Itineraries
Where to stay
Baixa and Chiado for first-timers, central and flat; Alfama for old-town charm and fado; Príncipe Real for a calm, upscale base; Bairro Alto only if you want nightlife outside your window.
The areas: Baixa and Chiado, Alfama, Príncipe Real, Bairro Alto.
Where to stay in Lisbon: areas and adviceHotels in LisbonPlaces to see
All things to do in PortugalNeighborhoodAlfamaLisbon's oldest neighborhood: a maze of lanes, laundry lines and fado houses.Entry: Free to visit
NeighborhoodBairro AltoA hilltop grid of narrow streets with small restaurants, fado houses and bars that fill late.Entry: Free to visit
ViewpointBelém TowerA carved stone fortress on the Tagus, where the navigators set sail.
NeighborhoodChiadoAn elegant quarter of old cafes, bookshops and theaters between the Baixa and Bairro Alto.Entry: Free to visit
ChurchJerónimos MonasteryA masterpiece of Manueline stonework, built from the riches of the spice trade.
NeighborhoodLX FactoryAn old factory complex of bookshops, restaurants and design stores.Entry: Free to visit
ViewpointMiradouro da Senhora do MonteOne of Lisbon's highest viewpoints, best at sunset.Entry: Free to visit
ViewpointMiradouro de Santa CatarinaA hillside terrace by the Adamastor statue, looking over the river to the 25 de Abril Bridge.Entry: Free to visit
ViewpointMiradouro de Santa LuziaA terrace with tiled walls and a pergola, looking over the rooftops of Alfama to the river.Entry: Free to visit
RuinsMoorish Castle, SintraMedieval walls running along a ridge above Sintra, next to the Pena Palace park.
MuseumNational Museum of Ancient ArtPortugal's great collection of older art, from the Saint Vincent Panels to Bosch, in a palace above the river.
FoodPastéis de BelémThe bakery that has made the famous custard tarts since 1837.Entry: Pay as you go
MuseumPena Palace, SintraA colorful romantic palace on a forested hilltop above Sintra.Entry: Book a time slot
FoodPiriquita, SintraA family bakery in Sintra's old town, known for travesseiros and queijadas.Entry: Pay as you go
NeighborhoodPraça do ComércioThe grand riverside square, rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake.Entry: Free to visit
MuseumQuinta da Regaleira, SintraA mysterious estate of grottoes, tunnels and the spiral Initiation Well.
FoodRua das Portas de Santo AntãoA pedestrian street off Rossio lined with seafood restaurants and old beer halls.Entry: Pay as you go
ViewpointSão Jorge CastleMoorish castle walls with the widest view over the city.
MuseumSintra National PalaceA royal palace in the old town, known for its two huge cone-shaped kitchen chimneys and tiled rooms.
FoodTime Out MarketA food hall in the old Ribeira market building at Cais do Sodré, with stalls from well-known Lisbon chefs.Entry: Pay as you go