Lisbon or Lisboa (in Portuguese) is the capital of Portugal and one of my favorite cities in Europe so far. Its beautiful neighborhoods and perfect-view rooftops makes you want to explore the city for days!

Lisbon is a vibrant city full of colorful corners and art everywhere. It’s a great destination for traveling ‘solo’ with lots of cool and fun things to do. 

How to get there

I was coming from Barcelona so it was a quick two hours direct flight. The Humberto Delgado Airport or Aeroporto da Portela is really close to the city center, about 7 km from downtown and you can get there by bus, metro, taxi or Uber. I took the metro and it was vey easy to get to my hotel, you can check with the place you are staying at to see what’s the easiest way for you.

Where to stay?

Accommodation in Lisbon is not expensive compared to other cities in Europe. I think the best areas to stay is Lisbon are Baixa and Chiado or Bairro Alto. Lisbon has beautiful neighborhoods to stay at but I like these two because Baixa and Chiado is where the most popular places are, it has everything you need close to you and from there you can easily go anywhere to explore the rest of the city. Bairro Alto has amazing restaurants and a great nightlife. Both areas felt very safe.

Things to do

With plenty of things to do in Lisbon I recommend you to stay at least 3 days to get to see it the right way. Here are some of the things you can’t miss:

• Castelo de São Jorge: Or São Jorge Castle is a must when going to Lisbon. It’s a beautiful castle overlooking the city of Lisbon and the river. Castelo de São Jorge is open every day and the entrance is around 8.50€ for adults. There’s also a bar and a restaurant in case you want to take a break and go for a bite. It’s close to the city and you can take the Tram 28 to get there.

• Take a day trip to Cascais: Located in the coastline of Lisbon, Cascais is a destination not too far from the city. It’s a fishing town very popular during the summer. If you want to visit a sandy beach during your stay in Lisbon here you can find one you like, some of them a walking distance of Cascais. The best and most convenient way to get to Cascais is by train. It’s a short distance from the city (around 30 minutes) so it’s great for a day trip.

• Discover the beautiful Bairro de Alfama: This is the oldest district of Lisbon and a neighborhood you can’t skip. Its surroundings are so pretty and at the top of the hills you can find a stunning view. When you go to Castelo de São Jorge you can go to Bairro Alfama after because it’s on the way. By sunset find a good spot because is the perfect place for a glass of wine while the sun goes down!

• Visit Sintra and Pena Palace: This charming town might be one of the most popular day trips from Lisbon.  Its natural scenery, castles and palaces make it a favorite destination for a lot of travelers. I loved wandering around Sintra but my favorite part was visiting the Pena Palace which is a must if you go to Sintra. Make sure to check on the weather before you go because if it’s cloudy you won’t be able to appreciate the Pena Palace as much as if it’s sunny, that’s what happened to me, it was still awesome but I know could’ve been way more. From downtown is around 45 minutes train ride and you can take the train in downtown Lisbon at Rossio Station.

• Cabo da Roca: This cape is located at the west coast of Portugal close to Lisbon in the southwest of Sintra which makes it a good option for a day trip that you can combine with Sintra. Cabo da Roca has an incredible panoramic view over the Serra De Sintra and the coast that will make you want to stare at it for hours and there’s no need to say that is a picture-perfect place!

Where to eat?

You can find really good places to eat in Bairro Alto but one place you have to go for sure is Time Out Market which has many delicious options in one place. It’s open every day since 10 am so it’s perfect for lunch or dinner.

There’s also something that Lisbon is famous for… its pasteis de nata or pasteis de Belém (besides the rest of their pastries) so make sure to try as many as possible I promise you won’t regret 😛 

I hope this guide can help you if you visit Lisbon, it’s a city that you can love instantly so I hope you put it in your bucket list if you haven’t been yet! Thanks for reading and I would love to read what else you love about Lisbon!

Happy adventures 😀

Photos by me