8 hours in Lisbon – What to See and Do

Mr AW and I found ourselves on a layover in Lisbon while travelling to the Azores a couple of months ago. Obviously, we wanted to make the most of our 8 hours in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal and one of the oldest cities in the world. So, I did what I am good at (researching for a trip 😉 ) and planned the perfect itinerary for our 8-hour layover in Lisbon.

Arriving at Lisbon Airport

I am not sure if immigration is generally slow in Lisbon airport but it certainly was on the day we landed. There were only 2 counters open and the queues were long and very slow-moving. We lost 2 hours at the airport itself! Uh oh, not a very promising start!

What to do with the luggage

Although we were travelling light with only carry-on bags, we didn’t want to be chugging the luggage around while we explored the city in such a short time. Luckily, Lisbon airport offers baggage storage facilities at dirt-cheap prices (less than 3€ for a day). Once we reached the arrivals lounge after immigration, all we had to was just turn left and follow the signs for “Left Luggage”. Within a few minutes, our bags were stored away and we were ready to leave the airport.

Getting to City Centre

There are three ways to get to the city centre – bus, taxi and metro. Lisbon airport is located in the city itself and taking a taxi was not that expensive (about 15€). The taxi rank was right outside the airport and although the queue for getting the taxi was long, it moved fast. If we had more time, we would’ve considered taking the bus. Click here for more details on transportation from Lisbon airport to the city.

Things to do

Miradouro Da Nossa Senhora Do Monte

The first stop in our itinerary, Miradouro da Senhora do Monte or Our Lady of the Hill is the highest lookout point in Lisbon offering panoramic views over the city including the red rooftops of the old city, St George Castle, Tagus River Estuary and 25 de Abril Bridge (which looks strikingly similar to the Golden Gate Bridge of San Fransisco). It’s situated a bit far from the city centre making it one of the least visited viewpoints in Lisbon, however, the stunning views of Lisbon’s cityscape mean a trip to this lookout point (or Miradouro) is completely worth it.

Address: Belvedere of Our Lady of the Hill, Largo Monte, 1170-107 Lisboa, Portugal

Miradouro da Graça

After getting the bird’s eye view of the city, we started walking towards Miradouro da Graça but not before stopping at a cafe and having an al-fresco meal. Miles away from the rainy London weather, all we wanted to do was savour the warmth of the sun on our faces. Miradouro da Graça was just a short walk from the cafe. This viewpoint basically is a terrace right next to a church and has an open-air cafe. The views are fantastic again but it was much busier than the earlier viewpoint.

Address: Viewpoint Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen, Calçada da Graça, 1100-265 Lisboa, Portugal

Miradouro Das Portas Do Sol

We then made our way through narrow lanes with tram tracks running in the middle and surrounded with buildings covered in the quintessential Portuguese tiles. Our next stop was Miradouro Das Portas Do Sol with fantastic views over the rooftops of the Alfama district as well as the Tagus river. A place where I couldn’t tell the difference between the tourists and locals, this was a perfect spot to chill out, enjoy some street performances and the postcard-worthy views.

Address: Largo Portas do Sol, 1100-411 Lisboa, Portugal

Miradouro de Santa Luzia

Is this a viewpoint or a garden? A terrace or a balcony? Whatever you may think of it, it’s one of the most popular Miradouros in Lisbon. The views are pretty much the same as those from Portas Do Sol but perhaps the beautiful pergola and the decorative blue azulejo tiles render a certain romantic vibe to this viewpoint.

Address: 1100-117 Lisboa, Portugal

Read: For more Azulejo goodness, check out my Day Trip to Douro Valley from Porto.

Alfama

From Miradouro de Santa Luzia, we took a lift down to explore more of the Alfama district. An old residential neighbourhood, Alfama consists of a maze of narrow alleyways, tile-panelled-buildings with tiny wrought-iron balconies, small churches and traditional restaurants. It is so easy to lose track of time while wandering the streets of Alfama and clicking an insane amount of photos which is exactly what happened to us.

Manteigaria

All that walking left us exhausted (Lisbon streets are steep!!) and craving for the most iconic Portuguese pastry – Pastel de Nata. After all, no trip to Portugal is complete without eating those little custard tarts! As per popular opinion, Pastéis de Belém is THE place in Lisbon to get the most authentic custard tarts which they’ve been making since 1837. As much as I would have liked to go all the way to the beautiful Belém area, it was a bit impractical.

So, we went to the next best place (or as some may believe, the best place) to get some Pastel de Nata in Lisbon – Manteigaria. A small bakery in the old town filled with the sweet scent of cinnamon and custard, Manteigaria serves freshly baked Pastel de Natas with a thin, crispy flaky pastry and melt-in-your-mouth warm, rich custard with just the right consistency. They’re the best custard tarts that I’ve eaten for sure. Ah, delicioso!

Address: Rua do Loreto 2, 1200-108 Lisboa, Portugal

Rua Nova do Carvalho (Pink Street)

After our little afternoon pick-me-up treat, we went to a place that falls in that infamous “Instagrammable” category and no prizes for guessing, I did find out about it on Instagram. Blogger cliché, you say 😉 Formerly Lisbon’s red light district and an area one would probably avoid, Rua Nova do Carvalho is now painted pink and is brimming with bars and clubs making it the city’s hub for nightlife. Such pretty colours captured in one single frame, no?

Address: R. Nova do Carvalho, 1200-371 Lisboa, Portugal

Riverfront

The riverfront at Cais do Sodré is a short walk from the Pink Street and that’s where we headed next. It was lovely to sit there and relax for a while as we watched the boats sail by and the sky turn golden at the horizon behind the 25 de Abril Bridge.

Address: Panoramica Tejo, Cais do Sodré, Lisboa, Portugal

Time Out Market – Mercado da Ribeira

The last place to check out before we left Lisbon was the Time Out Market in Lisbon‘s landmark market hall – Mercado da Ribeira. If you’ve been reading my blogs for a while, you’d know that no city break is complete for me until I visit a local food market. I love the hustle-bustle of markets and they are a great place to find loads of food options, both local and international.

Time Out Market didn’t disappoint with the variety of food and drinks stalls available. However, I did struggle to find vegetarian options before settling for some veggie noodles. Meat-lovers would be spoilt for choice at this trendy, modern food hall.

Address: Mercado da Ribeira, Av. 24 de Julho 49, 1200-479 Lisboa, Portugal

Read: For more modern food markets, read my Vegetarian Food Guide to Copenhagen

It was finally time to bid Lisbon goodbye and take a taxi (Uber) to the airport. Our taxi driver was kind enough to inform us that we had to keep the taxi waiting (barely few minutes) at the Arrivals terminal, pick our luggage and then continue in the same taxi to the domestic Departures terminal. The alternative would have been to wait for the shuttle service.

Although we did get a taste of it, 8 hours in Lisbon is definitely not enough to explore and experience the rich culture and sights of this historic Portuguese capital. We will be back for more!

Have you been to Lisbon or want to visit it? I hope you enjoyed this itinerary and will find it useful if you too are planning a day trip or layover in Lisbon.

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Cheers,
Ameeta xx

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