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The River Tagus is the longest river on the Iberian peninsula, it starts its journey in west Spain and flows east to Portugal where it reaches the wild Atlantic Ocean and ends its journey in one of the oldest cities in Europe, Lisbon.
A charming city nicknamed the City of Seven Hills, Lisbon has an abundance of character, narrow winding streets bustling with markets, fresh laundry hangs freely and the smell of freshly baked pasteis de nata fills the air. There is a special soul about Lisbon, inspiring artists throughout time with a friendly warm atmosphere that left us feeling whole and a desire to return soon.
In this guide, we share the ultimate 1 day in Lisbon, a pocket-sized travel guide that shares spectacular viewpoints, delicious brunch spots and the best streets to explore in the city. If it’s your first time in Lisbon, this 1 day Lisbon itinerary is tailored with you in mind, full of history, practical tips and photography spots that you must visit for a wonderful 24 hours in Lisbon.
Lisbon is a vibrant city worthy of a short or longer visit, with many places to explore just outside the city including Cascais, Sintra and Arrabida Natural Park.
Where is Lisbon?
Set on the banks of the estuary of River Tagus, which is the longest river on the Iberian peninsula, the elegant and charming city of Lisbon welcomes over 5 million visitors each year. Lisbon is located south of the central region of Portugal, within the Lisboa region which includes nearby towns such as Cascais and Sintra.
How to get to Lisbon?
BY AIR
The closest airport to Lisbon is the Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS), Portugal's main international and domestic airport. There are many flight options from the UK, with new flights regularly added due to the popularity of Lisbon as a destination. We flew from Heathrow Airport to Lisbon and the flight took 2 hours 45 minutes with Tap Air.
There are Tap Air self-check-in desks at Heathrow Airport which makes the process efficient. On our return journey from Lisbon airpot we were impressed with the Tap Air lounge at Lisbon Airport, there are comfy seats, charging stations, and a good selection of pasta del natas to enjoy before your return flight!
By Train
It used to be very easy to get to Lisbon from London via the Sud Express train which stopped in Hendaye, however during the Covid pandemic the service was suspended. There are two route options from London to Portugal via train, the first route takes you through Madrid to Lisbon and is usually the fastest option. The second route goes to San Sebastian and Vigo and takes a bit longer, however offers cheaper fares. This route will also pass Porto and follows the coast of Portugal south to Lisbon.
By Bus
There is the option to get a bus from London to Lisbon, the route takes you through Paris where you have to change bus and the journey lasts 34 hours for the quickest route. Check operators including Flixbus and Blablacar Bus.
How to get around Lisbon?
BY TRAIN OR BUS
Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport is approximately 7km from the city centre. The best way to get from Lisbon airport to Lisbon city centre is the metro and will take around 30 minutes on the red line to Lisbon and is within zone 1. There are regular buses from Lisbon airport to Lisbon city centre, if you have a lot of luggage the green Aerobus is the best option, with fewer stops than the city buses and is a bus shuttle service into Lisbon city and runs services late at night until 11pm.
To buy tickets for the metro, purchase a ‘Navegante’ (formerly known as Viva Viagem) electronic travel top up card which you can purchase a single fare or a 24 hour pass for unlimited travel on the metro for the day. This pass can be used on the metro and Carris bus network in Lisbon. This is only available to purchase at metro station ticket machines and you can only top up via these machines.
The benefit of this card is that you can also use it outside of Lisbon, so if you plan on travelling to Cascais or Sintra this could be worthwhile. However, the 24 hour pass does not include these areas and only works within zone 1 which is great if you plan to explore Belém, its too far to walk from Lisbon city centre and is a great idea to experience the iconic old trams and funiculars in Lisbon.
Without the metro electronic top up card you will be charged more for a single fare and costs €0.50 for initial set up costs of the card. There is also the option to use a contactless bank card at the metro barriers which is more expensive than the top up card.
Use the online journey planner on the Lisbon Metro website. If you purchase a Lisboa Card (€27 per person for 24 hours) then use of public transport is free for Lisbon, Cascais and Sintra. This could be worthwhile if you plan to combine it with a day exploring Lisbon and then catch the train to Cascais.
By Car
In Portugal many of the main motorways operate with a toll system, similar to other European countries like France. We rented a car for our trip and drove through Lisbon which was quite easy and used the automatic pay toll system Via Verde which was included in our rental car which meant at the end of the trip we would pay the total tolls amount online. Via Verde allows you to use the fast track lanes which are labelled with a green ‘V’ and allows you to drive through the tolls without stopping.
Where to park | Parking in Lisbon is relatively straightforward with paid and even free parking spots, as we had most of our luggage in the car, we opted for a CCTV-monitored car park. Praça do Municipo is in a great central location opposite the city hall and costs €14.30 for 5 hours of parking. It does have Via Verde but didn’t work at the time we visited and had to get a ticket and pay before we left. If you plan to visit Belem, MAAT or Ponte 25 April bridge there is a free car park close to the Ponte 25 April bridge.
When is the best time to visit Lisbon?
The best times to visit Lisbon to avoid crowds, enjoy warmer weather and find better deals for flights and accommodation includes spring and autumn months. We visited Lisbon in March and the temperatures were pleasant, slightly warmer than back home in the UK.
If you can avoid visiting during the holiday season including summer, easter celebrations and Christmas then April and October are some of the best months to visit Lisbon with fewer crowds and pleasant weather. Take note that there are Portuguese national holidays on the 25th April is Liberation day and 5th October is Republic day and is worth avoiding then unless you are looking to join the celebrations!
what are the best things to do in Lisbon?
