Last updated May 2026
If you google “visiting Lisbon”, you’ll find plenty of things to do in this town. Brady and I have also hosted more people here in Lisbon in the first 6 months that we lived here than we did in literally years of living in San Diego (another place people go for vacation), so I think we have this itinerary pretty well down.
A few caveats: Our friends tend to be dorks. Computer geeks, history buffs (in the most niche ways imaginable), general nerds – which is awesome, but it might mean this list isn’t for you. We’ve had people come visit who had literal hours as a port of call on a cruise, and others stay for a week and a half. I’ve tried to give my honest, no-bullshit assessment about what’s worked for us – and our weird, dorky friends – and how long you should expect to budget time for.
“I don’t want to do touristy things”
Lisbon is a Real (Capital) City, but it also thrives a lot on tourism. I’ve heard people say they want to visit Lisbon but “avoid the touristy things” – which you can do, but that’s just called suburbia, and you probably have that in whatever place you’re visiting from. It’s like visiting New York City, and deciding to spend all of your time in Staten Island. (Please never actually do this.)
The reality is that Lisbon (called “Lisboa” here) is old. Like, really, really fucking old. And you’ll want to see some of that old stuff, which means you’re going to probably want to do some touristy things – and that’s okay. Nothing wrong with that. Lisboa has so much to offer in terms of art, history, culture, and people – if you get stuck on the “not doing tourist things” thing, you’re actually gonna miss out on a lot.
We have churches, cathedrals, museums (modern art, ancient art, military, religious, asian, money, pharmaceutical, tiles, horse carriages, naval boats, earthquakes – you name it, we have a museum for it.)
It’s all going to depend on what your interests are, what your body can handle (a lot of walking here), and how much stuff you want to cram into whatever time you have. (Also bear in mind that if you’re coming from anywhere other than Europe, the jet lag once you get here will likely crater the first day or so for you. 10+ hours flight plus 5+ hours time differences is a bitch.) Give yourself a day (if you have it available) before trying to do all the things. If you don’t have that time because you’re here on a short trip, the coffee here is very good, and also they sell Red Bull.
So let’s get to it. This page will be updated and added to over time.
Museums and Attractions
Tip: Whenever possible, order tickets online before trying to visit the museums and attractions. The queues are usually quite long. Most places will give you a digital ticket with a QR or barcode that they can scan in.
Quake Museum – it’s an immersive museum about the famous earthquake of 1755. It’s a timed event, and can seem cheesy in the first few rooms, but stick with it – some of the smartest, most cynical people I know have learned a lot and had a great time. It’s not the cheapest museum in Lisbon at a pricy 30 euro per person, but worth it if you have a few hours and some spare cash. (Important caveat: Weâve heard from a few friends that parts of this experience can be problematic for folks who suffer from claustrophobia or issues with flashing lights.) Time spent: ~1.5 hrs
The SĂ© – The SĂ© is the Lisbon Cathedral in Alfama, and the self-guided tour is really interesting and inexpensive. Very cool if you’re into old textiles and/or phylacteries. You can do this one in ~45 minutes or less, depending on your own interests.
Museu do Aljube – This is the museum of struggle and resistance in Portugal. It’s not an easy visit, by any means, and for such a small place, plan for 3+ hours, and probably a solid hour to have a word with yourself and whatever country you came from. It’s difficult, but if you’re a history buff (or actually just want to understand how things happened the way they did) I highly recommend it. It’s also very inexpensive – I want to say 3 euro. I don’t recall, but it’s not more than 5.
If youâre from the U.S. and you make it partway through, feeling a sigh of relief that for *once* we werenât involved. Floor 3 is going to kick you in the teeth. However it is really important for you – yes, especially you – to witness.
OceanĂĄrio de Lisboa – The Lisbon Aquarium is very, very cool. The first room you get to is a japanese-designed zen room that I could live in for my entire life. So incredibly calming. The rest of the OceanĂĄrio is very well done, and you can do it in ~3 hours at a comfortable pace. Outside of the marine animals, there are a bunch of really interesting recycled/reclaimed art pieces that strive to provoke conversation about conservation.
Lisbon Zoo – This is a lovely zoo, where you will be greeted by peacocks and pea-hens walking up to you without fear before you even pay the entrance fee. It’s about 30 euros, and I’d budget 3 hours tops. It’s also very accessible via the Lisbon Metro Vermelho (red) line, which makes it very cheap to get to if you’re close to a metro station.
