View over the rooftops of Alfama and the Tagus from Portas do Sol
  1. Home
  2. Destinations
  3. Portugal
  4. Lisbon
  5. 3 day itinerary

Lisbon in 3 days

  • 3 days
  • 6.7 km on foot
  • 17 stops
  • Audio guide

Three days let you see Lisbon without sprinting and step off the beaten track. Each day has a walking route, rounded out with Belém, a viewpoint, the tile museum, a market and a great art collection. It's the plan for anyone who wants to linger on café terraces, have a second pastel de nata, and let the city settle into their feet.

Day 1Centre, river and Belém

Start the morning with “The best of Lisbon: from the Baixa to Chiado and back to the river”, from Rossio past the Santa Justa Lift and the Carmo Convent to A Brasileira. For lunch, a pastel de nata, then the train or tram to Belém. The afternoon leaves time for the Jerónimos and Belém Tower without hurrying, then a late stroll beside the Tagus before heading back to the centre.

  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

    Jerónimos Monastery

    A masterpiece of Manueline architecture in Belém, with a two-storey cloister carved like lace and, in the church, the tombs of Vasco da Gama and Camões. Take tram 15 or the train from Cais do Sodré; booking ahead is wise.

    Directions

    Belém Tower

    A 16th-century defensive tower on the bank of the Tagus, a World Heritage Site together with the Jerónimos. It is a short riverside stroll from the monastery. If there's a queue, admiring it from outside is enough: the inner staircase is narrow.

    Directions

Day 2The castle hill

Climb early with “From Olisipo to the earthquake: twenty centuries uphill”, from Praça do Comércio to São Jorge Castle, with the Sé and the Roman theatre on the way. Come back down for a bacalhau à Brás in the Baixa, then walk to Miradouro da Graça to see the castle across the valley, rooftops at your feet. A bus or taxi then takes you to the National Tile Museum, which closes the afternoon at an easy pace.

  1. Morning

    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

  2. Lunch

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

  3. Afternoon

    Miradouro da Graça

    A pine-shaded viewpoint with a café terrace at the top of the hill, facing São Jorge Castle. It is one of Lisbon's best spots for the Baixa rooftops and the Tagus in afternoon light, and a gentle uphill walk from the castle.

    Directions

    National Tile Museum

    Housed in the former Madre de Deus convent, it traces the history of the azulejo from the 15th century and holds the Great Panorama of Lisbon from before the earthquake. It lies east of the centre: take a bus or taxi and allow a solid hour.

    Directions

Day 3Market, art and legends

Begin at Mercado da Ribeira in mid-morning, then ride the metro to the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum and its garden. Have a ginjinha on Largo de São Domingos as an aperitif and a light lunch nearby, close to Rossio, so you don't lose the afternoon. At dusk, “Dark Lisbon: inquisitors, ravens and a curse” starts at Rossio, a few steps away. Have seafood or a steak at a cervejaria: Trindade has tiles and atmosphere.

  1. Morning

    Mercado da Ribeira

    A fruit, flower and fish market at Cais do Sodré since 1882, with a big food hall added in 2014. Go mid-morning, while the stalls are still busy. From here it is a short walk to the river and the Rua Augusta.

    Directions

    Calouste Gulbenkian Museum

    A collection assembled by the Armenian magnate Calouste Gulbenkian: Egyptian, Islamic and European art, plus Lalique jewellery. Two hours is enough, and there is a calm garden for a rest. Take the metro to São Sebastião and check the closing day.

    Directions

  2. Lunch

    Try Ginjinha at A Ginjinha. Largo de São Domingos, 8

  3. 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

  4. Dinner

    Try Seafood and beer-hall steak at Cervejaria Trindade. Rua Nova da Trindade, 20C

The map

Lisbon in 3 days, on the map

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

Mixed History Mysteries & legends Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Lisbon in 3 days

  • The history route and the castle climb make the hardest day: put it in the middle of the trip, when your legs are broken in, and keep the market and museums for day three.
  • A rechargeable transport card works on trams, the metro, buses and the train to Belém, and works out cheaper than buying single tickets.
  • Book the Jerónimos ahead when you can, and check each museum's weekly closing day: Monday and Tuesday are when the most visited ones often close.

Questions

Lisbon in 3 days: your questions

Is 3 days too long for Lisbon?

No: it's just right for the three routes, Belém and a couple of museums without rushing. If you have time left over, day four is for Sintra, close by on the train, but that excursion is better kept apart from this plan.

How far do you walk in 3 days?

The routes add up to about 6.7 km: 2.6 on day one, 1.7 on day two and 2.4 on day three. Adding Belém, the viewpoints, the market and the museum, expect 7 to 10 km a day, with hills, so the pace stays relaxed.

Which museum should I choose if I can only visit one?

It depends on what you're after. The National Tile Museum is the most distinctively Lisbon and the closest to our routes; the Jerónimos are a must for the Manueline style; and the Gulbenkian is best for anyone who wants classic art at an unhurried pace.

Other itineraries for 3 days

Lisbon

More or less time?

1 day itinerary 2 day itinerary All about Lisbon