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Lisbon in one day, a new chapter in our stopover blog post series! A stopover in Lisbon? Or another reason for a quick visit? Lisbon is perfect to immerse yourself in a new culture, enjoy delicious food and spectacular architecture. But is one day enough? What is the best Lisbon itinerary? Where to stay in Lisbon? Be a quick explorer and discover Lisbon in 24 hours!
We will cover the following topics to make sure you do not miss out on anything:
- THE stopover tip: TAP airline stopover promotion
- Transport & where to stay in Lisbon
- How long do you need in Lisbon?
- Itinerary: Lisbon in one day
OUR STOPOVER BLOG SERIES: Click to learn more about stopovers and tips & tricks.
THE stopover tip: TAP airline stopover promotion
Often you need to pay some extra to book a stopover flight ticket. But not if you fly with TAP Air Portugal, offering free stopovers for Lisbon and Porto. The minimum stay is 24 hours up to max 120 hours (5 days). Enough time for you to discover the cities or even the surrounding of Magnificent Portugal. Interested? Check out the website from TAP Air Portugal HERE. Looking for other airlines that offer free stopovers? Check out our blogpost: Stopover tickets: 10 airlines with free stopovers
Transport & where to stay in Lisbon
You will arrive at the airport Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS). With only 6 KM distance, surely the airport is very closely located to the city centre which makes it perfect for your one day in Lisbon! Take the metro to the city centre for your final destination, which will take around 20-30 minutes. To make use of public transport you do need to buy one time a Viva Viagem transportation card, which you should recharge with money to make use of the metro. A one-way trip is only around €1,50.
You can choose if you wish to take your luggage to your hotel or not. You can also leave it at the airport in the luggage storage (open 24/7) in the arrivals area, next to car park area P2.
When picking a hotel we recommend staying around the metro lines and stops ‘Restauradores’ and ‘Rossio’. From our own experience, we recommend the ‘Turim Restauradores Hotel’. Basically, because we managed to discover the city very easily by foot or by electric step from this hotel! We went all the way from the city centre to Torre de Belem. You will see the steps everywhere in the city from different companies. Generally, the easiest is to use ‘Lime‘ very easy to use with the ‘Lime app’. Do keep an eye that you pay per minute that you use it so keep an eye on the costs if you are on a specific budget.
Is one day in Lisbon enough?
One day in Lisbon will be a packed itinerary! We recommend staying at least two days to have a wonderful time, also taking time to sit longer in one of the restaurants to fully enjoy the culinary experience. You could even choose to make your trip more amazing by doing a tour outside the city to for example Sintra, a fairy tale area with a royal touch due to the impressive castles and colourful Pena Palace.
Itinerary: the ultimate guide for one day in Lisbon
For this itinerary we assume that you will use a stopover which is a minimum of 24 hours and that you will have one overnight stay included. To give more structure and guidance we divided the day in morning, afternoon and evening. Keep in mind that these days can be packed to see as much as possible. Of course you can switch and mix it up to your own preference or timeframe.
Morning
Ready for colourful buildings, small streets and history? Finally, we are going to Alfama! After an early breakfast, it is time to catch the famous ‘tram 28’ which connects some important areas like Alfama and Baixa. To avoid crowds, undoubtedly it is important to go early or late in the day and moreover to be aware of pickpockets. The tram in Lisbon is a classic and unique sight in the streets and fun to take a ride! Find updated info and the route of the tram HERE.
Lastly, If you prefer a quicker and costless way to get into the Alfama and Castelo de São Jorge area you can take the elevator ‘Elevador Castelo’ (address Rua dos Fanqueiros 170/178, Baixa).
Pick & mix for your interest, In Alfama you can admire the following:
- Our favourite: get lost in the small and medieval streets. Do not miss the following streets: Rua Augusta, Rua da Adiça and Rua dos Remédios.
- Viewpoints: Miradouro da Graça or Miradouro Das Portas Do sol will give you splendid views over the city.
- Castelo de São Jorge: the famous castle in Lisbon
- Sé de Lisboa Cathedral: you can find this cathedral with a mix of styles in Largo da Sé
- Fado Museum: explains the evolution and the passion behind Portugal’s famous musical expression
Around lunchtime
Before going to some nice places to enjoy Lunch it is time to visit another area named Baixa with the big square of Lisbon: Praça De Comércio. The streets connected to Praça De Comércio and the Rua Augusta Arch are also a pleasure to walk through. You will find nice architecture and many shops. If preferred you can grab some lunch in some of the restaurants here.
Our lunch option: Time out Market. We took the electric steps and in max. 10 minutes we arrived at a big venue with some bars and 26 restaurants with great variety from Portuguese specialties, steaks, sushi, burgers etc. If you are lucky you will also be entertained with some live music while enjoying your lunch.
Early afternoon
We are leaving the city center for a while and move forward to Torre de Belem. You can take the bus or like us the electronic steps which takes about 30/45 minutes. We loved to take the steps as we could discover a different part of the city along the water and have a great view on the famous bridge Ponte 25 de Abril and the Cristo Rei.
When arriving at the Torre de Belem you will quickly notice that this is a famous and iconic landmark. Many people will hang around the area. Also for you a great moment to relax a bit and catch some sun rays with some lovely views. Do not forget the big square showing the world map.
Late afternoon and evening
We are heading back to the city centre and will discover a different area with some hotspots and dinner and nightlife possibilities. But on the way, we recommend you to make an extra stop to eat some famous ‘Pastéis de Nata‘ (Custard Tart). You will see this everywhere in Lisbon but there is one place highly recommended: Pasteis de Belem. You will reach this food heaven in about 15 minutes walk from Torre de Belem. From here on you proceed to the neighbourhood Bairro Alto and Chiado.
Pick & mix for your interest, In Bairro Alto and Chiado you can admire the following:
- Fado Dinner: experiencing a dinner in a Fado restaurant is the most cultural experience you can have in Lisbon. Enjoy the folklore music which is even on the UNESCO Cultural Heritage list.
- Rooftop bar: who doesn’t love to visit a nice rooftop bar? Visit Park Bar! Not the cheapest place if you are on a strict budget, but worth a cocktail and some snacks while enjoying the view over the river, views so far that you can even see the bridge Ponte 25 de Abril.
- Santa Justa elevator: closely you will find an important touristic attraction, an elevator that brings you to another viewpoint on 45m height.
- Art scene: do you love to discover some new art? The Bairro Alto is well known for its art scene with many galleries and art tours that you can book.
- Viewpoint: interested in another, considered most romantic, viewpoint from the other side of the city? Visit Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara. When we were here there was live music and a local market which was such a great vibe!
- Rua da Bica de Duarte Belo: considered Lisbon’s most photographed street due to the small characteristic buildings but also due to the ‘Bica funicular’, the famous tram ‘elevator’ that brings you up-and downhill in 5 minutes.
- Rua Nova do Carvalho: the well known pink street! The must if you like to hang out and visit some small bars. But while walking through also imagine the history of this place; the street being a crossroad for local criminals and prostitutes back in the days.
Will you visit Lisbon in one day as your stopover destination? Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.
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