Lisbon travel guide

Plan your trip, step by step

• Where to stay
  Pick which hill (or the flat) to base on, and a hotel vs an apartment.
• Things to do
  Decide which monuments, fado nights and Sintra tickets to reserve.
• Lisbon in 3 days
  Follow a plan that separates the old city, Belém and Sintra cleanly.
• Estimate your trip cost
  See what a Lisbon trip costs in euros at your travel style.
• First-timer mistakes to avoid
  Sidestep the fare, closing-day and Sintra errors that cost first-timers a day.
• Lisbon on a budget
  See what a lean, comfortable or generous day really costs.

The neighborhoods at a glance

Baixa & Chiado

Known for the flat Pombaline grid rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake — Praça do Comércio, the Rua Augusta arch, the Santa Justa lift, and Chiado’s theatres, bookshops and cafés just uphill.

Alfama, Graça & Mouraria

Known for the medieval maze the earthquake spared — São Jorge Castle above it, fado houses in the lanes, and the Portas do Sol and Senhora do Monte viewpoints.

Bairro Alto & Príncipe Real

Known for the western ridge: Bairro Alto’s bar grid that only wakes after 22:00, and Príncipe Real one block uphill with gardens, antiques and quieter design shops.

Avenida da Liberdade & Marquês de Pombal

Known for the broad 19th-century boulevard of luxury flagships and international hotels, running uphill from Restauradores to the Marquês roundabout and Parque Eduardo VII.

Cais do Sodré, Santos & Alcântara

Known for the riverside strip — the Time Out Market food hall, the Cascais train, ferries to Cacilhas, Pink Street’s nightlife and LX Factory under the 25 de Abril bridge.

Belém

Known for the Age of Discoveries quarter 6 km west — Jerónimos Monastery, Belém Tower, the Padrão dos Descobrimentos, MAAT and the original pastéis de Belém.

Deciding which hill to base on? The where-to-stay guide turns these areas into a lodging decision.

When to go — month by month

Average daytime high (bars) and rainy days per month, from 5-year climate normals. Greener months are the most comfortable to visit.

Best months to visit: Jan–Jun

Destinations with a similar climate

Like Lisbon’s weather? These places have the closest year-round climate in our data — tap through for each one’s best time to visit.

• Chefchaouen →
• Ibiza →
• Mykonos →
• Casablanca →
• Barcelona →
• Santorini →

Know before you go

Currency

Euro (€). Cards and contactless are accepted almost everywhere, though a handful of old tascas and market stalls are still cash-only — carry €20 or so.

Language

Portuguese. English is widely spoken across hospitality and transport, and Spanish is understood but not appreciated as a default — “bom dia” and “obrigado/obrigada” cover the courtesies.

From the airport

Humberto Delgado (LIS) sits inside the city, with a Metro station (Aeroporto, Red Line) at the terminal — the cheapest way in, with one line change for most central stops. Taxis and Bolt/Uber are faster door-to-door and cost several times the Metro fare; check the airport’s own transport page for current ranks and pickup zones.

Getting around

Four Metro lines plus Carris buses, trams and the Santa Justa lift. Buy a €0.50 Navegante Ocasional card once and load it with zapping: a journey is then €1.72, against €1.90 for a single Carris/Metro title, €1.92 tapping a bank card on the Metro, €2.30 on a bus or €3.30 on a tram. A 24-hour Carris/Metro ticket is €7.25; €10.35 adds the Transtejo ferries and €11.40 the CP trains to Sintra and Cascais. Note that Carris currently lists the Glória, Bica and Lavra funiculars as closed or suspended, with buses 51E and 22B as substitutes — check carris.pt for your dates rather than planning a climb around them.

Best time

March–June and September–October are the sweet spot: warm, long days without August’s heat and crowds. Mid-June is the Festas de Lisboa, peaking with Santo António on 12–13 June, when Alfama, Graça and Mouraria fill with sardine grills and street parties. Winter is mild and wet in patches and much cheaper — but Web Summit takes over the hotel market for a week each November.

Hills, shoes & tipping

The pavement is calçada portuguesa — polished limestone cobbles that turn genuinely slippery in rain and punish smooth soles. Bring shoes with grip. Tipping is modest: rounding up or ~5–10% for good service, and the couvert (bread, olives, cheese) put on your table is charged if you eat it — send it back if you don’t want it.

For the best months to visit and a day-by-day plan, see Lisbon in 3 days.