We’d love to return to Lisbon and after our quick visit there was a lot we really enjoyed and have a long list of places to visit on our next trip. The beautiful city of Lisbon has many places to explore, this itinerary includes our favourite spots we discovered on the way to Cascais.
Make sure to wear comfortable footwear whilst exploring Lisbon as you will be walking up and down hills for most of the day, there are funiculars, trams and buses that can help with this but we’d recommend good footwear as the best option to get the most of your time in Lisbon!
Morning
If you’re an early bird, wandering the beautiful streets of Lisbon are a no-brainer. Enjoy the charming streets with fewer crowds and it is the perfect opportunity for photos. Start the day exploring the district of Bairro Alto, head to the Bica funincular on Rua da Bica de Duarte Belo which connects Bairro Alto dotted with bars to the seaside district of Cais de Sodre.
The Bica funicular starts at the bottom of the hill next to Hotel Elevador da Bica, you can ride the funicular up the hill or walk along the narrow street to take in all the sights and sounds. The street is fairly steep to begin with, however it gets easier the further up the hill you walk. Washing hangs outside on the balcony, caught by the wind that tunnels down the street creating a wonderful almost movie-like atmosphere.
The only downside is that it can get busy along this street as its one of the most photographed streets in Lisbon, so if you’re able to get up early and beat the crowds it will be worth it! The queues to get on the funicular from the bottom of the hill can get quite long, if you have the energy to walk up the hill then we would recommend that option. Skip pink street also known as Rua Nova do Carvalho, in our opinion its overrated and more of an instragram hotspot.
Brunch
Whilst in Lisbon, the one thing you HAVE to do is eat a pastel de nata, the delicious Portuguese egg tart which was created in Belém district of Lisbon by Catholic monks and is also known as the pastel de Belém. The origin of its creation was born from the large number of egg yolks leftover from using the whites to starch clothes, these resourceful monks did not want the yolks to go to waste and so the pastel de nata was made.
On your way to the district Baixa make sure to stop at Manteigaria on Rua do Loreto. Manteigaria serves the best pastel de nata in Lisbon. Manteigaria success can be seen across the city with a few other cafés loated across Lisbon, there is the option to add cinnamon or powdered sugar to the top of your pastel de nata to customise it to your own preference.
Continue along the road east to Praça Luís de Camões and along Rue Garrett and make your way to Praça de Municipio, a beautiful square with the elegant Lisbon city hall and is adorned with the traditional black and white tiles on the street.
For brunch or lunch we’d highly recommend Delphina restaurant, a metropolitan chic restaurant serving traditional fresh fish, steak, chips and salad. The bread is served with homemade garlic butter and fresh olive spread, now we want to have this every time we eat bread!
A worthy mention is the chocolate mousse, velvet, rich and smooth topped with citrus and salt that enhances the flavour. Make sure to book ahead as it gets very busy at lunch and dinner for a good reason.
Afternoon
A short walk from Praça de Municipio, the magnificent arch, Arco da Rua Augusta stands proudly overlooking the Tagus River and Praça do Comércio square. It was built to celebrate the reconstruction of Lisbon after the catastrophic 1755 earthquake. Arco da Rua Augusta is complimented by two grand buildings either side, creating perfect symmetry and you can walk underneath the hallway of arches.
The next stop is Miradouro de Santa Luzia, a spectacular viewpoint and some say its the best and most romantic viewpoint of Lisbon. On your walk, head towards Lisbon Cathedral (Sé de Lisboa), the path will take you uphill, with plenty of opportunities to stop along the way including lovely cafés sheltered by mature citrus orange trees.
Take your time to take the sights and sounds around you and see if you can spot one of the most ancient trees in Lisbon, an Ombú tree also known as Bella Sombra (phytolacca dioica) which is estimated to be over 300 years old. Ombú trees typically have large trunks to store water and abnormally grows soft wood that is spongy and can easy to cut and is popular to use in bonsai art culture.
The Santa Luzia viewpoint is a special spot, looking across the terracotta tiled roofs of Lisbon and with the Tagus River set as a panoramic backdrop. Santa Luzia is set within the gardens of the Santa Luzia church which has a romantic feel.
Sit on the wall under the pergola adorned with vines and Bougainvillea and locals play music creating an enchanting atmosphere to enjoy this wonderful lookout. A little further along there is another viewpoint Miradouro das Portas do Sol which is only a short walk and also boasts spectacular views of Lisbon.
Evening
The iconic red bridge Ponte du 25 Abril connects Lisbon to Almada where trains and cars can pass across the Tagus River. The bridge is named after the Portuguese Revolution also known as Freedom Day, which happened on 25th April 1974 and was the beginning of Democracy in Portugal.
Walk along the Tejo promenade along the river and admire the construction of this suspension bridge which was built by the same company who built the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco and there are many similarities the Ponte du 25 Abril is smaller and cannot be crossed on foot unless you are running the Lisbon Half Marathon which starts its course on the bridge happens once a year in March.
Watch the sunset over the Tagus River with Pont du 25 Abril bridge as your backdrop, watch the boats come and go and the fishermen patiently waiting their catch. Across the Tagus River there is the landmark statue of Christ, this river has been the start of many adventures of discovery over the years and to this day is still an important port for many locals and visitors alike.
On our next visit we plan to visit Ponto Final restaurant on the otherside of the Tagus river, as you cannot walk over the bridge the best option is to catch the ferry. We hope you found this guide useful and let us know in the comments which parts of Lisbon are your favourites and we will add them to our list next time we visit!
