Lisbon 3-Day Itinerary: Old City, Belém and a Day in Sintra
Three days is the right amount of time for Lisbon. It is enough for the old city, for Belém, and for one day out of town, without the trip turning into a checklist. This is the itinerary we suggest to guests who ask, built the way we plan our own tours: one neighbourhood cluster per half-day, walking downhill rather than up, and the day trip on day two so you are not tired for it. We have added where to eat and the practical details that matter (which things need booking, what closes on Mondays).
Day 1: the old city, from the castle down to the river
Morning: Alfama and the castle
Start at São Jorge Castle when it opens, before the crowds, for the view over the whole city. Walk down through Alfama, the oldest neighbourhood, past the Santa Luzia and Portas do Sol viewpoints, the cathedral (Sé) and the lanes where the fado houses are. Alfama survived the 1755 earthquake, which is why its streets are medieval where the rest of downtown is a grid.
Lunch
A tasca in Alfama or Mouraria: grilled fish, a bifana or a plate of petiscos. Avoid anything with a laminated picture menu on the main squares.
Afternoon: Baixa and Chiado
The Baixa is the downtown rebuilt after the earthquake on a rational grid, ending at the Praça do Comércio on the river. Walk it from Rossio to the river, take the Santa Justa lift or the streets up to the Carmo convent ruins, and spend the late afternoon in Chiado, the elegant shopping and café district (A Brasileira, the Bertrand bookshop, the best pastel de nata in the centre at Manteigaria).
Evening
Sunset at the Miradouro de Santa Catarina or São Pedro de Alcântara, then dinner in Bairro Alto or, quieter, in Príncipe Real. If you want fado, book a small house in Alfama rather than a show; Tasca do Chico in Bairro Alto is the informal option.
Day 2: Sintra, Cabo da Roca and Cascais
Every visitor to Lisbon should spend a day in Sintra, the UNESCO landscape of palaces and forest 35 minutes west of the city, and the second day is the right time: you have seen the city, you are not yet tired, and you have day three to relax. The classic day is Pena Palace at opening time (book the ticket in advance; it sells out), the historic village and a travesseiro pastry, Quinta da Regaleira or Monserrate in the early afternoon, Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of Europe, at the end of the afternoon, and the coast road through Guincho to Cascais for a drink on the seafront before driving back.
You can do a version of this by train and bus, but it is the day where a car and a guide make the biggest difference: the monuments are spread along a slow mountain road, the buses in summer are packed, and the coast is unreachable without a car. It is the reason our private Sintra tours from Lisbon exist. The Pena Palace & Wine Tasting tour is the version of this day most guests choose; the Private Sintra Tour is the best value for families, priced per group.
Day 3: Belém and the riverside
Morning: Belém
The monuments of the Age of Discovery are all in Belém, 15 minutes west of the centre by tram or taxi. The Jerónimos Monastery (closed Mondays; book online) is the masterpiece of Manueline architecture and holds the tombs of Vasco da Gama and Camões. The Belém Tower and the Monument to the Discoveries are on the waterfront a short walk away. Between them, the queue at Pastéis de Belém moves faster than it looks, and the tarts are warm.
Lunch
The riverside in Belém, or back towards the centre at the LX Factory, a converted industrial complex under the bridge with restaurants, shops and a Sunday market.
Afternoon: choose your Lisbon
Three good options, depending on mood. The MAAT and the Berardo collection for art, both in Belém. The Museu Nacional do Azulejo, the tile museum in a former convent east of the centre, the museum guests are most surprised by. Or the south bank: the ferry from Cais do Sodré to Cacilhas for grilled fish on the water and the lift up to Cristo Rei for the view back over the whole city and the bridge.
Evening
Dinner at Time Out Market in Cais do Sodré if you want variety, or a last proper meal in Campo de Ourique or Alcântara, where the restaurants are for residents.
If you have a fourth day
The choice is between the coast and the interior. South of the river, the Arrábida Natural Park has the clearest water and best beaches near Lisbon, the fishing town of Sesimbra and the Moscatel wineries, and it is a half-day or a full day. North, the Fátima, Batalha, Nazaré and Óbidos day covers the sanctuary, a Gothic monastery, the big-wave surf town and a walled medieval village in one loop. East, Évora is a Roman temple, a chapel of bones and the cork-oak plains of the Alentejo. Our multi-day packages combine Sintra with one or more of these on consecutive days at a lower price than booking separately.
Practical notes
Most museums and monuments close on Mondays, including Jerónimos and the tile museum, so plan Belém for another day if your trip starts on a Sunday. Buy Pena Palace and Jerónimos tickets online in advance in any month from April to October. Lisbon is steep and cobbled: bring shoes with grip and use the trams, lifts and funiculars for the climbs. Tram 28 is charming and packed; ride it early in the morning or take the same route on foot. And if your three days include a cruise stop rather than a hotel stay, see our guide to Sintra shore excursions from the Lisbon cruise port, which plans the Sintra day around your ship’s hours.