
This impressive building is an integral part of the city’s transportation system and infrastructure. It not only connects the whole city through the metro system, but it’s also a network hub for trams, buses and taxis, as well as a major connecting point to the rest of the country via the railway system. Whether or not you plan on using its transportation system, definitely do check out the building! Its elaborate façade and twin horseshoe-like archways are a sight to be seen!
Pro tip: If you plan on making a trip to the popular nearby town of Sintra, the easiest method is to take the train from here. Parking is tricky in Sintra and can be costly so your best bet to avoid this headache is to take a quick half-hour train ride directly into town.
Teatro Nacional São Carlos
Catch an opera or ballet performance in Lisbon’s own opera house. During the summer months, you can often attend free outdoor performances hosted by theatre in the square.
Igreja de São Domingos
This church has a long history of tragedies, tense historical events and natural disasters. Due to this fact, it has a rather peculiar reconstructed interior and is said to be haunted!
Neighbourhood: CAIS DO SODRE
Cais do Sodre is a tiny district neighbouring Baixa and Chiado. Here, you'll find Lisbon's famous Pink Street as well as my favourite place to eat! This neighbourhood is really small so I recommend visiting on the same day as Baixa-Chiado!
Party on Pink Street
There is one street in particular that has become synonymous with Lisboan night life – Pink Street! And it’s exactly that – a short pink-coloured street on Rua Nova do Carvalho. This used to be Lisbon’s Red Light District and is now packed with colourful bars and clubs situated along the entire strip. If this isn't your thing however, do make sure to come during the day for a charming view of the street! It makes for a great photo spot!
Indulge at Time Out Market Lisboa
Located inside the historic building of Mercado da Ribeira, you will find Lisbon’s most beautiful modern gem (in my humble opinion). Time Out Market Lisboa is a modern-concept food hall made to be crossed-off every foodie’s dream bucket list! But what’s amazing is the variety of food offered! You’ll find modern takes to Portuguese dishes and international cuisines – carefully curated by some of the world’s top best and even a few Michelin-star chefs!
Trust me when I say, you can’t go wrong here! On my first visit, I was blown away… so much so, I had to come back a second and then a third time!!!
Pro tip: Dine with strangers and make friends!!! This setting naturally allows you to dine with eager tourists, just as excited as you are for the food! What ends up happening (and what actually happened to me on each occasion) was that you start up conversations about the food… and you make friends! Each time, I ended up trying bits of my neighbour’s dishes and was completely left shocked by this!!! I can’t explain how beautiful these shared moments were!
Neighbourhood: BAIRRO ALTO
Bairro Alto is a very interesting part of town because it has a complete day and night character – literally. By day, it’s a quiet neighbourhood with not much action going on. However, by night it completely transforms into Lisbon’s busiest night life scene. With that being said however, there are a few day-time attractions you don’t want to miss.
Elevador de Santa Justa
Lisbon’s impressive 47-meter-tall vertical elevator is one of a kind! It connects the city’s lower neighbourhood of Baixa with that of Bairro Alto. This elevator now mainly serves as a tourist attraction and offers a great view of the city from its highest lookout point, however it does require a ticket to enter. My tip is to walk up to Bairro Alto’s Largo do Carmo street. From there, you can enjoy the panoramic view from the elevator’s middle floor at no cost!
Convento do Carmo
This is one that I regret not properly visiting! It was only after my trip that I did some more digging and found out that this place is home to the ruins of a medieval convent! It’s now a museum and requires entry to visit, however the roofless nave of the church can be best appreciated from inside!
Take the tram
A trip to Lisbon isn’t complete without a classic tram ride! Lisbon’s hilly streets have made its iconic bright yellow trams a staple on every tourist’s bucket list! The most scenic route to take is the 28 E, which passes through various neighbourhoods, including Alfama, Baixa, Chiado and Bairro Alto!
Nightlife district
If you’re looking for a fun night out, Bairro Alto is the place to be! Packed with bars and lively party-goers, most people end up taking the party to the streets! Some popular bars are Pagina Tantas, Maria Caxuxa and The Old Pharmacy. My favourite however was Copacabana as there was lots of latin music and dancing going on! My best recommendation is to come without a plan and see where the night takes you.
