Lisbon may be my favorite city in the world. A layover in Lisbon will only scratch the surface, thus, when you are only there for a short time it is important to come up with a plan to hit the best parts. My two day plan for Lisbon may be ambitious, but the city has a lot to offer.
A layover in Lisbon is easy to achieve. TAP Airlines advertises stopovers in Lisbon, allowing you to get a feel for the city, before traveling to a new place. Although, you may find after two days in Lisbon that your other destination can wait… It is one of those cities that you won’t want to leave. How would I spend two days in Lisbon? I am not going to give you a minute by minute itinerary, but I will point out the must-see places..
Two Days in Lisbon, Where to Stay?
Before I start rattling off places to visit, you need a spot to lay your head. I have written about my favorite hotel in Lisbon the Vila Baixa – Lisbon luxury apartments. I went into a full review in a previous post, but I will give you some highlights.
What I love about these apartments is that they are in a perfect location. If you only have a short time in the city, they prove to be a great jumping off point for everything you want to see. The apartments are also extremely affordable and beautiful.
If you can’t get that spot, the Solar Do Castelo will work… We spent three nights here and loved this hotel. It was a little warm until you figure out the air conditioner and there were peacocks running around, but it is also a great starting point for the first day…and they continuously refill a delicious decanter of port wine for you each day…
Day One of Your Layover in Lisbon
Castelo de S. Jorge
If you choose to stay in the Solar Do Castelo, you are literally in the castle, so a quick jump next door will get you to the ticket entrance. It might be a 20-minute walk from Villa Baixa Luxury Apartments, but either way it is a site that needs to be seen if you’re in Lisbon. You can almost see this castle from every angle within the entire city, conversely the views from the grounds are amazing. The site itself is an old Moorish castle steeped in the past. If you like history (and even if you don’t), it is a must when visiting Lisbon.
Quick Snack at Pastry San Antonio
Since I know you didn’t waste your hunger on the hotel breakfast (although the Solar Do Castelo has great orange juice), you are probably hungry. Walk down the road and grab a Pastel de Natel at Pastry San Antonio. Look I just saved you some time, now you don’t have to go to the Time Out Market. You only have 2 days in Lisbon, time is precious!
Walk Around Alfama
This could be tricky, you may get lost and end up spending your 2 days in Lisbon in the maze that is Alfama. It still needs to be explored in your short time. Walk the hilly streets, forget about GPS it is no match for the complexity of the area. Duck into as many port shops as possible and be on your way.
Lunch At Ramiro
I am about to drop the mike here, because Ramiro is that good. It is worth the trip to the city alone. My best guess is that it is a 25-minute walk from the Alfama neighborhood. There will be a wait, so get there as soon as it opens or go at an off-peak time. Once you get in, you are handed an iPad, just start picking things, everything was awesome.
The giant scarlett prawns, where you suck the meat out of the heads, will bring you back to your caveman roots. I had a feast that I will never forget. The only thing that they didn’t have was octopus, but that is OK, that is what dinner is for …
Carmo Convent
First, once you make your way to the Rossia Square area you will run into a Ginjinha spot. Collect one Euro and get yourself one, maybe two, but no more than that, they will sneak up on you. Standing outside drinking a strong cherry liquor is a great way to spend a small part of your afternoon (or morning). I would hit this whenever I saw a stand…
Now that you are full of seafood and you have your buzz on…how do you spend the rest of your 2 days in Lisbon? Personally, I would continue to walk the decorated sidewalks, to the Carmo Convent.
I am recommending this next site now because it closes at 5PM. Although it isn’t big in TripAdvisor, it was one of my favorite things to see in Lisbon. Normally, I would say walk off your lunch and go the next day, but time is precious.
The old Convent is one of the more unique buildings I have seen. It is open with arches overhead. Inside there is an equally interesting museum, with glass slats over the floors to give one a window into the past. To me, this is a must for a short time in Lisbon. Outside is a courtyard, with many fantastic places to eat.
Explore Baixa
Just walking the streets of any city is my favorite way to quickly get familiar. Lisbon is one of the most beautiful cities you can explore. The tiles on the buildings, the decorative sidewalks, it never looks the same twice. Check out Rossia Square, the square is great despite the entrepreneurs walking the area. Baixa might be a bit more touristy then a lot of the city, but not overwhelming like other places.
