By Monika
How to Spend One Day in Lisbon – a Perfect Itinerary.
Do you only have one day in Lisbon? Wondering how to best use your time?
Planning a one-day Lisbon itinerary can feel overwhelming with so much to see and do.
How do you choose the best places to see without feeling rushed and still experience a mix of history, culture, and stunning views that Lisbon is just packed with?
Whether you’re drawn to iconic landmarks, charming neighborhoods, or delicious traditional food, a good plan will help you make the most of your day.
In this guide, I’ll share my tips and give you suggestions on how to create a perfect one-day Lisbon itinerary!
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- How to Spend One Day in Lisbon – a Perfect Itinerary.
It’s always hard to choose where to start your sightseeing route so I decided to start from the center of historic Lisbon – Rossio Square. That’s the area we stayed in, and it was very convenient for everything we did in Lisbon. (I’ll get into more details about it later in this post).
Take a look at the Rossio Train Station – it’s a beautiful building! That’s where trains to Sintra and Cascais leave from, if you’re looking for an easy day trip out of town.
But we’re staying IN Lisbon for this article, so let’s start our route!
Here is a map to help you navigate the city. It’s almost an exact copy of what we did during our first visit for the first part of our day in Lisbon. I’m saying “almost” because I’ll spare you our mistakes!
Then I’ll give you choices (and another map!).
Your morning itinerary:
1. Santa Justa Elevator and Carmo Convent
From Rossio walk 5 minutes to the Santa Justa Elevator (Elevador de Santa Justa)
Yes, I know it’s “touristy” and the lines may be long but it’s the iconic lift in Lisbon and the only vertical, free-standing one in the city so I feel it’s worth waiting.
You can read more practical details about the lift and other great Lisbon attractions in my guide to the best things to see in Lisbon, so I won’t repeat them here.
After you exit the elevator at the top, cross the walkway and you’ll find yourself at a terrace offering amazing views of Lisbon.
Then go down, following the signs to “Carmo” and see the Carmo Convent.
We somehow totally missed it, even though I can see the sign in the photos I took, and yet – we didn’t go there…. I have a return trip planned and this beautiful roofless church is on my list!
Head back down to the bottom of the lift and make your way to the next destination on this itinerary.
2. São Jorge Castle
Next, head up to Castelo de São Jorge. It’s a beautiful fortress erected by Moors in the 11th century.
If you don’t get a chance to see the Moorish Castle in Sintra, this will give you a good idea of what it looks like.
There are many ways to get up the hill the Castle is located on.
From the Santa Justa Lift you can walk (it’s a solid 15-minute uphill walk!) or take the bus line 737 from Praça de Figueira (near Rossio) or you can do what we did and take two lift rides up to the top of the hill. The first one, Elevador Castelo, is only a 5-minute walk from the bottom station of the Santa Justa Lift, and the second one directly after you exit, inside the Pingo Doce grocery store!
I’ve described it in detail in my full guide to Castelo de São Jorge – learn all you need to know for your visit!
Walk up the hilly cobblestone street leading to the Castle Arch entry gate, stopping for Pastéis de Nata at Pastelaria Santo Antonio – tasting this delicious traditional Portuguese pastry is a must!
Walk around the Castle grounds, see the peacocks, walk the fortress walls and enjoy amazing views from the top of the hill.
Buy your tickets here.
3. Miraduoro da Graça and Funicular da Graça
From the Castle, walk about 10 minutes to Miradouro da Graça, for more panoramic views of Lisbon.
From there you can take Funicular da Graça down and start making your way to Praça do Comércio (Commerce Square), seeing a few awesome things on the way and walking around the beautiful streets of the historic Alfama district.
4. Largo Portas do Sol (+ Miraduoro de Santa Lucia and Miradouro das Portas do Sol)
Largo Portas do Sol is a charming Alfama street that you’ll come across about 10 minutes after you step out of Funicular da Graça at its bottom station.
It’s known for being a great spot to catch a good look at the famous Tram 28 as it passes by. There is a tram stop there as well, if you’d like to go for a ride.
Note: if you’d like to ride the entire Tram 28 route or at least a good portion of it from the beginning (it is also one of the ways to get to St. George Castle), you should board at the first stop, Praça Martim Moniz, which is a 7-minute walk away from Funicular da Graça lower station.
There are also two neighboring viewpoints there as well, Miraduoro de Santa Lucia and Miradouro das Portas do Sol that are also worth visiting.
5. Sé de Lisboa (Lisbon Cathedral)
Lisbon’s Cathedral will be the next stop on your route.
It’s a 7-minute walk from Largo Portas do Sol.
It’s a beautiful stone church resembling a castle from the outside.
We did not get a chance to go inside because it was already closed for the day. That’s why I put the Cathedral and Carmo Convent as morning activities for this itinerary.
