The perfect Lisbon itinerary for a weekend in the Portuguese capital, including what to see, where to stay and where to eat.
Lately, it feels like every city we go to becomes our favourite. It has happened last year in Stockholm, then we fell in love with San Francisco and now we are head over heels in love with Lisbon, Portugal.
Lisbon is beautiful, vibrant, culturally rich and welcomes visitors of all ages with open arms. While a weekend is hardly enough to visit this culturally rich city, a good Lisbon itinerary can ensure you see some of the city’s highlights.
This is the 2 day Lisbon itinerary that worked for us. We visited Portugal with the children but this Lisbon itinerary works for all ages.
Visit Lisbon like we did!
- STAY at Martinhal Chiado family suites (You can read my review here or check prices here) OR
- STAY at Lisbon Charming Apartments Chiado
- MOVE AROUND with the Lisbon Card
- EAT at the Mercado da Ribeira (aka Timeout market) and at the Cervecaria Trinidade
- TAKE a tuk-tuk to Belem
This Lisbon itinerary is for those who only have a weekend in Lisbon and want to spend two full days in the city.
How many days in Lisbon are enough?
If you have time, I suggest you spend at least 5 days in Lisbon, possibly more if you decide to make it your base do day trips.
Lisbon is culturally diverse and vibrant and while you can ‘do’ the main sites in a relatively short time, her real charm emerges when you spend time it its outdoor terraces, listen to its melancholic music and allow yourself time to explore its many museums.
Lacking time, you can still get a sense of the city with just a weekend there.
So while 2 days in Lisbon are not enough, this Lisbon itinerary should help you get a good idea of the city.
Weekend in Lisbon itinerary day 1
We arrived in Lisbon on a Friday, late morning, and quickly made our way from the airport to the city centre, where we had our accommodation.
Getting around Lisbon is easy and this is excellent if you only have a weekend here.
Lisbon airport is well connected to the city centre and the easiest way to get into town is by metro.
You can buy tickets at the metro station inside the airport or you can buy the Lisbon card: you can buy it in the airport or in town and it gives you access to the whole network of transport in Lisbon, discounts to some museum and even discount on train tickets to Sintra.
Our first stop was the tourism office, in Lisbon city centre. The office is in a fantastic location, just at the bottom of Chiado, and is a great introduction to the city.
Here, we loaded up on maps and Lisbon travel tips, then made our way to our accommodation where the kids demanded some down time after the early flight.
Then, we left our local area and headed to famous Mercado da Ribeira.
Mercado da Ribeira
Mercado da Ribeira (also known as the Time Out market) opened in 1892 and for many years operated as the main food market in the city. In 2014 is was taken over by Time Out magazine and turned into an amazing food hall with a traditional yet hip feel to it.
Detail of the Mercado da Ribeira ceiling: the iron structure and lamps give an industrial feel to the place while the black and white time out branding, consistent across the whole space, make the food hall feel modern and trendy
The market is a foodie’s dream. When you enter, you first notice the high ceilings and the design inspired iron lamps hanging from it.
The market has so many stalls and so many options it may feel overwhelming at first.
We walked around in circles a few times trying to figure out what we wanted and eventually opted for three different choices: I had a board of cured meats, the kids a slice of pizza and Philip a drink.
The beauty of eating at the market is exactly this: you don’t have to commit to a type of food.
The hall has tables in the centre and your order at whatever stall picks your fancy, as much or as little as you want.
The very first impression when walking in was awe and the immediately subsequent one was ‘where to start’?
Tips for families visiting the Time our market with children
The market gets busy so try and come here outside of traditional lunch/dinner times to avoid the queue and to get a good table. Most tables have bar-style stools but some are standard height and are suitable for young kids too.
Just outside the market, there is a small but cute playground. A picnic outside with food from the market is an option but be careful with crumbs: there are lots of pigeons who may compete for your bread! To the dismay of my kids, feeding pigeons is illegal.
Energised by our first encounter with Portugese food, we then headed to nearby Bairro Alto.
Bairro Alto
Bairro Alto, as the name suggests (‘alto’ means ‘high’) towers above Mercado da Ribeira. When looking up from the bottom, the steep road is scary but Lisbon has a clever way to help the wanderer: lifts!
Lisbon has 7 hills and the ‘ascensores’ or ‘elevadores’ (cable cars or lifts) help negotiate this peculiar geography.
The Ascensor da Bica is the one climbing the bairro alto hill and operates as a funicular and climbs up its very steep hill.