Definitely stroll to the Statue of Dom José and along the coast. In the distance you can see the other Christ the Redeemer statue, along with a bridge that looks like it belongs in San Francisco.
By this time, you are probably getting hungry again, I have a great spot which was a go to on our trip.
Dinner Mar ao Carmo
Head back to the Convent, right outside is a beautiful little square with Mar ao Carmo right on one of the corners. Once again this is a seafood paradise. I hope you like it, this is where I am taking you when you only have 2 days in Lisbon. The restaurant is a little more expensive than Ramiro, but highly worth it. You can also get octopus here which is a plus, they do have land crawling options, but we didn’t try any.
Closing the First Day of Your Layover in Lisbon
You are probably tired, it was a long day. Hopefully you saw the main things and got a good feel for the area. I would celebrate the first day with a nice glass of Port or some fabulous local wine, there are wine shops everywhere. Stumble your way back to your hotel, day two will be just as long..
Two Days in Lisbon: Day 2
Who wouldn’t like to start the day with a Ginjinha and Bifana sandwich? That was my usual morning. Whatever your choice of breakfast make sure it will hold you. For two reasons, 1) You are in for a big dinner and B) I am sending you to Belém…
After you eat/drink, jump on a hop on hop off bus, they usually end in
Belém. I used to poo poo these buses, but they work well when you don’t have time to walk. To look the part, soak your body with Ben Gay, put on an oversized hat and a t-shirt that says I love Lisbon and you are all set (fanny pack optional)!
Belém Tower
Admittedly, I liked the outside a bit more than the inside of this Lisbon landmark. The tower was used as a fortress in the 15th century and is a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. I liked the tower, but I’m starting to think UNESCSO just gives their titles away…
It is a quick walk/climb into the tower, but the views are great. Next door, there are a few museums if you have some extra time. From here I recommend walking across the street…
Pastéis de Belém
Another quick bite to eat, this time at the world famous Pastéis de Belem. There is a line out the door here, it is the spot where every tourist and their brother goes to get pasteis de nata …damn internet. I found these to be good, but no better than others I had around the city. Still, if you’re 20 ft. away, might as well decide for yourself.
As for other food, the restaurants around the site are a bit touristy. We did grab some great sardines next to the monastery, but I say save your hunger for dinner.
Jerónimos Monastery
Down the road from the Pastéis de Belem is the Jerónimos Monastery, this was my favorite site in Lisbon. The monastery was constructed in 1501 and was a former monastery of the Order of Saint Jerome.
The monastery has history and has art coming literally out of the walls. It feels as if in every nook of the building you find something special. I spent hours just roaming the grounds. There is a bit of a line during peak times, but it is worth the wait.
Dinner: Alma
Do yourself a favor, splurge on this Michelin star restaurant. You are in Lisbon for two days, it is worth every penny. It was my best meal in Lisbon and maybe the best meal of my life, thus far. Yes, you will pay out of the nose, but do it, do your kids really need to go to college?
I went deeper into what I ate in this post. If you like chocolate, order the chocolate bomb, you won’t be sorry..
Things to Skip
- Santa Justa Lift – I have an elevator at work, so really there is no novelty here. You wait on line for about 30 minutes, to be crammed into an elevator. Yes, the view is nice up there, but there are nice views everywhere. Plus, there is a backway up (behind the convent!), so no need to waste your time in line.
- Oceanário de Lisboa – I might be in the minority here , but I really wasn’t that impressed with the aquarium in Lisbon. If you have seen one (good) aquarium you have seen them all. It is certainly to be missed if you only have 2 days in Lisbon. No need to spend a hour in line, in a place totally out of the way, to see something that looks better on your plate. As a side, we paid extra for the extended tour, which made me feel like I wandered into a Petco.
- Time Out Market– This place is all hat and no saddle. The Pastel shop is pretty good, but everything else is standard. The crowds are what really ruined the experience. We couldn’t even get a table the last time we tried to find a seat. The Time Out Market also lacks the grit and authenticity of many of the other food markets we have seen throughout Europe. It has a corporate feel, I wasn’t even scared of salmonella…
Conclusion to Your Lisbon Layover
Consider this a rough guide, I don’t know exactly what you want or your interests… You may have more or less energy than us. If you hit most of the above, I can say you got a good feel for the city in a short time. Your two days in Lisbon may differ slightly, but if you check off most of the above mentioned you will see why I loved Lisbon.
Portugal looks a great country to spend a good amount of years.