10 BEST Things to do in Lisbon, Portugal

This blog may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy for more info.

Looking for the top things to do in Lisbon? You’ve come to the experts!

If you ask me, Lisbon, Portugal is severely underrated. I know it’s not exactly off the beaten track, but I can’t for the life of me understand why it doesn’t garner as much hype as cities like Barcelona, Paris, and Rome! It’s so pretty and quaint, and it boasts amazing food and tons of fun things to do. 

So in this guide, we’ve rounded up our top 10 favorite things to do in Lisbon, from sunset sailboat rides to food tours and even dolphin spotting!

Best Things to do in Lisbon, Portugal

1. Cruise around Lisbon in a tuk tuk 

• Price: €130 
• Duration: 4 hours 
• Time: 9 am – 4 pm 
• Highlights: Barrio Alto, Jerónimos Monastery, beautiful lookout points, Lisbon cathedral, the ruins of the Camo Convent, and the city’s best bakery
• Inclusions: hotel pickup and drop-off, transport, private tour, English-speaking driver and guide
• Rating: 5 stars (check 4,000+ reviews here)
• Free cancellation: yes 

We usually book a sightseeing tour for our first day in a new city, and this tuk tuk tour proved to be an amazing choice! It was a fantastic way to see the sights and cover a ton of ground in just a few hours. 

I think tuk tuk tours must be one of the most popular ways to see Lisbon, because we saw so many tuk tuks around the city while we were here! Our theory is that it’s because Lisbon is super hilly, so taking a tuk tuk saves a whole lot of energy. 

We also loved this tour because we saw so much! We got to go and visit the Jerónimos Monastery, which was such a huge bonus because it’s a little outside the city center, so it would take hours to get there on foot. We also visited two gorgeous viewpoints over the city, and explored some of the city’s coolest and most historic neighborhoods, including the postcard-perfect Barrio Alto. This neighborhood is super hilly, with winding streets, so we were happy to be zooming around in a tuk tuk! 

Our driver, Pinto, also took us to the famous Belem bakery, where we bought some of their renowned pasteis de nata for ourselves. We really wanted to visit this spot, so we were delighted that we got to do it as part of the tour. Exploring the ruins of the Camo Convent was another real highlight for me, as the site really does have a very unique, haunting beauty. 

All in all, we found this tour to be a fantastic way to explore Lisbon. We would recommend it to pretty much anyone, but especially first-timers, those who are short on time, or anyone who doesn’t fancy grappling with the city’s steep hills. It usually sells out though, so don’t hesitate to snap up your place. 

Book this tour with over 4,000 5-star reviews here, before it sells out!

2. See historic castles and parks in Sintra and Cascais

• Price: €95
• Duration: 8 hours 
• Time: 8 am 
• Highlights: Pena Park, Sintra Natural Park, Roca Cape, Pena National Palace, Cascais
• Inclusions: round trip transport, English-speaking guide, guided tour of Pena Palace, admission to Pena Park and Palace
• Rating: 5 stars (check 5,000+ reviews here)
• Free cancellation: yes 

By far the most popular day trip from Lisbon is to Sintra and Cascais. In fact, it’s a must-do while you’re in the city! We booked this full day tour, and we’re so glad that we did, because it was super well-organized, so all we had to do was show up and enjoy our day. 

We started our day by visiting Sintra’s Pena Park, where we had fun exploring the leafy trails and visiting viewpoints, where we stopped to admire the Pena National Palace. This Romanticist Castle is known for its eclectic mix of architectural styles, and if you’ve ever Googled Lisbon, I’m sure you will instantly recognize it! After exploring the park, we also got a tour of the castle’s interior, and got to see all the art, as well as the King and Queen’s quarters. 

We also got to visit the Roca Cape, which is the westernmost point of Europe, and then enjoyed a relaxed afternoon in the beautiful town of Cascais. It’s a gorgeous coastal resort town with lovely beaches and admiring the traditional white holiday homes. Our guide showed us around a little, and then we had time to go and have lunch by ourselves, and do a little shopping. Then, we hopped back on the bus, and were back in Lisbon for the evening.

