View over the rooftops of Alfama and the Tagus from Portas do Sol
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Lisbon in 1 day

  • 1 day
  • 6.7 km on foot
  • 17 stops
  • Audio guide

One day in Lisbon is enough to take home the essentials, as long as you don't mind climbing a few hills. This plan strings together three walking routes: the Baixa and Chiado in the morning, historic Alfama and the castle in the afternoon, and the legends at dusk. It's a long day, built for anyone short on time and long on stamina, in good shoes.

One day in LisbonThe seven hills in a day

Start early at Rossio with “The best of Lisbon: from the Baixa to Chiado and back to the river”: the Santa Justa Lift, the Carmo Convent and A Brasileira, where there's room for a bica. For lunch, a pastel de nata at Confeitaria Nacional on Praça da Figueira, close by. In the afternoon, “From Olisipo to the earthquake” climbs from Praça do Comércio to the Sé, the Roman theatre and São Jorge Castle: save your legs for the hills. As the sun sets, “Dark Lisbon” runs from Rossio to Santa Engrácia. Dinner is a bacalhau à Brás.

  1. Morning

    The best of Lisbon: from the Baixa to Chiado and back to the river

    Mixed · 2.6 km · 2 h 5 min

    1. RossioLisbon's people's square since the Middle Ages, with wave-patterned paving that ended up travelling all the way to Rio de Janeiro.
    2. Santa Justa LiftA lacy iron tower that has carried Lisboetas from the Baixa up to Carmo since 1902, and which Eiffel did not design.
    3. Carmo Convent and Largo do CarmoA Gothic church left roofless by the earthquake, and a square where a dictatorship fell in 1974.
    4. Miradouro de São Pedro de AlcântaraA garden on two terraces with all of Lisbon spread out in front of you: the castle, the Baixa and the eastern hills.
    5. Chiado and A BrasileiraThe poets' quarter, where Fernando Pessoa still sits outside his café and where the word ‘bica’ was born.
    6. Rua Augusta ArchThe triumphal arch that crowns the Lisbon rebuilt after the earthquake and opens the city to the river.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Pastel de nata at Pastéis de Belém. Rua de Belém, 84-92

  3. Afternoon

    From Olisipo to the earthquake: twenty centuries uphill

    History · 1.7 km · 1 h 45 min

    1. Praça do ComércioThe kings' palace stood here until the morning of 1 November 1755 wiped it off the map.
    2. Casa dos BicosA palace bristling with stone spikes, built with Indian fortune and now watched over by an olive tree holding Saramago's ashes.
    3. Lisbon Cathedral (Sé)The cathedral raised by Portugal's first king after conquering the city, built like a fortress and scarred by several earthquakes.
    4. Roman TheatreBeneath the houses of Alfama slept a theatre dedicated to Nero, forgotten by everyone until 1798.
    5. Miradouro de Santa LuziaA balcony over Alfama where two tile panels show you the Lisbon the earthquake swallowed.
    6. São Jorge CastleAt the top of the hill, the fortress that was a Moorish citadel, a royal palace and the setting of the 1147 conquest.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  4. Early evening

    Dark Lisbon: inquisitors, ravens and a curse

    Mysteries & legends · 2.4 km · 1 h 50 min

    1. Rossio and the Inquisition palaceWhere a theatre now stands, Portugal's most feared court sat for more than two centuries.
    2. Church of São DomingosA church with fire-cracked columns, where in 1506 the worst massacre in Lisbon's history began.
    3. Church of Saint AnthonyAccording to tradition, Lisbon's best-loved saint was born here: the one who finds lost things and arranges marriages.
    4. Lisbon Cathedral and the ravens of Saint VincentA boat, two ravens and a martyr's relics: the legend that became Lisbon's coat of arms.
    5. Church of Santa Engrácia (National Pantheon)The church that took 284 years to finish, and the curse of a condemned young man who, so the story goes, predicted it.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  5. Dinner

    Try Bacalhau à Brás at Martinho da Arcada. Praça do Comércio, 3

The map

Lisbon in 1 day, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed History Mysteries & legends

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Before you go

Tips for Lisbon in 1 day

  • Lisbon's calçada portuguesa, the black-and-white cobbled pavement, gets slippery in the rain and tiring on the feet: wear shoes with good grip and keep some energy for the castle climb.
  • Between routes, don't waste your legs: the metro, a taxi or a tram skips the hills, while the Baixa and Rossio are only ten minutes on foot from Praça do Comércio.
  • Many monuments and museums close on Mondays; if you want to go inside the Sé, the castle or a church, check that day's opening hours before you set out.

Questions

Lisbon in 1 day: your questions

Can you see Lisbon in one day?

The essentials, yes: the Baixa, Chiado, Alfama and the castle fit into one long day. Belém and the big museums will have to wait, as they need more time. This plan gives you the historic districts and their legends without too many interiors.

How far do you walk on this itinerary?

The three routes add up to about 6.7 km (2.6 essential, 1.7 history, 2.4 mysteries), not counting the transfers between them or walks to meals. Expect 9 to 11 km in total, with plenty of hills.

Where should I start if I only have one day?

At Rossio, early, to walk the Baixa and Chiado before the crowds arrive. Save the castle climb for the afternoon, once your legs are warmed up, and the legends for dusk, when the squares quieten down.

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