Planning a city trip to Lisbon, Portugal? Enhance your journey with our Highlight Bike Tour. Join our exclusive bike tour and explore the best Lisbon attractions in a unique way!
The city stretches along the picturesque banks of the Tagus River, built on hills each with its own story to tell. Lisbon has an unmistakable character, with neighborhoods bustling with activity, each offering its own unique charm.
Whether you want to wander through narrow streets with coffee houses, restaurants, and fado, or prefer to visit monuments, monasteries, and museums, Lisbon has something for everyone. Additionally, there are plenty of opportunities in Lisbon for going out and shopping.
To see almost all the attractions in Lisbon, you can choose to travel by public transport. The tram is particularly popular.
Note: Save time and buy your tickets online in advance!
In Lisbon, you can discover a lot of cool museums and attractions. But let’s face it, no one wants to waste their precious time standing in line, right? Do yourself a favor and buy your tickets online in advance.
Many attractions use time slots, so booking in advance is wise. This way, you can skip those long lines and have more time to enjoy all the beauty this vibrant city has to offer. Enjoying Lisbon to the fullest, now that’s a real vacation! 🌞🇵🇹
Below is a list of popular spots in Lisbon, including links to quickly and safely purchase your tickets online. This way, you avoid queues and can spend more time exploring the city.
- Lisbon Card (Access to up to 51 museums or monuments, free transport, and more!)
- Lisbon Tram
- Torre de Belem
- Jeronimos
Get unlimited access to public transport and 51 museums with one handy card: Order the Lisbon Card online.
In this article, we guide you through Lisbon and introduce you to some of the city’s top locations. We keep it simple, so you get a good idea of what Lisbon has to offer. Sit back and start reading; Lisbon is waiting for you! 🚲🌆🇵🇹
1. Ponte 25 de Abril
The Ponte de 25 Abril bridge closely resembles the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and is truly a sight to behold. The bridge is named after the Portuguese revolution that took place on April 25, 1974. Spanning over 2.2 km, the bridge offers stunning views of the city and the river.
Read more about: The Ponte de 25 Abril bridge
Lisbon attractions – Discover them by bike
In 1974, this bridge was renamed Ponte de 25 de Abril, after the day of the Carnation Revolution (the bloodless military coup that took place on April 25, 1974, in Portugal). It’s also fantastic to cycle over this bridge in Lisbon.
The Ponte Vasco de Gama, named after the famous explorer, is the second-longest bridge on our continent, stretching an impressive 17.2 km and standing 70 meters high. This bridge connects the southern bank and Montijo with Lisbon. Attractions there are no shortage in the city!
2. Oceanário de Lisboa
If you’re a fan of aquariums, Lisbon is the place to be. Here you’ll find the largest indoor aquarium in Europe. It houses no less than 15,000 animals and over 450 species of plants to admire. There are many different tropical coral reefs and colorful fish that are definitely worth seeing.
Ticket prices vary by age. Children aged 0 to 2 years can enter for free, ages 3 to 12 cost 15.00 euros, ages 13 to 64 cost 22.00 euros, and 65+ years cost 17.00 euros.
It’s recommended to purchase the tickets online in advance, as the wait times can be very long.
3. Mercado da Ribeira
If you love fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, and other delicacies, this is definitely for you. This marketplace features delicious restaurants and fresh market stalls selling the tastiest products. It’s an indoor marketplace, so you can visit even if the weather isn’t great.
4. Feira da Ladra
If you love handmade crafts like vintage clothing, books, antiques, and furniture, Feira da Ladra is the place to be. Also known as the Thieves’ Market, Feira da Ladra has been around for a long time. It used to be an antiques market, but nowadays, you’ll find a wide variety of stalls with different second-hand and new products.
You can visit this market on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The address is Campo de Santa Clara, 1100-472 Lisboa. You can easily reach it by tram.
5. Belém
The Portuguese world travelers brought fame and a typical art style. The adventurers departed from Belém (Portuguese for Bethlehem).
