Lisbon rewards the prepared traveler. This Portuguese capital stretches across seven hills where medieval alleyways meet grand riverside plazas, and getting around requires more than just enthusiasm—you need a solid plan. Over 3 days in Lisbon, you will master the city’s quirky transport system, navigate the steep cobblestone streets of Alfama, explore the maritime monuments of Belém, and tackle the palaces of Sintra. This guide gives you the logistics and insider knowledge to move through the city like someone who actually lives here, not like someone wandering lost with a crumpled map.

Before You Go: Mastering Lisbon’s Logistics

How do I use Lisbon public transport?

You need a Navegante Occasional card the moment you arrive. It costs €0.50 at any metro machine and works across the entire network—metros, trams, buses, trains to Sintra, and even ferries. Buying a ticket onboard Tram 28 costs €3.10, while the same ride with a pre-loaded card costs around €1.66. That is nearly half the price.

Load the card with “Zapping” credit (€10 or €20) rather than buying individual tickets. Zapping gives you the discounted rate and works across all operators, so you will not waste time queuing at machines every time you want to board. The 24-hour pass costs €7 for metro and buses, or €11 if you need trains included for your Sintra day trip. Do the math based on how many rides you will actually take—if you are only making three trips in a day, Zapping wins.

  • The Good: Zapping is flexible, works everywhere, and saves money.

  • The Bad: You have to remember to top it up before it runs out, and there is no refund for unused credit.

auto draft 1

From the airport to your hotel

Lisbon’s airport sits just 7km (4.3 miles) from the center, giving you three realistic options. Uber or Bolt typically costs €8-€15 and drops you at your exact address—this is your best bet if you are staying in Alfama or anywhere uphill. Bolt often runs 10-20% cheaper than Uber, so download both apps before you land. The metro’s Red Line connects to the city center for around €1.85 plus your card fee, but you will likely need to transfer lines and then haul your luggage up steep streets if you are staying in the historic districts.

Official taxis are beige or black-and-green, reliable but pricier, and they will charge extra for luggage. Skip the metro if you have heavy bags and you are staying anywhere that involves hills—which is most of central Lisbon. Pay the €10 for the rideshare and save your energy for the walking you will do over the next 3 days in Lisbon.

  • The Good: Rideshares are door-to-door and competitively priced.

  • The Bad: Surge pricing hits during rush hours, and traffic can slow you down.

Staying safe and scam-aware

Lisbon ranks as one of Europe’s safest capitals, but you will encounter some predictable annoyances. In Baixa and around Rossio Square, men will approach you whispering offers for hashish or cocaine. They are not dealers—they are selling pressed bay leaves or flour. Ignore them and keep walking. Tram 28 is the city’s most famous pickpocket hunting ground, so if you ride it, wear your backpack on your front. Better yet, take the 12E or 24E for a similar vintage tram experience with fewer thieves.

Watch out for the “couvert” trap in restaurants. Waiters bring bread, olives, cheese, and sardine pâté to your table before you order. These are not free—if you eat them, expect to pay €2-€5. Just leave them untouched or say “no, thank you” if you do not want the charge.

Day 1: The Historic Core and Medieval Maze

Morning at the castle

Start at Castelo de São Jorge right at opening time (9:00 AM). This Moorish fortress sits at Lisbon’s highest point and gives you the geographic layout of the entire city—you will see how the neighborhoods flow down to the Tagus River. Buy your ticket online beforehand because the physical ticket queue can hit 45 minutes by mid-morning.

Do not just rush to the ramparts for photos. Wander through the gardens to spot the resident peacocks that roost in the trees—they are unexpectedly photogenic against the city backdrop. The castle itself offers panoramic views without much crowding if you arrive early, and you will understand why Lisbon is called the City of Seven Hills once you are standing up here.

  • The Good: Incredible views, peacocks add charm, early arrival means manageable crowds.

  • The Bad: The uphill walk to get here is steep, and the castle interior is fairly sparse compared to other European fortresses.

The viewpoint circuit

Walk downhill about 10 minutes to hit two essential miradouros (viewpoints). Miradouro das Portas do Sol gives you the wide-angle postcard shot—rooftops of Alfama spilling down to the river. Step over to Miradouro de Santa Luzia for the intimate version: a pergola-shaded terrace with stunning azulejo tile panels depicting the 1147 conquest of Lisbon.

These viewpoints sit steps apart, but they serve different photography purposes. Portas do Sol is your establishing shot, while Santa Luzia gives you detailed compositions with the tiles and bougainvillea.

  • The Good: Both are free, close together, and offer completely different perspectives.

  • The Bad: They get crowded by late morning, and the tile panels at Santa Luzia are sometimes blocked by tour groups.