Castelo de SĂŁo Jorge – This castle is within Lisbon city limits, and if you go anywhere with an unobstructed view, you’ll see it there on the hill. It’s self-guided, so you can spend as much or as little time as you’d like, but probably 2 hours there is plenty.
Sintra – amazing full day trip, or a half day trip if you don’t need to see ALL of the castles and palaces. PalĂĄcio Nacional da Pena (Pena Palace, which we lovingly call the penis palace) is absurdly charming, with bright colors that make it look like it came right out of a fairy tale. There is also the ruins of a moorish castle (Castelo dos Mouros), a gothic mansion (Quinta da Regaleira) with lovely gardens and a Knights Templar initiation well, and an Arabian inspired villa with intricate latticework stone carving and tranquil gardens (Monserrate Palace). You can read up more on the sights in Sintra here.
BelĂ©m – Lots to do and see here, from the Torre de BelĂ©m (Tower of BelĂ©m) to the PadrĂŁo dos Descobrimentos (Monument of the Discoveries), and try the world famous PastĂ©is do BelĂ©m. PastĂ©is de nata (the creamy egg tart you’ve probably heard of) are everywhere in Portugal, but locals claim you can taste the difference in BelĂ©m, and I kind of agree. One is a little more custard-y, the other is a little more eggy – both are delicious though.
Tip: Don’t bother waiting in line to get inside the Tower of BelĂ©m. It’s not really worth the wait or the cost – the outside is way more interesting.
The Tower of Belém and the Monument of the Discoveries are pretty close to each other along the Tagus river and they only take a half hour to enjoy, tops.
You can also check out the Mosteiro dos JerĂłnimos, a very cool 16th century monastery, the PlanetĂĄrio de Marinha (Planetarium, which I haven’t yet been to but am very excited to visit), or stroll through the Jardim BotĂąnico Tropical (tropical botanical garden) and grab a coffee.
You can pick and choose from these things as they’re all walkably close, but if you plan to make the whole day of it in BelĂ©m, make sure you wear comfy shoes as it is a lot of walking.
Boat Tours – I personally love boats, and the boat tours offer a great way to see and learn in a relatively short time. Plus they serve wine! The tour guides will take you along the Tagus (aka âTejuâ) river and give you some history about the things you see. They also offer a neat view of the BelĂ©m Tower and the Monument of the Discoveries from the river-side. We usually do the antique-style boats just because we think they look neat, but there are also party cruises and more standard boat rides available. Even if you end up with the worst tour guide in the world, it’s a relaxing way to spend a few hours.
Praça do ComĂ©rcio – Yes, it’s touristy, but it’s also a great place to people-watch, and there are often markets or concerts going on. The restaurants along the praça are all pretty decent (if a little overpriced), and it’s a nice place to pass an hour or two when the weather is nice. If you watched the (not very good) movie Heart of Stone with Gal Godot, the car chase in Lisbon ends here. The Beer Museum has a surprisingly good prego, but I personally avoid the pastĂ©is de bacalhau “com queijo” (codfish cake “with cheese”). The cheese makes it taste a bit like feet, IMHO.
Places to Eat and Drink
Many of the local restaurants don’t have websites, and lots don’t take reservations (and usually don’t need them.) Yelp isnât a thing here (is it a thing anywhere anymore? am I from the past? please donât answer that) and neither is Tripadvisor for the most part, but Tripadvisor can be useful to find menus. A lot of places here have their menus and hours on Facebook or Instagram, but Google listings seem to have at least a reasonably accurate representation of hours. Kind of. Our friends who run restaurants here say that it can take weeks to get hours updated, even though they own the listing, so itâs always going to be a bit of a crapshoot for open hours. But, thefork.pt also usually has current menus, so thatâs helpful.
Most places take credit cards, but you should always ask if you’re not sure. I only know of two on this list that are cash-only, and there’s an ATM right nearby. To ask if a place takes cards, it’s usually easier to ask “Multibanco?” versus the longer way of asking if they take “cartĂŁo do credito”.
Tipping is not required, but is always deeply appreciated. Portugal is a one of the poorest countries in the EU and the minimum wage is low.
- 10% is considered a very good tip.
- Always check the receipt – more touristy places will have a “suggested tip” (usually 8% or so) in larger print than the actual total. You don’t have to pay the suggested amount, but make sure you factor that in, else you could end up tipping 10% on top of the already calculated total-with-tip.
There are usually vegetarian (if not vegan) options at most restaurants, but gluten-free can be harder to find. (Those places do exist tho.)
