In a nutshell
- Planning 3 or 4 days in Lisbon? That’s the perfect amount of time for a first visit — enough to hit all the major highlights of Lisbon and really soak up the city’s vibe on your Lisbon city trip.
- This article gives you our day-by-day Lisbon weekend itinerary — and shows you exactly how to extend it to four days with a day trip to Sintra and Cascais.
- We also share our best picks for restaurants and hotels, plus everything you need to know about getting around Lisbon without wasting time.
Finding the Perfect Hotel for 3 Days in Lisbon
If you’re spending three or four days in Lisbon, you should definitely stay in the city center. That way you won’t waste time commuting in from the outskirts every morning.
Here are our top 3 hotel picks, all with a super central location in Lisbon.
Tempo FLH Hotel: Great location right on the central Rossio Square — a perfect base for your Lisbon weekend itinerary.
Hotel Convento do Salvador: Excellent value for money, and the location in the Alfama old quarter is great too — quiet yet still central.
Urbano FLH Hotels: Ideally situated between Alfama and the main square Praça do Comércio. One of our favorite boutique hotels in Lisbon.
Read all our tips on where to stay in Lisbon:
Day 1: Arriving in Lisbon
- Getting from the airport to the city center
- Strolling through the Alfama old town
- Eating Pastéis de Nata
- Walking up to Castelo de São Jorge
- Sunset at Miradouro de Santa Luzia
Getting from the Airport to the City Center
Lisbon’s airport is super well connected to the city center by metro. The metro station is clearly signposted throughout the terminal.
To access the metro network, just hold your credit card up to the reader at the turnstile. You’ll pay €1.90 for a single ride.
If that doesn’t work, head to the ticket counter and buy the Navegante Card for 50 cents, then load it with €1.90. You hold the Navegante Card up to the reader just like a credit card.
At the airport, board the red metro line toward São Sebastião. To reach your accommodation in the city center, you’ll probably need to transfer once. Google Maps will show you all the connections.
Read all our tips on public transportation and the airport in Lisbon:
Strolling through Alfama
After you’ve checked in to your hotel, head to Lisbon’s historic district, Alfama. A good starting point is the Sé de Lisboa Cathedral. From there, just let yourself wander through the narrow lanes of Alfama.
Our personal tip: Make a stop at Pastelaria Alfama Doce and try your first Pastel de Nata — these little Portuguese pastries are seriously addictive!
Castelo de São Jorge and Miradouro de Santa Luzia
From Alfama Doce, it’s about a 10-minute walk to Castelo de São Jorge. Fair warning — you’ll be walking uphill the whole time! On the way, you’ll pass the Portas do Sol viewpoint, where you can catch your breath.
Once you’re at the top, head inside the castle. Tickets cost €17 for adults. To avoid waiting in line, it’s best to buy them online in advance.
Skip the Line Ticket for Castelo de São Jorge
From the castle, you’ll have seriously stunning views out over all of Lisbon.
Before sunset, head back halfway down the hill to the Santa Luzia viewpoint. The atmosphere there at sunset is incredible — there are often street musicians performing, which makes it even more special.
For dinner, we recommend finding a restaurant near your accommodation, since you’ll probably be worn out after such a full day.
Or you can eat near the Miradouro de Santa Luzia. A great option is Taberna Do Castelo. Reserve your table online in advance though.
Day 2: Sightseeing in Lisbon
- Riding Tram 28E
- Rua Augusta and Praça do Comércio
- Lunch at the Time Out Market
- Bica and Bairro Alto
- Eating Pastel de Nata
- Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara
- Elevador de Santa Justa
- Dinner at Casa da India
Tram 28E and Praça do Comércio
On your second day in Lisbon, kick off the morning with a ride on the famous tram line 28E across the city — one of the most popular things to do in Lisbon on a weekend visit.
You start the ride at Martim Moniz square and ride the tram back there at the end as well.
To our tips for Tram 28E:
After the ride, walk from Martim Moniz to the large Rossio Square and then down the shopping street Rua Augusta.
The street leads you to the main square Praça do Comércio, where Lisbon’s triumphal arch stands. Walk through it as you arrive from Rua Augusta.
From the square, take a leisurely stroll along the Tagus River to Cais do Sodré. The waterfront promenade is a really lovely place to walk.
At Cais do Sodré you’ll find the Time Out Market food hall. There are loads of great restaurants where you can order lunch and then sit down at one of the communal tables in the center of the hall. We love the concept!
After lunch, walk about three minutes from the Time Out Market to the stop for the Bica funicular. The famous car rides up a pretty alleyway to the top of a hill and makes for a great photo opportunity.
Honestly, it’s even better to walk up the street yourself — it’s really lovely. If that sounds like too much effort, just take the funicular.
Once you’ve made it to the top of the hill, you’ve earned yourself another Pastel de Nata. Head to Manteigaria on Praça Luís de Camões — they make incredibly delicious Pastéis there.
Our tip: Manteigaria sells special to-go packaging for Pastéis de Nata — perfect if you want to bring a few of the little pastries home as a souvenir.
At Praça Luís de Camões you’re already in the Bairro Alto neighborhood — Lisbon’s nightlife district. In the afternoon it’s still pretty quiet and you can wander at a leisurely pace through the narrow streets.
If you keep heading uphill through Bairro Alto, after about 10 minutes you’ll arrive at Miradouro São Pedro de Alcântara — one of our top picks for viewpoints in Lisbon.
From the viewpoint, walk back a little way through Bairro Alto to the Elevador de Santa Justa. It’s a cool elevator that technically belongs to Lisbon’s public transit system, but today is very much a tourist attraction.