Cascais and Sintra are truly dreamy destinations, so we think it’s 100% worth getting out of the city and going to visit them! Booking this tour makes it so easy, and we thought it was really well-paced, so we saw everything that we wanted to, but we never felt rushed. We totally understand why it has over 5,000 5-star reviews (see them all here)!

Reserve this popular tour now and get FREE cancellation 24 hours before you go!

3. Eat your way through Lisbon

• Price: €99 – €109 
• Duration: 4 hours 
• Time: 10:30 am – 5 pm 
• Highlights: exploring the backstreets of Baixa and Mouraria, trying tons of local specialties, drinking Portuguese beer and wine, learning about Lisbon’s history and culture, visiting a traditional Fado house
• Inclusions: all food and drinks, English-speaking guide
• Rating: 5 stars (check 3,200+ reviews here)
• Free cancellation: yes 

This small group food tour was actually my favorite thing that we did in Lisbon! We ate so much delicious food and I felt like we really got to know the city.

Our guide, Catrina, was so sunny and friendly, so we instantly felt at ease with her. There were a few people in the group too, so it was super close-knit and we made some new friends who we actually ended up spending the rest of the afternoon with. 

We visited five different bars and restaurants to try delicious local food! Catrina taught us about religious influences on the food here, which was super interesting. For example, alheira are chicken sausages that Jewish people would eat to conceal their religious identities and avoid persecution during the 15th century. We also got to enjoy flaming chorizo, octopus salad, deep fried green beans, and Portuguese samosas, to name but a few dishes! 

As well as all of the delicious food, we got to explore the scenic backstreets of two beautiful neighborhoods, and best of all, we got to try lots of drinks, too. We washed our food down with local beers, some of Portugal’s famous green wine, and ginjinha, a local cherry liqueur. I’m not sure that it’s what I would order at a bar, but I’m so glad I got to tick it off of my list! Then, the tour wrapped up with a world-famous pasteis de nata at one of Lisbon’s top-rated spots. 

This tour was the highlight of our time in Lisbon, and we would 100% do it again! The food was excellent, the company was great, and we got to dine in fantastic local restaurants that we almost certainly wouldn’t have ventured into by ourselves. If I only had one day in Lisbon, this is how I would spend it! 

Check availability and book this top-rated tour here!

4. Go sailing at sunset

• Price: €45 
• Duration: 2 hours 
• Time: 4 pm 
• Highlights: seeing famous sights like Belem Tower from the water, catching the sunset, plenty of wine 
• Inclusions: boat cruise, wine, skipper, taxes and fees
• Rating: 5 stars (check 2,100+ reviews)
• Free cancellation: yes 

This sunset cruise on the Tagus River is the perfect way to spend an evening in Lisbon! Taking in the city sights, such as the Belém Tower and the Ajuda National Palace, from the water is such a relaxing way to sightsee, and trust me when I say that the wine flows! 

We loved sailing underneath the 25th of April Bridge, and just taking in the beauty of Lisbon’s skyline from the water. We lucked out and got an absolutely incredible sunset, too, so it really was a lovely way to round off a day of sightseeing.

The crew were super friendly too, and created a great atmosphere on board. This is a small group cruise, rather than a big party boat, and it had just the chilled out, friendly atmosphere that we were looking for. 

Lisbon is a really beautiful city, and we definitely got an appreciation for both its stunning architecture and its natural beauty while we were out on the river. It’s wonderful to see the old buildings piled on top of each other on the hillside, especially as the sky begins to change color! 

I was also a big fan of the green wine that they served on board. Portugal’s vinho verde is a very young form of wine, and it’s very acidic and refreshing. It’s a must-try while you’re in Lisbon, so why not do it in style on a gorgeous sunset boat cruise?

Check out the 2,000+ 5-star reviews and book this tour here.

5. Explore Lisbon’s seven hills on an e-bike 

• Price: €39
• Duration: 2.5 hours 
• Time: 10 am, 12 pm, or 3 pm 
• Highlights: Chiado, Alfama, Bairro Alto, Lisbon Cathedral, Sao Vicente Monastery, St George Castle, Senhora do Monte viewpoint
• Inclusions: e-bike, helmet, English-speaking guide
• Rating: 4.5 stars (check 1,500+ reviews here)
• Free cancellation: yes 

Lisbon is famously hilly, so this e-bike tour can make seeing the city a TON easier! Plus, zooming up and down the city’s seven hills on an electric bike is a ton of fun. We loved the chance to visit the city’s beautiful viewpoints without completely destroying our calf muscles! 

