Portugal has long been overshadowed by its larger neighbor to the east, Spain. But things are starting to change, and word is getting out about the beautiful little nation on the Atlantic. Back when I first backpacked Europe for a month half a decade ago, Lisbon was my final destination, and it blew me away. It tied with Salzburg as my favorite city in Europe, and today I’m sharing the top things to do in Lisbon that you should not miss. Enjoy!
Pssst! Consider getting a Lisboa Card to save money on seeing all the things to do in Lisbon below. The 24-hour option is just €20, and you can view the full list of Lisbon attractions and public transport included on the card at the site.
Arco da Rua Augusta
The Arco da Rua Augusta (Rua Augusta Arc) or Terreiro do Paço is an arc built to celebrate Lisbon’s recovery after an earthquake and subsequent fires and tsunami in the late 1700s. Enjoy views over Lisbon and the Rua Augusta street by climbing to the top of the arc for €8.
Praça do Comércio
The Praça do Comércio (Commerce Square) is a beautiful, riverfront square lined with shops and cafes. This square is one of the largest in Europe, and it houses the Arco da Rua Augusta as well as a statue of King José I in its center.
Castelo de São Jorge
Perched on top of Lisbon’s highest hill, the Castelo de São Jorge is a must-visit attraction. Not only is a fun historical landmark to explore, but it’s home to way more peacocks than you’ve ever seen in your life (look in the trees) and offers some of the best views over Lisbon. Entry to Castelo de São Jorge is €10.
Torre de Belém
The Torre de Belém (Belém Tower) is an intricately carved stone tower, originally used as a fortress and later a prison. The main attraction is the tower’s exterior, but entry is €6 and grants views from the tower’s top floor.
Mosteiro dos Jerónimos
The Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Hieronymites Monastery) is a ridiculously ornate piece of architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Back when it was built, it sat right at the edge of the Tagus River. But the water has receded, allowing room for the beautiful Praça do Imperio (Empire Square) in front of the monastery today. Entry will set you back €10.
Padrão dos Descobrimentos
The Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries) is a large, impressive monument in Belém, along the edge of the Tagus River. Stop by and take some time observing the different statues along the monument.
Pastéis de Belém
While in Belém to visit the tower and monastery, you’d be nuts to miss stopping by the world-famous Pastéis de Belém. Many reference it as one of the best pastry shops in the world. It’s famous for its delicious pastel de natas – a Portuguese custard egg tart dusted with cinnamon and optionally topped with additional powdered sugar. Mm mm mmmmm. I practically lived on these things during my visit. Even if you don’t make it to Pastéis de Belém (though you’d really be missing out!) make sure to try these tarts at some point while in Portugal.
Parque Eduardo VII
The Parque Eduardo VII (Eduardo VII Park) is a huge, lush park located just north of the Avenida da Liberdade street. The park has three greenhouses, but I think the view over the lawn and Lisbon is enough of an attraction itself.
Praça do Rossio
The Praça do Rossio (Rossio Square), or Praça Dom Pedro IV, is a centrally-located and lively spot in Lisbon. Locals and tourists alike stop by to hang out or enjoy a drink at one of the square’s cafes.
Sé de Lisboa
The Sé de Lisboa (Lisbon Cathedral), or the Sé, is a Romanesque style cathedral and the oldest church in Lisbon. Entry is free.
Igreja de São Roque
The Igreja de São Roque (Church of Saint Roch) is very simple and bland from the outside. But, as the saying goes, don’t judge a book by its cover. Once inside, you’ll find a richly decorated interior with possibly the most gold I’ve ever seen in one place! Entry is free, except on Mondays when there is no entry.
Elevador de Santa Justa
Lisbon is pretty hilly, and the Elevador de Santa Justa (Santa Justa Lift) is the fastest way to get between upper and lower Lisbon. The lift itself is very beautifully designed. Plus, it offers greats views over the city, so it’s no wonder it’s also a tourist attraction. A return trip on the lift will set you back €5.15, and the viewpoint is an extra €1.50.
Oceanário de Lisboa
The Oceanário de Lisboa (Lisbon Oceanarium) is the largest indoor aquarium in Europe and considered by many as one of the best aquariums in the world. I’m partial to my Monterey Aquarium from back home as the “best in the world.” But this aquarium was impressive, and I can personally vouch it makes a fun activity for a rainy Lisbon day. Adult tickets are €19 and can be purchased in advance online at the official site.
What Do You Think About Lisbon?
I really loved Lisbon on my visit and can’t wait to see more of the country, but what about you? Is Lisbon on your list? Have you already been? Let me know any tips or things to do in Lisbon that I missed in the comment section below. I want to know for my next trip!
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17 Comments
Dede
January 12, 2025 at 5:14 PMI see you have a Spain itinerary. Do you have a Portugal itinerary as well? Planning to do a Spain/Portugal visit in September for 14 days. I followed your Italy itinerary last September and it was a hit, especially how to take trains and which cities in which order you would visit so I’m a returning fan! TIA!
