waystopGet the app
Lisbon · Portugal · 3 days

3 days in Lisbon

Three days on the hills: Alfama and the castle, Belém and its pastries, then Sintra's palaces before a last sunset over the river. Trams where they help, feet where they do not, and dinner late the way the city eats.

Open in Waystop

Got Waystop on this phone? The button drops the whole plan straight into the app. On a laptop, copy it now and paste it into Import later.

Checked October 10, 2026. That’s the day we last confirmed the hours, prices and closed days.

Lisbon: 3 days in Lisbon
Photo: Vitor Oliveira from Torres Vedras, PORTUGAL, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
When to go

April to June and September to October are warm without the August crowds and heat. Winter is mild and often sunny; the sea stays cold all year.

Where to base yourself

Chiado and Baixa for everything on foot; Alfama for atmosphere and stairs; Príncipe Real for restaurants and quiet. Belém is far from dinner.

Getting around

Walk, ride the 28 tram once early in the morning, and use the metro and Uber otherwise. A Viva Viagem card with zapping credit covers trams, metro and the Belém train.

Day 1

Alfama and the castle

  1. FromYour hotel in Alfama
  2. 1
    8:30–9:15 · morning

    Tram 28 from Martim Moniz

    Graça · 45 min

    Ride it before 9 a.m. to get a seat and the whole route through Graça and Alfama for a single fare.

    €3

  3. 4 min · walk
  4. 2
    9:30–11:00 · morning

    Castelo de São Jorge

    Alfama · 90 min

    The Moorish castle over the city. Walk the walls first, then the miradouro with the peacocks.

    €15

  5. 8 min · walk
  6. 3
    11:30–12:45 · morning

    Alfama lanes and the Sé

    Alfama · 75 min

    Down through the oldest quarter to the cathedral; stop at Miradouro de Santa Luzia for the tiled view.

  7. 6 min · walk
  8. 4
    13:00–14:15 · lunch

    Grilled sardines in Alfama

    Alfama · 75 min

    A tasca with a grill on the sidewalk; sardines in summer, bacalhau any time.

  9. 2.4 km · transit or taxi
  10. 5
    15:00–16:30 · afternoon

    Museu Nacional do Azulejo

    Xabregas · 90 min

    Five centuries of tiles in a convent; the panorama of Lisbon before the earthquake is the prize.

    €8

  11. 2.4 km · transit or taxi
  12. 6
    19:30–22:00 · dinner

    Fado in Alfama

    Alfama · 150 min

    A fado house with dinner: book Clube de Fado or Mesa de Frades. Arrive at 8 p.m. and stay for the second set.

Day 2

Belém and the river

  1. FromYour hotel in Alfama
  2. 1
    9:00–10:30 · morning

    Jerónimos Monastery

    Belém · 90 min

    The cloister is the part worth the ticket. Arrive at opening.

    €18

  3. 5 min · walk
  4. 2
    10:45–11:15 · morning

    Pastéis de Belém

    Belém · 30 min

    The original custard tart, warm, with cinnamon. The takeout line moves faster than the tables.

    €1.50

  5. 21 min · walk
  6. 3
  7. 3.5 km · transit or taxi
  8. 4
    13:00–14:30 · lunch

    LX Factory

    Alcântara · 90 min

    Old factory turned into restaurants and shops under the bridge. Landeau chocolate cake for dessert.

  9. 25 min · walk
  10. 5
    15:00–16:00 · afternoon

    MAAT

    Belém · 60 min

    The wave-shaped museum on the riverbank; walk its roof even if you skip the shows.

    €11

  11. 4.2 km · transit or taxi
  12. 6
  13. 26 min · walk
  14. 7
    20:30–22:00 · dinner

    Cervejaria Ramiro

    Intendente · 90 min

    Shellfish, garlic prawns, a steak sandwich to finish. No reservations; the line is part of it.

Day 3

Sintra

  1. FromYour hotel in Alfama
  2. 1
    8:30–9:30 · morning

    Train to Sintra from Rossio

    Rossio · 60 min

    Forty minutes; buy a round trip on the Viva card. The 434 bus loops the palaces from the station.

    €5

  3. 23 km · transit or taxi
  4. 2
    9:30–11:30 · morning

    Pena Palace

    Sintra · 120 min

    The Romantic palace on the peak, red and yellow. Book the 9:30 a.m. slot; the park below is quiet and often better.

    €20

  5. 15 min · walk
  6. 3
    12:00–13:15 · lunch

    Tascantiga in Sintra town

    Sintra · 75 min

    Portuguese small plates on a terrace; the travesseiros pastry from Piriquita next door.

