3 Days in Lisbon: A Day-by-Day Itinerary

Get ready for a city of seven hills, golden light on the river, rattling yellow trams and custard tarts still warm from the oven. Lisbon packs Moorish lanes, grand Manueline monuments and lively riverside food halls into a compact centre, and three days is a sweet spot: enough for the old town, Belém and a fairy-tale day in Sintra.

This plan suits first-time visitors who like a steady pace with plenty of viewpoint breaks. Day 1 explores Alfama, the castle and the Baixa, Day 2 heads west along the Tagus to Belém and the trendy Alcântara riverside, and Day 3 is a day trip to the palaces of Sintra. Lisbon is hilly and paved with slippery limestone, so comfortable shoes with good grip will make you very happy.

At a glance

Day	Area	Highlights
1	Alfama, Castle Hill, Baixa and Chiado	Tram 28, Castelo de São Jorge, Miradouro de Santa Luzia, Lisbon Cathedral, Praça do Comércio, fado night
2	Belém and Alcântara	Jerónimos Monastery, pastéis de nata, Belém Tower, LX Factory, Cais do Sodré
3	Sintra day trip	Pena Palace and Park, Sintra old town, Quinta da Regaleira, sunset viewpoint back in Lisbon

Day 1: Alfama, the castle and the Baixa

This is the day for the Lisbon of postcards: tiled houses, tiny squares, tram bells and views over terracotta roofs to the river.

Morning

Start early at Martim Moniz, the first stop of tram 28E. Carris runs the route from Martim Moniz up through Graça, past Largo das Portas do Sol, Miradouro de Santa Luzia and the Sé (cathedral), down through the Baixa to Chiado, Estrela and Campo Ourique (Prazeres). Boarding at the terminus early in the day is your best chance of a seat.

Hop off at Largo das Portas do Sol and walk uphill for roughly 10 minutes to Castelo de São Jorge. The castle opens at 9:00 every day. From 1 March to 31 October it closes at 21:00 (last admission 20:30), and from 1 November to the end of February at 18:00 (last admission 17:30). The adult ticket is EUR 17, with reduced prices for ages 13 to 25 (EUR 8.50) and 65+ (EUR 14), and free entry for children up to 12. A guided Camera Obscura visit and the “Discovering the Castle” archaeological tour are included in the ticket; check times at the ticket office. Buy online on the official site to skip the queue. Note that the castle closes on 1 January, 1 May and 24, 25 and 31 December.

Allow up to two hours for the ramparts and views.

Afternoon

Drift downhill through Alfama’s lanes to Miradouro de Santa Luzia and its tiled terrace, then on to the Sé de Lisboa, the city’s medieval cathedral, an easy 10 minutes’ stroll below. From the cathedral it is a short walk into the Baixa, the grid of elegant streets rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake.

Stroll down to Praça do Comércio, the huge riverside square with its triumphal Rua Augusta arch, and sit by the water at Cais das Colunas. Then walk up through Rossio square and climb gently to Chiado for coffee and a pastry in one of its historic cafés. Note: the famous historic lifts (Santa Justa, Glória and Bica) are not running, so plan to walk between Baixa and Chiado or Bairro Alto (see the heads-up section below).

Evening

Head back to Alfama for dinner and fado, Portugal’s soulful song tradition. Many small restaurants host fado evenings; book a table in advance and expect quiet during the performance. Night owls can continue to Bairro Alto, where the narrow streets fill with people after dark.

Day 2: Belém and the Alcântara riverside

Save your appetite for today: Belém pairs some of Portugal’s most dazzling monuments with the city’s most famous custard tarts, and the evening brings riverside food and drinks.

Important: the Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower are closed on Mondays, so schedule this day for Tuesday to Sunday.

Morning

Take tram 15E from Praça da Figueira or Praça do Comércio. Carris lists stops at Cais do Sodré, Alcântara, Belém (Museu dos Coches), Mosteiro Jerónimos and Centro Cultural de Belém on its way to Algés. Get off at Mosteiro Jerónimos.

The Jerónimos Monastery cloister is a masterpiece of Manueline stone lace. It opens Tuesday to Sunday from 9:30 to 17:30 (last admission 17:00), and the ticket offices close at 16:30. The church opens Tuesday to Saturday 10:30 to 17:00 and Sundays and religious holidays 14:00 to 17:00. A ticket costs EUR 18, with 50% off for over-65s and ages 13 to 24, and free entry for children up to 12. The monument’s own site warns that tickets often sell out and cannot be bought on the day, so book online in advance. There are no audio guides. It also closes on 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 13 June and 25 December, and may close for state events.

Afterwards, join the line a few steps away for pastéis de nata in Belém, the classic Lisbon treat of flaky pastry and warm custard dusted with cinnamon.

