In January 2020, a group of friends and I traveled to Lisbon, Portugal for a birthday celebration, weekend getaway. This itinerary is based on that experience. Want more visual inspiration? Check out the video from the trip.
Travel and Accommodation: Coming from Amsterdam, we flew in and out of the Lisbon Airport. We easily took the metro system to our hotel; there was one transfer and tickets were simple to get at the station (1.50€). We stayed in a lovely AirBNB in the Chiado area of town; a great central location for a short trip. Note that there are a lot of hills and cobblestone, so be mindful when packing footwear.
Friday:
We arrived at our hotel in the evening and had drinks and snacks while everyone was arriving and settling in. For dinner, we walked to Time Out Market; an amazing indoor food hall with lots of options (perfect for a large group). Everyone got different things and we all shared. There was a wine cave (Garrafeira Nacional) and pastry shop (Nós é Mais Bolos) where we picked up a few goodies as well.
Saturday:
For a late breakfast, we went to Comoba, a lovely vegetarian spot (and for those who like matcha). We then wandered up and down the streets for a while, taking in the sights. Highlights include the Luís de Camões Square, Church of Sao Roque (free to enter), the Glória - S. Pedro Alcântara; an incredibly steep railway stop and finally, the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara; a landscaped terrace that offers great lookout views.
We then had a “wine and cheese lunch” at From The Vine: Wine Tasting Bar. This was a two hour experience which offered eight tastings as well as snacks. The gentleman providing the tasting was extremely knowledgeable. Here I learned about Vinho Verde, ‘green wine’, which is named after the Vinho Verde region (it is not green in color); this has since become one of favorite wines.
After the wine tasting, my husband and I broke off from the group to do a walking tour. We chose the free ‘Alfama & Mouraria’ tour with Hi Walking Tours (please tip your guide). Our guide was José, who was extremely knowledgeable, and the tour only had four people in total so it felt like a private tour. Walking tours are a wonderful way to see the city and learn a little as well. We covered a lot of ground in two and a half hours; meeting in the square near Arco da Rua Augusta.
We made our way to the Lisbon Cathedral and then the Miradouro das Portas do Sol; an observation deck. This district is gorgeous a every building feels unique, especially the tiled ones. At some point along the way, we stopped at a door (gives a new meaning to ‘hole in the wall’) where a lady was selling her own Ginjinha; a local sour cherry liquor that was delightful.
Our final stop was at Chão do Loureiro, a lookout point near the Lift Castelo. Also note, there are free elevators scattered around the city if you get tired of all the hills. Soon it was time to head back to the hotel for a nap.
After some pre-dinner drinks and snacks, we were off to our reservation at Taberna - Bairro do Avillez; which was fantastic. They have lots of small plates; most people paired up and got a few plates to share. We then went for a drink at Park Bar; this was an amazing rooftop bar that had a lot of space to hang out outside. Before going back to the hotel, we wandered around town a little more and saw The Pink Street.
Sunday:
After checking out, we dropped our bags off at a luggage storage and had breakfast at a delightful little place, Dear Breakfast. We then split up as everyone had different flight times and a few of us decided to take the train to the beach.
On the way, we were able to catch views of Ponte 25 de Abril, a bridge reminiscent of the Golden Gate Bridge. We then passed by the Padrão dos Descobrimentos; a statue marking 500 years since Henry the Navigator's death. You could easily stop off here to see the statue as well as the Jerónimos Monastery or the Belém Tower. We decided to continue straight to the water, getting off at ‘Sao Pedro do Estoril’. We walked along the water up to Praia de Bafureira, and then walked back to have a late lunch at Mar d’ Sal. Due to wanting to soak up the sun as much as possible, we ended up taking an Uber to the airport.
Foods to Try: Pastel de Nata; custard pastry, Bifana; pork sandwich, Shellfish, Sardines, Prego; garlicky steak sandwich, Azeitão; Portuguese cheese, local wines.
If you have more time: Tram 28 seems to be a popular way to see the city.
General Travel Tips:
Figure out an idea of sites you want to see; this will determine a centralized area for where you should stay.
Utilize Google reviews when looking for something to eat. General rule, stay away from streets with lots of neon signs.
Mark everything on your google maps. Google is also (in my opinion) the best pedestrian and bike navigation app.
Other: Planning for a trip, especially overseas, can be stressful and overwhelming. Hopefully this gave you an idea of things to do in Lisbon for a weekend. I try to do as many quick links as possible, to send you directly to the website so you can get the most accurate and up-to-date information possible (fees and timetables).
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Safe and Happy Wandering.
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