Our guide, Adi, took us cycling through the Chiado, Alfama, and Bairro Alto districts, which are Lisbon’s most charming Bohemian neighborhoods. We could definitely see ourselves living in any one of them! 

Some of the highlights we saw included the Lisbon Cathedral, the National Pantheon, and the Sao Vicente Monastery. However, I think my favorite part of the tour was actually cycling up to a ton of beautiful viewpoints and enjoying panoramic vistas of Lisbon! 

Having the e-bikes also meant that we covered so much ground in just a few hours, so I think that this tour would be ideal for anyone who’s only in the city for a few days. The assistance from the electric motor meant that even climbing up hills felt super easy, as if we were just coasting on flat terrain. If you want to explore Lisbon in the open air but don’t want to do a ton of walking, this tour is just the ticket.

We really enjoyed this tour, and for €39, we think it’s hard to beat in terms of value! And if you would prefer a private tour, you can always choose to upgrade. There are multiple language options to choose from as well, so there really is something for everyone.

Book this tour in advance here and get FREE cancellation options!

6. Take a day trip to the historic cities of Obidos, Nazare, and Porto 

• Price: €100 – €135 
• Duration: 12 hours 
• Time: 8 am 
• Highlights: exploring medieval Obidos, seeing the giant waves in Nazare, guided tour of Porto, lunch in a traditional restaurant (if upgrade selected)
• Inclusions: return transport, English-speaking guide, lunch (if selected)
• Rating: 4.5 stars (check 1,600+ reviews here)
• Free cancellation: yes 

We really wanted to visit Porto while we were in Portugal, but we didn’t get time, so we booked this triple city tour instead! So we not only got to explore Porto, we also had a blast exploring the historic towns of Obidos and Nazare. 

We kicked off the day by exploring Obidos with our awesome guide, Jaoa. It’s a medieval gem of a town, and it’s pretty compact so a 45-minute guided walk was enough time to soak in the charming old houses and see the historic highlights, including the castle. 

Then, it was onto Nazare, a traditional fishing town where the main attraction is the huge waves! We loved hearing stories about Nazare from Jaoa, and visiting the 500-year-old San Miguel fort. Then, it was onto Porto, which is Portugal’s second largest city, and we fell completely in love with it. I challenge anyone not to! 

We loved the guided walk around Porto, where we learned a ton about the city’s role in Portugal’s wine trade, and admired the six bridges across the beautiful Douro River. Porto’s town center is actually UNESCO-listed, and we can 100% understand why. Every corner of this city is postcard-worthy. 

This tour is ideal for anyone who wants to explore Portugal beyond Lisbon. As much as we love Lisbon, it’s so worth getting out of the city and checking out some new places. We loved the variety of this tour, because each destination we visited had its own unique character and charm. So if you want a taste of Portugal’s diversity in just one day, then we can’t recommend this tour enough. 

Don’t miss out on this unique day trip – book it here!

7. Go wine tasting in the Arrabida wine region

• Price: €125 – €210
• Duration: 9 hours 
• Time: 9:30 am 
• Highlights: Arrabida Natural Park, visiting beautiful and unique wineries, watching European tile making, food tastings 
• Inclusions: hotel pickup and drop-off, two wine tastings, cheese tasting, English-speaking guide
• Rating: 5 stars (check 700+ reviews here)
• Free cancellation: yes 

The Arrabida wine region has to be one of the most beautiful that I’ve ever visited! Not only does it boast the rolling hills and lush vineyards that you’d expect to find in a wine region, it also has insane coastal beauty, too.

So we booked this full-day tour, and it proved to be the perfect way to explore Arrabida, because we got to enjoy the scenery and visit some super unique wineries. Seriously, what could be better?

We stopped at the Livramento Market on the way, which is a huge produce market, and then we drove to an insanely beautiful cliff-top viewpoint in Arrabida Natural Park. The views over the pristine coastline and azure Atlantic Ocean were just jaw-dropping! 

