Wandering Through Lisbon in 2 Days
Travel enthusiasts should make sure that Lisbon is on their list of cities to visit. When I think of Lisbon, I envision picture-perfect streets lined with gleaming azulejos, a delightful food scene that can accommodate an array of food preferences, and locals who greet strangers with an enthusiastic warmth. Of course, I also see myself struggling to overcome the many steep hills of the area, especially with an large cat sitting on my shoulders, but without a doubt it is worth all the extra effort to explore the city!
There are a seemingly endless amount of things you could do while in Lisbon, so if you're looking for a little travel inspiration then I'm here to help! We spent two blissful days exploring the city, so below are my top recommendations for what to do when visiting the lovely Lisboa (scroll to the very bottom for the shortened version).
Day 1 - Previewing Lisbon
Our morning started before the sun was up due to a mix of wanting to catch the sunrise and jet lag. Around 10 minutes before sunrise, we found ourselves at Miradouro das Portas do Sol. This is a known spot for sunrise, so it’s likely you’ll encounter others on days when the sun rises a bit later.
The view greets you with an abundance of orange tiled homes set in a hazy glow. We enjoyed watching the sun lazily rise over the horizon before a quick walk to admire the azulejos adorning the walls of the Miradouro de Santa Luzia. More rooftops views and a clear shot at the harbouring cruise ships greeted us at this viewpoint. While we had hoped to stay a bit longer, this viewpoint was even busier than the last and the peaceful morning was interrupted by the sound of two people flying drones.
After snapping some photos, we headed off to the next destination on our self-guided walking tour: Santa Justa Lift. We were glad to start the day when most of the city was still asleep and while temperatures were still mild. On our way to the lift, we passed by the Lisbon Cathedral, although we could only enjoy it from outside as it was still too early to be open. We were also greeted with the rattle of a tram making its way up the hill which led to some nice photos.
Having the whole day dedicated to wandering, we were in no rush to get anywhere and decided to make a quick stop at Manteigaria for some pastéis de nata. We visited the shop that is located on Rua Augusta, one of the major promenades in Lisbon. The shop was just opening for the day and a few people were already lining up when we arrived. Undoubtedly, these were our favourite pastéis de nata the entire trip, so definitely take the time to visit one of the Manteigaria locations while in Lisbon.
After enjoying our breakfast treat, we headed to the elevator and enjoyed the views. You can join the line to take the elevator, but we opted to just walk up. At the top, you’ll have a clear view of Carmo Convent, a gothic church that was destroyed by an earthquake in 1755 and then converted into a museum. While the museum offers insight into neo-Gothic architecture and the safeguarding of national heritage, my intentions for visiting were a little less serious.
If you’ve ever played the popular video game Valorant, you’ll likely be familiar with Pearl, one of the playable maps in the game. Carmo Convent and the nearby square, Largo do Carmo, are said to be the inspiration for the map and you can clearly see the connection when looking at the arches. Having enjoyed several hours playing this game with friends, I obviously had to make the stop in real life.
We wandered around the area a bit more to enjoy some of the side streets before making our way to the top of Rua da Bico de Duarte Belo where you can catch the historic Elevador da Bica. I was determined to capture shots of trams while in Lisbon, and this particular street is said to be one of the best spots to capture postcard-worthy photos and cinematic videos. While the hills here can be particularly steep, it’s definitely worth a visit if you’re looking to get some nice shots.
The next stop was Pink Street, another common tourist destination for photos. We were less than impressed when we arrived, although this may have been due to it being later in the day and more people were starting to fill the streets. There was a makeshift line forming to take photos under the cheerful rainbow umbrellas, but we found many people completely disregarded this and just jumped in without a care. The pink part of the street itself was also covered in some sticky substance, so we left pretty soon after arriving.
Having walked several kilometers at this point, we opted to grab some lunch. If you’re looking for something convenient, you can head to the Time Out Market which is just a few minutes away from Pink Street. The market offers a wide variety of food options like the city’s first croquette store, sushi, artisanal pizzas, pastas, and several Portuguese classics. All of the food in this market was selected by a panel of food experts, so you can trust that whatever you choose will be good. If you have space afterwards, you’ll also find some delightful dessert stalls.