From this era, two attractions emerged: The Torre de Belém and the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos in Manueline style, also known as the Hieronymites Monastery. This monastery is also on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
- Want to visit the Tower of Belém? Buy online tickets
This might be the most impressive building in Lisbon. This monastery was built to celebrate Vasco da Gama’s return from his voyage of discovery. This Portuguese hero is also buried here. Although the building could use a fresh coat of paint, as white doesn’t stay white over time, it remains a beautiful structure.
This defense tower is sometimes seen as the symbol of Portugal, but it is certainly the symbol of Lisbon. Torre de Belém was built between 1515 and 1521 on the Tagus River. It served as the defense tower and the starting point for Portuguese explorations. The tower is located on a small island in the river, requiring you to cross a small bridge to reach it. You can climb the tower for a stunning view of the river and Lisbon.
A fun fact is that the famous Portuguese pastries, Pasteis de Belém, originate from here.
6. Boat trip on the Tagus
A fun trip on the Tagus is with the ferry that departs every 20 minutes from Estaçào Cais do Sodré to Cacilhas. You’ll see Lisbon attractions from a different perspective, and it’s really enjoyable to do. The trip takes about 15 minutes.
7. The two most beautiful squares in Lisbon
Lisbon is not short of beautiful squares. Whether they’re attractions or not, these squares are a must-see during your city trip! Be sure to wander through the neighborhoods where you’ll find many charming small squares.
Praça do Comércio
You simply must walk across this impressively large square several times during your Lisbon city trip. Terreiro do Paço is its other name, meaning Palace Square. Until the earthquake in 1755, the Royal Palace stood here. The equestrian statue is of King José I, and at the beautiful triumphal arch, you’ll see figures like Vasco da Gama.
Rossio Square
This central square is one of the most beautiful spots in the city. Locals and tourists meet here in Lisbon. The square itself has plenty of attractions, such as: Teatro Nacional Dona Maria II, a neoclassical building, and a statue of Brazil’s first emperor Pedro IV. The romantic fountain completes the picture! Around the square, there are many cozy terraces, bars, and shops.
Tip: Take a bike tour if you want to get a good overview of Lisbon in 4 hours! Attractions are, of course, included in the bike tour.
8. Castelo de São Jorge
The Castle of Saint George is one of the most visited attractions in Lisbon. The oldest remains of this castle date back about 1500 years. A large part of the castle was rebuilt after the Moors stormed it in the 12th century. Castelo de São Jorge sits atop a hill and offers a stunning view of Lisbon, but the building itself is also worth the climb.
The castle is located on the edge of the picturesque Alfama district, where the famous tram 28 makes its way up.
9. Bairro Alto
The city’s largest attraction is Bairro Alto. It’s actually an entire neighborhood. This area, situated on a hill, is the city’s trendy district with narrow streets full of cozy bars. In the evening, it really comes alive, and you can enjoy the popular fado music in this neighborhood. So if you enjoy some fun and dancing, you can’t miss Bairro Alto during your city trip to Lisbon.
Tip: Tram 28 in Lisbon is an old classic tram that rides up through narrow streets. This tram is a tourist attraction in itself, but it’s also very handy if you want to avoid some steep streets.
10. By bike through the capital Lisbon
Even for a multi-day city trip, Portugal is the right place to be. In the capital Lisbon, you can easily spend several days and not run out of things to see.
You can easily visit all the highlights by bike, but the public transport in Lisbon is also very well organized. Metro, bus, or tram, with so many options, you’ll be on the other side of the city in no time, or you can visit one of the beaches near Lisbon. Also, try one of the Elevadores: These are lifts that connect the lower parts of the city with the higher parts of Lisbon.
Want to see Lisbon attractions in a short time?
Then book a bike tour with a guide and hear the story behind this fantastic city from a local.
In 3 hours, you’ll cycle in a safe, fun, and informative way past the main attractions of Lisbon. During the bike tour, you’ll hear stories that you won’t find in the travel guides!
Map overview of attractions in Lisbon
Below you can see the attractions on the map. As you can see, they are quite spread out.