Highlights Guide of Lisbon Portugal!

Lisbon Portugal: A Hidden Gem (for now)

Lisbon Portugal was a place I knew I would get to eventually, but never prioritized it when I planned trips. When a stopover perfectly aligned with our schedule thanks to TAP Air Portugal having amazing flight options lately, we went for it and I am SO happy we did. Lisbon is a draw droppingly beautiful city. The city sits high on a hill which means tons of amazing viewpoints of orange tile roofed houses and turquoise blue ocean views constantly. The streets are overflowing with charm, from intricate ceramic tiled houses and brightly colored paint to cobblestone streets and little cafes. Sintra is a must do day trip from Lisbon as well, read on for all the details! I couldn’t believe how little people talk about Lisbon! But trust me, this won’t be an under the radar country to visit much longer

Where to Stay

The incredible Memmo Alfama Hotel Rooftop

Memmo Alfama Hotel Lisboa: This place is everything you hope for in a boutique hotel. It is in a very cool part of the city centrally located, with an incredible terrace! The terrace has a beautifully tiled infinity pool, bar serving up great cocktails, and wow the view of the city and water! The rooms were great and the beds provided the night sleep I had been missing. As a couple, we loved staying here and we walked everywhere in Lisbon

What to Do

Arco da Rua Augusta

Arco da Rua Augusta: Walk here from your hotel so you get to stroll down the cute Lisbon streets and spot the adorable trolly! A great place to start your Lisbon journey is the magnificent Arco da Rua Augusta which is a big square and stunning arch right on the sea. After checking out the arch, we headed to the ocean and enjoyed hearing the waves crash onto shore. There are restaurants here but skip them due to high prices and ok food

Castelo de Sao Jorge

Castelo de Sao Jorge: This was my favorite site in Lisbon! The Moorish castle was very cool to see, and the 360 degree views of the whole city were stunning. We spent a lot of time here taking it all in! The surrounding streets of the castle are also worth checking out they are some of the cutest in the city. Look out for peacocks as you explore!

Praça Dom Pedro IV

Praça Dom Pedro IV: This beautiful central plaza is a must see in Lisbon! The plaza has a lively atmosphere with shops and eateries and it is simply stunning. Wavy patterned cobblestone, vibrant colored buildings and a beautiful fountain are a can’t miss in the city

Time Out Market Lisbon

Time Out Market Lisboa: A great spot to grab some yummy Portuguese food where you can try a bit of everything! and there are some interesting shops in the market too. There is an outdoor area too or grab your food to go and walk along the waterfront!

Stop at Miradouros

Miradouro’s are little viewpoints all over the city. Whenever see a sign for them it’s worth a stop! They sometimes have little stalls selling drinks and food and of course it’s all about the views! These were our two favorites:

Miradouro de Sao Pedro de Alcantara: This one was my favorite of all - there are little shops selling sangria and ice cream and picnic tables situated under string lights while music plays. The view here is incredible and you really get a sense of Lisbon here. This was a magical spot to sit and relax

Miradouro de Santa Luizia: This viewpoint is beautiful and a great photo spot in a very cute part of town. There’s a trellis covered with beautiful flowering vines that make for a stunning setting!

Pink Street Lisbon

Pink Street: Worth checking out if you are in the area, a really scenic street with restaurants and cute terraces! Check out the surrounding streets too - we ended up finding the cutest cafe to eat at!

Get Lost Wandering the Streets

Walk Everywhere: Lisbon is certainly a city that’s more about the journey than the destination while site seeing. Wandering the streets is a real treat, with beautiful tilework homes and the most adorable trolly spoiling you with charm. I hope these photos inspire you to get lost and enjoy what make Lisbon so beautiful!

The Lisbon Trolly

Ride the famous Trolley: Hoping on the cute yellow Trolley is a fun way to get around the city! It is a bid crowded but it’s worth the experience! I did enjoy snapping pictures of it, rather than being on it, so during your ride its worth just putting your camera down and enjoying the ride up Lisbon’s steep hills. Ginger Tip: check out the Trolley stops throughout your trip and if the line for the Trolley is short, go for it! Some stops have very long lines if they are close to tourists’ sites and the ride is not worth a long wait

Day Trip to Sintra

While in Lisbon, taking a day trip to Sintra is a must! The city itself is so cute and there are incredible once in a lifetime castles to see here! We woke up early & took an uber that costs about 30 USD each way which was way better than taking a tour bus, they were very slow moving and toured in huge groups! Set your drop off location to The National Palace of Pena since you will want to make sure you have as much time as you want here. But budget accordingly! There is a lot more to see down the hill

Park and National Palace of Pena: This is one of the coolest castles in the entire world and cannot be missed while in the area! Palace of Pena sits high up on a hill up in the clouds (we were inside a cloud our whole visit so be prepared to get wet just in case!) and the castle itself is bright red and yellow! The grounds are simply stunning too, and you could spend an entire day just exploring here. There are several different ticket options when visiting here - we opted for just the grounds and walking the exterior of the castle. You can still walk the castle walls and pathways with this option which was perfect. We decided to save some money and skip the indoor portion which also had it’s own very long line since the interior here isn’t as cool as the next castle on the list!

Eat in the Praça da República: You will need to catch an Uber back down the hill to the city center, Praça da República, for your next Palace but you will want to eat first! There are a lot of really charming places to eat and shop in this area. We ended up eating at Cafe Paris which was a touristy spot right across from the Sintra National Palace but it seemed very cozy for a rainy day and we loved it! We warmed up with some lattes and yummy food in the beautiful Cafe.

Sintra National Palace: This 11th century Moorish Palace was stunning to walk through and it was mostly indoors which was perfect on a rainy day. The rooms were beautifully decorated and I loved seeing the tilework that influenced much of how Portugal looks still today! Tour at your own pace and learn all about Portugal’s history