This will be our first visit in Portugal-landing in Lisbon after an overnight stay in London to recharge from a long San Francisco flight.
Any recommendation for sight seeing in Lisbon?
I've heard that Lisbon is an amazing city and so many great things to see.
Should we just stay and enjoy Lisbon or is there any time to visit other sites like Fatima or Sintra?
Your thoughts will be appreciated.
EB
How long will you be in Portugal?
Good question about how long you will be there. However, Sintra is an easy train ride away from Lisbon and they have a "circuit bus" which hits the main sights. There is a lot to see in Lisbon but if I had to prioritize it would be the sights of the Belem District. Most of them are fairly close together. If you get there, check out the newly reopened royal coach museum.
We really enjoyed just walking the city. Bring good walking shoes because the sidewalks are an uneven type of cobblestone. Take a look at the recommended hikes in the Rick Steves book. The Castelo/Alfama area is the older windy streets, and it is fun to wander them, stop at the top and enjoy the view. There are a number of good viewpoints in the city, and it is nice to grab a snack or drink at some of them.
If you like museums the Gulbenkian is lovely, and not overwhelming. We got there easily by public transport. In the Chiado neighbourhood, Sao Roque church is the most unique, and we enjoyed the Convento do Carmo, which is a ruin since the earthquake.
Sintra is beautiful, worth a trip, but go midweek as it seemed to get very busy on the Friday.
Oops....it really helps to know how long we're staying in Lisbon. Just 3 days unfortunately.
Many suggested Sintra and the Belem district. Is 2 days enough to explore Lisbon and the other day to explore Sintra?
Any other places that comes to mind?
Thanks.
Eb
I would say 3 days is great to explore the Lisbon area: day-trip to Sintra (Pena Palace and Moorish Castle), at least a half-day for Belem (monastery, monument, tower), and a day for sight-seeing Lisbon (trams, funiculars, castle, Rick's self-guided walks). I visited Portugal (Lisbon, Sintra, Sagres/Cape St. Vincent) for a week in 2007 and really loved it. I hope you have a great trip!
If you're game for staying up late, you could go to a cafe to hear some fado singing.
Thank you for all of you who responded an recommended some things to do/see in Lisbon.
It's much appreciated.
Obrigado.
Eb
