Three Days in Lisbon — Including a Day at Sintra by Train

Lisbon rewards patience and punishes the overplanned itinerary. The city is built on seven hills, which means that almost every journey involves either a steep climb or a tram, and that the best moments tend to happen on the way somewhere rather than at the destination itself. Three days is a good amount of time — enough to understand the city's character without being overwhelmed by it, and enough to make a day trip to Sintra and still feel like you have genuinely been to Lisbon.

The key to all of it is the public transport network, which is one of the finest in southern Europe and costs very little

Day One — Alfama, the Tram and the Fado

Start at Praça do Comércio, the vast riverside square where the city meets the Tagus. The morning light on the water here is extraordinary. Walk north through the Baixa (the grid-plan lower city, rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake) to Rossio station — a 10-minute walk — and orientate yourself. Everything starts from here.

Take Tram 28E from Martim Moniz (one stop east of Rossio by Metro) toward Alfama. This is Lisbon's most celebrated tram route — a single yellow car climbing through the medieval Alfama neighbourhood and the Mouraria quarter, listing around corners that seem too tight, passengers hanging from the door handles. It is not the fastest way to travel. That is entirely the point. Board at the Martim Moniz terminus rather than further down the route to guarantee a seat.

Alight at Portas do Sol and walk through Alfama on foot. The neighbourhood — a dense labyrinth of white houses and tiled facades cascading down toward the river — is the oldest part of Lisbon, one of the few areas that survived the 1755 earthquake. The Museu do Fado on Largo do Chafariz de Dentro has an outstanding collection on the history of Portugal's defining musical tradition, with listening booths and excellent contextual exhibits. Essential before attending a live performance.

Climb to the Castelo de São Jorge — the Moorish castle above Alfama dates to the 11th century and its rampart walls give the finest panoramic view of Lisbon and the Tagus estuary. Allow 90 minutes. The ticket includes the archaeological site which has Roman and Moorish layers beneath the medieval structure.

Descend through Alfama to the Miradouro das Portas do Sol and the Miradouro de Santa Luzia — two viewpoints (miradouros) immediately adjacent, both with café terraces and extraordinary views over the terracotta rooftops. Lisbon has eleven significant miradouros; these two are the most atmospheric.

For the evening, attend a fado performance in Alfama. The authentic houses — Tasca do Chico, A Baiuca or Café Luso in nearby Bairro Alto — serve dinner while performers sing. Book in advance; the small houses fill quickly. Fado heard in Alfama, in a restaurant that has operated for decades, in the neighbourhood where the music was born, is one of the defining cultural experiences in Europe.

Getting back: Tram 28E runs until midnight. Alternatively, take the Metro from Terreiro do Paço (Blue Line, one stop from Praça do Comércio) back to your hotel or use Bolt ride directly.

Day Two — Belém by Train and the Bairro Alto

Belém is 6km west of central Lisbon along the Tagus riverfront — the point from which Vasco da Gama departed for India in 1497 and the site of some of the most important monuments in Portugal. The journey by public transport takes 20 minutes and is itself excellent.

Take Tram 15E from Praça da Figueira (adjacent to Rossio) westward along the riverfront to Belém — a 20-minute journey through the waterfront suburbs with the Tagus visible throughout. Alternatively, you can always get a Bolt ride for ~ €8-10.

At Belém, the priorities are three:

The Mosteiro dos Jerónimos — the Manueline Gothic monastery built to commemorate Vasco da Gama's voyage is one of the greatest buildings in Portugal. The two-storey cloisters are extraordinary. Allow 90 minutes; book tickets online to avoid the queue. The tomb of Vasco da Gama is in the church.

The Torre de Belém — the 16th-century river tower that served as the last landmark sailors saw leaving Portugal is more impressive from the exterior than the interior; the queues for entry are rarely worth the wait. Viewing it from the riverside is sufficient.

Torre de Belém

The Pastéis de Belém bakery at Rua de Belém 84 — the original pastel de nata (custard tart) bakery, operating since 1837. The recipe is a secret known only to three people. The tarts are served warm with cinnamon. This is not negotiable.

Return to the city by Tram 15E or the Cascais train to Cais do Sodré, then spend the afternoon in the Chiado neighbourhood — the literary and cultural quarter of Lisbon, with the Livraria Bertrand (the world's oldest operating bookshop, founded 1732), the Museu do Chiado (contemporary Portuguese art, free on Sunday mornings) and the finest independent coffee shops in the city.