The rest of the day was dedicated to getting settled in the city. We had to stop at a pet store to grab some things for the cats, purchased a 24 hour ticket at a metro station for the next day, and then also went to a grocery store. If you’re looking to fill the rest of your day with more sights, then you’d be fine to continue wandering the streets. Be mindful that the afternoons can be very warm and the streets get more crowded. When we’re with the cats, we like to explore in the early mornings, rest in the afternoons, and then continue exploring in the evenings.
Other spots in the area you could check out:
Green Street
Arco da Rua Augusta
Cais das Colunas
Lisboa Story Centre
The LX Factory
Day 2 - Trams and Other Sights
Our second day in Lisbon started with a perfect meal at Seventh Brunch. Don’t pass on this place as their brunch sets are phenomenal (get the Lisbon!) and the portions were more than enough to fuel our next day of exploring. From our Airbnb, we had to ride Tram 28 which was nice to experience early in the day when the tram had plenty of free space. We had purchased our transit tickets the day before, so keep that in mind if you plan to start your morning in the same way.
While Tram 28 is the most popular tram to ride when visiting the city, our goal for the day was to complete the Tram 12 circuit. We didn’t have an exact plan for the day, so we chose to get off at a random station in the Alfama district and just walk around the area.
We actually got lost (in a good way) walking around, but we passed by some cool notable attractions such as Mural Graffiti Fado Vadio and Castelo de Sao Jorge. We also happened to pass by the Historic Giant Plant which has some pretty exceptional Google reviews that will make you smile. Overall, we found the Alfama area to be a lovely place to get lost with picturesque streets around every corner and several stray cats that command your attention.
After a sufficient amount of wandering, we made our way to the bus station to catch a ride to the Museu Nacional do Azulejo. We arrived around opening and spent an hour learning more about the history of azulejos. The museum wasn’t too busy and we enjoyed seeing some of the more elaborate tile designs. The cafe at the museum was also a nice place to rest our legs, and we’d recommend ordering some pear juice to enjoy in their outdoor courtyard.
If your legs aren’t feeling like jelly, catch another bus to the Oceanário de Lisboa and check out more than 450 different species. The Lisbon Oceanarium is also one of the only aquariums to feature the peculiar-looking sunfish, so definitely take some time to appreciate the largest bony fish in the world.
Outside of the aquarium is the Telecabine de Lisboa and you can ride roundtrip for €9. We weren’t sure the views were worth the euros when many of the Miradouros offer spectacular views for free, but the lines are pretty short and the view is still pretty nice with no effort needed.
To end the day, we bused back to the city center and made a stop at Taylor’s Port to do a wine tasting. While Tony ordered several aged ports, I opted to get a glass of grape juice and some water. If you make a visit, Tony recommends tasting the Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port 1994 for €33 as well as the Taylor Quinta de Vargellas Vintage 2015 for €11. While I was skeptical about these prices, Tony reminded me that these were ports not offered in tasting rooms in Canada and it would typically cost around $350-450 per bottle.
Other spots in the area you could check out:
Miradouro da Senhora do Monte
Miradouro da Graça
Galeria Underdogs
Lisbon Military Museum
To recap, here is what we saw during our two days in Lisbon:
Day 1 Itinerary
Miradouro das Portas Sol and/or Miradouro de Santa Luzia
Lisbon Cathedral
Walk around Rua Augusta
Grab a pastel de nata at Manteigaria
Head up the Santa Justa Lift
Carmo Convent
Rua da Bico de Duarte Belo & Elevador da Bica
Pink Street
Time Out Market
Day 2 Itinerary
Brunch at Seventh
Ride Tram 28 and/or Tram 12
Wander around the Alfama district
Mural Graffiti Fado Vadio + Castelo de Sao Jorge
Museo Nacional do Azulejo
Oceanário de Lisboa & Telecabine de Lisboa
Taylor’s Port wine tasting
Regardless of where you decide to go, I have no doubt you’ll have a blast while in Lisbon! To end, here are some closing remarks from Reinhardt: ymmmmmmmm
