Lisbon’s story spills across seven hills, from Phoenician trading post to Age of Discoveries powerhouse to the city of tiled facades and tram bells you see today. Earthquakes reshaped it, poets mythologized it, and sunlight still paints its pastel streets in gold. You’ll taste centuries of history as you wander Alfama’s Moorish lanes, step into Manueline cloisters, and listen to soulful fado in vaulted taverns.

Food is deliciously simple and fiercely regional: grilled sardines in summer, garlicky clams, bifanas in crusty papo secos, and those flaky custard tarts—pastéis de nata—still warm from the oven. Coffee culture hums early, petiscos and vinho flow late, and rooftop bars stretch evening into night. Expect steep slopes, scenic miradouros, and a breeze off the Tagus that keeps the city comfortable most of the year.

Practical notes: cobblestones can be slick—wear grippy shoes. Load a Viva Viagem card for metro, trams, and trains; the Lisboa Card offers transit plus museum discounts. Book top restaurants and fado houses ahead, keep an eye on your belongings on crowded trams, and bring a light layer for the river wind.

Lisbon

Lisbon is both grand and intimate: Baixa’s neoclassical grid opens onto Chiado’s bookshops and Bairro Alto’s nightlife, while Alfama climbs toward a hilltop castle with views that feel stitched from blue-and-white azulejos. Downriver, Belém celebrates maritime legends with honeyed stonework and riverside promenades.

Top sights include the Jerónimos Monastery, Belém Tower, Castelo de São Jorge, the National Tile Museum, and a sunset cruise on the Tagus. Neighborhood gems await at LX Factory’s creative hub, Principe Real’s garden squares, and the foodie wonderland of Mercado da Ribeira (Time Out Market).

Getting there & around

• Flights to LIS (within Europe): search and compare on Omio. Most major hubs (e.g., Madrid, Paris, London) are 1.5–3 hours; deals often from ~$60–$180 one-way.
• Trains & buses in Portugal (e.g., Porto ⇄ Lisbon 2.5–3h by train, ~$12–$35; 3.5h by bus, ~$7–$18): check Omio Trains and Omio Buses.
• Airport to center: Red Line metro ~20 minutes (~€2 including card); taxi/ride-hail ~25 minutes, typically €12–€20.

Where to stay (curated picks)

• Classic luxury with views: Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon (Amoreiras) — sweeping city vistas, standout spa, and polished service.
• Palatial and serene: Olissippo Lapa Palace Hotel — riverside gardens, an outdoor pool, and old-world elegance.
• Stylish for families: Martinhal Lisbon Chiado Family Suites — apartment-style suites with kids’ club in central Chiado.
• Budget and social: Lisbon Destination Hostel — set inside Rossio Station with airy common spaces.
• Browse more stays: Hotels.com Lisbon and apartment rentals on VRBO Lisbon.

Day 1: Arrival, Baixa & Chiado, Sunset Over the City

Afternoon: Arrive and settle in. Shake off the flight with a gentle Baixa–Chiado loop: Praça do Comércio’s arcades, Rua Augusta’s mosaic pavement, and the wrought-iron Elevador de Santa Justa (peek the Carmo Convent ruins next door). Coffee fix at Fabrica Coffee Roasters (single-origin espresso) or Copenhagen Coffee Lab (Scandi bakes).

Evening: Dinner at Taberna da Rua das Flores (ever-changing chalkboard of petiscos; arrive early or be patient) or Sea Me – Peixaria Moderna (modern seafood—don’t miss the tuna “prego”). Toast the city at Park Bar, a rooftop garden perched atop a parking garage with 25 de Abril Bridge views. For gelato, swing by Nannarella near Estrela for pistachio or ricotta–fig.

Day 2: Alfama, Castelo & a Tuk-Tuk Overview

Morning: Start at Miradouro das Portas do Sol and Santa Luzia for postcard Alfama views, then wander down to Lisbon Cathedral (Sé). Ride a short segment of Tram 28 early to beat crowds. Grab breakfast at The Mill (Aussie-Portuguese: eggs with chouriço, excellent flat whites).