  7. 7 min · walk
  8. 4
    14:00–15:30 · afternoon

    Quinta da Regaleira

    Sintra · 90 min

    The initiation well and the tunnels; the gardens take an hour and a half if you follow every path.

    €15

  9. 9.1 km · transit or taxi
  10. 5
    16:30–17:30 · afternoon

    Cabo da Roca

    Colares · 60 min

    The westernmost point of Europe by bus 403; cliffs, wind, the lighthouse. Skip in fog.

  11. 32 km · transit or taxi
  12. 6
    20:30–21:45 · dinner

    Time Out Market

    Cais do Sodré · 75 min

    Back in Lisbon: the market hall in Cais do Sodré, one counter per chef. Easy after a long day.

Loading the map…

Pins are approximate. Tap one for the stop; the directions links open Google Maps.

The practical bits

From the airport

The metro's red line runs from the airport into the city in about 25 minutes for under €2 plus a card. A taxi or ride-hail to the center is €15 to €20 and takes 20 minutes outside rush hour.

What a day costs

About €60 to €90 a day per person. Lunch menus are €12 to €15, a pastel de nata is about €1.50, and trams and metros are €1.80 a ride with a Viva Viagem card.

Where to stay

Alfama

The oldest streets, with the castle above and fado houses below. Stairs everywhere, and the fado bars run late.

Baixa and Chiado

A flat grid down to the river, with the Santa Justa elevator and the Chiado shops above. The Baixa-Chiado metro station sits in the middle.

Príncipe Real

Gardens, wine bars and small restaurants. A ten-minute walk down to Chiado.

Got a day to spare?

Sintra

Pena Palace and the Moorish castle in the hills. 40 minutes by train from Rossio; book Pena's timed ticket and go on a weekday.

Cascais

The coast, a swim and a fish lunch. 40 minutes by train from Cais do Sodré, along the water the whole way.

Setúbal and the Arrábida coast

A fishing port on the south side of the Tagus, around an hour from Lisbon by train or bus, known for grilled cuttlefish. Add the Arrábida hills and their small beaches if you have a car.

Worth knowing

Things you can ask once it’s in the app

Plans change. Ask Chat and it proposes a reshuffled day you can apply, or just answers the question.

Swap Sintra for a beach day in CascaisFind a vegetarian lunch near JerónimosHow do I get from Rossio to Pena Palace?Is the fado dinner worth booking or just the late set?Should I do Belém on day 2 if it rains in the morning?

Questions

Is Sintra worth a whole day?

Yes if you want two palaces and the coast. For a half day, do Pena and the Regaleira gardens and skip Cabo da Roca.

Which pass should I buy?

None. A Viva Viagem card with €10 of zapping credit covers the trams, metro and the Sintra and Belém trains at the cheapest fare.

Which day works in the rain?

Day 2: the Jerónimos cloister, a custard tart in Belém and MAAT are all under a roof, and LX Factory is mostly covered. On day 1 the Museu Nacional do Azulejo is the indoor stop; Sintra on day 3 is the weakest in rain, since Pena is often in cloud. Tell Waystop it is raining and it proposes a wet-weather version of the day beside the original.

How hilly is it really?

Very. Plan each day as one hill; the 28 tram, the street elevators and a ride-hail are there when a walk turns steep.

Before you go

Packing list

Packing list for a European city break

Three to five days in Lisbon, Paris, Rome, London or Barcelona in a carry-on: cobbles, museums, a dinner that starts at nine, and weather that changes by the afternoon.

Guide

Lisbon's hills, trams and one card

Which tram to ride and when, the elevators that save a climb, and the Viva Viagem card that covers all of it, including trains to Sintra and Belém.

Guide

Step-free travel: which cities make it easy

Which cities have step-free metros and where the bus is easier, plus how to book airport assistance, the right hotel room and a ramp taxi.

Guide

A business trip with a free weekend

How to pack one bag for the meetings and a free weekend, when to leave the business-district hotel, what the company pays for, and how to get home on Sunday.

Guide

eSIM, roaming or a local SIM

How to choose between roaming, a local SIM and a travel eSIM, install one before you fly, keep your home number for texts, and judge how much data you need.

Guide

Your first trip abroad: what to sort before you fly

Passport validity, the UK ETA, arrival cards, plugs, cash and the first night: what to sort before a first trip abroad, as of October 2026.

Guide

Group trips that stay friends

How to agree money before the flights, plan in one place, book the group slots early, and leave room for the walkers and the nappers.

