12 Best Things To Do in Lisbon

There is something special and authentic about Portugal's capital that cannot be described in words. Lisbon is the rooftops of Alfama, the cafés of Chiado, the atmosphere of the Bairro Alto, the facades of the historic centre, the gardens of Belem and the banks of the Tagus River.

The yellow wooden trams that criss-cross Lisbon are a tourist attraction in their own right, but they are also a great way to get around the city, taking you quickly and comfortably to the more off-the-beaten-track sights of Lisbon's historic centre.

To ride the tram you have two options: you can either buy a single ticket for a single journey as if you were taking a regular bus or book a tram route in Lisbon in advance.

You can also combine tram tickets with tourist bus tickets, so that you can easily get around all the corners of the city. Here is my practical guide to Lisbon Hop-On Hop-Off Buses and Trams so that you can organise your trip more easily and I will show you some of the options available:

• Saving pack: Tourist bus, tram and boat in Lisbon, from £42
• Tourist bus and tram in Lisbon, from £34
• 48-hour tourist bus in Lisbon, from £25
• Tourist bus with tickets for the Oceanarium in Lisbon, from £40
• 24 hour tourist bus in Lisbon, from £20.
• Lisbon sightseeing tram, from £21.
• Tickets for Hippotrip, amphibious bus experience in Lisbon, from £25.

I will never get tired of saying that the best way to get to know a city is to walk around its streets and get lost in its corners. For this reason, my first recommendation if you are thinking of going to Lisbon is to check out the best tours and excursions from Lisbon.

Lisbon has many neighbourhoods and each one of them has a special character and personality. Therefore, if you have time, I recommend booking a guided tour of Lisbon through the different neighbourhoods of the Portuguese capital.

If, on the other hand, you are short on time or want to try the experience in a general way, you will also find guided tours on foot, bike, segway... through the most important places in Lisbon. The options are very diverse:

• Tour of Lisbon, from £20.
• Tour of the Belem neighbourhood, from £30.
• Tour of Alfama and São Jorge neighbourhoods, from £17.
• 3-hour private tour of Lisbon, from £66
• GoCar minicab tour of Lisbon, from £20
• Tuk tuk tuk tour of Lisbon, from £146.
• Electric bike tour of Lisbon, from £31.
• Segway tour of Lisbon with food tasting, from £65.
• Bike tour of Lisbon, from £33.
• Segway tour of Lisbon, from £42.
• Express tuk tuk tour of Lisbon, from £22

To know a city is also to know its culture and traditions and, in the case of Lisbon, that means discovering Fado. Fado is a melancholic song based on feelings that originated in the poor neighbourhoods of Lisbon and is still alive and well in the Portuguese capital today.

The best places to listen to Fado in Lisbon are scattered around the city and there are places with or without dinner included and you can also find different packages to combine a Fado show and a sightseeing tour of Lisbon.

I recommend you to check this article about the best fado dinner options in Lisbon to make up your mind and book a ticket for a fado show that suits your preferences.

If after strolling around Lisbon you think nothing can match the beauty of the Portuguese capital, wait until you see all there is to see in Sintra

This World Heritage Site is full of beautiful palaces such as the Palacio da Pena and the Sintra National Palace, with their colourful facades.

Getting to Sintra from Lisbon is easy and will only take you about an hour, but if you can, I recommend booking an excursion to Sintra Below is more information on organised tours to Sintra from Lisbon, so you can take the hassle out of travelling and get to know the area with an expert guide. Here are some of the options available:

• Excursion to Sintra and Cascais, from £61.
• Excursion to Sintra, Cascais, Pena Palace, Cabo da Roca and Regaleira, from £56
• Excursion to Sintra, Cascais and Cabo da Roca, from £73

One of the main sights to see on a trip to Lisbon is not in the Portuguese capital. It is the Pena Palace in Sintra. If the excursion to Sintra is a "must", entering the Pena Palace is another one. Here is more information on how to visit the Pena Palace from Lisbon.

You can book tickets to the Pena Palace or take a guided tour of the Pena Palace, but the most important thing is that you set aside at least one morning to see it all, as the Palace also has huge gardens that are worth a visit.

If you go to Lisbon with children this plan will seduce them especially because in the gardens of the Palace they will feel like in a fun fairy tale.