Alfama Rio – (Closed Sundays) Unassuming restaurant with amazing authentic Portuguese food. Most of the servers there don’t speak a lot of English, but they will still try to help you out and get you what you want. Some of the best food we’ve had in all of Lisbon, and some of the best people. If you come after 5PM, Sandra will be there and she’s fluent in English. Edit: Sandra no longer works there, but the food is still good! If you go without us, tell them Alison and Brady sent you! I often do the burger, the frango salada (salad with shredded chicken and a light sesame dressing), or the prego, while Brady usually has the pica-pĂŁo, but we’ve never had a bad meal there ever. If you end up there on a Thursday, ask about their feijoada de choco, which is a bean and cuttlefish stew that Brady absolutely adores. They’re sometimes closed during holidays since they work the markets instead, so have a fallback just in case.
York Bar – (CASH ONLY – Closed Tuesdays and every last Wednesday of the month.) Their chicken (frango), bifana (get it with the cheese) and their hot dogs are top notch. That’s not why you go though. It’s a family run place where the two brothers and one sister are absolute clowns and you will adore them. They play a lot of practical jokes on customers, and we love them for it.
Crafty Corner – This is very much an expat bar, which is good and bad in its own way. The staff is wonderful and they speak English. Food is solid and their craft beer selection is fantastic. I usually do the garlic shrimp and garlic bread, though their pulled pork sandwich is also excellent.
Bonjardim – Order the chicken. Trust me. Their frango assado is amazing, but go easy on the piri-piri sauce, it packs a punch. (I always suggest putting a little on your plate and then dipping the chicken into it to gauge your spice tolerance.) Another bonus, the food comes out lightning fast, since they are roasting chickens all day long. Also fairly inexpensive, given the quality of the food and the fact that it’s so close to the touristy center of town. They get JAMMED UP starting around 6PM, so try to plan for a little bit of a wait, or go in off-hours.
Clube de Fado – If you are coming to Portugal, you should probably listen to some Fado. There is no shortage of places to go to listen to Fado, but my favorite (which has been a hit with guests) is Clube do Fado in Alfama. One word of VERY SERIOUS WARNING: when the lights drop, shut the fuck up. Don’t move. Listen. They will get very angry at even a whisper, as fado is a highly revered and cherished type of music here. If you aren’t ready for that kind of commitment, go to a less formal fado place – there are plenty around. The food at Club de Fado is very good, but on the more expensive side. No formal wear is required, but try not to dress sloppy.
Another quick note: If youâre coming from far away, I probably wouldnât pick fado – especially Club do Fado – on your first night. Itâs late. The lights go down, and jet-lag kicks in, and youâre suddenly, accidentally, that asshole who falls asleep at a show. It will keep. Get adjusted to the timezone so you can actually enjoy it instead of focusing on not crashing out.
Cinco Lounge – This place is hipster AF, but the servers are delightful and their cocktails are all bespoke and wonderful. (One of the servers remembered us from when we had visited the year before!) I don’t think they serve food, but right across the street is a fantastic bear bar (gay bar) that’s super chill with lots of outdoor seating, if you want something a little less complicated.
Carnal Gastrobar – Great modern Mexican fusion restaurant with really fun decor, delicious food and incredible coffees/desserts. We chatted with the chef. Turns out he’s Mexican and his long-time girlfriend (who is the mother of his child) is Portuguese. They met in culinary school in Chicago and then moved to Lisbon together. He texts her in Spanish and she replies in Portuguese, but they still understand each other. They can get pretty busy, so reservations might not be a bad idea for larger groups.
Lisboa Bar – Up a flight of what feels like never-ending stairs is a tiny bar that’s always busy. Good drinks, super friendly bartenders. No food, but we met our first friends there. Try the 1755 – it’s delicious.
Break SĂ© – (Takes cards but prefers cash) Lovely little brunch place up the hill in Alfama with the only decent nachos we’ve found here. Lots of egg dishes, a decent club sandwich. Very friendly staff, but they close at 5PM, so plan accordingly.
Noobai Cafe – (NOW takes credit cards! But also there’s an ATM right outside) This place is one of our favorites. The food is always great, the view overlooking the Tagus is fantastic, and the staff is always lovely. They have a rolling roof that they can extend for when the rain storms come out of nowhere, and outdoor misters for the hot summer days. My current favorite there is their “manga e frango” dish, which is a chicken and mango salad with a very subtle garam masala dressing. They open at 4PM noon, and they can get a little crowded so plan on making a reservation if you have a larger party.
