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Lisbon, Portugal · Free itinerary
3-Day Lisbon Itinerary: Best Things to Do
Lisbon, Portugal's sun-drenched capital, tumbles across seven hills above the shimmering Tagus estuary, where centuries of maritime history meet a thriving contemporary arts scene. From the soulful fado echoing through cobblestoned Alfama to the Manueline splendour of Belém and the boutique cool of Chiado, the city rewards every curiosity with world-class museums, legendary pastries, and some of Europe's most dazzling viewpoints.
3 days18 sights + 9 food & drink stopsLisbon, Portugal
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1
Alfama, Mouraria & the Historic Hilltop
🗺️ Day route — numbered stops in order (static map)
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50mDear Breakfast – Alfama 🍴 Food8:30 AM – 9:20 AM📍 Alfama, LisbonA beloved all-day breakfast café on Largo de Santo António da Sé serving eggs, avocado toast, and freshly brewed coffee with terrace seating beside the cathedral.
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9:25 AM – 9:30 AM· Walk to Sé de Lisboa (Lisbon Cathedral) ·0.1 km ·5m
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1hSé de Lisboa (Lisbon Cathedral) ⛪ Religious site9:30 AM – 10:30 AM📍 Alfama, LisbonLisbon's oldest church, a fortress-like Romanesque cathedral founded in 1147, with a stunning Gothic cloister and Roman ruins beneath its nave.
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10:35 AM – 10:40 AM· Walk to Castelo de São Jorge ·0.4 km ·5m
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1h 30mCastelo de São Jorge 🏛️ Landmark10:40 AM – 12:10 PM📍 Castelo, LisbonThe Moorish hilltop castle dominating Lisbon's skyline offers rampart walks, archaeological excavations, and panoramic 360° views over the city and the Tagus.
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12:15 PM – 12:20 PM· Walk to Cruzes Credo Café ·0.4 km ·5m
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1h 10mCruzes Credo Café 🍴 Food12:20 PM – 1:30 PM📍 Alfama, LisbonA laid-back local favourite right beside the cathedral on Rua Cruzes da Sé, serving tostas, burgers, salads, and good wine with street-side tables; open continuously from noon.
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1:34 PM – 1:40 PM· Walk to Museu do Fado ·0.5 km ·6m
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1h 15mMuseu do Fado 🖼️ Museum1:40 PM – 2:55 PM📍 Alfama, LisbonAn immersive museum tracing the entire history of fado through instruments, costumes, recordings, and audio-visual displays, set in a converted 19th-century pumping station.
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2:56 PM – 3:05 PM· Walk to Miradouro da Graça ·0.7 km ·9m
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45mMiradouro da Graça 🌄 Viewpoint3:05 PM – 3:50 PM📍 Graça, LisbonOne of Lisbon's highest and most atmospheric viewpoints, with a wide 160° panorama taking in the castle, Mouraria, and the glittering Tagus estuary in the distance.
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Walk to Mouraria Quarter Walk ·0.5 km ·7m
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1hMouraria Quarter Walk 🏛️ Landmark3:55 PM – 4:55 PM📍 Mouraria, LisbonWander through Lisbon's oldest and most multicultural neighbourhood, where Moorish lanes, street art, spice shops, and fado birthplace history converge.
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4:59 PM – 5:05 PM· Travel to Museu Nacional do Azulejo ·2.1 km ·6m
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1h 30mMuseu Nacional do Azulejo 🖼️ Museum5:05 PM – 6:35 PM📍 Beato, LisbonInside a breathtaking 16th-century convent, this unique museum traces five centuries of Portuguese decorative tile art, including a rare 23-metre panorama of pre-earthquake Lisbon.
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7:21 PM – 7:30 PM· Travel to A Tasca do Chico ·2.9 km ·9m
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2hA Tasca do Chico 🍴 Food7:30 PM – 9:30 PM📍 Bairro Alto, LisbonAn intimate Bairro Alto tavern open nightly from 19:00, beloved for its petiscos and spontaneous fado vadio sessions where amateur and professional singers take turns at the microphone.
2
Baixa, Chiado & Bairro Alto
🗺️ Day route — numbered stops in order (static map)
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50mCafé A Brasileira 🍴 Food8:30 AM – 9:20 AM📍 Chiado, LisbonLisbon's most iconic café, open since 1905 in Chiado, serves a classic galão or bica alongside pastries beneath gilded Belle Époque interiors, with the bronze Pessoa statue outside.
