Half Day Itinerary Lisbon [2024]
Magnificent view overlooking Lisbon, Portugal.
There’s no doubt about it – the world has truly discovered Lisbon, and it’s hands down one of the best cities to visit Europe. With terracotta-coloured roofs, sweeping panoramic views, delicious Portuguese tarts and a collection of historic buildings – there’s a lot to see and do in the capital of Portugal.
Do you think you can see all the sights in Lisbon on a half-day walking tour?
Make no mistake about it. Ideally, you should have at least 2 days to explore Lisbon. But if time isn’t on your side, then this Half Day Itinerary of Lisbon has got you covered. This itinerary is perfect for those of you who only have 3-4 hours up your sleeve, but want to see Lisbon’s highlights.
PS – You can walk from place to place pretty comfortably on this itinerary. Otherwise, rideshare apps like Uber are quite inexpensive in Lisbon, compared to other Western European capitals. The tram is also an easy option.
Where to stay in Lisbon
Before you embark on your half-day itinerary, you’ll need a place to stay. Here are the best places to stay in Lisbon, sorted by budget and hand-picked by us.
Budget: Casa Belmonte
The Casa Belmonte is a quaint guesthouse in an extremely central location. For its cheap price, this is one of the best value-for-money places you can stay at in Lisbon.
You can take a closer look at Casa Belmonte by clicking here.
Mid-Range: Canarios Apartments Catarina
This apartment is impeccably decorated with the most stylish furniture. Guests absolutely love staying in this modern property, and so will you. The Canarios Apartments Catarina particularly suits mid-range budget travelers.
You can take a closer look at Canarios Apartments Catarina by clicking here.
Luxury: Palácio Ludovice Wine Experience Hotel
This is a great luxury hotel with near-perfect reviews. The photos speak for themselves!
You can take a closer look at Palácio Ludovice Wine Experience Hotel by clicking here.
Personal Favourite: Memmo Alfama - Design Hotels
Bonus recommendation! I love the Memmo Alfama because of its striking red infinity pool. Check out how cool it is.
You can take a closer look at the Memmo Alfama - Design Hotels by clicking here.
1. Santa Justa Lift
The Santa Justa Lift (Carmo Lift) is right in the centre of Lisbon’s main tourist attractions, so it’s a logical place to start your itinerary. This elevator stands proudly in the middle of the city, and its main function is to connect the lower streets of the Baixa, with the higher streets of the Largo do Carmo area.
The Santa Justa Lift is a unique elevator in the centre of Lisbon.
Apart from this, it’s also an excellent place to take in the views of Lisbon’s beautiful buildings when you’re at the top of the elevator. But, if you’re short on time, we would recommend not going up the lift as there are better views you’ll be treated to later on in the itinerary, and I wouldn’t want you to miss those! However, this is still a unique attraction that is worth a photo stop.
2. Praca do Rossio
Lisbon features a couple of main squares, and Praca do Rossio (otherwise known as Praca Dom Pedro IV) is one of them.
Water Fountain at Praca do Rossio
Statute of Dom Pedro IV at Praca do Rossio
It’s here that you’ll find a beautiful fountain, as well as a 23-metre-high statute of Dom Pedro IV, King of Portugal and first Emperor of Brazil. Definitely a historic square that you’ll have to check out when you’re here.
Swirled Tiles at Praca do Rossio
3. Igreja de Sao Domingos (Church of St. Dominic)
The Church of St. Dominic (known as Igreja de Sao Domingos to locals) has been around since 1241, and has miraculously survived an earthquake in 1755, and then a fire in 1959. At one stage, this was the largest church in Lisbon.
Exterior of Igreja de Sao Domingos
Peach/Coppered Colour of Igreja de Sao Domingos’ Interior.
Its interior is a striking faded peach/coppered colour, which I thought was interesting. This is just a short walk away from Praca do Rossio, so you can quickly see the inside before moving on.
4. Rua Augusta and Arco da Rua Augusta
You can’t visit Lisbon without walking through Rua Augusta at least once. Rua Augusta is the main pedestrian street in Lisbon, and it’s here that you’ll be able to find beautiful cafes, souvenir stores, boutiques and bakeries.
Rua Augusta is Lisbon’s Most Well-Known Street
If you haven’t head breakfast or lunch, this might be a good place for you to stop and grab a bite. Although we have to say, some of the restaurants here are overpriced (because it is the main street of Lisbon, after all), so we would recommend turning onto one of the other streets from Rua Augusta. Some restaurant prices are dramatically cheaper one street away, if they’re still close to Rua Augusta.
Look down! You’ll see Lisbon’s lovely mosaic tiles all throughout the street.