Helpful hint: museums and churches close early, at 6 or 7pm.
Buy your entry ticket onsite or online in advance.
You can also catch a glimpse of Tram 22, the iconic Lisbon tram, taking a turn in front of the Cathedral and if you’re tired from walking you can grab one of the tuk-tuks parked in a small lot right next to the Catedral.
6. Praça do Comércio
About 10 minutes more of walking will bring you to Praça do Comércio – a large, beautiful square on the banks of Tagus River.
You’ll recognize it by the statue of Dom José I on his horse in the middle and Arco da Rua Augusta (Rua Augusta Arch) across the river, leading you back to Lisbon center through more cobblestoned winding streets.
It’s a great place to walk around and take in the views of Lisbon’s riverside, there are often street performers there, artists, as well as souvenir stands and vendors selling all kinds of trinkets.
You can also take a ride up to the top of the Arch for amazing views of the plaza and the surrounding area.
This is where the first (morning) part of our Lisbon itinerary ends and you need to make a choice:
- you can stay in Lisbon center and continue walking back towards the starting point, Rossio Square, while visiting some more awesome places
- or take a tram to Belém district and visit the sights there.
Let’s break it down:
AFTERNOON OPTION #1 – stay in Lisbon’s city center
This option will keep you walking around Lisbon’s street and at the end you’ll circle back to Rossio Square.
1. Pink Street
From Praça do Comércio walk for 10 more minutes to reach the famous Pink Street.
The actual name of this street is Rua Nova do Carvalho, renamed “Pink” due to its pavement painted that color.
You’ll recognize it immediately as soon as go through the arch walkway by the rainbow-colored canopy of umbrellas hanging between the buildings on either side.
It’s a short street, lined with bars and small restaurants, especially vibrant at night.
2. Time Out Market
Only a 3-minute walk away from Pink Street you’ll find the Time Out Market – an indoor hall, full of eateries, restaurants, and food stands – so a perfect place to grab a bite to eat.
They also host events, shows and cooking classes – another lively spot in Lisbon!
3. Bica Funicular
Keep walking and after 7 minutes you get to Bica Funicular.
It’s the first cable car in Lisbon – you can take a ride or just take a look at it from the outside. This particular funicular is said to climb some of the steepest hills in the city!
4. Gloria Funicular & Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara
You’re getting closer to Rossio, but before you get there, you’ll pass by Gloria Funicular and Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara located near its top station for another opportunity for great views.
Both are about 11 minutes of walking from Bica station.
Important: after the tragic 2025 crash of Gloria Funicular, all Lisbon funiculars and elevators are closed till further notice. Check the official website for updates.
5. Back at Rossio Square
You’ll be back at Rossio Square after 10 more minutes of walking.
If you haven’t had dinner yet, recommend a small local restaurant there, called “Peixaria do Rossio” – low key, but very nice, excellent fast service and delicious food. Make sure to try cod dishes! More on food a little later in this article.
Option: If you have time and energy, attending a Fado performance can be a great way to end your evening in Lisbon. We haven’t had a chance to do it during our previous visit, but we booked this Fado performance with dinner for our second trip and it was a great introduction to the tradition and rich history of Fado.
Looking for more authentic Portuguese flavors? Read my guide to delicious foods to try in Portugal!
AFTERNOON OPTION #2 – take a tram to Belém
This option will take you to Belém for a chance to visit some UNESCO World Heritage sites.
From your last morning stop, Praça do Comércio, the easiest way to get to Belém district is to take tram #15.
For the purpose of showing you the locations of the Belém attractions, I used the “bike route” option on the map above. When you click the map link, you can switch to either “train” (which will give you Tram 15 stops) or “driving” if you have a car.
Make your first stop Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Jerónimos Monastery)
1. Mosteiro dos Jerónimos
The reason I’m recommending Jerónimos Monastery as the first stop is because of the opening hours – from October to April it closes at 5:30 pm and from May through September it stays open till 6:30.
There is pretty much always a line to enter, so you should add about an hour to your schedule just for that. One afternoon in Belém is not a lot of time, but if I had to pick one of the “must see inside” places of that district it would definitely be Jerónimos Monastery.
It’s a 16th-century UNESCO World Heritage site and is just stunning. Make sure to get your tickets ahead of time or use your Lisbon Card to enter.
Find more tips for your visit in my list of important things to know before visiting Lisbon!
Make sure to walk just a couple of minutes to Pastéis de Belém bakery for an authentic “secret recipe” Portugueses pastry!
2. Torre de Belém (Belém Tower)
This is another must-see in Belém, another one of Lisbon’s UNESCO World Heritage sites and another spot known for long lines to enter.