Outro Lado – This is a really cute location with an excellent beer selection right in Alfama. It’s tucked away up an archway you could easily miss, but the service is always friendly. I’ve seen a projector inside and a DJ table, so they might open that up for sports events or celebrations, but it’s generally a pretty low-key vibe. Google and their website don’t agree on their operating hours/days though so keep that in mind. Their Google listing says they have a âbeer gardenâ, which I think is a bit of an overstatement. Itâs a handful of rickety tables and chairs outside, but itâs very casual and you can end up in some really fun conversations.
Bali do Cais – (Takes cards) Delicious Indonesian food, really friendly staff (they speak English), with great gluten-free options.
Antiga Wine Bar – Honestly, some of the best food weâve ever eaten here, hands-down. Very unassuming, tiny, but kinda fancy place, which introduced us to our new favorite vinho verde (green wine), called âMar Salgado.â Eat literally anything here (except the fish and chips – donât ask me why, but theyâre just not good at them), itâs amazing. And youâll be surprised how low the bill is. The staff can come off a little stuffy sometimes, but theyâve warmed up to us and this is rapidly becoming our go-to spot for a yummy bite to eat and a wine or three. They take reservations and they can get packed during peak hours, so our trick is to sneak in around 3 or 4pm. Alex is the super-hot Brazilian server, and his husband Ali works in the kitchen. Get to know them – theyâre so adorable, theyâll restore your faith in love, and people in general.
Taberna Moderna – Also, some amazingly done food, a skosh pricey, but worth it. Itâs on a tourist track area, but is very Portuguese. Their menu keeps changing, but one of our favorites there now is a Thai-style beef dish that has some really delicate, but interesting flavors and is light, but definitely present, on the spice. (I know, I said âvery Portugueseâ and yet Iâm talking about a Thai dish. Deal with it.) We started to call it âTaberna non-grataâ for a while since it seemed like for a few months we werenât allowed in – no, it just turned out they have the inside mostly for reservations, and it was rainy season so we didnât want to sit outside. So make a reservation or try to snag a seat outside. It seems like when itâs deeply into the cold season, the outside seats are âjust for showâ sometimes, which is strange (why donât they just take them in?! We donât know!). One time we sat down outside (in the cold season) and they said âokay, weâll serve you because youâre vizinhos (neighbors)â – kinda implying that they didnât want to deal with other folks out there. We definitely saw other people try to sit down and get turned away. Very weird, but itâs worth it for the quality of the food. For desert, they have this lemon sorbet they serve with gin (they have a whole thing about gin at this place), and itâs wonderful. Edit: Fullest (big corporate restaurant conglomerate) bought them in Spring 2026 and their food is actually terrible now. Genuinely bad, and also overpriced. I am heartbroken. đ©
Citron – Lebanese food, extremely well-executed. They take reservations, and youâll definitely need them. The first time we went there they were jammed up so we asked if we could sit at the bar – they let us, and we had some really great stuff there. They had some strange pickles – looking at the menu, it was turnip ?! And they were great too.
Restaurant da Madelena – You donât so much go here for the food, but more for the patrons. The back-of-house folks that work at Club do Fado (mentioned above) come here after they close up for the night, so you get to chat with a ton of very cool locals. Theyâre also open super late (2AM, which is late for Baixa) and you can get food late – really helpful for us after a late night of meetings with our Hawaii and California folks. Open 7 days a week.
Menina Sardinha – Excellent Portuguese cuisine with super-friendly staff. There are two JosĂ©s there – one is the owner (âJosĂ©â is the owner, the other goes by just âSeâ because that shit gets confusing) and both are really nice. Not everyoneâs English is amazing, but youâll have no trouble ordering from them. (My fav is the chicken and mushrooms, Brady is partial to the coffee steak, but the pineapple pork is also really nice.)
Baixamar – Again, on a tourist track, but the food is surprisingly good and affordable (theyâll get you on the wine, of course). Baixamar is one of a few restaurants that are all owned by the same parent company on that block, and the food at all of them is quite good. They DO shut down from 5-6PM every day so their staff can eat, so plan around that. If youâre there and starving around that time, just go to the wine bar (also owned by them) right next door – they have light fare thatâs just as good and will keep you from starving while you wait for Baixamar to open back up.
PinĂłquio – This one is not cheap, but damn the food is good. A really nice choice for a date night or perhaps a fancy business dinner.
Qosqo – This is a small, unassuming Peruvian place with a menu as long the bible itself, but the food is really great. (Iâd link to their website, but they let the domain expire because of course they did.) I get the Costilla de Vaca ĂĄ la Norteña every time Iâm there and it never disappoints, and Brady gets the Chaufa de Pollo and he swears itâs the best fried rice heâs had in this country.