Afternoon: Head up to Castelo de São Jorge for ramparts and river panoramas. Late lunch at Zé da Mouraria (hearty daily fish plates) or O Velho Eurico (tiny, lively, classic grills). Then get a breezy city primer with the Half-Day Lisbon Electric Tuk-Tuk Tour: Alfama, Belém & More to link neighborhoods without the hill slog.

Evening: Book a fado night in Alfama. Try dinner-and-music at Clube de Fado (classic repertoire, candlelit stone arches) or the intimate Mesa de Frades (chapel setting). If you prefer cocktails, Red Frog Speakeasy crafts award-winning tipples behind a discreet door on Avenida.

Day 3: Belém Monuments, Monastery Cloisters & Sunset Sailing

Morning: Ride tram 15E or a taxi to Belém. Visit Jerónimos Monastery—its filigreed Manueline cloister is a marvel—then queue for Pastéis de Belém, where the original recipe dates to 1837. Stroll to the riverside Monument to the Discoveries and Belém Tower.

Afternoon: Explore MAAT’s swooping riverfront galleries or the Berardo Collection at CCB for modern art. Lunch options: enoteca at CCB for a speedy bite; Darwin’s Café for river views and Portuguese classics. Return to the center and browse the food stalls at Mercado da Ribeira (Time Out Market) if you want a mid-afternoon snack.

Evening: Sail into golden hour on a small-group cruise: 2 Hour Lisbon Sunset and Wine Sailing Tour. Sip vinho as the city glows and bridge lights flicker on.

Night: Post-cruise dinner at Bairro do Avillez (gastronomic “neighborhood” by chef José Avillez—try the Páteo for seafood) or Solar dos Presuntos (beloved for shellfish rice and monkfish). Nightcap at Sky Bar (Tivoli) with sweeping Avenida views.

Day 4: Sintra Palaces, Cabo da Roca & Cascais

Morning: Trade the city for romantic Sintra: misty hills, turreted palaces, and secret gardens. Join a small-group excursion—skip parking hassles and ticket lines—with the Sintra and Cascais Small-Group Day Trip from Lisbon. Expect Pena Palace’s candy-colored pinnacles, Quinta da Regaleira’s Initiation Well, and ocean cliffs at Cabo da Roca.

Afternoon: Snack stops: Piriquita for travesseiros (almond pillows) in Sintra; in Cascais, Hífen pours natural wines with Atlantic plates. If you’re DIYing instead, Rossio–Sintra trains run ~40 minutes via Omio Trains, and Cascais–Cais do Sodré is ~40 minutes on the coastal line.

Evening: Back in Lisbon, keep dinner casual at Time Out Market (sample Henrique Sá Pessoa’s croquettes or Marlene Vieira’s seafood) or grab a bifana at the traditional snack counter O Trevo in Chiado.

Day 5: LX Factory, Street Art & Lisbon’s Best Food Tour

Morning: Brunch at Seagull Method Café (house granola, pancake stacks) or Dear Breakfast (all-day eggs). Head to LX Factory, a repurposed industrial complex where indie shops and murals bloom—browse Ler Devagar bookshop’s soaring stacks and catch the river breeze on the pedestrian overpass.

Afternoon: Join the city’s top-rated tasting stroll, the Winner 2025 Undiscovered Lisbon Food & Wine Tour by Eating Europe. With four seated stops, you’ll savor petiscos, regional cheeses, and properly paired wines while weaving through lesser-known neighborhoods and street art pockets.

Evening: Cocktail crawl: start at Pavilhão Chinês (eclectic museum-like bar with billiards) then drop into Foxtrot for Art Deco coziness. Hungry? A Cevicheria plates bright, citrusy Atlantic fish under its famous octopus sculpture; walk-ins often wait, so add your name and sip a pisco sour outside.

