After spending a wonderful 10 days in London staying with our extended family, our last day there had been great fun too. Spending a whole Sunday at Regent Park, in the sun, amidst nature, a little walk, a little relaxed moments, a boat ride, beer, fish & Chips and more. We had plans to go back for a week after our European leg to spend five more days having home food and more fun together. We are now here to spend 4 days in Lisbon.

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The flight from Heathrow reached Lisbon dot on time. But the queue in immigration was a bit long. So by the time we picked up our luggage and reached the exit, our pick up car had left with another passenger. We waited as I quickly seized on the opportunity to have a coffee and pick up some sandwiches.

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The replacement car reached shortly and we were soon off to our B&B in the heart of Lisbon. Our plan on how to spend 4 days in Lisbon, Portugal had finally taken shape and we felt excited. Our first impression, as we came out of the airport premises was, well this certainly looks a lovely city.

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Our accommodation-Ritz & Freud B&B

The ten kilometres or so from the airport didn’t take too long. After going up and down the narrow streets of old Lisbon, when we reached, it was already check-in time. We were at Ritz & Freud B&B, Rua da Paz 1, Lisbon 1200-319,

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Dr. Jose, an ex-Professor and a practicing Psychologist, who owns the place turned out to be a caring host. The property also is very strategically located. Portuguese Parliament, the old part of Lisbon, Commerce Square and the heart of the city are all close by. Tram 28 stops next to the B&B which is the most convenient way to see the Alfama District of Lisbon.

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I chose this place over a number of others with similar prices and reviews because of the quirky name. With only four bedrooms and an entrance hall you are given a front door and bedroom door key. And you can come and go as you wish. Decor is quirky – great portraits of an assortment of people, principally musicians, philosophers and psychoanalysts with a few others for good measure. The room names quirky too, with mine being ‘Peace Makers”. With our room being at the front of the house with a window looking down on the street, we felt at peace.

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Breakfast is help yourself in the neat kitchen towards the end of a corridor. Simple continental breakfast – fruits, cheeses, jams, hams, honey, bread, juice coffee etc. – it wasn’t amazing but more than enough. We washed up our own things and were able to use the kitchen to put together a snack too one evening.

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Lots to explore in 4 days in Lisbon

The day was still young. We freshened up, changed, had a coffee and got into action in an hour. The day was still young and there was so much to explore in our plans. Availed the tram 28 from the stop next door to reach Praça da Estrela in 5 minutes. This place is famous for its Basilica and the park facing it.

Basílica da Estrela

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The Estrela Basilica or the Royal Basilica and Convent of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, is a minor basilica and ancient Carmelite convent in Lisbon. Built during the reign of Queen Maria I of Portugal as the fulfillment of a vow, it remains the most important architectural endeavor of her days. Estrela Basilica was the first church in the world dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

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A Ride on a Hop-on-hop-off

As we always do, this time too I had purchased a 48 hour ticket for the two of us booked through Viator. We boarded from the stop next to the Basilica for this fantastic ride and first headed towards Belem Tower. Enjoy the beauty of the city with us.

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Torre de Belém

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We are now approaching the Belém Tower. Torre de Belém or Belém Tower, officially the Tower of Saint Vincent is a 16th-century fortification located in Lisbon that served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers and as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. It was built during the height of the Portuguese Renaissance, and is a prominent example of the Portuguese Manueline style, but it also incorporates other architectural styles. The structure was built from lioz limestone and is composed of a bastion and a 30-metre four-storey tower.

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‘Rua da Paz’ – Our neighborhood

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Visiting Landmarks – ones you can’t miss out

The best way to visit the important landmarks is to use a combination of hop-on-hop-off buses, public buses, trams and metros. You could also hire a cab at times for convenience if staying out late in the night. Do not forget to pick up or download a tram route map and a metro map which will help you to make the best use of your time.

We used public transport and a bit of ‘Sightseeing Lisbon’- the hop-on-hop-off bus and visited these must-see destinations in the next two days, in addition to the few we had visited the first day. And we had a great time till late in the night every night, enjoying the best the city offers. Come let’s make a move.

Jerónimos Monastery

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The Jerónimos Monastery or Hieronymites Monastery is a former monastery of the Order of Saint Jerome near the Tagus river in the parish of Belém.

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Sao Jorge Castle

Sao Jorge Castle or Saint George Castle is a historic castle in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, located in  Santa Maria Maior. Human occupation of the castle hill dates to at least the 8th century BC while the first fortifications built date from the 1st century BC. The hill on which Sao Jorge Castle stands has played an important part in the history of Lisbon. Since the 12th century, the castle has served as a royal palace, a military barracks, home of the Torre do Tombo National Archive. It is now as a National monument and museum.

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We now head to the Praça do Comércio also known as Commerce Square, which is a large, harbor-facing square in Lisbon. Facing the Tagus (Tejo) river, the city square is still commonly known as Terreiro do Paço but also called the Palace Yard. It hosted the Royal Ribeira Palace until it was destroyed by the great 1755 Lisbon earthquake. After the earthquake, the square was completely remodeled. Come let’s see these master creations.

Praça do Comércio

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Rua Augusta Arch

A 2 minute walk leads us to the Rua Augusta Arch which is a stone, triumphal arch-like, historical building and visitor attraction on the Praça do Comércio. It was built to commemorate the city’s reconstruction after the 1755 earthquake and has six columns adorned with statues of various historical figures.

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We now enjoy a river walk from ‘Praça do Comércio’ to ‘Cais do Sodre’ district which at one time was the Red Light district of Lisbon. It was nearing lunch time and hence we planned a visit to ‘Time Out Market’.

