Whether its listening to live music in Bairro Alto, tasting Pastéis de Natas, seeing street art, tasting the local ginja, or buying local handicrafts, Lisbon Portugal travel has something for every traveler. We loved our Portugal vacation and recommend it to anyone looking for a flavor of Europe.
Before booking the trip, note that Lisbon Portugal travel a cheaper, more laid back version of Barcelona, Spain. Think Barcelona but with affordable, high-quality food. Cocktail bars with inventive drinks. Parks everywhere you turn. Views of the water that you won’t forget.
For more Points With Q articles delivered to your inbox, sign up for my travel newsletter.
Best Credit Cards to Use in Lisbon
The Amex Gold Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve, and Citi Premier Card are credit cards that are great for Lisbon Portugal travel. Each card has relevant bonus-earning categories that help you to earn points when you are on the road.
The Amex Gold card earns 4x points on dining and US grocery stores. You earn 3x points on dining and travel with the Chase Sapphire Reserve. The Citi Premier Card earns 3x points at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel, and hotels.
What is the best month to visit Lisbon?
April to October is an ideal time frame for Lisbon Portugal travel. The highs range between 68-83 and the lows range between 53-65. If you’re looking to dodge any chance of rain, June to September is your sweet spot. These months experience rain less than three days a month on average.
We visited in October and it was perfect. Lows in the upper 50s at night and highs in the mid-70s during the day. You could rock shorts or pants when the sun is out. At night, pants plus a light jacket ensured you were good to go. Overall, Lisbon’s weather is money.
How to Fly to Lisbon
Lisbon Airport (LIS) is the primary airport serving flights into Lisbon. This includes both domestic flights within Europe, as well as, international travel to Portugal from the US. Lisbon Airport is also a hub for TAP Air Portugal. You can fly on TAP nonstop to Africa, Europe, North America, and South America. With that said, here are the non-stop flights from the US that you can book:
- Delta Air Lines <> New York–JFK
- TAP Air Portugal <> Boston, Chicago–O’Hare, Miami, Newark, New York–JFK, San Francisco, Washington–Dulles
- United Airlines <> Newark
Uber was our main form of transportation in Lisbon. Public transit is also available but we found it easy to walk or Uber to anywhere we needed to go. We stayed in the Estrela neighborhood 1 night and on the edge of Príncipe Real the other nights. Each area was easy to walk from to see the sites of the city.
Where to Stay When Visiting Lisbon?
Hyatt and Marriott have points hotel options to consider booking for your Lisbon Portugal travel. Each of these brands has properties near downtown in ideal neighborhoods that include Principe Real and Bairro Alto. Hyatt has The Lumiares Hotel and Pousada de Lisboa. Marriott has the Memmo Principe Real, Fontecruz Lisboa, and Sheraton Lisboa.
We chose to stay in an Airbnb for the first few nights of our trip and then stayed at the Hyatt Hotel da Estrela for our last night of the trip. The reason I’m not recommending Hyatt’s Hotel da Estrela is due to the shower situation. Fortunately, we were upgraded to a suite in this boutique hotel that has a cool vibe. However, the suite only had a bathtub with a glass wall that looked straight into the bedroom. This isn’t a setup we’d choose, so if you don’t mind not having a shower, then by all means you should book a stay at this hotel.
Lisbon Portugal Places to Visit in 48 Hours
Day 1
Before heading to Belém Tower, grab coffee at Benjamin Coffee House, Copenhagen Coffee Lab, Fábrica Coffee Roasters, or the mill. Then, with coffee in hand, walk down the Tagus River to the Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Portuguese Age of Discovery monument). You’ll be among quite a few tourists so get there early. Past Padrão dos Descobrimentos has nice views of Ponte 25 de Abril, the Golden-Gate style suspension bridge. You’ll then catch a ride to LxFactory where you can walk around and grab a bite to eat for lunch. The Michelin Guide Lisbon Restaurants is one we referenced often.
Out of all of these sites, I personally liked the walk along the Tagus River. At times, it felt like I was in San Francisco, especially when the sun wasn’t out. Our first dinner was at Tapisco Lisboa and it delivered! Head there early around 6:30 pm to avoid the lines. A Cevicheria, O Asiático, and Alma are also fantastic. For dessert, Nannarella is great. For drinks, Double 9, Foxtrot, and Monkey Mash are solid. We plan on checking out Cinco Lounge and Red Frog Speakeasy next time.
Day 2
Start your second day at Time Out Market followed by a walk along the Tagus River. After walking several blocks, you’ll come upon Praça do Comérico, a public plaza overlooking the water. Snap some pictures at the scenic overlook in Miradouro das Portas do Sol. At this point, you’ll want to grab some lunch (we referenced Michelin Guide Lisbon Restaurants) before checking out Parque Eduardo VII, a public park with solid views of downtown. Grab an afternoon cocktail (any of the places from Day 1 should work) and end your day with a meal at A Cevicheria or Alma.
Ashlee covered this in her Lisbon guide but we like to explore new cities through the food and drink scene. We’re not big on art or museums so instead, we spend our money and time enjoying drinks and food. We’ve found that acting as we live in the city is the way we like to explore.
Lisbon Portugal Travel FAQs
Is Portugal dangerous for tourists?
We never felt unsafe during our time in Lisbon, Porto, and the Douro Valley. Portugal tourism felt extremely safe to us.
Is Portugal expensive to visit?
Of course, the Michelin-starred restaurants can be expensive. However, Portugal is an affordable country when compared to London, Paris, Barcelona, and Amsterdam.
Is English widely spoken in Portugal?
You bet! English was widely available at every restaurant and attraction we visited.
Conclusion on Lisbon Portugal Travel
I absolutely loved Lisbon Portugal and enjoyed recapping our trip in this Lisbon Travel Guide! It’s an affordable city with incredible food and drinks that’s easy to navigate. Everyone speaks English, the culture is laid back, and the locals we encountered were friendly. Lisbon is a city I’m already waiting to visit again in the near future.
What would your Lisbon Travel Guide look like? Please let me know in the comments or by sending me an email on my contact page.
Disclaimer: If you click and/or sign up for a credit card through certain links on this site or any of my related social media platforms, I may make a commission from that click-through. The editorial content on this page and the user comments are not provided by any of the companies mentioned, and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are mine alone.