The rickety ride doesn’t take more than a few minutes and is great fun. We recommend it as one of the fun things you should do in Lisbon with children but it is fun for kids of all ages (I loved it!).
Tickets for the Ascensor can be purchased at its entrance or you can use the Lisbon card.
The cable car brought us to the top of the hill and since the evening was still bright, we took a short walk to the Miradouro de Santa Catarina.
Hhere you have lovely views over the city and can get a drink at the fun Pharmacy museum, which has a terrace open to the public serving soft drinks, cocktails, mocktails, beer and small bites.
Our first night in Lisbon allowed us to discover some beautiful corners of the city, including this road with the characteristic cobbled stairs, climbing plants and red tiled roofs
Chiado
Refreshed by a cold beer and a mocktail (including a second beer that got spilled by/on Little Ms E all over her legs!) we went for a walk towards Praça de Camoes and stretched our legs to the bottom of the hill to see the elevador de Santa Justa.
From here, we climbed up the Chiado hill again and stopped in Cervecaria Trinidade, on the street by the same name, for a gorgeous fish based dinner (they also have meat and vegetarian dishes).
Try the desserts because they are to die for!
Lisbon itinerary day 2: Chiado, Alfama, Belem
We started our Saturday morning with a walk in our local neighbourhood, Chiado, which we only quickly had the chance to see the previous evening.
This area was one of the highlights of our Lisbon itinerary and one I recommend as one of the best areas to stay in Lisbon for both charm and convenience.
Here are the main stops on our Lisbon itinerary
Convento do Carmo
Convento do Carmo dates back to 1389: it is a stunning piece of Gothic architecture and now hosts an archaeological museum but neither of these elements alone is what makes this place unique.
What stands out about Convento do Carmo is that you walk along its nave with the sky above you. The convent was heavily damaged by the huge earthquake that destroyed a large part of Lisbon in 1755 and it a powerful (yet beautiful) reminder of this scarring part of Lisbon history.
The convent is beautiful and one of the things we recommend to see when visiting Portugal with kids
We got in for free thanks to the Lisbon card but you can get tickets at the entrance to both the nave and the museum.
We spent most of our time in the outdoors area but we also peaked the inner rooms where the kids got intrigued by the mummies on display!
Walking downhill from Convento do Carmo, we got a glimpse of Lisbon and its peculiar hilly geography
Rossio square
Walking down from Convento de Carmo we got to one of the (few) flat parts of Lisbon and made our way around the area of Rossio and the terminus of tram 28.
On a sunny day, Rossio square (Praca Dom Pedro IV) was a burst of light: its pavement is decorated with a black and white design that creates the illusion of waves and in its centre lays a statue, towering over the surrounding area.
Looking around is a good way to learn the geography of Lisbon: look up and you will see the pillars of Convento do Carmo and the Alfama – this is where we headed next.
A ride on Tram 28
One of the quintessential Lisbon experiences is to ride the tram n 28. This is a historical, yellow tram going up to the hill of Alfama (Lisbon ancient area) and Lisbon castle.
Everyone had told me how cool the rickety tram ride was so I forced my family to queue up along with the many other tourists promising ‘it would be worth it’.
The famous tram 28, photographed from our own seat in the tram going the opposite direction
Well over an hour later we got on the tram and made our way up to the castle.
Is a ride on tram 28 worth the wait?
I’ll be honest: no.
The tram itself is a lovely vehicle and sitting beside the window while it climbed up the Alfama narrow streets was pleasant.
However, maybe because I come from Rome, where trams are normal (even if they don’t climb hills as much) I didn’t feel the experience was unique or special enough to justify the wait.
The best way to experience Lisbon’s iconic trams is to avoid the one tourists catch and get those serving more local areas.
Alfama
The tram got us to the large belvedere near the castle where we decided to get off and explore.
The view over Lisbon from Alfama here is stunning. The sky, the diffused light, that incredible Tagus and a sea of red-tiled roofs and whitewashed walls embodies all we had imagined Lisbon to be and more.
View over Lisbon from the Alfama with a sea of red tiled roofs and the Tagus shimmering in the background
The Alfama is the oldest district of Lisbon. Up to the 13th century, it was the district outside the city walls and used to be the homes of Lisbon’s poorest inhabitants, especially sailors and fishermen.
Nowadays, the vibe is all but poor. Alfama has changed to become a vibrant and trendy neighbourhood where old charm mixes with a young vibe.