Time Out Mercado da Ribeira 

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Time Out Mercado da Ribeira is a new food court and fresh produce market in Lisbon that opened in 2014 in the old ‘Mercado da Ribeira’ opposite ‘Cais do Sodre’ Station. Over 30 outlets offer regional food and drink in a communal space over large, light wooden tables and benches. Next door is the revamped fresh fish, meat and vegetable market. It becomes a lively venue in the evening but is also a tranquil spot for lunch with a glass of beer or fine Portuguese wine. The market is also a good place to shop for traditional Lisbon souvenirs including canned sardines from the ‘Conserveira de Lisboa’.

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Our next stop today is the Palace of Ajuda which is a neoclassical monument in the civil parish of Ajuda in the city of Lisbon. Built on the site of a temporary wooden building constructed to house the Royal family after the 1755 earthquake and tsunami.

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‘Feira da Ladra‘ flea market

It was Tuesday and so decided to head to Lisbon’s flea market called “Feira da Ladra” in Campo de Santa Clara . In Portuguese, “ladra” means a woman thief. Hence it is often thought of as “Thieves’ Market”, but it actually derives its name from “ladro,” a bug or a flea found in antiques. The market is thought to have been in place in Lisbon since the 12th Century, although this name came in the 17th Century. The market is open on Tuesdays and Saturdays, so we were lucky to pick up some trendy stuff at reasonable prices.

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We were back to our room to relax a while, have some coffee and then go for a walk to experience a bit of cobbled streets of our neighborhood. The old city of Lisbon is a treat to the senses as we walked along the tram lines towards ‘Avenida da Liberdade’, a happening part of Lisbon.

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While returning we walked till ‘R. Nova S. Mamede’ and then took the bus 773 to reach ‘Palácio S. Bento’ a couple of minutes walk from our B&B. We were now really hungry after a long walk. Just opposite our place was this Goan restaurant, ‘Cantinho da Paz’ and after freshening up we decided to have some Goan cuisine there for dinner.

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Spending the 3rd day

We got up a little later than what we normally do on our holiday on most days. The plan was to take it a bit cool. Enjoy some Art, visit some other important landmarks, take a ride on the river and visit the Oceanarium. Also have some good light lunch and visit a happening Lisbon Nightlife destination. After our simple Ritz & Freud breakfast we were ready to go. With a walk to start off with.

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Santa Justa Lift

We are now at the iconic Santa Justa Lift after a 15 minutes pleasant walk from our place. Also known as ‘Carmo Lift’, it is an elevator in Santa Justa, in the historic center of Lisbon. Situated at the end of Rua de Santa Justa, it connects the lower streets of the ‘Baixa district with the higher ‘Largo do Carmo’ (Carmo Square).

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Carmo Square

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‘Largo do Carmo’ is a historic and picturesque square of Lisbon with beautiful trees, historical buildings, fascinating church ruins, the ‘Santa Justa’ elevator and amazing city views. It is very popular with travelers and is well known for the terraces, in addition to being the scene of several shootings, both (science fiction) films or documentaries and commercials. Music and traditional dance are performed here during the summer.

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Museum Calouste Gulbenkian

The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum is a major encyclopedic art museum in Avenidas Novas, Lisbon. As part of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, the museum houses one of the largest private collections of art in the world owned by oil magnate ‘Calouste Gulbenkian’.

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Lisbon Oceanarium

The Lisbon Oceanarium is an oceanarium in Lisbon. It is located in the ‘Parque das Naçoes’, which was the exhibition grounds for the Expo’98. It is the largest indoor aquarium in Europe.

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Time for a Ferry Ride

We walked for 5 minutes from the Oceanarium to Ocenario Lisboa Bus 728 stop. Our destination ‘Cais Sodre’. A minute walk once you get down and you can see the Cais do Sodre Ferry terminal. Ferries from here depart every 15-20 minutes for Cacilhas. Once in Cacilhas, walk to the left out of the station, and you’ll see a bus terminal. The bus to Cristo Rei is number 101 of the TST company and departs every half hour. The ferry ride was a short 15 minutes but providing majestic views of the city and especially April 25 bridge, a suspension bridge connecting Lisbon and Almada.

Sanctuary of Christ the King

The Sanctuary of Christ the King also called ‘Santuário de Cristo Rei’ in Portuguese is a Catholic monument and shrine dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ overlooking the city of Lisbon situated in Almada. It was inspired by the Christ the Redeemer statue of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, after the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon visited that monument.

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We used the combination of a little walk and two buses 753 & 727 to reach back to our B&B in Rua da Paz from Cristo Rei monument and relaxed a while before moving out to experience Lisbon Nightlife.

Lisbon Nightlife

The Nightlife in Lisbon is full of options and it’s possible to find several types of venues. Bairro Alto is one of the most popular neighborhoods in Lisbon to have fun. And we did.

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Portugal Dessert

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Don’t leave Lisbon without having Pastel de nata which is a Portuguese egg custard tart pastry dusted with cinnamon.

Transport in Lisbon

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Book the best Hop-On-Hop-Off options here.

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Click Carris here for all information on Tram Routes. Also information for elevator and funicular.

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Click Carris here for all information on Bus Routes.

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Check Ferry here to reach the Transtejo website for all information on Ferry Routes.

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For all information on Lisbon Metro network and ticket bookings, click Metro for the official website.

What about our 4th day?

We have loved every bit of Lisbon till now. The people, landmarks, the city itself and food. We still have one night left and look forward to more fun. Portugal has been so refreshing and we have planned to visit Olhão and Lagos next during this trip. But we plan to come back again to discover many more of the 22 best cities to visit in Portugal.

On the 4th day this time we are headed to Sintra and Carcais on a day Trip from Lisbon. As we look forward to the trip and bring you back stories from there, keep following us in our European journey.

If you loved Lisbon, PIN it for planning for your trip & for your friends!

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