Are you going to leave Portugal without tasting its most typical dishes? Check out the 10 best gastronomic tours of Lisbon, an activity that will be a delicious part of any traveller's trip and will give you an insight into the country's culinary culture.

Being such a big city, you'll have plenty of restaurants to choose from (I recommend booking in advance if you're interested in a particular one). Another option is to book a gastronomic tour of Lisbon so that a guide can show you the best flavours of the capital.

There are typical Lisbon specialities that you can't miss, such as cod, green wine, "francesinha" and the famous Belem cakes. On the other hand, I also leave you information about the best wine tastings in Lisbon, something also very typical of the Portuguese capital.

When you visit the Belem neighbourhood you will be struck by the structure of this building; don't hesitate to book tickets for the Jeronimos Monastery and, if you can, book a guided tour.

Completed in the 16th century in the Manueline style, the Jeronimos Monastery is considered a World Heritage Site.

It's not all about tourism and those who have been to Lisbon in summer know this well. If you're staying near the Bairro Alto a crowd of people in the streets will surprise you when you go out for dinner.

Music, partying, drinking, joy and a smile on every corner of the narrow and steep streets that run through this neighbourhood are the main characteristics of the Lisbon party.

In the midst of a bohemian atmosphere, the Bairro Alto is the star of Lisbon' s nightlife and is home to a multitude of pubs and bars, many of which also have Fado music. And if you want something a little different, you can book a boat party in Lisbon.

It would have been a sin not to list the wonderful viewpoints that Lisbon has to offer. The Portuguese capital is known as The City of 7 Hills and this nickname ensures that travellers can enjoy extraordinary views from different parts of the city. Here are some of the viewpoints you should not miss:

Yes, you read that right. Every evening several sailboats leave from the dock ready to sail the waters of the Tagus during sunset, allowing you to enjoy a spectacular sunset and a glass of wine in the meantime.

The truth is that for me it was one of the best plans I could make during the trip and the best thing about it is that the budget you need is not excessive, as you can book a cruise on the Tagus from around 36 €.

I tell you all the details in my article on the best Tagus cruises.

If you are going to be in Lisbon for 4 days or even if you are going to extend your stay in Lisbon for 5 days, you will probably want to see other parts of Portugal. I recommend two: Fatima and Porto.

Getting from Lisbon to Fatima and from Lisbon to Porto is quite easy and you can book an excursion to Fatima from Lisbon or to Porto, for example:

• Excursion to Fatima, from £59.
• Excursion to Fátima, Nazaré and Óbidos, from £72
• Excursion to Fátima, Nazaré, Óbidos and Batalha, from £73
• Excursion to Oporto, Nazaré and Óbidos, from £82

As for what you will see in each place, you should know that Fátima is a mainly religious destination that owes its fame to the apparition of the virgin to three little shepherds. As for Oporto, it is the other big city of Lisbon and even many people have doubts as to whether Oporto or Lisbon is better My recommendation, of course, is to visit both.

After a few days strolling around the city you will have already noticed that many of its buildings were affected by the various earthquakes that have ravaged Lisbon throughout its history. This is the case of the Convento da Carmo, which once belonged to the Carmelite order and has no roof.

However, this peculiarity makes it one of the favourite places for travellers. It is closed on Sundays, but the rest of the week you can visit it from 10am to 6pm and I assure you that it is worth it for both its structure and its views.

The temperatures in the Portuguese capital make it possible to visit at any time of the year; in fact, many people visit Lisbon in winter and especially Lisbon at Christmas.

Although you will need to wrap up warm, the cold is perfectly bearable (more so than the summer heat) and that is why January, February, March, October, November and December are among the most popular months to visit Lisbon.

Finally, you are probably wondering how many days you need to visit Lisbon. In my opinion, the ideal is to spend two days in Lisbon or three days in Lisbon, but if you go to Lisbon for just one day you will also be able to enjoy the most important points of a city that is quite manageable.

In case you're in Lisbon for just one day, make sure you check about the transfer from the airport to the centre of Lisbon in advance to save time and add it to the hours of sightseeing in this beautiful city.

Another tip you may appreciate if you are one of those who prefer to make the most of your travel time is to get a tourist pass that will save you money.

For this destination you can book the Lisbon Card, a pass available for 24, 48 or 72 hours with which you have access to numerous museums and monuments in the Portuguese capital, as well as unlimited transport.