Guide

Jet lag by direction

Why flying east hurts more than flying west, what to do with light, coffee, naps and melatonin on the first day, and how to plan an itinerary that forgives day one.

Guide

Lost passport and other emergencies

The first hour after a lost passport, phone or card, emergency numbers for Europe, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Singapore and North America, and what an insurance claim needs.

Guide

Luggage storage and forwarding

How to forward luggage in Japan, use coin lockers and station left luggage, try storage apps and hotel luggage rooms, and know what never goes in a stored bag.

Guide

Money abroad, cards, ATMs and DCC

Which card to carry, which ATMs to avoid, why to always choose the local currency, where cash still rules, and how to tap a card on transit.

Guide

Rail passes, and whether they pay

Whether a JR Pass, Korea's KR Pass, Eurail or a UK Railcard pays for itself, with the sums for the routes most people take.

Guide

Tap water, ice and street food

Where the tap is safe, where to buy sealed bottles, how to choose a street stall, and when a stomach bug needs a doctor.

Guide

Tickets that sell out, and when to book

Which attractions need booking weeks ahead, how far ahead each goes on sale, and which official site sells it, with a plan for the rest of the day.

Guide

Tipping by country

What to leave in Japan, Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Europe, Mexico and the US, what the service charge on the bill already covers, and where a tip is the wrong thing to do.

Guide

Traveling as a couple: pace, money and the one museum

How to plan a trip for two: split the mornings, name one must-do each, settle money early, book the one reservation that matters, and spend an afternoon apart.

Guide

Traveling solo without the awkward bits

Where to eat alone without feeling watched, when a hostel beats a hotel, how to meet people, the safety habits that matter, and what to do with the evenings.

Guide

Traveling with parents and older travelers

How to pace a day with parents or older travelers: rests, step-free transit, medicines across borders, insurance, hotel elevators, heat, and senior discounts that are often EU-only.

Guide

City trips with teenagers

How to plan a city trip with teenagers: a day each, the food argument settled, phones sorted, late starts, one short museum, and how far they can roam alone.

Lists this city is on

Long weekend

The best cities for a long weekend

Ten cities that fit two or three days without feeling cut short, from Milan and Venice to Porto and Prague, with what each day holds and what it costs.

Budget

The best cities for a trip on a budget

Ten cities roughly ordered by the daily budget their itineraries state, from Hanoi at ₫500,000 a day to Lisbon at €60, with the cheap plates and free sights.

First trip

The easiest cities for a first trip abroad

Ten cities where English works, transit takes a bank card and the itinerary forgives a wrong turn, from Singapore to Lisbon, with the specific ease of each.

Nearby

Same country first, then the cities people tend to pair with Lisbon. Want two or three in one go? String them together in the trip builder.

Also in Portugal

3 days in Porto

Three days along the river: the cathedral and Ribeira with the bridge at dusk, the port lodges in Gaia and the old tram out to Foz, then the bookshop, the tower and the market before a francesinha. One ride a day, the rest on foot and uphill.

Southern Europe

3 days in Athens

Three days: the Acropolis at opening before the heat, the Agora and the markets with the big museum in the hot hours, then the old cemetery, Exarcheia and a swim on the coast. Ride once, walk the rest; the sea is an hour away by tram.

Southern Europe

3 days in Barcelona

Gaudí with timed tickets, the old town on foot with a beach break, and Montjuïc with a market on the way home. Three days that leave you knowing the Eixample grid, the lanes of the Gothic Quarter and the view from the hill.

Southern Europe

3 days in Dubrovnik

Three days built around the cruise-ship clock: the walls at opening before the heat and the gangways, Lokrum and a swim on the second day, and an island or Montenegro on the third. The old town is small; the trick is to be in it when the ships are not.

Southern Europe

3 days in Florence

Three days in a city you cross on foot in half an hour: the Duomo and the old center, the Uffizi and the Oltrarno with Piazzale Michelangelo at dusk, then David, the San Lorenzo market and Fiesole for sunset. Book three timed slots before you fly.

Southern Europe

3 days in Granada

Three days built around the one ticket that matters: the Alhambra on day one with the Nasrid Palaces slot booked weeks ahead, then the Cathedral, the Albaicín and a cave flamenco show, then a hammam, the Realejo and a last round of free tapas.

Your version

Now make it fit your trip.

Add your dates, your hotel and who’s coming, then ask Chat to change anything: it proposes the edit and you tap Apply. Want a long lunch instead of a museum? Just ask. Every place is checked against Google Maps before it lands on your day, and Chat can tell you when to leave for the next stop. Going on to another city? Build a multi-city trip.

App StoreGoogle Play