My Guide to Spending 3 Days in Lisbon
If you’re looking for a foodie’s guide to 72 hours or three days in Lisbon, then you’ve just found the golden ticket!
I’ve just returned from my fourth trip to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. I’ve visited with friends, as a solo traveller and with my girlfriend, Emma. Having tried and tested many of the tourist and foodie experiences this is how I would spend 72 hours in one of my favourite European cities.
When is the best time to visit Lisbon?
I would highly recommend visiting Lisbon during shoulder season. Shoulder season is either side of high season (summertime in the Northern Hemisphere), so anytime from March – May and September – November. Prices are typically lower for this time of year, though I would preface that by saying that visiting during the Easter break may come with its own price increases.
The weather is warm, but not too hot – expect temperatures between 18 and 24 degrees celsius. Lisbon is known for its flash floods so warmer weather can bring heavy rainfall so just be mindful of this. I have been caught in it before in early October and we then spent the day in the aquarium to avoid being drenched!
Where to stay in Lisbon for every budget
Let’s start with accommodation, and I’ll break down my recommendations by price range and location:
High budget, high quality
I would recommend staying in Heritage Avenida Liberdade Boutique Hotel. Price per night for shoulder season is around €250 – €300 for a room. When I stayed it was much more affordable but the quality was top tier.
Breakfast was included. The rooms were tastefully designed with his and hers sinks. They provided robes and slippers. There was also a spa, gym and pool located in the basement which is very atmospheric, though small.
There was always Nespresso coffee and freshly baked mini pastéis de nata available at all times. The staff are attentive but not overbearing.
It is perfectly located on the Avenida de la Liberdade, where a lot of the designer shops are. You’re a five minute walk away from Praca Dom Pedro IV, the main square of the city where all the walking tours start from. You can also access Barrio Alto, where all the clubs and bars are, by walking up a very steep hill.
It would be an ideal hotel for a couple looking for a luxurious break.
Low budget, medium quality
We recently stayed at Chalet D’Avila, a guesthouse located slightly further north outside the city centre in an area called Saldanha. Price per night was around €50 – €60 for a room. It was really good value for money.
Breakfast was included. All rooms are private however you are sharing a bathroom with the six other rooms on that floor. That being said, we always had access to the bathrooms when we needed them and they were nearly always very clean.
You can walk downhill into the centre in around 45 minutes or you can take the metro which is about a 10 minute walk, also downhill.
How hilly is Lisbon?
Note that I am mentioning downhill or steep hills a lot in this post as Lisbon is known for its hills. The city was built on seven hills or so they say (they wanted to sound as powerful as Rome, Athens and Istanbul). In fact the city is actually built on eight hills, but they ignore the last one!
If you are very unfit then I would not recommend Lisbon as a visitor destination. It is riddled with hills. Your ‘flights climbed’ stat on your Apple Watch will be through the roof after spending a few days there.
Furthermore, the paths are unstable – made from small, often broken tiles, you’d need to be surefooted to explore the hillier and older areas of the city such as Alfama. As far as footwear is concerned, I would recommend a grippy sole! I have fallen not once, but twice, in sandals in Lisbon (there may or may not have been alcohol involved!)
Medium budget, low quality – Should I stay in an Airbnb in Lisbon?
Here I would put most Airbnbs in Lisbon. I have stayed in a few and I would not stay again. The last one we stayed in had a hole in the roof with water dripping into a bucket that we had to empty every day. We were given €20 back on our overall bill. Enough said, I think.
Day 1 of 72 hours in Lisbon
Have breakfast at your hotel, leaving enough room for a sweet treat mid-morning. Head to one of the many Copenhagen Coffee Labs for a pastry. Order a raspberry cream bun or a cinnamon roll. Visit the Carmo Convent, an archaeological museum with a €7 general entry fee. It is a short visit so ideal to get your day started. There’s a lot of looted artefacts in here but the fallen in architecture is a sight to see.
For lunch, grab a bifana. They are a classic Lisbon street snack of a pork sandwich. You can get them with or without cheese. The Bifanas of Afonso are the most famous. They also have some vegetarian options. They are incredibly well priced at around €2 – €2.50. I would recommend having a small beer to wash it down – Superbock and Sagres are the Portuguese beers.
Bear in mind they don’t have seating here so you will have to eat it either standing up, on the go or while perched on a nearby street step. They also only take cash so bring your euros! There is usually a line around lunchtime so be prepared to wait it out. It is so worth it. I would recommend adding their house mustard and spicy sauce to your taste.
Now if you’re a history buff you could spend your afternoon on a free walking tour. We always book our tours on Guru Walks. If you don’t like listening to someone talk about history for three hours then you could wander around the newer part of the city to see the Santa Justa lift. This is a Victorian style out-door lift that is still in operation. Its original function was to connect the upper and lower parts of the neighbourhood for the upper classes who weren’t bothered climbing up and down the hills. You can still ride it today. The queue also tends to be long for this.
As the sun is starting to go down I would recommend spending the sunset hours in Javá Rooftop Bar, the best rooftop bar in Lisbon. This is a very good rooftop bar. There is also a restaurant on site but I haven’t tried it so I wouldn’t comment on it.
Drinks have gone up in price recently but a basic glass of wine here is €4. Cocktails are in the €10+ range. They have done a very good job designing this bar, giving nearly everyone a view of the sunset with its low walls and open-plan layout. Arrive one hour before the sunsets to guarantee your spot as there aren’t copious amounts of tables here. The seating is very comfortable also. There is no table service and the drinks queue can get out of hand with only one bar open during shoulder season.
