24 Hours in Lisbon: A Compact Overview

If you only have a day, do not try to see everything. Lisbon punishes that. Instead, walk slowly, eat often, and let the city's three rhythms — riverside Belém, downtown Baixa-Chiado, and old Alfama — set your pace.

Morning · Belém

Start at 08:30 in Belém, before the buses. Coffee and one (just one — there will be more) pastel de nata at Pastéis de Belém, taken standing at the counter. Walk along the river to the Padrão dos Descobrimentos, then the Belém Tower. Twenty minutes inside Jerónimos Monastery is enough — go for the cloister, skip the queue for the church.

Late morning · Tram 28 to Chiado

Take the iconic Tram 28 from Estrela. Get off at Chiado. Wander Bertrand (the world's oldest bookstore), find an espresso at A Brasileira, peek into the Carmo Convent ruins.

Lunch · Time Out Market or Taberna

Two ways to lunch. Time Out Market for variety and energy — pick one main dish from a chef stall (Henrique Sá Pessoa's tuna, Marlene Vieira's bacalhau). Or, for the calmer, more delicious version: Taberna da Rua das Flores. Either way, finish with a small glass of vinho verde.

Afternoon · Alfama by tuk tuk

This is where we'd pick you up. The narrow streets of Alfama are made for an electric tuk tuk — you stop at viewpoints you'd otherwise miss, the driver tells you which fado house to come back to, and you're at the castle in twenty minutes instead of ninety. Two hours covers Alfama, Mouraria and the castle gardens.

Sunset · Senhora do Monte

Highest miradouro in the city. Go an hour before sunset, with a beer from the kiosk and a friend. Stay for the blue hour.

Dinner · Cervejaria Ramiro, then Bairro Alto

21:30 dinner at Ramiro — tiger prawns, percebes, finish with the prego no pão. Then walk down to Bairro Alto for a glass of wine in the street, or to Pensão Amor for the after-midnight version of Lisbon: red velvet, jazz, dancing.

Want this whole day organised — pickup, table booked, tickets skipped, sunset spot reserved? That's what our concierge is for.