The Alfama is known for many landmarks including San Jorge’s castle, Lisbon cathedral and St Anthony’s’ church (I had no idea St Anthony was from here! I always assumed he was from Padua as his name, wrongly, suggests) but what is truly special about it are its meandering streets.
Alfama is a mobility nightmare, made of cobbled streets, steep roads and steps climbing it flanks but makes up for it with it undisputable charm.
The best way to discover it is on foot: allow yourself to get lost and reward your efforts in one of the many restaurants in this area such as Petisqueria Conqvistador
Tip for families: Alfama with a stroller?
My best advice to visit Alfama with kids is to be realistic about its feasibility with a buggy (ie. avoid bringing one if you can or use a one with big, bike-style wheels) and take your time.
Our kids have passed stroller age and I am glad we waited. While it is possible to visit the Alfama with a stroller, I have seen many exhausted dads lugging around a buggy and a tired kid!
You can easily spend the whole afternoon here and then slowly make your way back to the river banks and the area around Praca do Comercio.
The alfama area of Lisbon has cobbled streets and steps that make it hard for parents with children in strollers or people with impaired mobility. Make sure you leave wheels at home if you can and take your time to go up these charming but bumpy lanes
After visiting the Alfama we made the decision of taking a tuk-tuk and go to Belem.
Please note: While I highly recommend visiting Belem, I suggest you don’t follow our example but rather spend longer visiting the Alfama and Baixa and devote to Belem the following day.
Discovering Belem
Belem is a district of Lisbon detached from the city centre.
You can get there but tram, bus or tuk-tuk: if you choose this last option (dearer than the others) you may get a guide as friendly as the one we got a get a reasonable priced guided tour for the cost of a lift!
Belem tower is the last one standing of what used to be a pair. The earthquake that destroyed Lisbon spared this one which is now one of the most iconic buildings of the city. It is possible to visit the tower inside but we preferred to play outside in the vast esplanade in front of it.
The tuk-tuk ride brought us along the river Tagus, made us see the 25 de Abril Bridge it all its splendour and left us at the iconic Belem Tower.
There is a lot to see in Belem and the reason why I recommend to spend a full morning here is that the area is vast and it is easily for kids to get tired.
Since we got there in the afternoon, we had to select only some of the attractions there and our choice fell on the Belem tower, the monuments to discoveries and the outside of the Jeronimos monastery.
Belem with kids, need to know
While not properly far from each other, the walk between the Belem tower, the discoveries monument and Jeronimos monastery is tiring for kids.
Take your time and allow them to rest as we had some pretty epic meltdowns!
Make sure to walk along the pedestrian pathway beside the road and not along the water for speed of movement, rather than on the waterfront.
There is an underground passage in front of Jeronimo’s monastery to help crossing the otherwise dangerous road.
The impressive building and gardens of Jeronimos Monastery in Belem, Lisbon. Since we got to Belem late, we were only able to have a quick glimpse at the Jeronimos chapel, which was truly impressive and a style of architecture not usually found outside of Portugal.
Is there anything we missed in Belem? Yes, there is and this is why I think you should spend here a little longer.
If we were to come here gain, I would make sure to go to the famous pasteleria de Belem, where you can have allegedly the best pasteis de nata, and I would also enter the monastery, which we only partially visited this time.
I also know that Belem is home to Lisbon’s tropical gardens, something that I remember from a previous trip and that lack of time didn’t allow us to visit again.
At the end of our excursion to Belem we got a taxi back and had a light dinner (yes, again!) in the wonderful Mercado da Ribeira
As I said, two days in Lisbon felt rushed and didn’t allow us to see all we wanted nor spend sufficient time at each of the attractions. However, they were two or our most pleasant days as a family and I believe even with just 48h you can get a wonderful ideas of what Lisbon has to offer.
I hope you enjoyed this itinerary and it gave you some useful tips on what to see during your time in this wonderful city!
Lisbon is a great weekend destination and one of the best cities in Europe if you just want to relax with your kids in a welcoming, family-friendly, intellectually stimulating atmosphere.
The perfect Lisbon itinerary for a weekend in the Portuguese capital. Click on the image and read our exact itinerary and top tips to visit Lisbon in a short time without missing on the city’s most famous landmarks. This Lisbon itinerary is suitable for travellers of all ages and has special tips for families visiting Lisbon with young kids
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I want to extend a special thank you to the Visit Lisbon office that provided us with excellent support and advice during this trip.
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