Since the Elevador is always pretty crowded, we recommend just enjoying the view from the top rather than riding the elevator.
From the Elevador, walk back past Praça Luís de Camões to Casa da Índia. It’s a wonderfully authentic Portuguese restaurant where you can have a great dinner — and a personal insider tip in Lisbon from us.
Day 3: Day Trip to Belém and the Cristo Rei Statue
- Torre de Belém
- Mosteiro dos Jerónimos
- Padrão dos Descobrimentos
- Pastéis de Belém
- LX Factory
- Ponte 25 de Abril
- Cristo Rei in Lisbon
On day 3 of your Lisbon 3-day itinerary, head out in the morning to the Belém district. Take tram line 15E from Cais Sodré or the train that runs from Cais do Sodré to Cascais.
Get off in Belém and start by walking along the riverfront to the monument Padrão dos Descobrimentos. There’s not a whole lot to do here other than take some photos. Afterward, continue on to the Torre de Belém.
The watchtower also sits right on the river and has an observation platform at the top. The large lawn directly behind the Torre de Belém is also really lovely.
From there, continue on to the monastery Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. It’s a truly impressive building, both inside and out.
Our tip: Buy your ticket for the monastery online in advance — that way you’ll skip the line. You can purchase the ticket on the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos website.
After visiting the monastery, take a short lunch break nearby and then make a beeline for the pastry shop Pastéis de Belém. This is where you’ll find THE original Pastéis de Nata — a recipe that only this pastry shop knows.
The café is huge, so despite the crowds you’ll usually find a seat pretty quickly.
After your daily Pastel de Nata break, take a bus (connections shown on Google Maps) to the LX Factory.
This is a former industrial site that has been transformed into a seriously cool hotspot. It’s packed with interesting shops, trendy eateries, and some of the best photo spots in Lisbon.
If you’re spending the evening of day 3 in Lisbon as well, take a bus from LX Factory in the late afternoon to the Cristo Rei statue on the other side of the river.
You’ll cross the famous Ponte 25 de Abril on the way.
Once you arrive at the statue, take the elevator up to Cristo’s observation platform and enjoy the panorama over Lisbon from the other side.
Afterward, you can take a short stroll along the river and then catch bus line 3001 to Cacilhas. From there, hop on the ferry back to Cais do Sodré.
When you arrive back at Cais do Sodré, you can head straight to the Time Out Market again for dinner. Alternatively, we have another local favorite for a restaurant: the Portuguese restaurant Cova Funda in Intendente.
Getting to Intendente from Cais do Sodré is super quick by metro. At Cova Funda you can often get a table without a reservation too.
Extra Tip Day 4: Day Trip to Sintra and Cascais
- Sintra
- Palacio Nacional da Pena
- Quinta da Regaleira
- Cabo da Roca
- Cascais
If you have four days instead of three, even better. You’ll have time for a day trip to Sintra and Cascais — two absolutely stunning destinations near Lisbon.
If you want to hit as many highlights as possible, your best bet is to book a guided tour.
Guided Sintra, Cabo da Roca, and Cascais Tour
Read also our tips for Sintra and Cascais
The Palaces of Sintra
If you’re going independently, take the train from Rossio early in the morning — around 8 AM — to Sintra. At the station, transfer to tourist bus line 434, which takes you to the Palacio Nacional da Pena.
For the palace, you can buy a ticket for both park and palace or just the park — depending on how interested you are. It’s best to buy tickets online in advance.
Ticket for Palacio Nacional da Pena
After visiting the fairy-tale palace, you can walk two kilometers to Quinta da Regaleira — another stunning palace in Sintra.
Ticket for Quinta da Regaleira
Here you can also take a short lunch break. We recommend packing sandwiches and snacks.
From Quinta da Regaleira, take bus 1253 to Cabo da Roca. This is the westernmost point of the European mainland, and the views of the rocky coastline and sea are spectacular.
At Cabo da Roca, snap some photos and then take bus 1624 to Cascais. The ride takes about an hour and you’ll get off in the center of town.
In Cascais, stroll through the city center and down to the beach — near Cascais you’ll find some of the most beautiful beaches near Lisbon.
Otherwise, just have dinner in the center of Cascais — it’ll probably be getting late by then anyway. There are plenty of great restaurants. We recommend House of Wonders.
Frequently Asked Questions About a Weekend in Lisbon
Is the Lisboa Card worth it for 3 days in Lisbon?
Not really — not for a standard three-day visit. If you’re planning to visit a lot of museums, though, it might be worth running the numbers.
Are 3 days enough time for Lisbon?
For a first visit, yes. You’ll be able to see the main highlights and get a real feel for the city. That said, if you really want to dig deeper into Lisbon, plan for four or more days.
How much money do you need for 3 days in Lisbon?
Is Lisbon a good city trip destination with kids?
Absolutely! Lisbon is a fantastic European city break destination for families too.
Is a guided city tour worth it for 3 days in Lisbon?
Yes! We’d really recommend a walking tour of Lisbon if it’s your first time in the city — it’s a great way to get oriented and pick up stories you’d never find in a guidebook.
Read our tips for guided tours in Lisbon
If you have four days in Lisbon, a boat tour is also totally worth adding to your itinerary.
Is Hop-on/Hop-off worth it for 3 days in Lisbon?
Only if you have trouble getting around on foot. Otherwise, you can explore the city and its winding alleyways just as well on foot and with public transit — and you’ll see a lot more that way.
