2 days in Lisbon

Day by day

1. Day 1: Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower

   Jerónimos Monastery, Belém Tower, MAAT and the Tejo Power Station and São Jorge Castle, then Fado evening in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Jerónimos Monastery

      The church holds the tombs of Vasco da Gama and the poet Luís de Camões, and the two-storey cloister is one of the most elaborate in Europe. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Belém Tower.

   2. Late morning

      Belém Tower

      Inside, a narrow spiral staircase climbs to a terrace with views along the Tagus.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Custard tart

      Pastéis de Belém next to the Jerónimos Monastery, and specialist nata bakeries in Chiado and the Baixa that bake throughout the day.

   4. Afternoon

      MAAT and the Tejo Power Station

      Its sloping roof is a public walkway with views of the 25 de Abril Bridge and the river.

   5. Late afternoon

      São Jorge Castle

      Visitors walk the ramparts and towers, explore archaeological remains of Moorish houses and look out over the Baixa, the Tagus and the bridges from shaded terraces where peacocks roam.

   6. Evening

      Fado evening

      Smaller tascas with fado vadio (amateur fado) are cheaper and more intimate than dinner shows; stay quiet during performances.

2. Day 2: Tram 28 and Miradouro da Senhora do Monte

   Tram 28, Miradouro da Senhora do Monte, Praça do Comércio and Rua Augusta Arch and Santa Justa Lift, then Bairro Alto in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Tram 28

      It is a working public route as well as Lisbon's most famous ride.

   2. Late morning

      Miradouro da Senhora do Monte

      It is quieter than Santa Luzia and São Pedro de Alcântara, and the nearby Miradouro da Graça has a kiosk café for a drink.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Bacalhau à Brás

      Traditional tascas and restaurants across the Baixa, Bairro Alto and Alfama.

   4. Afternoon

      Praça do Comércio and Rua Augusta Arch

      The triumphal Rua Augusta Arch has a viewing platform over the square and the Baixa grid.

   5. Late afternoon

      Santa Justa Lift

      It is part of the public transport network, though queues can be long.

   6. Evening

      Bairro Alto

      Dozens of small bars with cheap drinks, where most people stand in the streets; busiest from about 11pm.

Before you go

• Jerónimos Monastery: Ticket queues for the cloister are long in summer; buy online or with a Lisboa Card and arrive at opening time.
• Fado evening: Popular fado houses fill up at weekends; reserve a table for dinner a day or two ahead.

If it rains

• Swap in Calouste Gulbenkian Museum (Avenidas Novas): Bring a picnic for the garden, one of the calmest spaces in Lisbon, which is free to enter.
• Swap in Lisbon Oceanarium (Parque das Nações): Book online for a timed slot and combine it with the riverside cable car and the Pavilhão do Conhecimento science centre nearby.
• Swap in National Tile Museum (Xabregas): It is east of the centre and away from the metro; take a bus or taxi and stay for lunch in the museum café's tiled courtyard.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 10–13 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.5 hours in December to 14.9 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Metro. Four colour-coded metro lines run until about 1am, linking the airport, Baixa-Chiado, Rossio, Avenida da Liberdade and Parque das Nações.

More or fewer days

• One day in Lisbon
• 3 days in Lisbon
• 4 days in Lisbon
• 5 days in Lisbon
• 7 days in Lisbon

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