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9:25 AM – 9:30 AM· Walk to Igreja de São Roque ·0.4 km ·5m
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50mIgreja de São Roque ⛪ Religious site9:30 AM – 10:20 AM📍 Bairro Alto, LisbonOne of Europe's earliest Jesuit churches, open daily from 09:30, its plain façade concealing a dazzling Baroque interior crowned by the gilded Chapel of St. John the Baptist, built in Rome and shipped to Lisbon.
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Walk to Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea do Chiado (MNAC) ·0.6 km ·8m
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1h 30mMuseu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea do Chiado (MNAC) 🖼️ Museum10:25 AM – 11:55 AM📍 Chiado, LisbonPortugal's premier contemporary art museum in Chiado houses a superb collection of 19th- and 20th-century Portuguese painting and sculpture in a beautifully converted 13th-century convent.
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12:00 PM – 12:05 PM· Walk to Taberna da Rua das Flores ·0.3 km ·5m
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1h 15mTaberna da Rua das Flores 🍴 Food12:05 PM – 1:20 PM📍 Chiado, LisbonA celebrated no-reservations petiscos bar open from noon Monday–Saturday, with a daily blackboard menu of seasonal Portuguese small plates, marble tables, and excellent wine.
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Walk to Miradouro de Santa Catarina (Adamastor) ·0.4 km ·6m
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40mMiradouro de Santa Catarina (Adamastor) 🌄 Viewpoint1:25 PM – 2:05 PM📍 Bica, LisbonA lively clifftop terrace above the river, open daily from early morning, anchored by the mythical Adamastor statue and beloved for its sweeping sunset views over the 25 de Abril Bridge.
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Walk to Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga (MNAA) ·1.3 km ·18m
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1h 30mMuseu Nacional de Arte Antiga (MNAA) 🖼️ Museum2:10 PM – 3:40 PM📍 Santos, LisbonPortugal's largest art museum, open Tuesday–Sunday from 10:00, holds the country's finest collection including Hieronymus Bosch's The Temptation of St. Anthony and Nuno Gonçalves's St. Vincent Panels.
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3:55 PM – 4:00 PM· Travel to Príncipe Real Antiques Market ·1.5 km ·5m
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1hPríncipe Real Antiques Market 🛍️ Shopping4:00 PM – 5:00 PM📍 Príncipe Real, LisbonThe Saturday antiques and design market in leafy Praça do Príncipe Real draws collectors and browsers hunting ceramics, jewellery, books, and vintage Portuguese curiosities.
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Walk to Elevador de Santa Justa ·0.9 km ·12m
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45mElevador de Santa Justa 🏛️ Landmark5:05 PM – 5:50 PM📍 Baixa, LisbonThis ornate 19th-century iron lift whisks visitors 45 metres from Baixa up to Largo do Carmo, open daily into the evening, offering bird's-eye views of the terracotta rooftops and castle beyond.
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7:21 PM – 7:30 PM· Walk to Solar dos Presuntos – Dinner ·0.7 km ·9m
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2hSolar dos Presuntos – Dinner 🍴 Food7:30 PM – 9:30 PM📍 Restauradores, LisbonMonday–Saturday dinner service from 18:30 at this beloved three-floor Portuguese restaurant on Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, renowned for bacalhau, slow-braised meats, and wine from the Minho and Douro regions.
3
Belém, LX Factory & the Waterfront
🗺️ Day route — numbered stops in order (static map)
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45mPastéis de Belém 🍴 Food8:00 AM – 8:45 AM📍 Belém, LisbonThe original 1837 home of the pastel de nata, open daily from 08:00, where the secret-recipe custard tarts fresh from the wood-burning oven are dusted with cinnamon and icing sugar.
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8:45 AM – 8:50 AM· Walk to Mosteiro dos Jerónimos ·0.3 km ·5m
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1h 30mMosteiro dos Jerónimos ⛪ Religious site8:50 AM – 10:20 AM📍 Belém, LisbonA UNESCO World Heritage Manueline masterpiece from 1502 celebrating Portugal's Age of Discovery, with an extraordinary two-storey double cloister open Tuesday–Sunday from 10:00.