Then, we visited the luxury Quinta de Bacalhoa wine cellars for a tasting of some of Arrabida’s finest wines. Life really doesn’t get much better than wine tasting in a 15th-century palace! However, we did have a choice between Bacalhoa and José Maria da Fonseca, which is one of the oldest wine companies in Portugal. Honestly, either would be an amazing choice. 

We had lunch at a fantastic local restaurant in Azeitao, which is a pretty little “wine town”. This was on our own account, but prices were reasonable and it gave us the freedom to eat whatever we wanted, rather than having a set lunch, so we were happy. Then, we continued onto a small and historic family-owned winery for another tasting. We learned about both Portugal’s traditional and modern winemaking techniques, and loved chatting with the owners. 

This tour truly provided us with a perfect day of wine tasting. We went for the small group option, but if you’re traveling with a larger group of friends or family members, don’t forget that there’s a private version of the tour available, too. Either way, I’ll be super jealous if you book this tour, because it was absolutely incredible, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat! 

Reserve this tour now and pay later when you book in advance here!

8. Explore Lisbon with a tram, boat, and helicopter ride 

• Price: €150 
• Duration: 5 hours 
• Time: 9 am 
• Highlights: guided walking tour of the city center, historic tram ride, Tagus River boat cruise, helicopter ride
• Inclusions: English-speaking guide, helicopter ride, boat ride, tram tickets, all other transport
• Rating: 5 stars (check 350+ reviews here)
• Free cancellation: yes 

If you want to explore Lisbon like a VIP, then this half-day tour is perfect for you! We thought it seemed a little on the pricey side at first, but once we realized that it includes a helicopter flight, a boat ride, a walking tour, AND a tram ride, we were sold. All that for €150 is a pretty fantastic deal if you ask me! 

The tour kicked off with a walking tour of Lisbon’s city center, and we got to enjoy a ride on one of the city’s steepest tram lines! As I’m sure you probably know, a ride on one of Lisbon’s iconic yellow trams is an absolute must while you’re in the city, so we were super excited for this. Plus, it saved us from having to tackle an almost vertical hill. Okay, so that’s an exaggeration – but only slightly! 

After ticking off historic highlights like the Church of St. Roque, the destroyed Carmo Convent, and Lisbon Cathedral, we then climbed aboard a boat and cruised down the Tagus River towards the Tower of Belem – how cool is that? We loved taking in the views of Lisbon from the boat, and we were super impressed by the tower itself. It’s a historic tower turned lighthouse that actually sits in the water itself, so it’s not hard to see why it’s one of Lisbon’s best-loved attractions. 

Finally, we were then whisked off to a helipad! We enjoyed an 8-minute helicopter ride and while that may not sound like very long, it was truly the highlight of the day. Soaring over the gorgeous city of Lisbon was an absolute dream, and it was truly one of the best things that we did here. 

All in all, we really can’t fault this tour. In fact, if you only had one day in Lisbon, this tour would be the perfect way to see it all. I mean, we saw the city from the land, water, and sky, so I think it’s safe to say this tour really is the full package! 

Book this tour here to access flexible cancellation and payment options!

9. Learn how to cook traditional Portuguese food

• Price: €80 
• Duration: 3 hours 
• Time: 10:30 am – 7 pm 
• Highlights: learning how to make lots of traditional Portuguese dishes, eating a delicious 4-course meal with local beer and wine, small class size 
• Inclusions: all ingredients and equipment, alcoholic drinks, coffee, tea, soft drinks, English-speaking instructor
• Rating: 5 stars (check 150+ reviews here)
• Free cancellation: yes 

One of the best parts of traveling is discovering different cuisines, so we often take cooking classes to dive deep into new cultures. So of course, we had to book Lisbon’s top-rated cooking class, and we cannot recommend it enough. 

This class is perfect for beginners, so no prior cooking knowledge is necessary! We got to make tons of traditional Portuguese dishes, but the recipes were all pretty straightforward. The instructors were fantastic, so there was really no room to go wrong and together, our small group created the most delicious meal.

The exact menu does vary from day to day, but when we did this class, we got to make woodpecker beef, bulhao-style clams, codfish fritters, and, best of all, pasteis de natas! I honestly cannot get enough of these Portuguese custard tarts, so of course I was absolutely delighted to learn how to make them for myself. And, better still, we got to enjoy drinks and snacks while we cooked.

