7 Days in Lisbon: What We'd Change on a Second Trip

Lisbon punishes the weekend-warrior itinerary. Arrive Friday, leave Sunday, and you’ll spend half your trip fighting crowds at the Alfama viewpoints and paying €18 for a pastel de nata. Arrive Tuesday and the city is yours.

The Mistake Most People Make

Every guide sends you to Belém on day one. It’s fine. The Jerónimos Monastery is genuinely beautiful. The tram 28 is genuinely photogenic. But it’s also genuinely the first thing every tourist does, and the crowds reflect that.

Do Belém last. The monastery is still there at 3pm on a Thursday.

Day by Day

Day 1–2: Mouraria and Intendente

Skip the hotel-lobby map. Walk north from Intendente. This is the neighborhood Lisbon’s own residents are actually moving into. Better food, no queue for the view.

Day 3: The actual Alfama

The Alfama is worth it, but go before 9am. The miradouros — the viewpoints — are genuinely stunning at sunrise. By 11am they’re elbow-to-elbow.

Day 4: Day trip to Sintra

Yes, go to Sintra. No, don’t book the touristy palace circuit. Walk up to the Moorish Castle instead. You’ll see the same views with 10% of the people.

Day 5–7: Slow down

The best three days in Lisbon are the ones without an agenda. A long lunch at a tasca. An afternoon in LX Factory. Getting lost in Principe Real.

Where to Stay

Avoid the Alfama hotels unless you want to carry your luggage up a cobblestone hill. Principe Real or Chiado puts you close to everything without the tourist-trap pricing.

What It Costs

A week done properly: around €1,400–1,800 per person including flights from London. Budget less if you eat where locals eat (you should).