Afternoon

Cross under the road to the riverfront and walk past the Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries) to Belém Tower, roughly 15 to 20 minutes on foot along the water. The tower ticket is EUR 15, with the same discounts and closing days as the monastery, and the same advice to book ahead. The tower may close in bad weather for safety.

Ride tram 15E back towards the centre and hop off around Alcântara for LX Factory, a former industrial complex now full of bookshops, cafés, street art and design stores.

Evening

Continue to Cais do Sodré, where the Time Out Market food hall gathers many local cooks under one roof, and the streets nearby buzz with bars. For sunset, walk along the river at Ribeira das Naus towards Praça do Comércio and watch the light fade over the 25 de Abril Bridge.

Day 3: A fairy-tale day in Sintra

Get ready for a day that feels like stepping into a storybook: misty hills, a candy-coloured palace on a peak and a mysterious estate with a spiral well.

Morning

Take the CP train on the Sintra Line from Rossio station (it also departs from Oriente and Entrecampos). Check the current timetable on the CP website and aim for an early train. A 24-hour Carris/Metro/CP ticket costs EUR 11.40 and covers the train as well as city transport for the rest of the day.

From Sintra station, bus 434 (Scotturb) climbs to Pena; check the fare and timetable on the operator’s site. Private cars are not allowed up to the monument.

At the Park and National Palace of Pena, tickets for the palace are sold for a specific date and time, so book your slot online before the trip. Prices: Visit to the Park EUR 12 and Essential Visit EUR 20 (adults 18 to 64), with a Complete Visit at EUR 45; check on the official site exactly what each ticket includes. The park is open 9:00 to 19:00 (last admission 18:00) and the palace 9:30 to 18:30 (last ticket 17:30). Allow two to three hours to explore the palace terraces and the woodland paths.

Afternoon

Take bus 434 or walk down to Sintra’s old town for lunch and a travesseiro, a local puff-pastry treat. Then walk to Quinta da Regaleira, a romantic estate of gardens, grottoes, tunnels and the famous Initiation Well.

Regaleira tickets cost EUR 20 for adults (EUR 15 for ages 6 to 17 and 65+, children up to 5 free), with prices valid from January 2026. Entry is by time slot with a maximum grace period of one hour, and tickets should be bought only on the official online ticket office, regaleira.byblueticket.pt. Opening hours: October to December and January to March 10:00 to 18:30, April to September 9:00 to 19:30, with last entry at 17:30 all year. It closes on 1 January and 24, 25 and 31 December.

Evening

Ride the train back to Rossio and end your trip on a high: watch the sunset from one of the viewpoints in Graça, high above the old town, then enjoy a farewell dinner of grilled fish or a classic bifana sandwich nearby.

Getting there and getting around

From Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS): the airport has its own Aeroporto metro station on the Red Line. The metro runs daily from about 6:30 to 1:00 (last trains leave the terminal stations around 1:00). For the Baixa and Chiado, change lines on the way into town; plan your route with the journey planner on the Metro de Lisboa website. Licensed taxis and ride-hailing apps also serve the airport; use the official taxi rank.

Tickets and cards: buy a reusable navegante occasional card for EUR 0.50 at a metro station machine, then load either single tickets, a day ticket or “zapping” credit.

Ticket (2026 fares)	Price
Carris/Metro single ticket (one journey, 1 hour after first validation)	EUR 1.90
Metro journey with zapping credit	EUR 1.72
Metro journey with a contactless bank card	EUR 1.92
24-hour Carris/Metro ticket	EUR 7.25
24-hour Carris/Metro/CP ticket (includes Sintra trains)	EUR 11.40
24-hour Carris/Metro/Transtejo (Cacilhas ferry)	EUR 10.35

The 24-hour tickets give unlimited travel for 24 hours after the first validation. For this plan, a 24-hour Carris/Metro ticket on Days 1 and 2 and the Carris/Metro/CP version on Day 3 make life simple. Validate your card every time you board. Tickets bought on board trams cost more than pre-loaded fares; check current prices with Carris.

Where to stay

• Baixa and Chiado: the flat, central core, with metro stations, tram 28 and tram 15E nearby. Ideal for a short first visit and for easy access to Rossio station for Sintra.
• Alfama and Graça: atmospheric, hilly and full of viewpoints and fado houses. Perfect for romantics who do not mind stairs and cobbles.
• Bairro Alto and Príncipe Real: lively nights in Bairro Alto, leafy calm and boutiques in Príncipe Real. Great for food lovers; light sleepers should ask for a quiet room.
• Avenida da Liberdade and Marquês de Pombal: broad boulevards on the Blue and Yellow metro lines, a calmer base with quick links to the airport and the old town.