After your aperitivo, you should go to Estrela Da Bica for dinner. This is my favourite restaurant in Lisbon. You must book in advance as it is very popular. All of the ingredients are locally sourced. The dishes are a fusion of Portuguese and many other influences. We ate duck, cabbage, pizzetas, bread, french toast, and croquetas. It is a small plates style establishment. They only have one or two wines available by the glass. The food is very rich and perfectly crafted. If you are a foodie, you will be in heaven here.
If you still have the energy, take yourself to Barrio Alto, the bars district. There is a stunning cocktail bar called Toca da Raposa you might want to check out.
Day 2 of 72 hours in Lisbon
Get yourself down to Neighbourhood for brunch – probably one of my favourite brunch spots in the entire world. The attention to detail with the flavours that isn’t usually found in brunch dishes really stands out here.
Lisbon was one of the first cities to embrace the pay-as-you-go electric scooters craze. A trip down to Belém is a necessity when visiting Lisbon so why not take yourself down there on a scooter. It is great fun. For the most part the journey is smoothly paved, you’ll just have to hop off at the small port in the middle, end that ride and then start another on the other side. There are plenty of scooters from the various providers available here e.g. Bolt, Lime, Bird, Link etc. Expect to pay a few euros to use these and for first-time riders there’s plenty of discounts.
The full ride will take around 30 minutes and most of it is by the river Tagus so wear your suncream! Once you reach Belém, you’ll know by the two large dominating structures and the open area. You can go inside the Belém Tower and the Padrão dos Descobrimentos for a touristic visit. I have been inside the former but not the latter. Definitely was worth the small fee, though lacking in information, it made up for it in photo opportunities and river views.
Probably the most important thing you should do while you are in Belém is a visit to Pastéis de Belém. These are commonly regarded as the best pastéis de nata in the entire world. Be sure to apply a small dusting of icing sugar and cinnamon to enhance the flavour. The queue is long but it moves so fast due to the system they have inside the shop. I would recommend to get a sleeve of six as you’ll be wanting more after the first bite!
There are plenty of other historical monuments to visit here such as the Jerónimos Monastery. I would advise a trip back to the city for your next meal. LX Factory is often forgotten about but is a better alternative to the TimeOut Market and is located en route back to Lisbon. It is first and foremost an artistic space but there are also restaurants to eat at here.
If you’re looking for a pre-dinner cocktail, I highly recommend 146 Bar. Their cocktail menu is by far the most eccentric and creative I have ever seen. Emma’s cocktail had pink fluffy handcuffs on it and mine had a floating Homer Simpson! They’ll also give you some olives or nuts with your order.
For a Portuguese-style dinner you could eat at Lisboa Tu e Eu 2, Senhor Uva or Sucolento. If you’re looking for other types of cuisine I would recommend Boa-Bao for Asian Fusion, Valdo Gatti Pizza Bio or Caffè di Marzano for Italian food, Swagaat for Indian food.
Day 3 of 72 hours in Lisbon
If you’re looking to brunch before your day out by the sea I’d recommend any of the Dear Breakfast locations. Seagull Method, Hello Kristof and Break Sé are all popular coffee stops / brunch spots too.
Your third day can be spent exploring an area outside of Lisbon. I’ve been to the beaches beyond Pragal facing the Atlantic Ocean and they were beautiful and ideal for hotter summer days.
I would highly recommend Cascais for any time of year. You can take the train from Cais do Sodre station for a few euros. You should buy your ticket from the manned stand. However, do note that they only take cash. The machines take card but are impossible to use from my experience! The train ride is along the seafront and takes about 30 – 40 minutes. The views are stunning!
When you arrive in Cascais, grab a coffee and a sweet treat at Fábrica Coffee Roasters. You may recognise them from Lisbon as they are dotted around the city and serve specialty coffee. If you’re looking to save some money there is a Pingo Doce shop at the station where you can stock up on picnic style foods to take with you on your day out. Alternatively there are plenty of restaurants, however we didn’t eat here so I won’t make any recommendations.
Then take a walk through the old town. You can weave your way up the hill, take a right and then work your way back down the hill through the winding small streets towards the beach.
We walked along by the water towards the marina around the old citadela structure. There’s a lot of new development going on in this area, perhaps lacking in a bit of character. We perched ourselves at a bar with a bit of a view of the port – delightful!
If it is warm enough then you can definitely have a day at the beach here. There are many small protected coves with sand and calm water. We were there in March and there were people swimming! We would have been half-tempted had we brought our togs!
As you make your way back into the city for the evening I would recommend finding a Miradouro to watch the sunset. These are high points at the top of the hills of Lisbon. People gather with drinks to watch the sun go down on a daily basis. There is always a lovely atmosphere with buskers and performers.
One of the most famous is Miradouro de Senhora de Monte, which gives an incredible 360 view of Lisbon and surrounding areas.
Come down the hill and round off your trip with one last high-end cocktail from Quattro Teste. Finally fill up after your day of high activity at Miss Can, a tapas restaurant in the Alfama neighbourhood.
There are plenty of bars and restaurants in this area where you can poke your nose in and experience some Fadó – a traditional Portuguese style of singing.
Eating and drinking in Iberia
We’ve spent a considerable amount of time on the Iberian Peninsula. Have you read our Seville guide yet?
We have also walked El Camino de Santiago. We’ve got tips for first-timers walking the Camino de Santiago, and a list of what surprised us the most about the experience.
Have you ever wanted to walk the Camino de Santiago?
We are organising a trip to walk the last 115km of the Portuguese route in mid-August 2024. We will take a group of 10 – 15 people. There will be yoga and cultural experiences along the way. We are so excited to share it with you.