After the cooking was done, we sat down together to enjoy a family-style Portuguese meal and it was just delicious, if I do say so myself! We also got local wine and beer to wash it all down with, although there were plenty of soft drinks available for under 18s. And I just have to mention how beautiful the kitchen was. It was light, airy, and sparkling clean, so it was the perfect setting. 

Unsurprisingly, this cooking class often sells out, so if you’d like to try your hand at making Portuguese food, we highly recommend booking it sooner rather than later. It also only runs from Monday to Friday, so plan accordingly!

Check availability and book this cooking class in advance here.

10. Spot dolphins on a cruise with a marine biologist

• Price: €56
• Duration: 3 hours
• Time: 9:30 am or 2 pm
• Highlights: spotting dolphins, sunfish, jellyfish, and more; views of Lisbon’s skyline from the river; learning about the marine life from an on-board biologist
• Inclusions: boat cruise, marine biologist guide
• Rating: 5 stars (check 650+ reviews here)
• Free cancellation: yes

What a lot of people don’t realize about Lisbon is that you can go dolphin spotting here! We were so excited when we came across this dolphin cruise, and booked it right away.

We boarded the boat and received a warm welcome from the crew, and then we sat back and enjoyed the views of Lisbon from the river Tagus as we sailed out towards the ocean. We went under the famous 25th of April Bridge and saw Belem Tower, but the real fun started once we reached the ocean.

There were tons of dolphins leaping around and playing in the waves, which was wonderful to see. We actually lost count of how many we spotted! We were also super lucky on the day that we went and saw some fin whales, which was an incredible surprise.

As well as dolphins, we got to see jellyfish and sunfish, and we learned about everything we saw from the crew. They taught us a lot about the area’s marine ecosystem, and they were more than happy to answer all of our questions.

For wildlife lovers like us, this tour is truly a must-do in Lisbon. We loved every moment of the cruise and we left with huge smiles on our faces. We’ve done a fair few dolphin-spotting cruises on our travels over the years, and this one is definitely up there with the best of them!

Don’t miss out on this unique tour – book your spot here.

Where to Stay in Lisbon, Portugal

Now that you have the perfect Lisbon itinerary planned, you need somewhere comfortable to stay! There are tons of accommodation options in Lisbon, whether you want to stay in the heart of the city or out of town, and depending on your budget.

To help you out, I’ve put together three fantastic hotel options for those looking for a luxury, mid-range, or budget stay.

Luxury – $$$

The Ivens, Autograph Collection is a lovely hotel, located right in Lisbon. This luxury stay has an ornate style in a historic building. The rooms are upscale and range from double rooms to king suites, some have balconies with city views. It’s located in the historic district, walking distance from Lisbon’s top restaurants and sights.

Rooms start around €400 a night and can be reserved on Booking.com.

Mid-range – $$

I love the Madalena by The Beautique Hotels because you can still get a boutique hotel stay without breaking the bank. The rooms are modern and you can enjoy the restaurant and unique design of the hotel. Best  of all, it’s a short 5-minute walk to Rossio Square and other popular city sights. 

Prices range from €150 to €300 and can be booked on Booking.com. 

Budget – $

This Is Lisbon Hostel is in a historic building, located in the hills of Central Lisbon. You can enjoy amazing views from the rooftop terrace and still be in the heart of the city! This hostel has dorms or private rooms available, and it’s clean, modern, and well kept. A dorm bed starts around €25 per night, and private rooms are about €60 to €80 per night. 

Check availability and book this room on Booking.com or Hostelworld.

For more options, check out all the hotels in Lisbon here!

Thanks for reading!

Lisbon is a stunning city, and I know you’ll find more than enough things to fill your itinerary! Hopefully, this list helps you get started and maybe you can check off a few of these top activities. Regardless of what you end up doing, I know you’ll love your time here just like we did!

If you found this article helpful, be sure to check out our other travel guides. We have been all over the world and love sharing our favorite experiences and travel hacks with others. I’ll leave a few related blogs below to further your travel inspiration – cheers!

10 Best Things to do in Madrid, Spain

10 Best Things to do in London, England

10 Best Things to do in Paris, France