3 days in lisbon the honest travel guide 1

Lunch in a real tasca

Descend the stairs from Santa Luzia straight into Alfama’s labyrinth. This district survived the 1755 earthquake, so you are walking streets that are genuinely medieval. In summer, the air smells like grilled sardines and laundry soap from the clothes hanging overhead.

Skip any restaurant with laminated photo menus. Head to Zé dos Cornos on Beco dos Surradores instead. It is a proper tasca—paper tablecloths, communal wooden tables, loud conversations, and huge portions. Order the entrecosto (pork ribs) or bacalhau. A “dose” feeds two people easily; a “meia dose” is the half portion that will satisfy one hungry person.

  • The Good: Authentic atmosphere, rock-bottom prices (lunch for €12-€15), food that locals actually eat.

  • The Bad: It is loud, service can be brusque, and you might share your table with strangers.

3 days in lisbon the honest travel guide 2

The Baixa grid and elevator hack

Walk down to the riverfront and enter Baixa, the flat downtown rebuilt in a strict grid pattern after the earthquake. Praça do Comércio opens to the river through the Cais das Colunas—two columns standing in the water where you can feel the Atlantic breeze.

You will spot the Santa Justa Lift, a metal tower with a massive queue wrapping around the block. Do not wait in that line. Walk to Largo do Carmo behind the lift, find the Carmo Convent, and look for the small gate to the right of the ruins. A walkway leads directly to the top viewing platform. You get the same view, save €6, and skip an hour of queueing.

  • The Good: The hack saves time and money while delivering the same panoramic view.

  • The Bad: The walkway entrance is not well-marked, so you might walk past it initially.

3 days in lisbon the honest travel guide

Evening in Chiado and fado

Visit the roofless Carmo Convent—a gothic church that lost its roof in the earthquake and was deliberately left as a memorial. For dinner and fado, skip the “Fado & Dinner” packages sold by street promoters. Head to Tasca do Chico in Bairro Alto for “fado vadio” (amateur fado). You pay only for food and drinks, and when a singer stands up, the lights dim and the crowd goes silent. It is raw and emotional, not a staged tourist show.

  • The Good: Authentic fado experience, great food, intimate setting.

  • The Bad: Seating is tight, it gets packed on weekends, and you need to respect the silence when singers perform.

Day 2: Maritime Monuments and Modern Design

The Belém strategy

Take the 15E tram or train from Cais do Sodré to Belém (the train is often faster and less crowded). Your first stop is the Jerónimos Monastery, a UNESCO site and the pinnacle of Manueline architecture—carved limestone that looks like rope, coral, and sea monsters frozen in stone.

The queue here is legendary. If you have the Lisboa Card, you still wait in a specific line, though it may move faster. Arrive at 9:30 AM sharp or wait until 4:00 PM when crowds thin. Here is the insider move: entry to the main church where Vasco da Gama is buried is completely free. You only pay to see the cloisters. If you are on a budget, the church delivers 80% of the architectural awe for €0.

  • The Good: Stunning architecture, the free church option, rich maritime history.

  • The Bad: Long queues, the paid cloisters section can feel crowded, and it is a solid walk from the tram stop.

Jeronimos Monastery: Portuguese Masterpiece

The great pastry war

You are standing at the birthplace of the pastel de nata, so you have a choice to make. Pastéis de Belém is the blue-tiled original near the monastery. The takeaway line often stretches down the street, but the “table service” line inside is usually much shorter—sit down, eat them warm with cinnamon and powdered sugar, and you have saved yourself 30 minutes.

Some locals swear by Manteigaria (with locations in Chiado and Time Out Market), claiming they are actually better—crispier pastry, less sweet filling. Try both if you have the appetite and decide for yourself.

  • The Good: Tasting the original recipe in its birthplace is a legitimate food pilgrimage.

  • The Bad: The lines are genuinely ridiculous at Pastéis de Belém, and the hype might overshadow the actual experience.

3 days in lisbon the honest travel guide 4

Belém Tower: admire from outside

Here is where we save you some misery. Belém Tower was built to be seen from the river, and that is exactly how you should see it. The interior is cramped, damp, and involves navigating narrow spiral staircases with hundreds of other tourists. The queue rarely justifies the payoff inside.

Take your photos from the park, appreciate the Manueline details from the exterior, and move on with your day. You will thank me when you see that queue snaking along the waterfront.

  • The Good: Gorgeous exterior architecture, free to photograph, excellent riverside park setting.

  • The Bad: You miss the interior (which is not much), and you might feel like you are skipping something.

