What to see in Lisbon in 3 days. A complete tour of the city. The best of Lisbon

Visiting Lisbon in 3 days is possible. And it is also the recommended time to be able to visit the most important things to see in Lisbon without stress, without rushing and being able to even repeat those places of interest that you liked the most.

In addition, visiting Lisbon in several stages is very easy since it is a city perfectly divided into neighborhoods, so touring it in 3 days is very easy. The main tourist neighborhoods are also very close, so you can visit them on foot.

Here we are going to make a summary of the best things to see in Lisbon in 3 days.

What to see in Lisbon in 3 days

First day in Lisbon

We are going to start the first of the three days to visit Lisbon in the most modern neighborhood in the city center, located between the hills where the rest of the tourist neighborhoods are located. We refer to the Baixa.

The Restauradores Square can be a good start, located at the end of the Avenida de la Libertad that joins it with the Marqués de Pombal Square and the Eduardo VII Park, one of the best things to visit in Lisbon. On Avenida de la Libertad there are numerous hotels and the most exclusive shops.

Next to the Restauradores Square is the Rossio Square, which we will reach by leaving aside the Rossio Station, the main railway station in the city center and which is located in a historic building that you will love.

From Rossio Square we must walk towards the Tagus River. We recommend doing it along the Rúa Aurea, since it is where the Eleavdor de Santa Justa is located, an elevator that takes you to the Barrio Alto, which we will visit later, and which is another means of transport for Lisbon residents, but for tourists, a great attraction.

At the end of the street, we arrive at the Plaza del Comercio, located next to the Tagus in the same place where the old Royal Palace was located. From there we can see the 25 de Abril Bridge, one of the two great bridges of Lisbon. The buildings of the Plaza del Comercio stand out for their yellow color, with the Triumphal Arch standing out, which gives way to the Rúa Augusta, full of restaurants and shops.

You can still get lost in some of the streets of the Baixa before visiting the next neighborhood, Alfama, one of the city’s historic neighborhoods and the birthplace of Fado.

To get to it, we recommend using the Elevador del Castillo de San Jorge, thus avoiding the fatigue that your legs will accumulate if you climb its steep cobbled slopes. Almost better to lower them at the end of the route. In addition, from the top of the elevator there are wonderful views of the Lisbon rooftops and the Tagus, being the first of the viewpoints where we will stop.

The elevator leaves you at the foot of the Castle of San Jorge, an essential visit to learn about the history of the city and from where we also have other wonderful views of Alfama and also of the Baixa.

Now it’s time to walk through its alleys and lose yourself in them, enjoying the nostalgic atmosphere, typical of the historic neighborhoods of Portuguese cities, until you reach the Mirador da Postas do Sol, for many the best in Lisbon. Nearby we have the Mirador de San Lucía, located next to the church of the same name.

We begin to descend and arrive at the Se Cathedral, another of the best places to visit in Lisbon in three days, thanks to its beautiful fortress-shaped façade, its austere interior and, above all, its spectacular cloister.

Leaving the Barrio de Alfama, arriving again at the River, we find the Casa dos Bicos, where the ashes of José Saramago are found. The Foundation of it is there. The last destinations of this first day in Lisbon are the Fado Museum and the National Pantheon, a very interesting building.

All that remains is to enjoy a typical Portuguese dinner in a fado venue.

What to do on the second day in Lisbon

There is still much to see in Lisbon in three days. The day before we visited Baixa and Alfama, neighborhoods that you will surely return to in the rest of the days you have left.

We are going to dedicate this second day in Lisbon to visiting the Barrio de Belem, far from the center but that you have to visit yes or yes since it is an essential place. You can get to Belem by public transport from the city center or by car if you have one, since there is a huge car park in the neighborhood where you can park.

The first place you will visit in Belem will be the Jerónimos Monastery, for many the most important place to visit in Lisbon in three days. It is an essential visit that will surprise you both for its church and its cloister, one of the best you will see in Portugal. You will surely find a queue, but move quickly.