The Bairro Alto immediately above Chiado is Lisbon's bohemian quarter — narrow streets, independent restaurants, wine bars serving excellent natural wine and Portuguese vinho verde at prices that will surprise visitors from northern Europe. Take Elevador da Glória (a funicular running from Praça dos Restauradores) to reach the upper neighbourhood without the climb. Do not forget to try the Bifana - the authentic pork sandwich - at one of the counter-only spots around downtown.

Day Three — Sintra by Train

Sintra is 40 minutes from Lisbon by train and one of the most extraordinary day trips in Europe. The town sits among forested hills above the Atlantic coast, its palaces and follies half-hidden in the trees — a UNESCO World Heritage Site that the Portuguese royal family used as their summer retreat for centuries. It is unlike anywhere else in Portugal.

The train: Take the Metro (Blue or Green line) to Oriente station or walk to Rossio station — the Sintra line departs from Rossio. Trains run frequently and every hour in weekends, journey time 40 minutes, cost ~ €6.50 with the Navegante card two way. The first train departs Rossio at 6:00am; arrive early to beat the tour groups, which begin arriving from 10am onward.

The bus from Sintra station: Sintra town is a 10-minute walk from the station. The palaces are on the hill above — steep enough to be unpleasant in summer heat. Bus 434 (the circular Pena-Moorish Castle-Sintra town circuit, ~€13.50 all day pass) is the most practical option and runs every 20 minutes. Buy the ticket on board. The bus stops at each major palace in sequence. If you walked to the palace and you need to return to the city by bus, you need to tell the driver, it is usually cheaper than the all day pass.

The non-negotiable priority is the Palácio Nacional da Pena — the extraordinary Romantic palace built for King Ferdinand II in the 1840s, perched on the highest point of the Serra de Sintra and painted in yellow and terracotta. It is a deliberate fantasy — Bavarian turrets, Moorish arches, Renaissance details and Manueline ornamentation combined into something that has no precedent in European architecture. Book tickets online (palace + park); the queue without a reservation can be two hours. The park alone (without palace entry) is outstanding and significantly cheaper — the forest paths, the viewpoints and the hidden follies reward several hours of wandering.

Palácio Nacional da Pena

The Castelo dos Mouros (Moorish Castle) immediately adjacent to Pena dates to the 8th century. Its rampart walls give views over the entire Serra and, on clear days, to the Atlantic 12km west. Less visited than Pena, genuinely dramatic and it is only 15 minutes walk from Pena.

The Palácio Nacional de Sintra in the town itself (the two distinctive conical chimneys visible from the train) is the medieval royal palace — more interesting historically than Pena, less photogenic, significantly less crowded. The Sala dos Brasões (Hall of Coats of Arms) ceiling is one of the finest Renaissance interiors in Portugal.

Practical notes for Sintra: Bring water and comfortable shoes — the terrain is steep and the distances between palaces are significant. Avoid visiting on weekends in July and August when the crowds are severe; a weekday in spring or autumn is ideal. The town's restaurants are predominantly tourist-oriented; eat lunch at the Café Paris in the main square or bring provisions from Lisbon's Mercado da Ribeira.

Secret hint: If you are fan of misticism and enigmatic buildings, Quinta da Regaleira is a must see. It is incredible and it is classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It's Initiation Well, a stunning 27-meter deep "inverted tower" is extremely popular. It is advised to buy tickets in advance and visit it in the morning, before Pena palace, to avoid crowds.

Initiation Well

Return: The last Sintra train to Rossio is after 23:00. There is no need to rush back — Sintra in the late afternoon, when the tour groups have left, is an entirely different and more rewarding experience.

The Public Transport Summary

Three days in Lisbon using only public transport is double — including the Sintra day trip.

There is no reason to rent a car for a Lisbon city break and several good reasons not to — parking is limited, the historic streets are narrow and the public transport is simply better. But if public transport is not an option use of Bolt ride is recommended as well. It is cheaper than Uber. You can get from the airport to the city centre with around €10.

For a personalised day-by-day Lisbon itinerary — calibrated to your pace, interests and budget — the free itinerary generator at itinerably.com takes under a minute and can be adjusted through follow-up questions.