If you have two days in Lisbon, you get to dive just a bit deeper into the city. Yes, walk the historic neighborhoods but also take some time to venture beyond the historic downtown. Head to Belém for some more monuments (and a very delicious treat) and explore more of the unique museums that can be found in Lisbon.
This two day itinerary is perfect for anyone planning their first trip to Lisbon.
Two Days in Lisbon
This is not the only way to spend two days in Lisbon, but I think this two day itinerary gives you a great overview of the city. It’s the itinerary I used on my own trip to Lisbon and one that I’m happy to pass on to other travelers.
Day One
For your first day in Lisbon, I recommend sticking to the historic downtown. Specifically, stroll through the Baxia Neighborhood, the Barrio Alto Neighborhood, and the Alfama Neighborhood. All three have a handful of sights and each feels slightly different than the others. As you stroll, you’ll pass some interesting sights and museums along the way.
In the Baxia Neighborhood, start at Praça do Comércio and the Cais das Colunas before continuing your way down Rua Augusta toward Rossio Square. Along the way, stop at Igreja de São Nicolau de Lisboa and Praça da Figueira. In Rossio Square, don’t miss the National Theater also sits on one end of Rossio Square. Also near Rossio Square is the Igreja de São Domingos de Lisboa, or the Church of St. Dominic, which is worth a quick stop.
The Elevador de Gloria will take you from the Baxia Neighborhood to the Barrio Alto Neighborhood. You can pay to ride the funicular or save your money and walk up yourself.
Stop in a park for Mirador de São Pedro de Alcântara for a great view of the city. Igreja de São Roque is one of Portugal’s first Jesuit churches and it’s worth a quick stop. Largo do Carmo is a square with a picturesque fountain and it’s right nearby Convento do Carmo, which is the ruins of a convent that was damaged by the 1755 earthquake. Rua Garrett is a street that features more of the mosaic tiles on the sidewalk and is a great place to shop, though notice how many tourists just stick to this street and don’t venture one or two blocks over.
When you’re finished in the Barrio Alto, head back down the hill. I recommend stopping at Time Out Market for a great meal. This cafeteria serves all kinds of food so you should have no problem finding something that looks good.
After lunch, head to the Alfama Neighboorhood. Start at the Castelo do São Jorge for more views of the city. Beyond the castle, wander through the windy lanes and work your way back toward Praca do Comercial. Along the way, there’s a few things to watch out for. I like both Miradouro de Santa Luzia and Miradouro das Portos do Sol. While you’re here, don’t miss the tile panels illustrating Lisbon before the earthquake. Largo de São Miguel is a small square but it provides a great starting place to explore more of this neighborhood. And don’t forget a stop at the Lisbon Cathedral.
In the evening it’s travelers choice.
For a more detailed, step by step instructions with some budget saving tips, check out my guide to one day in Lisbon.
Day Two
I recommend starting your day early. Head to Belém for some of the sights there. To get there, you’ll need to catch a bus or tram and they can get busy, especially in the morning.
Once in Belém, look at the time. In an ideal world, you’ll have made it to Belém just before opening for the Jeronimos Monastery. You can purchase your ticket online in advance, but you need to note that prepurchased ticket does not get you any skip the line privileges. Get here early to be one of the first people in and to avoid spending part of your precious vacation waiting in line. Trust me, the line can get long, even during the off season in early March.
Inside the Jeronimos Monastery, you’ll see both the church (typically free entry) and the cloisters (covered in your ticket price). When fishermen and explorers left from Lisbon, this is where they would pray before departure.
After the Monastery, you have a few things you should check out before heading back to downtown Lisbon. The Monument to Discoveries is nearby and while you could pay to climb to the top, I think seeing it from the outside is enough. Stroll along the water and up to the Tower of Belém. This is another sight that you can pay to go up, but I found that I was perfectly content with staying on ground level.
Before leaving Belém, make sure to stop for a pastéis de Belém. You may see them as pastel de nata in downtown Lisbon, but here, these custard treats are called pastéis de Belém. Pastéis de Belém sells so many custard pastries per day that you’re basically guaranteed to get a pastry that is still warm. There are two lines: one for those waiting for a table and one for takeaway orders only. I chose takeaway and the line moved very fast. They know people are coming for the pastéis de Belém (though they do sell a few other treats) and have the whole system down to a science.
When you’re finished in Belém, head back to downtown Lisbon. The rest of the day is meant for the sights you didn’t quite make it to yesterday. If you aren’t sure where to start, here’s a few things to consider.
Fado Museum – If you have an interest in this traditional Portuguese music, this may be the museum for you. Look for this in the Alfama neighborhood.
Museum and School of Portuguese Decorative Arts – This museum lets you stroll through an aristocratic home to see the fine art and decor. Look for this in the Alframa neighborhood.