This landmark however can just be admired from the outside – I’ve read many accounts that it’s not as impressive inside.
I haven’t been inside as the day we visited the sign at the beginning of the line announced the wait time of 2 hours!
Get your tickets in advance or use your Lisbon Card to enter.
Belém Tower has the same opening hours as Jerónimos Monastery.
It takes 15 minutes to walk from the Monastery to Belém Tower.
On your way to the tower, you’ll pass another Belém attraction: the Discoveries Monument (Padrão dos Descobrimentos), which you can just admire from the outside or step inside for a ride up to the viewpoint.
If you don’t want to walk to the tower, you can hop back on the tram to ride two stops to Largo da Princesa.
Option: if you have time and energy, you can ride the tram from Belém Tower (Largo da Princesa stop) to Calvário (9 stops) and visit LX Factory district, with the indoor/outdoor restaurants, shops and of course the most famous Ler Devagar bookstore.
Good to know: the bookstore is open till 9 pm!
From LX Factory (or from Belém Tower if you decided to skip visiting LX Factory) take the train back either to Praça do Comércio or to Praça de Figueira, which will get you closer to Rossio Square. It all depends on where your accommodation is for the night.
Lisbon at night
If you are up for a night walk in Lisbon, I’d recommend getting off at Praça do Comércio and walking down Rua da Augusta and other streets all lit up and just bustling with life!
Can I see Lisbon with a tour?
You absolutely can! There are so many options!
You can take a tuk-tuk tour.
You can take a free walking tour with one of these popular companies:
You can also catch a glimpse of the best attractions by booking the Lisbon Hills Red Tram tour.
There are also Hop-On Hop-Off bus tours with audio guides in many languages.
If you’d rather explore Lisbon’s culinary traditions, food and wine tour is the way to go!
Is one day in Lisbon enough?
One day in Lisbon is enough to get a feel for its atmosphere, see the major attractions, try some delicious food and make a good list of things to see on your return visit.
You won’t see it all, but you’ll see enough to get familiar with this beautiful city.
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If you have more time:
If you have more time, you can add visiting the National Tile Museum to your itinerary, spend more time in Belem, maybe adding Ponte 25 de Abril (Pilar 7 Bridge Experience) to your list of experiences.
You can also consider taking a day trip from Lisbon – to Sintra, Cascais, Óbidos or Nazaré.
For more information about other amazing things Portugal’s capital has to offer, read my guide to the best things to see in Lisbon!
How to get around Lisbon?
The best way to experience the charm and atmosphere of Lisbon is to walk.
You can also use lifts, funiculars and trams – both as modes of transportation and as attractions of the city. They certainly help conquer the hilly streets!
There are also buses, metro, Uber and Bolt.
I do not recommend bringing a car to Lisbon – read my article about important things to know before visiting Lisbon to find out why!
You’ll also find out why getting a Navegante public transportation card or a Lisbon card is a great idea!
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Where to stay in Lisbon?
In my opinion, the best area to stay in is Rossio/Restauradores Square – this area is close to all major attractions on foot, and you’ll also have quick access to the Restauradores metro station and Rossio Train Station for any day trips out of the city.
During our visits, we stayed in Lisbonnaire Apartments and FLH Restauradores Amazing Flat with View (that was truly the name of the apartment!) and loved both places.
If you’d like to explore more options, use the convenient map below:
I hope this step-by-step itinerary gave you some ideas on how to plan your one perfect day in Lisbon and see the best attractions that the City of the Seven Hills has to offer.
Do you need help planning your trip to Portugal? Follow this guide: “How to plan a trip to Portugal in 7 easy steps”
👉 To learn about my trusted travel planning resources that help me (and will help you too!) plan my trips easily and save money, read this guide: How to Plan a Trip to Europe: My Favorite Travel Resources Revealed.
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You may also like:
- Lisbon and Algarve Itinerary You’ll Love: 7 Days in Portugal.
- How to Plan a Perfect Day Trip to Sintra from Lisbon (Itinerary + Tips)
- Best Things to See in Lisbon: Your Ultimate Guide.
- First Timer’s Guide to Castelo de São Jorge in Lisbon.
- Jerónimos Monastery: A Stunning Lisbon Landmark You Can’t Miss.
- The Trail of the Headlands: Guide to Hiking Algarve’s Hidden Gem.
- Why Algar Seco Should Be on Your Portugal Itinerary (and How to Plan Your Visit)
- Carvoeiro Boardwalk – Don’t Miss this Stunning Cliff Walk Near Algar Seco!
About Monika
An avid traveler and a passionate trip planner, mildly obsessed with being organized and prepared 🙂
Well aware of how precious travel time is, I’m here to share my experience and help you get the most out of your vacation time.
“Taking the hassle out of trip planning”