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Voykit pocket guide · Portugal
Lisbon
Lisboa
Lisbon is a hills-and-cobbles city: do Alfama and Belém in the morning, ride the flat Baixa in the heat of the day, and never plan a walk that climbs with a suitcase.
Lisbon's sights are close on the map but stacked on steep, polished cobbles. The trips that go wrong are the ones that add a suitcase to a hill, queue an hour for Tram 28 in July, or arrive at the Jerónimos Monastery on a Monday when it is closed. Five walking clusters cover a first visit; Sintra and Cascais are trips away from one kept bed.
- Country
- Portugal
- Local name
- Lisboa
- Best months
- Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
- Time zone
- Europe/Lisbon
- Stay
- 2 days: Baixa + Alfama morning, Belém afternoon
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Cards and contactless work almost everywhere; carry a few euros for small cafés, kiosks and tram tickets. Decline dynamic currency conversion at ATMs and terminals.
- Daily spend
- Budget €45–70 excl. bed · Mid €70–130 excl. bed · High €130+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Install an eSIM before you fly, or buy a SIM at the airport arrivals shops (passport needed).
- Emergency
- All emergencies 112 · SNS 24 health line 808 24 24 24 · Forest fire reporting 117 · Violence victim support (APAV) 116 006
- Plugs
- 230 V; two-pin round sockets (type F, also C). Bring an adapter if your plugs are flat.
- Tipping
- Not expected. Round up or leave 5–10% for good table service.
- Water
- Tap water is safe to drink.
- Toilets
- Cafés, malls and museums; public toilets are rare.
Get in
By air
- Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS)
- LIS to Baixa: one ride-hail car or taxi from the rank, about 20–35 minutes at a fare near €15–25 — the risk is not the ride but a guesthouse door that locks at midnight.
Get around
Walk inside a cluster; metro or a ride-hailing car between clusters; tram 15 or the train to Belém.
- Passes
- A 24-hour transport ticket pays back at three or more rides; short taxi hops up the hills are cheap.
- Late at night
- The metro stops around 01:00; ride-hailing runs all night.
See and do
01Jerónimos MonasteryMosteiro dos Jerónimos
A 16th-century monastery with a carved cloister beside the river: go at opening on a weekday, 45–60 minutes; it is closed on Mondays.
02São Jorge CastleCastelo de São Jorge
A hilltop castle over Baixa with the best lookout in the centre: go at opening, 60–90 minutes, and take a taxi up rather than climbing with bags.
03Carmo ConventConvento do Carmo
The roofless Gothic church left standing by the 1755 earthquake: a quiet 30–40 minutes off Rua Garrett, and one of the few sights with shade and seats.
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sintra (palaces) | Train from Rossio about 40 min each way, then a local bus or taxi | Full day — leave before 09:00 |
| Cascais and the coast | Train from Cais do Sodré about 40 min each way | Half or full day |
| Évora | Train or bus about 1.5 h each way | Full day |
Eat
- A Brasileira
- A historic Chiado café with a terrace and a bronze poet outside: a bica and a pastel at the counter is cheaper than the terrace; use it as the Chiado rest stop.
- Pastéis de Belém
- The original custard-tart bakery, 1837 recipe, next to the monastery: eat at the counter or the tiled rooms; the takeaway queue moves faster than the seats.
Sleep
- Baixa
- First-timers: flat streets, metro and train in every direction and a door a taxi can reach — but pick a hotel with a 24-hour desk, not a guesthouse with a locked door.
- Príncipe Real
- Quieter, leafier nights above Bairro Alto; steeper streets and a 10-minute taxi or a hill walk to Baixa.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / good morning | Olá / Bom diaoh-LAH / bom DEE-ah |
| Thank you | Obrigado / Obrigadaoh-bree-GAH-doo / -dah |
| An espresso, please | Uma bica, por favorOO-ma BEE-ka poor fa-VOR |
| How much is it? | Quanto custa?KWAN-too KOOSH-ta |
| The bill, please | A conta, por favorah KON-ta poor fa-VOR |
| To this address, please | Para esta morada, por favorPAH-ra ESH-ta moo-RAH-da poor fa-VOR |
| Delicious | Deliciosodeh-lee-see-OH-zoo |
| Excuse me | Desculpedesh-KOOLP |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Two kisses on the cheek socially; handshake in business; avoid: Hugging strangers
- Language: Start with 'bom dia' or 'boa tarde'; avoid: Assuming Spanish will do
- Queues: Wait your turn; take a ticket at pharmacies and post offices; avoid: Pushing onto trams
- Titles: Use 'senhor' and 'senhora' and professional titles ('Doutor'); avoid: First names with older people until invited
- Meals: Relax — service is unhurried; avoid: Asking for Spanish-style tapas late at night in small towns
Red lines
- Churches and monasteries: cover shoulders and knees, no flash, keep quiet during services.
- Do not photograph residents at close range in Alfama doorways and balconies.
Scams and watch-outs
- Bread, olives and cheese placed on the table are charged if you touch them: send them back if you do not want them.
- Tuk-tuk drivers quote a price per person or per stop: agree the total in writing before you climb in.
- Sellers who whisper 'hashish' in Baixa and Bairro Alto sell fakes and attract trouble: decline and keep walking.
- Unlicensed drivers at the airport arrivals hall: use the taxi rank or a ride-hailing app.
One and two days
1 day
The first day of the timed plan.
Day 1 — São Jorge Castle at opening, a 13:00 lunch table
- 09:00São Jorge Castle
- 13:00Lunch table 13:00 (Baixa)
- Hotel or a café 14:00–16:30; Miradouro de Santa Catarina or São Pedro de Alcântara at sunset.
2 days
The first two days of the timed plan.
Day 1 — São Jorge Castle at opening, a 13:00 lunch table
- 09:00São Jorge Castle
- 13:00Lunch table 13:00 (Baixa)
- Hotel or a café 14:00–16:30; Miradouro de Santa Catarina or São Pedro de Alcântara at sunset.
Day 2 — Belém: monastery, then a pastel de nata
- 09:30Jerónimos Monastery
- Pastéis de Belém
- Afternoon: flat Baixa and the river at Praça do Comércio; book the Alfama dinner ahead.
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Lisboa (official): www.visitlisboa.com/
- Visit Portugal (official): www.visitportugal.com/
- Wikivoyage — Lisbon: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Lisbon
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
LisbonLisboa
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Take me to
- Mosteiro dos JerónimosJerónimos Monastery
- Castelo de São JorgeSão Jorge Castle
- Convento do CarmoCarmo Convent
- All emergencies112
- SNS 24 health line808 24 24 24
- Forest fire reporting117
- Violence victim support (APAV)116 006
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/lisbon). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.