Neighbourhood: BELEM & LISBON’S WEST-SIDE
Last but certainly not least, you have Lisbon’s west-end and certainly not to be missed! In fact, this area is what Lisbon is most well known for– the Belem Tower and the original pastel de nata! You’ll also see a theme around the attractions here… most are situated along or close by the Tagus River and many carry historical significance in Portugal’s Age of Discoveries and sea expeditions.
MAAT (Museum of Art, Architecture & Technology)
A stunning and modern-looking museum, showcasing all things art, architecture and technology of course! Its impressive exterior is described as serpentine-like with lots of curves and twists. It also offers a scenic view of the Tagus River from the building’s rooftop, which can be publicly accessed.
Mosteiro dos Jerónimos
The former monastery of the Order of Saint Jerome is one of the most intricate and decorative buildings I have ever seen!!! Seriously – it looks like something straight out of a Harry Potter movie! Mosteiro dos Jerónimos is considered one of the greatest examples of Portuguese Manueline architecture and is an official UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Taste the original pastel de nata
A must on every foodie’s bucket list should be visiting the one and only… the birth place of the famous pastel de nata delicacy – the Antiga Confeitaria de Belém!
Well in actuality, it was first invented by the monks inside the kitchens of the Jerónimo Monastery, however it is said that they began selling the delicacies in what was then a sugar refinery. This famous pastry shop now sees hundreds of eager visitors a day – all waiting to get a taste for this sinfully delicious egg tart! Arrive early as possible and avoid peak times because the lines here get insanely long!
Torre de Belém
Lisbon’s most iconic building and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site!! The Belem Tower is situated right on the Tagus River and holds great historical significance as the main point of numerous Portuguese expeditions. Because of its position and angle, the Belem Tower often looks like it’s floating on water and is certainly a sight to be seen! With a ticket, you can tour the inside levels as well as its upper terrace for a scenic view over the river. This site is extremely popular so ensure arriving as early as possible!
Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries)
This beautiful and ginormous monument was built to resemble a caravel sailing ship and was commemorated to celebrate the 500th anniversary death of Henry the Navigator, as well as other explorers who aided in the Portuguese Age of Discovery.
LX Factory
One of my TOP highlights was visiting the wonderful complex of LX Factory! This formerly abandoned factory is now one of the city’s most up-and-coming gems and a creative hub for all things arts, entertainment and culture. You’ll find a variety of interesting boutiques, concept shops, incredible restaurants and global cuisines, as well as showrooms and art spaces… and just about everything else in between! Wander around for a bit and definitely make sure to dine at one of the many hip restaurants (this might be the hardest part as there’s soooo many great places to choose from).
Recommended restaurants:
Cantina LX - Traditional Portuguese
Mez Caise LX - Mexican
1300 Taberna - Modern Portuguese
Landeau - Café & desserts
Chef Nino - Brunch & desserts
Sushi Factory
Rio Maravilha - Highly recommend its scenic rooftop bar!
Other:
Livraria Ler Devagar - Super cool and hip bookstore
Village Underground - A unique hub made of numerous shipping containers and two old buses! You can often find live music and performances happening.
25 de Abril Bridge
The giant 25 de Abril suspension bridge is again another iconic landmark of Lisbon. The bridge spans over the Tagus River and connects with the neighbouring city of Almada, on the south side. It’s often compared to San Fransisco’s Golden Gate Bridge for its sharp resemblance. Note that you can’t actually walk over the bridge but it’s best seen from different lookout points on the west-end of the city.
Santuário de Cristo Rei (Sanctuary of Christ the King)
Now this one isn’t actually in Lisbon but is rather located across the 25 de Abril bridge, in the city of Almada. This huge catholic monument depicts and honours the legacy of Jesus Christ. The actual statue is situated high up on the monument’s top viewing platform and requires a ticket to get in.
And there you have it!
All your must-see spots and attractions in Lisbon! I recommend spending 3-4 days to complete this guide. Happy exploring and please do let me know what your favourite part of Lisbon was!
P.S. - If you're looking to explore more of Portugal, I've created a full-week Portugal itinerary that covers the country's most popular cities and destinations, starting in Lisbon and making our way through Sintra, Porto and the Algarve's coastal city of Lagos. Find it on Atlas Guru!
Happy travels,
Tatiana
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