Arco da Rua Augusta in all its glory.
At the end of the street, you’ll find the iconic Arco da Rua Augusta - one of Lisbon’s most famous archways. Take a few photos and soak in the architecture, before moving on.
5. Praca do Comercio
Look at the sheer size of Praca do Comercio!
Praca do Comercio is perhaps Lisbon’s most recognisable plaza, and one of Europe’s most beautiful.
Statue of José I (King of Portugal) at Praca do Comercio.
A huge square, you’ll find a staute of José I (King of Portugal in the mid 1700s) right in the center. If you keep walking, you’ll find yourself near the water and be treated to great views.
A different angle of Praca do Comercio.
Fred at Praca do Comercio.
6. Lisbon Cathedral
The Cathedral of Saint Mary Major, more commonly known as Lisbon Cathedral, is the most famous church in the city. Astonishingly, the cathedral opened in 1150 and is the oldest (and most important) church in Lisbon.
Many people stop at Lisbon Cathedral to take a photo of this shot right here.
Famous Yellow Lisbon Trams.
One Insta-worthy thing people like to do here is taking a photo of themselves, with a Lisbon tram and the Cathedral behind them. I waited for about 5 minutes for a tram to pass, but wasn’t able to take the shot – so hopefully you guys can! Be careful when doing this though, as traffic from cars and other vehicles pass by frequently.
7. Miradouro das Portas do Sol
Up next, you’re going to see a series of gorgeous views over Lisbon city by checking out three different viewpoints. The first one is Miradouro das Portas do Sol, and I think this was my favourite of all the viewpoints.
Miradouro das Portas do Sol was my favourite viewpoint of the day in Lisbon.
Looking out at the views at Miradouro das Portas do Sol in Lisbon.
It was the least crowded and most visually appealing, in my opinion.
8. Miradouro Sophia de Mello
The Miradouro Sophia de Mello is another must-see viewpoint (they’re all in walking distance to each other).
Yet another amazing viewpoint! Lisbon is full of these.
Ralph enjoying himself in Lisbon.
This time, you’ll be treated to a more panoramic view of Lisbon – almost seeing the city from a bird’s eye view.
9. Miradouro da Senhora do Monte
The Miradouro da Senhora do Monte is the last viewpoint you’re going to visit. Out of the three, this was the most crowded viewpoint. There were children laughing, people playing music and crowds of tourists at this one. Although it does get busy, it’s a must-see viewpoint for a reason.
Just one final viewpoint in Lisbon!
10. Alfama District
This one isn’t really a stop, but you should still walk through the gorgeous Alfama district and soak in the unique architecture of the city to cap off your day. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a beautiful sunset shining down, like we did.
Catching the purple sunset at Alfama in Libson.
Other Things to Do in Lisbon
Bairro Alto District
The Bairro Alto neighbourhood is filled with hip bars, boutique stores, café’s, hairdressers and more. This area comes alive at night. It’s also known as a big LGBT-friendly area.
Pink Street
The Pink Street in Lisbon is easily reachable if you’re already in the general city area, and is a fun little photo stop for your Instagram.
Castelo de Sao Jorge (Saint George’s Castle)
Saint George’s Castle is one of the top sights to see in Lisbon, and it’s easy to see it from afar. However, we heard mixed things about visiting from others and didn’t prioritise seeing it on our trip.
Although we did end up lining up to enter, we changed our mind midway because we figured that we had already seen so many amazing views that day for free (the main reason why we wanted to see the Castle was because of the sweeping views of the city from there).
Tower of Belem
The Tower of Belem is an iconic sight in Lisbon.
The historic Tower of Belem is iconic and is 100% worth a visit. Constructed in 1514, the Belem Tower stands a symbol of Portugal itself. The only reason Belem isn’t on my Half Day Itinerary is that it’s a little out of the way from the other sights. Getting here can take up to 30-minutes in traffic from the Alfama district.
Padrao dos Descobrimentos
Close to the Belem Tower, Padrao dos Descobrimentos is another stunning monument in Lisbon.
The Padrao dos Descobrimentos monument celebrates 15th and 16th-century Portuguease explorers and visionaires, who helped make Portugal one of the most powerful seafaring countries during that time. It’s a really beautiful monument worth seeing. You should visiting this monument after visiting the Tower of Belem, as both are in the same area.
Mosteiro dos Jeronimos (Jeronimos Monastery)
Jeronimos Monastery is a must-see in Lisbon.
Also in the same general area as the Tower of Belem and Padrao dos Descobrimentos is the Jeronimos Monastery. This monastery is absolutely magnificent, and if you have more than a day to visit Lisbon, I would definitely recommend putting this on your list.