Long Weekend in Lisbon

Lisbon has many things to offer as a major city with a long and turbulent history. It is impossible to see everything, or even a majority of things in only four days, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t try. I have seen some itineraries that included more than eight stops per day, which are bordering on impossible to do. This itinerary covers some ground, but I still consider it slow-travel.

With a major difference to other “Long weekend in X” posts I did not go to Lisbon from Friday to Monday, but rather Thursday to Sunday, since most sights and attractions are closed on Monday. If you want to combine it with a road trip along the Algarve you can arrive on Saturday, leave for the roadtrip on Monday, return on Friday and split the things mentioned here for two weekends rather than a long one.

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Overview of a long weekend in Lisbon

• Where to stay in Lisbon
• What to see in Lisbon
• What to do in Lisbon
• Must try food in Lisbon
• TLDR, show me a map with everything important

Where to stay for a long weekend in Lisbon

When travelling to Lisbon there are several neighbourhoods to consider, however there are (as usual) moral and environmental effects to consider.

There is the Alfama*, Lisbons oldest neighbourhood. You can get apartments here that are affordable for travellers, but at the same time many locals have been driven out of this neighbourhood, as long term rents are not nearly as affordable, because of tourism and plattforms like AirBnB.

Castelo*, within the castle walls of the São Jorge Castle. This, for me, has the same concerns as the Alfama, but maybe just a bit less, since if people didn’t live there, the space within the castle walls could be completely unused – as is the case with many many historic buildings here (in Germany).

Baixa/Chiado*, the most central and renowned neighbourhood in Lisbon. There are many hotels here, but most of them are on the expensive side.

São Vicente*- located northeast of the Alafama São Vicente carries the charm of old Lisbon, but has seen some restoration during the recent years. Here you can find small hotels between residential houses and a few local restaurants and bars. I stayed at the São Vicente Alfama Hotel by TRIUS Hotels* during my trip and can wholeheartedly recommend it, their breakfast is one of the best I’ve ever had.

What to see during a long weekend in Lisbon

Castelo de São Jorge & Neighborhood

The Saint George’s Castle resides on a hill overlooking the centre of Lisbon, close to the Alfama neighborhood. The castle walls still stand around the ruins of the old palace, the palace gardens and every buildings that survived hundreds of years. However, many walls stretch further over the hill and cut the surrounding residential areas into parts that aren’t officially part of the citadel, but are generally considered “part of the castelo”. The streets there are still made from cobblestone and not built for cars, the trams lines also don’t reach all the way up there, so if you aren’t well on your feet this area might be out of the question for your trip.

Santa Justa Lift

The Santa Justa Lift was built to help people traverse the hilly city and opened in 1902 (after over 25 years since it’s first official suggestion). It connects connects the lower Baixa with the higher Largo do Carmo and stands at the end of the Rua de Santa Justa street. It is the only vertical lift left in Lisbon, since the other famous “lifts” are actually all funiculars.

Trams and funiculars

While trams and funiculars are an active part of Lisbons public transport system, several of them are also tourist attractions now. For example Tram Nº 28, which is one of the oldest trams still working. It transports you into a part where Lisbon was at it’s height of wealth and influence. Thousands of people take it every day, which sadly also makes it almost impossible to take when you actually need to use it just for transportation.

Visit Parque Station of the Lisbon Metro

Parque Station is part of the blue line of the Lisbon Metro and is completely tiled inside. The tiles are decorated with murals of the city and have a focus on maritime life and history.

Santa Luzia Viewpoint

One viewpoint is mentioned over and over when you read about Lisbon, or look up Lisbon on Social Media. Due to this the Santa. Luzia viewpoint is overrun with people and I wouldn’t have visited it if I didn’t take part in a tour that started here. The view is nice, but it is best visited at sunrise, because at sunset the crowds are unbearable.

Miradouro da Graça

On the other hand you have the Graça viewpoint, which looks across the city from the other side. It doesn’t have the same “well known” composition of the Lisbon skyline, but it is empty and and you can see more of the lower neighbourhoods.

What to do during a long weekend in Lisbon

Rua Augusta Arch

Get a view over the city from the Rua Augusta Arch. From the top of the arch you can access a viewing platform you can walk around on and get a 360º view. One of the views is the square of Terreiro do Paço with the River Tejo in the background (second picture), in the opposite direction you can see the downtown area (third picture)

Alfama

Explore the small winding roads and alleys with many steps in the Alfama, the oldest neighborhood of Lisbon. It has the cities smallest alley, many different street arts, some more fancy than others, and the streets are lined with old tiled buildings in many different colours and styles.

Money Museum | Museu do Dinheiro

The Portuguese Money Museum has several different rooms, which all have their own theme / topic. One focuses on currency before money, another on how money was originally minted, the next on how it is printed and stamped today. In one room they have a collection of money from all over the world, from old currencies, to the many different modern ones. Some rooms are very interactive, others less so, but the entire museum is very well designed and uses crossmedial and modern displays.

Confeitaria Nacional

Lisbons Confeitaria Nacional was opened in 1829 and the main building has survived since then, in the same place it stands today. The building is so old, that the first telephone line ever in Lisbon was build right next to it, to connect the Café with the baking factory. I recommend their mini lemon tart.