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10:25 AM – 10:30 AM· Walk to Jardim Botânico Tropical ·0.2 km ·5m
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1hJardim Botânico Tropical 🌳 Park10:30 AM – 11:30 AM📍 Belém, LisbonA serene 7-hectare botanical garden beside the monastery, open daily from 10:00, home to towering palms, dragon trees, peacocks, and an ornamental Macau-style garden dating to 1906.
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Walk to Torre de Belém ·1.3 km ·18m
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1h 15mTorre de Belém 🏛️ Landmark11:40 AM – 12:55 PM📍 Belém, LisbonThis iconic early-16th-century Manueline tower rising from the Tagus is open Tuesday–Sunday from 10:00 and offers rooftop views back toward the city and across the river.
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Travel to Solar dos Nunes ·3.3 km ·10m
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1h 30mSolar dos Nunes 🍴 Food12:55 PM – 2:25 PM📍 Alcântara, LisbonA warmly decorated family-run restaurant on Rua dos Lusíadas in adjacent Alcântara, open Monday–Saturday from noon, celebrated for generous portions of traditional Alentejo and Minho cooking and a deep wine cellar.
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Walk to MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology ·1.4 km ·19m
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1h 30mMAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology 🖼️ Museum2:35 PM – 4:05 PM📍 Belém, LisbonA striking riverside museum in a wave-shaped tiled building, open Monday and Wednesday–Sunday from 11:00, with contemporary art, architecture, and technology exhibitions alongside a rooftop walk.
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4:07 PM – 4:20 PM· Walk to Padrão dos Descobrimentos ·1.0 km ·13m
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1hPadrão dos Descobrimentos 🏛️ Landmark4:20 PM – 5:20 PM📍 Belém, LisbonThe soaring 52-metre Monument to the Discoveries on the Tagus waterfront, open daily from 10:00, commemorates Portugal's navigators with an observatory deck and a 50-square-metre compass rose.
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5:23 PM – 5:30 PM· Travel to LX Factory ·2.3 km ·7m
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1h 30mLX Factory 🛍️ Shopping5:30 PM – 7:00 PM📍 Alcântara, LisbonA converted 19th-century industrial complex in Alcântara open daily into the evening, packed with independent designers, bookshops, studios, and restaurants beneath iron-framed ceilings.
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7:25 PM – 7:30 PM· Travel to Restaurante O Frade ·1.6 km ·5m
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2hRestaurante O Frade 🍴 Food7:30 PM – 9:30 PM📍 Belém, LisbonA Michelin Bib Gourmand counter-style restaurant on Calçada da Ajuda, open nightly from 19:00, specialising in Alentejo tavern cooking — think razor clams in garlic and wine, and duck rice.
🏨 Where to stay
Real, vetted stays near your route — check the reviews, then book.
Generator Lisbon
Cais do Sodré
Design-led budget hostel with private rooms and lively social spaces steps from the ferry terminals and Time Out Market.
Internacional Design Hotel★★★★
Rossio
Boutique 4-star on Rossio Square where bold, themed room concepts and a rooftop terrace sit at the heart of Baixa.
Memmo Alfama Design Hotels★★★★
Alfama
Stylish adults-only hideaway terraced into the Alfama hillside with a pool and sweeping rooftop views over the city and river.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need in Lisbon?
3 days are a great amount of time to explore Lisbon. This itinerary covers 18 sights and 9 food & drink stops across 3 days, giving you a thorough introduction to the city.
What are the best things to do in Lisbon?
Some of the best things to do in Lisbon include Sé de Lisboa (Lisbon Cathedral), Castelo de São Jorge, Museu do Fado. Lisbon, Portugal's sun-drenched capital, tumbles across seven hills above the shimmering Tagus estuary, where centuries of maritime history meet a thriving contemporary arts scene. From the soulful fado echoing through cobblestoned Alfama to the Manueline splendour of Belém and the boutique cool of Chiado, the city rewards every curiosity with world-class museums, legendary pastries, and some of Europe's most dazzling viewpoints.
Where should I stay in Lisbon?
Popular options in Lisbon include Generator Lisbon and Internacional Design Hotel. The city centre also has a range of hotels for every budget — book in advance for the best rates.
What's the best time to visit Lisbon?
Much of this itinerary is indoors — 7 of its 18 sights are museums, entertainment venues, or shopping stops — so Lisbon holds up outside peak season too. Book the popular indoor attractions ahead in busy months, and check the seasonal climate for Portugal before you go.