Anonymous
January 12, 2025 at 5:17 PMAlso, what do u recommend in terms of flying in? I honestly haven’t even looked at airfare yet but as far as flying from USA, I’m assuming it’s cheaper to do round trip airfare to probably Spain then it is to fly one way to Spain and head back home from our last city we visit in Portugal?
That Travelista
January 12, 2025 at 7:08 PMHi Dede,
Thanks so much for letting me know how it went for you following my Italy itinerary! A lot of people let me know they’ve booked everything to match it, but I think you’re the first person who’s let me know how it went afterwards. 🙂
I don’t have any Portugal itineraries, unfortunately, as I haven’t made it back there yet. I’m actually planning to go back next September to finally see everything on the mainland that I’ve wanted to see. So I can give a suggestion based on my own research, but I can’t speak from experience yet.
If you’d like to see “all the highlights” in (mainland) Spain, I’d start with my 10 day Spain itinerary, so Barcelona > Madrid > Granada > Seville (and day trip to Cordoba). You might see from the map that Seville is quite close to Portugal. So if you are interested in the Algarve, you can take a bus from Seville to Faro and use Faro as a base to see what interests you there. It seems a car rental is necessary to get to the best beaches, but you can see a fair bit with the public transport. From Faro, you can then take a bus to Lisbon. I recommend 2 full days there and another to visit Sintra as a day trip if it interest you. From there, I’d take the train or bus to Porto.
This probably is too many days lol. If you need to cut things from Spain, I’d recommend cutting Madrid and Cordoba. That would free up 3 days. For Portugal, I obviously can’t speak from experience.
I would play around with flights on Google flights. If you book on the same ticket, it often is no more expensive to book and open jaw trip (3 cities) rather than a round trip. You could do something like Madrid (even if you just take the train right after or the next morning) > Granada > Seville > Algarve > Lisbon > Porto > fly to Barcelona. That way, you can likely book with just one airline (Iberia) into Madrid and out of Barcelona.
Hope that can help!!
– Em
MK
April 11, 2024 at 1:54 AMHi, Thanks for the lovely list. I am planning to travel to Portugal and Spain with my husband and lil one in July. Could you please recommend any other places in Portugal and also if July is good option as I’m taking my daughter as well.
That Travelista
April 11, 2024 at 3:51 AMHi MK,
I’m glad this list is helpful!
In mainland Portugal, I haven’t been to these places, but they are on my list for the future: Porto, Sintra (day trip from Lisbon), Algarve.
I would think Portugal would be fine in July. I’ve never been at that time of year, but most destinations I imagine you’ll visit are coastal, and I’ve never heard anyone say it is bad there. Spain, on the other hand, is an inferno in July lol. Some coastal places might be OK, but places like Madrid, Seville, Cordoba, etc. should all be quite bad (over 100F/40C).
I would recommend spring or fall for mainland Spain!
I hope that helps.
– Em
Hannah
January 22, 2021 at 11:51 AMI can’t wait to be able to visit Portugal. Lisbon has been on our list for a long time, not just for the pastel de natas and tourist sites, but for the wider food culture and architecture (Padrão dos Descobrimentos !!! )
That Travelista
January 22, 2021 at 12:02 PMThat’s awesome! I didn’t know much about Portugal before I went to Lisbon as a “why not” after Spain, but now I want to see more for sure 🙂
Michele
January 20, 2021 at 1:04 PMWow, the Padrão dos Descobrimentos is so impressive! Although you may find me stuffing my face with Pastéis de Belém instead of sightseeing 😉 I’ve wanted to visit Portugal to eat Pastel de Nata since I first read about them 🙂
That Travelista
January 22, 2021 at 12:00 PMThe Pastel de Natas are SO GOOD!! It’s pretty much all I ate, since I don’t eat much meat and the food in Lisbon was pork and seafood heavy.
Andi
January 20, 2021 at 11:54 AMI only got to spend a weekend in Lisbon before a cruise on the Douro river and I loved it! My hubby and I are thinking of retiring there one day – so we need a lot more trips to.figure out where we want to live!
That Travelista
January 22, 2021 at 11:59 AMThat sounds lovely! I hear Portugal has nice incentives for foreign retirees!
Krista
January 20, 2021 at 10:30 AMI’m really hoping to get to Lisbon this year as I’m based near the Portuguese border with Spain and can drive up there. Definitely saving these helpful tips!
That Travelista
January 22, 2021 at 11:58 AMOoo that sounds like a lovely base! So many pretty places nearby. I’m hoping to move to Spain this year and explore more of Portugal and Spain than I did before 🙂
Jules
January 20, 2021 at 10:22 AMWoow I loved your list! I have been to some of these places but I’ll definitely visit Castelo de São Jorge next time I go, thanks for the tip on finding the Peacocks 🙂
That Travelista
February 22, 2021 at 7:54 PMYes, Castelo de São Jorge is a must! 🙂
kmf
January 20, 2021 at 10:06 AMLisbon, Portugal is on my list. Beautiful photos of this stunning area…especially love the architecture.
That Travelista
January 22, 2021 at 11:57 AMYes, the architecture is so pretty!