Take a food tour

One afternoon during my long weekend I had booked a food tour in Lisbon with a local guide, to show us not only traditional Portuguese food, but also introduce us to the small businesses and family run restaurants in the Alfama and surrounding districts. A lot of them have been driven out by chains, by unpayable rents and cheap imported souvenir shops.

More on taking a food tour in Lisbon, what to expect and so on: Food Tour Lisbon

Half day in Belém

Since the Belém Tower and the Jerónimos Monastery are included in the free admission with the Lisbon Card, you should pick this half day within your 48 hours.

Belém Tower

From the trainstation it is a short walk to visit Belém Tower. This iconic part of the Lisbon landscape has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites recognized in Lisbon since 1983.

The tower originally served as the point from where Portuguese explorers disembarked from and was the ceremonial gateway to the city. This means this tower is a symbol of Portugals history as one of the biggest maritime and colonial powers of Europe, even though today they would still like to ignore everything that came with it.

The walk to the tower will take your through a part with several food carts and street vendors. The wines sold there are on the expensive side, but if you like wine, a glass in this athmosphere is worth it.

Jerónimos Monastery & Church of St. María of Belém

Jerónimos Monastery is a former monastery of the Order of Saint Jerome, today it’s mainly a tourist attraction for its imposing Gothic Manueline architectural style.

The queues in front of the monastery and church (yes, it’s two queues! You’ll have to wait in line twice) seem daunting, but honestly, with the amount of people wanting to visit, the queues are the only reason you can enjoy the inside of both buildings. There are still many people inside, but you don’t feel like you’ll suffocate and can concentrate on the history of the place and admire the architecture and art in (relative) peace.

National Coach Museum

A small part of the coach museum is located in the Royal Riding Hall of Belém, where it was originally established. In 2015 a new building was inagurated, where most of the coaches and exhibits can be found today. The museum features explanations and examples how carriages developed and improved over the centuries (from before the 17th up to the 19th century) and includes several carriages that belonged to Pope Clement XI (18th century) and one of Philip II of Spain (16th century).

Take a Day Trip to Cascais

While the train to Cascais is also free to use with the Lisboa Card I advise against using it for this, as it is cheaper to buy a train ticket separately, since the sights in Cascais are not among the free admissions, while other places within the city of Lisbon are. A day ticket for Lisbon public transport, which includes the train to Cascais is only 6 Euro.

Cascais has a hand full of sights and places to see, such as the Condes de Castro Guimarães Museum inside the Count’s of Castro Guimarães Palace, the Saint Martha’s Lighthouse & Museum and the House of Saint Mary (Casa de Santa Maria).

For more information about a DIY day trip to Cascais: Read this blogpost!

What to eat and drink during a long weekend in Lisbon

While you can eat international cuisine in Lisbon, I will focus on Portuguese dishes in this post.

First, of course, are Pastel de nata. Small pastries with vanilla custard filling, served all over the city, sometimes with notes of lemon or cinnamon.

Secondly, Portugal is known for its Sardines. I tried one from a smal producer that only sells directly to very few traders and can’t be found in supermarkets and I have to say it tasted the least fishy of any fish I have ever had and it was incredibly soft. Even if you aren’t usually a fan of canned sardines you should try these at least once.

Bifanas are a traditional Portuguese sandwich with thinly pounded meat fried with lots of garlic, served in a warm bun (with nothing else). I can see why this a favourite snack after a night out.

Bacalhau (salted, dried cod) is the main ingredient in the next two meals on this list: Bacalhau com natas = salted-dried cod croquettes and Bacalhau à Brás = salted-dried cod that is rehydrated and shredded, then mixed with fries (yes, the potatoes are fried before they are mixed into this), egg and usually garnished with olives.

Salada de Polvo is a type of “salad” you should also try when in Lisbon. It is made from octopus and lots of sliced garlic and olive oil.

Something I am not sure is very Portuguese, but was presented as such is Chouriço à Bombeiro = Flaming Chorizo. The sausage is placed on top of a special dish, then the dish is filled with alcohol which is set ablaze. It ends up tasting like grilled Chorizo, decide for yourself if you want to try it.

Portugal has its own cheeses, produced in the country and raging from cow cheese, to goat and sheep. Some restaurants offer cheese boards and can and will explain where which cheese is from and what to expect from them.

Starting with the first drink: Ginjinha is a sour cherry liqueur, usually served in a small chocolate cup. You’ll find it at street vendor stands, too, but it is advised not to drink those, as they can be homemade and unregulated because of that.

Vinho Verde is a special type of white wine from a small region in the north of Portugal. The wine we tried was made from Loureiro – a Portuguese white grape variety. It had a floral note and I liked it a lot more than French white wines.

Portuguese olive oil deserves a mention of its own. Included in many, many dishes it can also be sampled by itself.

If you are a seafood lover like me, you should look for Pulpo in Lisbon. There is one restaurant that does the best pan fried octopus I have had anywhere in the world, served with potatoes and greens: Beco a Sério.

Map of my long weekend in Lisbon

How to read the Map: Orange are accommodations, blue are things to do and places to see, green are cafes and restaurants.

You can save the map to your Google Maps for your long weekend in Lisbon by clicking here.