Budget

The daily figure in the summary above covers the sights and public transport on this plan only. It does not include accommodation, meals, drinks, the fado dinner, the Sintra bus, tours or flights, which vary widely by season and style. Hotels in Lisbon also add a municipal tourist tax per night; check the amount with your accommodation.

Item	Typical cost (verified 2026 prices)
navegante occasional card	EUR 0.50
24-hour Carris/Metro ticket	EUR 7.25
24-hour Carris/Metro/CP ticket	EUR 11.40
Castelo de São Jorge, adult	EUR 17
Jerónimos Monastery	EUR 18
Belém Tower	EUR 15
Pena, Essential Visit / Park only	EUR 20 / EUR 12
Quinta da Regaleira, adult	EUR 20
Bus 434 in Sintra, Padrão dos Descobrimentos	check the official site

Choosing only one of the two Belém monuments, or the park-only ticket at Pena, are easy ways to save.

Practical tips

• Visas and entry: Portugal is in the Schengen area, and entry rules depend on your nationality. The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) is in use at Portuguese air and sea borders. Check what applies to you on the official Portuguese visa portal well before you travel.
• Closing days to plan around: Jerónimos and Belém Tower close on Mondays; the castle, Pena and Regaleira are open daily apart from a few holidays listed above.
• Book ahead: timed tickets for Jerónimos, Belém Tower, Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira often sell out, especially in spring and summer. Book on the official sites only.
• Shoes and hills: the limestone pavements get slippery when wet, and the old town is steep. Trainers with grip beat sandals.
• Money: the currency is the euro. Contactless cards work at metro gates and most shops, but carry a few coins for small cafés.
• SIM and eSIM: travellers from EU countries can usually use their home plan. Visitors from outside the EU can buy a prepaid SIM from the main Portuguese operators or use an eSIM bought before the trip; check operator sites for current plans.

Heads-up: what to watch out for

Lisbon is a joy to explore, and a few simple habits keep it that way.

• Pickpockets on trams: UK government travel advice warns about street crime on public transport and at crowded bus and tram stops, with thieves often working in teams and using distraction. Easy to avoid: wear your bag in front on tram 28 and 15E, and keep your phone zipped away in crowds.
• Historic lifts are closed: after the Glória funicular accident in September 2025, the Glória, Bica and Lavra lifts and the Santa Justa lift remain out of service, according to Carris notices and a September 2026 report. Good to know: Carris runs replacement bus routes (51E for Glória), so walk or use those instead.
• Street drug offers: in tourist areas you may be offered “drugs” on the street. Simply walk on: illegal drugs, including cannabis, carry severe penalties in Portugal, according to UK government advice.
• Drinks at night: UK advice notes that the risk of assault is highest late at night around nightlife areas, and warns about drink spiking. Buy your own drinks, keep them in sight and save your accommodation’s address on your phone. The emergency number is 112.
• Fake ticket sellers: Quinta da Regaleira warns that some visitors have arrived with tickets bought on unofficial websites. Easy to avoid: buy Regaleira tickets only on its official ticket office, and Jerónimos, Belém Tower and Pena tickets on their own official sites.
• Summer heat and wildfires: UK advice says summer temperatures can run higher than normal and wildfire risk rises from April to October, which matters on the wooded Sintra hills. Carry water, follow local warnings and remember that starting a fire, even by accident, is illegal.
• Beaches and currents: if you add a beach afternoon, UK advice warns of rip currents and drownings every year. Swim only where lifeguard flags allow it.
• Strikes: strikes can cause sudden disruption to transport, including at airports. Check the Metro and CP websites on the morning of travel and keep a little slack in your plans.

FAQ

Is three days enough for Lisbon?

Yes, for a first visit. Three days covers the old town, Belém and a Sintra day trip at a comfortable pace. With a fourth day you could add Cascais or a ferry across the river to Cacilhas.

Do I need to book tickets in advance?

For Jerónimos and Belém Tower, yes: the official site says tickets often sell out and cannot be bought on the day. Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira use timed slots too, so book those before your Sintra day.

Which ticket should I use for public transport?

Get a navegante occasional card (EUR 0.50) and load a 24-hour Carris/Metro ticket (EUR 7.25) for city days, or the 24-hour Carris/Metro/CP version (EUR 11.40) on the day you go to Sintra.

Can I ride the Santa Justa lift or the Glória funicular?

Not at the moment. Both are out of service, along with the Bica and Lavra lifts, and Carris has not confirmed reopening dates. Check the Carris website for updates.

Is tram 28 worth it?

Absolutely. Board early at Martim Moniz to beat the crowds, and keep an eye on your belongings.

When is the best time to visit Lisbon?

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September and October) usually bring pleasant temperatures and fewer crowds than peak summer. Summer is sunny and lively but can be hot and busy.