LX Factory and the creative hive

Take a tram or rideshare back toward the city but stop at Alcântara-Mar. LX Factory is a former textile industrial complex reborn as a creative village stuffed with design studios, quirky shops, and restaurants. The highlight is Ler Devagar bookstore—a stunning converted printing hall with a flying bicycle sculpture suspended from the ceiling.

Grab a coffee or craft beer and people-watch. This is where modern Lisbon works and plays, and it is a sharp contrast to the imperial grandeur of Belém.

  • The Good: Unique atmosphere, great for browsing and photos, excellent food and drink options.

  • The Bad: It can feel a bit too curated, and weekend crowds can make it feel less authentically industrial.

3 days in lisbon the honest travel guide 5

MAAT and the rooftop walk

Walk along the river to the Museum of Art, Architecture, and Technology. Even if you skip the exhibitions, the building itself is the main event. You can walk over the gently sloping roof for sweeping views of the Tagus River and the 25 de Abril Bridge, which looks and sounds exactly like San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. The roof walk is free.

  • The Good: Free architectural experience, beautiful riverside location, unique perspective of the bridge.

  • The Bad: The permanent exhibitions inside are hit-or-miss, and the building’s modern aesthetic will not appeal to everyone.

Day 3: The Sintra Palaces and Forest Estates

Understanding the timed entry system

Sintra is magical, but it is also a logistical challenge that punishes spontaneity. Pena Palace now enforces strict 30-minute entry slots for the palace interior. If your ticket says 10:30 AM, that is when you must be at the palace door, not the park gate. The walk from the park gate to the palace door takes 30 minutes uphill (or 15 minutes via shuttle bus).

You need to arrive at the main gate at least one hour before your ticketed time. Missing your slot by even one minute means you are denied entry after traveling an hour to get there.

  • The Good: Timed entry prevents total chaos inside the palace.

  • The Bad: The system is inflexible, shuttle buses run on their own schedule, and poor planning ruins your day.

The park-only strategy

A full ticket costs around €20, while a “park only” ticket runs about €10. Here is the secret: the palace interior involves a slow shuffle through crowded rooms looking at royal bedrooms. The park ticket grants you access to the Park of Pena, the Chalet of the Countess of Edla, and—crucially—the palace terraces and Arches Yard.

If you want the iconic photo of the yellow and red towers, the park ticket is sufficient. You get the views, the gardens, and the atmosphere without the interior claustrophobia.

  • The Good: Half the price, skip the crowded interior, still get all the exterior photo opportunities.

  • The Bad: You miss seeing the royal apartments (which some people genuinely enjoy), and you might feel like you are cutting corners.

3 days in lisbon the honest travel guide 6

The reverse itinerary

Most tourists take the 434 bus straight to Pena Palace in the morning. Counter that move by starting with Quinta da Regaleira at 9:30 AM instead. This estate features the famous Initiation Well—an inverted tower that descends into the earth like a secret temple. Visiting early means you can descend the well without queueing behind 50 people.

Eat lunch in Sintra’s historic center (try Tascantiga for petiscos), then take the bus or an Uber up to the Moorish Castle or Pena Palace for a late afternoon slot around 3:30 PM when the morning tour buses have departed.

  • The Good: You might have the Initiation Well nearly to yourself, which is rare and incredible.

  • The Bad: The reverse schedule requires careful timing, and afternoon slots at Pena can mean harsh lighting for photos.

3 days in lisbon the honest travel guide 7

When It Rains: Your Backup Plan

Lisbon gets Atlantic storms, especially in winter, and those limestone cobblestones become dangerously slippery when wet. If the forecast shows rain for your 3 days in Lisbon, swap the viewpoints for indoor experiences. The Oceanário de Lisboa in Parque das Nações ranks as one of Europe’s best aquariums, centered around a massive central tank that is mesmerizing to watch.

The Gulbenkian Museum houses a world-class private collection ranging from Egyptian artifacts to Lalique jewelry. The National Tile Museum (Museu Nacional do Azulejo) is set in a stunning convent and covers five centuries of Portuguese tiles—it is off the beaten path and entirely indoors.

  • Pro Tip: Pack shoes with rubber traction (Vibram soles work well). Leather soles or high heels are genuinely dangerous on rainy days in Lisbon.

3 days in lisbon the honest travel guide 8

Quick Hits for the Expert Traveler

Tap water in Lisbon is safe and tastes good—bring a reusable bottle. For coffee, ask for “um bica” or “um café” for an espresso. If you want something milkier, order a “galão.” Tipping is not mandatory like in the US; rounding up the bill or leaving €1-€2 for good service is standard.

Download Citymapper for public transport, Bolt and Uber for rides, and TheFork if you want to book restaurants (essential for Friday and Saturday nights). By following this plan, you will move through your 3 days in Lisbon like someone who knows the city, not someone just managing frustrations.