National Tile Museum – If you don’t mind taking the bus out a bit further, the National Tile Museum tells the story of tiles in Lisbon with so many historical tiles and a beautiful church. This is a bit east of the Alfama neighborhood and if you choose this, I’d highly suggest the bus and being efficient in your strolling through the neighborhoods.
National Pantheon – This is also just east of the Alfama neighborhood, but if you don’t mind a bit of a walk, I think it’s reasonable to walk here. This mausoleum is beautiful and holds the tombs of important citizens of Portugal.
Is Two Days in Lisbon Enough?
I think that two days is a great amount of time for a first visit to Lisbon. Of course there are more museums that you can visit, but if you have more than two days, I’d recommend looking into some of the day trips from Lisbon.
With More Time
As mentioned, if you have more than two days, you should look into some of the day trips from Lisbon. Sintra is a very popular day trip and involves visiting numerous castles and palaces. That said, it’s not the only day trip option, but it is one of the most popular.
Getting Around Lisbon
In general, Lisbon is a very walkable city, though you’ll need to be prepared for hills. I walked a lot throughout Lisbon, but there will be times where you’ll need to rely on public transportation. If you’re traveling to the airport, Belém, or certain museums, you won’t have much of a choice.
Luckily, Lisbon’s public transportation makes it easy to get around. The easiest way is to pick up a reloadable Navegante card. These can be purchased from machines at any of the metro stations (including the airport). The card itself costs 50 cents, but then you can load up the card as needed.
There are two ways to load up the card. The first is to purchase journeys. The second is to just load the card with cash and “zap” your way around the city. The card will automatically deduct the appropriate amount (usually about 1.60 euros per journey) when you tap to enter a bus, tram, or metro stop. The Navegante card can also be used to take the train to Sintra.
Do some research before you travel and figure out how much you plan to use public transportation. While the Navegante cards are easy to reload, they are not refundable. Once the money is loaded onto the card, it’s not possible to get it off, so be conservative with your estimate. You can always add more money to your card, but you don’t want to finish your trip with loads of unspent euros on it.
Tips for Managing Crowds
Lisbon is very busy. I like to travel in the shoulder season and the off season as a way to try to minimize crowds. While I do believe that crowds were smaller than they would have been if I would have traveled during peak season, there were still a lot of tourists in Lisbon. So, let’s talk briefly about how to deal with crowds.
First, when possible, I recommend purchasing a ticket for whichever sight you are visiting ahead of time. There are a few sights where I don’t think this is necessary (The National Tile Museum comes to mind), but for many other sights, you will save time waiting in line. As a note, not every sight allows you skip the line entrance. Some sights will require you to enter at a certain time and others (such as the Jerónimos Monastery in Belém) will not allow you to skip the line. Make sure you understand the terms of your prepurchased ticket. For sights like Jerónimos Monastery, I recommend trying to arrive as early as possible to try to beat the crowds.
Along with crowds at paid sights, you’ll also experience crowds on the streets and public transportation—particularly the stops and line that serve many tourist destinations. On a busy day, you may have to wait for the second or third bus or tram to get where you’re going. While it’s easy to say “just get there early”, there are plenty of places where it’s not enough to just get there early. Give yourself plenty of time to get to where you need to go.
When to Visit Lisbon
Lisbon can be visited all year round. Peak tourist season is during the summer months. Low season is during the winter months, but don’t expect to have the sights to yourself. This may work in other destinations, but in Lisbon, you should expect crowds all year round (though they are more pronounced during the summer months).
In terms of weather, summers can get very hot. Winters are cooler and can have rain. If the weather is the biggest concern, I’d recommend looking to travel in late spring or fall. This should help reduce tourist crowds as well.
Where to Stay in Lisbon
I recommend staying near the city center and historic downtown area of the city. Many of the sights that you’ll want to see are clustered around this area and it’s where most of this two day itinerary is focused.
Now, you don’t have to stay exactly in the city center. I stayed just outside the historic downtown (right between the Anjos and Intendente metro stops). I had a 15 to 20 minute walk to get to the Baxia neighborhood. Yes the walk added a bit more to my day, but staying just outside the historic downtown helped to save a few euros that could be used on other things.
Final Thoughts
Lisbon is a fun city to explore and while I’m normally a person who limits myself to one busy day in a city, I found that I was grateful for two days in Lisbon. There’s so much to see, and especially if you want to get to Belém, two days is a great starting point.
Continue Your Adventure
Portugal: Lisbon is a great city to explore, even if you only have one day. Check out my budget breakdown to get an idea of what your trip to Lisbon will cost and don’t miss my top travel tips. For a great day trip, head to Sintra for its numerous palaces.
Spain: Portugal shares the Iberian Peninsula with Spain. Take in the architecture of Barcelona, the Alhambra of Granada, the relaxed vibe of Sevilla, or one of the great day trips from Madrid.