Next to it there is a planetarium and several quite interesting museums. But the best is not too far away, just a few steps away. It is the Torre de Belem, one of the symbols of the city. It is an old defensive building that served to defend Lisbon from enemies arriving by sea. Your visit is also essential and although there is also usually a queue, do not be scared or skip the visit. It will like you.

From here you can walk back along the Tagus River, admiring the 25 de Abril Bridge in the distance, until you reach the Monument to the Discoveries, dedicated to the Portuguese navigators who sailed the seas in search of new lands. You can climb to its top and have great views of the Belem neighborhood and the Tagus River. You will not be able to stop directing your gaze towards the points already visited.

Before leaving Belem, don’t forget to buy some pasteis de nata, Portugal’s most famous sweet.

From Belem we can return to the center of Lisbon, again to the Baixa, to once again enjoy the Santa Justa Elevator, which will take you to the Barrio Alto. Before starting to walk through the cobbled streets of the neighborhood, enjoy the views offered by the elevator viewpoint.

Now yes, get lost in the streets of Barrio Alto and Chiado, the two neighborhoods on this hill, which have a confusing delimitation but something in common, their special charm and the beauty of their houses and buildings. They are also the neighborhoods with the most atmosphere in Lisbon.

The San Carmo Convent is possibly its main point of interest. It is in ruins after being practically destroyed in the 1755 earthquake, but a visit is a must. The Archaeological Museum is located there.

Other places to visit on this hill are Largo de Camoes and the cafes found on it, or the viewpoints of San Pedro de Alcántara or Santa Catarina. As you can see, viewpoints are of great importance in this city.

Thus ends the second of the three days we have to visit Lisbon.

What to see in Lisbon on the third day

Surely with a great sadness, but with the hope of returning, we arrived at the last of our 3 days to get to know Lisbon. We have already visited the downtown neighborhoods and also Belem. Today it’s time to go to the outskirts of the city again and visit a place that gained prominence in 1998 with the Universal Exhibition held in Lisbon that year, the Park of Nations.

If you have a car, this will be the best option to get to the Parque de las Naciones. If you don’t have it, take the train, which will also leave you at the first major point of interest in the area, the Estación de Oriente.

The Oriente Station was built for Expo 98, it is the work of Santiago Calatrava and leaves no one indifferent. Its iron and glass dome is reminiscent of a cathedral and it is impossible to stand before it and not be surprised. Attached to the station is the Vasco da Gama shopping center with the shops and restaurants of the best chains.

In front of the station there is a large enclosure where there are different pavilions, which were used for the exhibition and which are also useful today. One of them is the Portugal Pavilion, with a huge reinforced concrete shovel at the entrance that is reminiscent of a sail.

Among the visits that can be made, the Oceanarium stands out, reminiscent of an aircraft carrier. It is the second largest oceanarium in Europe and in it we can admire different species of birds, mammals, fish and reptiles in different habitats that represent the different oceans of the planet.

Next to it is the Knowledge Pavilion, a large science and technology museum with many interactive activities where you can learn a lot and which is of great interest to the youngest members of the household.

From there the Cable Car starts, which takes you to the northern part of the Parque de las Nações, parallel to the banks of the Tagus, approaching the Torre Vasco da Gama, another of the great buildings that we can admire in this area. The Vasco da Gama Tower is the tallest building in Lisbon, it has a restaurant on top and from there you can admire the river, a large part of the city and the Vasco da Gama Bridge, the longest in the country and second in Europe.

Other places of interest that you can visit in the Parque de las Naciones are the Atlantic Pavilion or the Church of Our Lady of the Navigators.

Thus ends our visit to the Parque das Nações and our three-day tour of Lisbon. If you have time, you can return to the city center and delve into the area that you liked the most.

You can find more information on the official Lisbon tourism page.