How to Spend 3 Days in Lisbon, Portugal

Let me show you what you can get up to in just 3 days in Lisbon. The capital city of Portugal has been on my bucket list for ages. In December 2018 we decided to squeeze in a quick city break and it just had to be Lisbon. As our trip was close to Christmas we were lucky enough to taste some of the amazing holiday market food! We could also admire the beautiful Christmas lights out all over the city. However, the weather was still warm enough that I could walk around without my winter coat during the afternoon.

The city was lively, but nowhere near as busy as it would be during the spring / summer months. This is definitely a bonus if you don’t like crowded places! Now grab yourself a cuppa and get comfortable because there are a lot of amazing places to get through.

3 Days in Lisbon – Day 1

1. Ride in a lift

Head to the 45m tall Santa Justa Lift and get a glimpse of central Lisbon from above. Choose to go there early to avoid all the tourists as this viewpoint has become very popular over the decades. We managed to take photos and enjoy the peace only for a few minutes before more people joined us.

Top Tip: If you would like to experience the ride in the lift, the return price for this is €5.30. This includes the admission fee for the viewing platform which is normally €1.50. However, this lift is part of Lisbon’s public transport network (a pretty cool form of transport for avoiding hills). Therefore, the 24-hour public transport ticket gives you access to the lift! Once at the top you just pay the additional €1.50 to gain access. (The 24-hour ticket is just over €6 which means you can enjoy countless tram rides across the city!).

2. Visit a lively square…or two

Rossio Square

The closest area to where we stayed was Rossio Square, which is one of the liveliest areas of the city. The square consists of two big baroque fountains along with a monument to Dom Pedro IV. Dona Maria II National Theatre is located to the north of the square. If you visit during the Christmas holidays, you can have some market food here too. For the best experience, come in the evening and admire the beautiful buildings fully dressed in Christmas lights.

If you’re visiting Rossio Square you need to pop into The Fantastic World of Portuguese Sardines shop. Here you can revisit the history of Portugal between 1916 and 2017 through canned Portuguese Sardine in olive oil. On each can you’ll find an interesting event corresponding to a particular year and the birthdays of some famous people. The canned sardines also make a great gift idea!

Praça do Comércio

After checking out Lisbon from above head to another popular place called Praça do Comércio. This area used to be where Ribeira Palace stood until the devastating earthquake in 1755. After the earthquake the place was remodelled and has been renamed Square of Commerce to represent its new function. The square is big and by going early you get the whole place to yourself and really feel its size. Walk through it again later in the day! It will be filled with people and Christmas decorations which will give the place a great, different vibe.

3. Find the Pink Street

From the square aim to find a very popular, Instagrammable street, called Pink Street (Rua Nova do Carvalho). It is located in the Cais do Sodré district close to the old port along the riverside.

Did you know? – The area used to be a place for sailors, criminals and prostitutes so it was basically Lisbon’s ‘Red Light District’. However, the street turned pink as part of a rehabilitation project in 2011. The aim was to turn the former red light district into a better (or let’s say different) spot for nightlife.

3 Days in Lisbon – Day 2

1. Take a ride on Bica Funicular

Head over to take some photos of the most photographed funicular in Lisbon the Bica Funicular. Located in the Bairro Alto district, it runs between Rua de São Paulo and Largo do Calhariz. This is actually considered one of Lisbon’s steepest hills. (My feet can confirm that it was very steep!). The ride costs between €3 and €4, but I think you can use the 24-hour public transport card too.

2. Climb up to the Castle

São Jorge Castle, located on top of São Jorge hill, should be your next destination. I highly recommend to walk all the way up to the castle if you can. That way you can explore the narrow and very steep streets leading up to it which is quite fun. The castle was originally built during the 5th century as a small fortress. It was later modified and enlarged in the 11th century by the Moors before becoming the Royal Palace of today.

The castle provides amazing views of Lisbon (cover photo) so no wonder it’s a very popular tourist attraction. The admission fee is around €10. In order to make the most of your money I recommend spending a good amount of time at the castle. Bring some lunch with you as it is the perfect picnic spot with the view of Lisbon in the background.

3. Watch the sunset at Belém Tower

Towards the end of the day try and catch the sunset at Belém Tower (Torre de Belém). Built between 1514-1520, its main purpose was to defend the city before it turned into a lighthouse and customs house. As it’s located quite a distance from the castle, use public transport to get there. As you can see on the picture, we weren’t that lucky with the sunset that day. But it was still totally worth a visit as the tower is one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal!

Did you know? – The tower was built on its own small island! However, during the earthquake in 1755 the course of the river shifted. This moved the small island closer to the land and they merged into one over time. The tower isn’t just one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal. It’s also been an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983.

3 Days in Lisbon – Day 3

1. Ride Tram 28

Make sure you don’t leave Lisbon without riding on a historic Remodelado tram. The most scenic route is the Tram 28 route which runs through the districts of Graca, Alfama, Baixa and Estrela. These are actually some of Lisbon’s very (I mean very!) narrow streets. These historic trams are still running mainly because the modern versions wouldn’t be able to cope with the hills.

2. Connect with nature

After the fun tram ride, head towards a botanical garden located within Eduardo VII Park (Parque Eduardo VII). If I’m on a city break, I personally still like to enjoy nature. Therefore, whenever I can I find some parks or botanical gardens (or indeed both) to get away from the city. So, if you’re like me I would definitely recommend visiting Estufa Fria Botanical Garden.

For only a €3 admission you can enjoy the lush botanical garden housing 300+ plant species, beautiful lakes and waterfalls. (Waterfalls are another weakness of mine, so if I can find one during a city break, I’m gonna visit it).

3. Find your next book

A recent habit of mine is finding the coolest and/or quirkiest bookshops. Thanks to Instagram, finding inspiration is much easier nowadays. So when I saw pictures taken in Livraria Ler Devagar Book Shop I knew I needed to see it too.

Finding it isn’t the easiest thing to do but it’s totally worth the extra effort! You’ll actually come across some cool areas of Lisbon you would’ve missed otherwise. Whether you’re a bookworm or just itching for a cool shot head to the LX Factory. It is located just under the famous Ponte 25 Abril Bridge.

The area isn’t the nicest part of the city, with its old warehouses and factories. However, it is surprisingly welcoming with loads of niche food places, coffee shops and some art galleries. A perfect spot for digital nomads and startups.

4. Lisbon or San Francisco?

After spending some time in the book shop carry on towards the famous Ponte 25 Abril Bridge. Due to its similar colouring, the suspension bridge is often compared to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Unfortunately, the two bridges were built by different companies. However, the same company constructed the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge that constructed the bridge in Lisbon. Its current name was given after the revolution of April 25, 1974.

5. Eat, eat and eat some more

You just have to try out the food from the Time Out Market.  This is the first market where everything is run by Time Out’s own journalists and critics. If you’re in Lisbon, make sure you eat there at least once or twice during you’re stay. You will not regret it!

If you have a little longer…

Are you in Lisbon for more than 3 days and feel like you’ve seen all the main sights? I’ve got you covered! Venture out of the city for a day and visit Sintra, a fairy-tale town located to the west of Lisbon. I wrote a guide on how to spend the perfect day in Sinatra, which you can read here.

Even if you aren’t planning on leaving Lisbon, I highly recommend visiting Rossio Station and taking a shot of the two intertwined horseshoes that form the entrance.

Finally, here is a map of our trip showing the amazing places and sights we visited in 3 days. However, I still feel like I could go back at any time to explore more and eat more Pastel de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts). Have you been to Lisbon before? How much of the city did you manage to explore? Let me know in the comments section below.