12 Hours in Lisbon
From various delicious cafes and restaurants to breathtaking views, Lisbon is the perfect city to mix business and leisurely travel. For this itinerary, we've assembled 12 hours of the best spots to visit in Lisbon, Portugal.
Use the J+F digital wellbeing app along with this 12 hour itinerary for additional wellness tips, cultural insights, and fun facts to turn your basic touristy trip into to a memorable and authentic experience.
Torre de Belém (Belém Tower)
This 16th century historical landmark served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers.
If you need to unwind and relax, Torre de Belém and Belém is the perfect place to visit. The magnificent long sidewalk overlooking the river, Rio Tejo, invites you to walk, jog, or ride a bike while enjoying the beautiful river view and the breeze it brings!
Fun fact: You can find a bike rental kiosk, Biclas Belém, in this area for only 4.50€ an hour!
Praça do Comércio
The Praça do Comércio was built as a symbolic entrance into Lisbon from other countries Portugal used to trade goods with, including Brazil, India, and SouthEast Asia. The historical sight is a stunning place to walk around and take in all of the history it offers – from enormous historical monuments to traditional yellow buildings.
Fun fact: Locals tend to make this location a meeting spot when hanging out with friends and family!
You can also find various restaurants surrounding this area, enabling you to enjoy delicious Portuguese food with a breathtaking view!
After your lovely Portuguese meal, make your way to a street that starts right under the great arc in the middle of the yellow buildings called “Arco da Rua Augusta” where lies the next step in your bullet point journey.
For delicious pastéis de nata, a traditional creamy portuguese pastry, visit the “Manteigaria” that is located on the street “Rua Augusta”. This mouthwatering treat is crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside: it is best eaten warm and sprinkled with cinnamon! The cafe personnel always asks if you wish to have cinnamon on top of the pastél de nata and you will want to say yes!
Walk around Baixa/Chiado
Baixa and Chiado are Lisbon's main historical areas. In these neighborhoods, you'll see old gothic style churches, the Lisbon Cathedral and Carmo Convent, various statues and monuments dedicated to Portuguese Kings. As you walk around, you won't miss the traditional yellow Portuguese tram traveling through traffic.
These areas are also filled with delicious Portuguese cafes and restaurants, so do not worry about going hungry when walking around the city! If you enjoy a little bit of shopping, this area also offers a great amount of shops.
(Check out the J+F app for fun and traditional options)
Miradouro Nossa Senhora do Monte
Miradouro Nossa Senhora Do Monte arguably offers the most breathtaking view of Lisbon, where you can see the various vibrant colors of all the houses, the famous red bridge “Ponte 25 de Abril”, and the Rio Tejo, the only river that crosses the city.
This is the perfect place to unwind and relax as the view itself calms you down instantly.
Alfama
The Alfama area is one of the oldest areas in the city of Lisbon where you can find traditional shops and cafes throughout the narrow cobbled streets. As you are walking through this area, various walls will be painted with vibrant colors showcasing singers of “Fado”, a traditional portuguese style of music.
Make sure to stop by “Tasca do Chico”, a traditional portuguese restaurant with authentic food and Fado singers! The fado singers perform on weekends and begin around 9pm, however, getting there earlier might not be a bad idea to ensure a seat!
Castelo de São Jorge (Saint Jorge Castle)
The perfect place to end your exciting day! This visit offers interesting historical facts about the castle and city.
Watching the view from the castle at golden hour is a breathtaking and one of a kind experience that you will not want to miss.
After hitting all of these brilliant locations in Lisbon, Portugal, you will have learned a great deal about Portuguese culture and history along with experiencing what a fun and magical city Lisbon truly is!
We made sure you hit all of Lisbon's major landmarks, all while throwing in a mix of fun activities to do as you explored the city, so that you could have an overall good experience! You will definitely want to come back to Lisbon as the fun here never ends!
Até à próxima! (until next time)!