The idea of Lisbon came up on a Sunday night, one of those when you are on the sofa with your phone searching for cheap flights. João said yes almost without looking up from the computer. We booked for October — without the July heat that roasts tourists on the cobblestones, without the queues that wear out your patience before you get anywhere.
We did not make big plans. I saved a few places in Dream and Trip, João insisted on a spot "with no photos on the menu", and that is more or less how we went.
- 📅 Best time
- October or spring
- 🗓️ Duration
- 5 days
- 👣 Style
- Couple · culture · food
- ✈️ Arrival
- Airport metro · €2.50
How we got around
| Route | Transport | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airport → center | Metro | 20 min | €2.50 |
| Center → Belém | Tram 15E | 20 min | ~€3 |
| Rossio → Sintra | Train | 40 min | <€3 |
| Sintra station → Regaleira | On foot | 20 min | Free |
Arrival and Chiado
We arrived in Lisbon in the late morning. The airport metro drops you almost in the center — two and a half euros each, twenty minutes, and we were dropping our bags at the Airbnb near Príncipe Real.
Chiado
We spent the whole afternoon among bookshops and cafés. We walked into the Bertrand Bookshop almost by accident and stayed there an hour.
Bertrand Bookshop
One of the oldest bookshops in the world still in operation. I bought a book I have not read yet.
Santa Catarina Viewpoint
Our favorite discovery of the whole trip. In the late afternoon there were musicians, people of all ages, a canned beer for two euros. We stayed until the sun set behind the 25 de Abril Bridge — and we did not feel like going anywhere.
Alfama and Mouraria
We woke up early — not by plan, but because that is just how João is. We reached São Jorge Castle while there were still few people. The morning light in Lisbon has a color that no longer exists in the afternoon. Golden, really — it is not a metaphor.
São Jorge Castle
A 360º view over the city and peacocks roaming the gardens. The morning light makes all the difference — arrive before 10am to have it almost to yourself.
Alfama on foot, no map
We got lost on purpose. A dead-end alley, a lady at her window who showed us the way. The best moment of the trip.
Mouraria
Lunch in a tiny restaurant with no English menu. Bacalhau à Brás for under ten euros.
Live Fado
At night, in a small house recommended by a local. We did not book and got in anyway.
Alfama from above — a maze of alleys best explored without a map.
Belém
Tram 15E takes you from Cais do Sodré to Belém in twenty minutes along the Tagus. We arrived at opening time and there was still a queue at the Monastery. I think there are no right hours for some places — they are always popular and you have to accept it.
Jerónimos Monastery
The cloister has a scale you cannot grasp from photos. Buy a ticket online before you go to skip the queue.
Pastéis de Belém
They came warm, with a caramelized crust. We ate three each without any guilt.
Belém Tower
Worth more from the outside than the inside. Great to photograph with the Tagus behind.
Coach Museum
A surprise. We were not expecting it and stayed longer than planned.
Praça do Império Garden
An afternoon nap by the Tagus. Aren't you on holiday?
Sintra
We almost did not go. The night before we had dinner late, drank an Alentejo wine we had not ordered. In the morning the alarm went off and João turned it off. We got up anyway — and rightly so.
Train from Rossio
Forty minutes, under three euros, every hour. No need to book — you just show up and get on.
Pena Palace
Absurdly colorful, yellow and red. It is ridiculous and magnificent at the same time. Go early: the buses fill up in the late morning.
Quinta da Regaleira
Gardens, grottoes and the 27-meter inverted well. We descended not knowing where we were going and came out through a different exit.
Sintra town
Travesseiros (the local pastry) and a tourist-free side street where we had a good lunch.
Pena Palace looked like something out of a storybook. No exaggeration.
LX Factory and goodbye
The last day was slow. On purpose. We woke up without an alarm, and the lady at the café next door brought us two galões without even asking. That kind of thing makes a difference in a city.
LX Factory
A creative space in an old factory — shops, restaurants, studios. Good for a morning; on Sundays there is a market, but it works just as well on a Monday.
Ler Devagar
A bookshop inside LX Factory with a bicycle hanging from the ceiling. We stayed two hours.
Graça Viewpoint
The best view of São Jorge Castle. We went in the late afternoon and watched Lisbon turn orange and then purple.
On the flight home, João fell asleep before takeoff. I stayed awake listening to fado — something I never do — thinking that there was something in those five days that had changed something in me. I still do not quite know what. But I know it was there.
The last night. Fado somewhere in the background, Douro wine, and the certainty of having done the right thing.
Tickets & bookings
| Place | Book ahead? | How |
|---|---|---|
| Jerónimos Monastery | Yes | Online ticket |
| Pena Palace (Sintra) | Yes | Online ticket, go early |
| Quinta da Regaleira | Recommended | Online or box office |
| São Jorge Castle | Recommended | Online · before 10am |
| Train Rossio → Sintra | No | Buy on the spot |
| Live Fado | No | Show up / ask a local |