Lisbon 7 Days Travel Guide
Lisbon is hills, trams, tiles, and melancholy fado music. It’s cheaper than most Western European capitals, warmer, and has a faded grandeur from when Portugal ruled half the world. Most tourists do three days. They miss Sintra castles, coastal towns, neighborhoods where locals still hang laundry across streets, and the fact that Lisbon is having a renaissance after decades of being overlooked.
Best Time
Apr-May & Sep-Oct: 18-25°C, perfect. Jun-Aug: 25-32°C, hot, touristy. Nov-Mar: 12-18°C, rainy but mild, cheap.
Day 1-2: Central Lisbon Hills
Alfama is the oldest neighborhood—survived the 1755 earthquake, narrow streets, tiles, views. Walk (it’s steep) or take Tram 28 (iconic yellow tram, €3, pickpockets love it). São Jorge Castle (€10) offers city views. The Miradouros (viewpoints) are everywhere—Portas do Sol, Santa Luzia, Graça.
Baixa is the downtown—rebuilt after earthquake, grid streets, Praça do Comércio waterfront square. Walk Rua Augusta to Rossio Square. Elevador de Santa Justa (lift to Carmo, €5) offers views.
Day 2: Belém (20 minutes west). Jerónimos Monastery (€10) and Belém Tower (€6) are Manueline architecture masterpieces. Pastéis de Belém bakery invented pastéis de nata (custard tarts) in 1837—buy them fresh, warm, sprinkle with cinnamon. Monument to Discoveries honors Portuguese explorers.
Day 3: Bairro Alto and Chiado
Bairro Alto: Bohemian neighborhood, steep streets, graffiti, bars everywhere. Dead during day, alive at night. Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara has sunset views. Chiado is more elegant—cafes, shops, theaters. A Brasileira cafe where poets met.
Evening: Fado show. Fado is Portuguese soul music—melancholy, about saudade (untranslatable longing). Clube de Fado or Tasca do Chico. Shows €15-30 with dinner/drinks. It’s sad, beautiful, very Lisbon.
Day 4: Sintra Day Trip
Train to Sintra (40 mins, €2.30). Sintra has fairy-tale palaces in mountains—UNESCO World Heritage town. Pena Palace (€14) is the colorful castle on the hill—Romantic architecture, forest setting, stunning views. Quinta da Regaleira (€10) has mysterious gardens, tunnels, initiation wells. Moorish Castle offers mountain hiking and ruins.
You can’t walk between sites—take bus 434 (€6.90) or Uber. Sintra gets packed—arrive early. Full day trip. Pack lunch or eat in town (touristy, overpriced).
Day 5: Cascais and Coast
Train along coast to Cascais (35 mins). Former fishing village, now upscale resort town. Nice beaches, marina, old town. Boca do Inferno (Hell’s Mouth) cliffs. Bike path connects to Estoril. Or continue to Cabo da Roca—Europe’s westernmost point, dramatic cliffs.
Day 6: LX Factory and Parque das Nações
LX Factory: Converted industrial complex under 25 de Abril Bridge—street art, shops, restaurants, bookstore (Ler Devagar). Hip, gentrified, Instagram-ready.
Parque das Nações: Built for Expo 1998, modern Lisbon. Oceanário (aquarium, €22), cable car, waterfront. Different vibe from historic center.
Day 7: More Neighborhoods or Óbidos
Explore more Lisbon—Mouraria (multicultural), Campo de Ourique (residential, food market), or revisit favorites.
Or day trip to Óbidos (90 mins)—medieval walled town, narrow streets, castle walls you can walk. Ginjinha (cherry liquor in chocolate cups) is the thing. Touristy but pretty.
Food
Bacalhau (salted cod—supposedly 1,000 recipes), grilled sardines, francesinha (Porto dish but available), pastéis de nata, ginjinha. Seafood is excellent, cheap. Time Out Market has food stalls from top chefs (€8-15 dishes).
Getting Around
Walk (it’s hilly). Trams, funiculars, metro work well. Viva Viagem card €0.50 plus credit. Taxis and Uber cheap.
Money
Cheap by Western Europe standards. Lunch €8-12, dinner €15-25 at good places. Wine €2-4/glass. Museums €5-10. Accommodation affordable.
Nearby
Final Thoughts
Lisbon is hilly—your legs will hurt. Tram 28 pickpockets are real. Some neighborhoods are gentrifying rapidly, pricing out locals. And you’ll ride trams that feel like they’ll tip over, eat custard tarts at the place that invented them, listen to fado that makes you sad without understanding why, and watch sunset over the Tagus while drinking cheap wine. Lisbon is having a moment. Go before it becomes the next Barcelona.