Day 6: Oceanarium, Principe Real & Seafood Feasts

Morning: Ride the red line to Parque das Nações for the Oceanário de Lisboa—one of Europe’s finest aquariums with a mesmerizing central tank. Grab coffee at Delta The Coffee House Experience nearby or return to the center for a sweet stop at Manteigaria (pastéis fresh by the tray).

Afternoon: Wander Principe Real: garden square, design stores, and Embaixada concept mall inside a 19th-century palace. Late lunch at Tasca da Esquina (modern Portuguese plates to share) or Tapisco (Iberian petiscos; don’t miss the tortilla trufada).

Evening: Dinner at Cervejaria Ramiro (order percebes, garlic clams, and finish with a prego steak sandwich) or Sea Me if you prefer reservations. Jazz lovers can slip into Hot Clube de Portugal for a live set after 10 pm.

Day 7: Tiles, Flea Finds & Farewell Views

Morning: Explore the National Tile Museum (Museu Nacional do Azulejo) to grasp Lisbon’s identity in blue and white—set in a former convent with intricate chapels. If it’s Tuesday or Saturday, swing by Feira da Ladra flea market for antiques and curios near the Panteão Nacional. Brunch at Heim Café (soft-scrambled eggs, banana bread) on the way.

Afternoon: Last-minute shopping in Chiado (stationery, ceramics) and a panoramic pause at Miradouro da Senhora do Monte. For a riverside escape, take the short ferry to Cacilhas and lunch at Ponto Final, where yellow chairs kiss the water and the view back to Lisbon is pure cinema.

Evening: Farewell dinner at Solar dos Presuntos (Galician-influenced seafood and rice dishes) or Bairro do Avillez (choose your vibe: Páteo for seafood, Taberna for petiscos). End with a stroll along the Ribeira das Naus promenade, the bridge aglow and the city humming.

Practical dining and café short list

• Breakfast & coffee: Fabrica Coffee Roasters; The Mill; Dear Breakfast; Seagull Method Café; Manteigaria for still-warm pastéis.
• Casual lunches: Time Out Market (curated stalls); O Trevo (bifana); Zé da Mouraria (daily fish); O Velho Eurico (grills).
• Dinners: Solar dos Presuntos (seafood rice); Sea Me (modern fish); Taberna da Rua das Flores (creative petiscos); Cervejaria Ramiro (shellfish institution); Bairro do Avillez (multiple concepts).
• Drinks & nightlife: Park Bar (rooftop sunsets); Sky Bar (elegant views); Red Frog (speakeasy); Pavilhão Chinês (whimsical classic).

Good-to-know tips

• Transit: Consider a 24-hour pass (zones 1–2) on Viva Viagem for metro, buses, and trams if you’ll ride frequently. Tap-on/tap-off with contactless cards also works on many services.
• Crowd strategy: Jerónimos and Belém Tower are best early or late; Tram 28 early morning; Pena Palace timed entries sell out—day-tour tickets help.
• Gratuities: Service is included; round up or leave ~5–10% for standout meals.

Optional add-ons if you have extra time

• DIY day trip to Óbidos (medieval walls and ginginha) via Omio Buses (~1h15–1h30) or to Setúbal/Arrábida for beaches and seafood.
• Bike the riverside path from Cais do Sodré toward Belém; it’s flat, breezy, and scenic.

Ready to book? Find your flights on Omio, trains and buses on Omio Trains and Omio Buses, and your stay on Hotels.com or VRBO. Secure popular tours early, especially Sintra and sunset sailing.

Seven days in Lisbon blend old-world alleys and bold contemporary culture, from tile-clad convents to urban art and creative kitchens. With this itinerary you’ll savor the city’s rhythm—slow mornings, long lunches, sunlit viewpoints, and music after dark—and carry the Tagus’ shimmer home.