Lisbon is one of the most picturesque cities in the world. Steeped in history and painted in one of the most colourful palettes anywhere, it rarely lets you walk a street without a view, a tiled wall or a splash of colour. The miradouros (viewpoints) scattered across the city open Lisbon up like a pop-up book, and the tiled buildings spread over the hills like a patchwork quilt. Lisbon also really rewards anyone who looks up. After the earthquake of 1755, the city rebuilt itself in layers, and the layers still show: Manueline stonework beside tidy post-quake grids, tiled façades beside roofless ruins, a staircase that tells the city’s story in comic panels. This guide pairs my favourite frames with the history behind them, from a bookshop that has traded since 1732 to a palace that crowns the hills of Sintra. Pack a few extra batteries, because you won’t want to stop snapping in this fantastical city!
Hours and prices below were checked in October 2026 and can change, so confirm on the official sites before you travel.
| Place | Hours | Cost | Tips |
|---|---|---|---|
| Livraria Bertrand | Open daily; Sunday hours may be shorter | Free to browse | Quietest just after opening |
| Carmo Convent | Mon–Sat, about 10:00–18:00 (Oct–May) or 19:00 (Jun–Sep); closed Sun | About €5 | Entrance on Largo do Carmo |
| Jerónimos Monastery | Tue–Sun; closed Mon; seasonal hours | €18 for the cloisters; church free | Book online; summer queues can reach 1–2 hours |
| Tower of Belém | Tue–Sun, about 9:30–17:30; closed Mon, Jan 1, Easter Sunday, May 1, Jun 13 and Dec 25 | €15 for the interior | Timed entry, 60 visitors per 30 minutes; exterior is free |
| Pastéis de Belém | Open daily | Pay per tart | Sit-down rooms are often faster than the takeaway line |
| Arco da Rua Augusta | Viewing platform is ticketed | Check on site | Early morning for fewer crowds; sunset for light on the square |
| Pena Palace, Sintra | Palace 9:30–18:30 (last ticket 17:30); park 9:00–19:00 | Essential Visit €20 (adult); park only €12 | Entry only at your booked time; no private cars up the hill |
| LX Factory and Ler Devagar | Site open daily; bookshop hours vary by day | Free to enter | Sunday market; tram 15E, bus or train to Alcântara-Mar |
Free and open-air: Alfama, the Lavadouro Público, Parque Eduardo VII, Rua da Rosa, Rua da Condessa, the miradouros, Pink Street and the History of Lisbon Mural.
Closures to know about: the Bica, Glória and Lavra funiculars and the Santa Justa Lift have been out of service since the Glória accident of September 3, 2025, and none has a confirmed reopening date. The Glória is slated to be replaced by a new funicular around 2029. The Graça funicular reopened on April 30, 2026.
Getting to Sintra: trains leave from Rossio, Oriente and Entrecampos; from Sintra station, take bus 434 up to Pena. The Lisboa Card does not cover Pena Palace.
Timing: go early for Bica, Arco da Rua Augusta, Pena Palace and Jerónimos. Save Santa Luzia and São Pedro de Alcântara for sunset.
Bertrand Livraria holds the Guinness World Record as the oldest operating bookshop in the world. It opened in 1732, was disrupted by the earthquake of 1755, and has stood at its current address on Rua Garrett, in Chiado, since 1773. Today it sits like a quiet landmark in the middle of a busy street, announced only by a small sign. The blue-and-white tiles so popular across Lisbon are some of the most iconic here, and the tiled entrance makes a lovely snapshot. I love the way the tiles seem to bloom like flowers. Buy a book and ask for the shop’s stamp, which certifies it came from the world’s oldest bookshop.
Alfama largely survived the earthquake of 1755, and the district shows it: historic houses among the oldest in the city, cobblestones worn so smooth they’re almost indistinguishable from one another, and some of the most vivid personalities Lisbon has to offer. The squares glow with colourful banners and decorations, because there always seems to be a party or festival underway. Against the ancient stones and tiles, the colours and backdrops here are unreal.
In Alfama, if you know where to look, you can step inside a public laundry house, or lavadouro. Neighbourhood residents still use its large washing basins to wash clothes, carpets and more. Beyond being a little piece of history frozen in time, it’s a joy to photograph: colour-blocked walls and laundry hung to dry that make a pattern against the glass blocks separating the washing area from the drying racks. This is a working community space, so ask before photographing anyone and keep your visit short.
Parque Eduardo VII was one of our first stops. We landed early in the morning, well before we could check into our Airbnb, and the park was one of the few places open. It sits at the north end of the downtown core and covers 26 hectares above Avenida da Liberdade. The park was renamed in 1903 for Britain’s King Edward VII, and its current formal layout dates to the mid-1940s. From the top of the long green slope and its manicured hedges, you can see the Tagus and the city spread around it, which gives you a better sense of Lisbon’s size and scope.
Bairro Alto is quiet by day, then explodes with life at night, when the trendiest bars and busiest nightlife take over. In daylight it’s a peaceful place to admire Portugal’s iconic tiles and brightly painted apartment buildings. Walking down Rua da Rosa, you’ll hear little more than your own footsteps and the occasional resident sweeping their front steps.
At the end of Rua da Condessa, in Chiado near the top of the Santa Justa Lift, a long staircase is flanked by dazzling buildings. Between them, the view is framed like a painting. In the distance, high on a hill, an old ruin looks down over the new city like a guard from another era.
My favourite miradouro is Santa Luzia. It has one of the best views across Alfama and the Tagus, plus a lush garden, a tiled veranda and flowering trees. Whichever way you look, something magical fills the frame. It gets mobbed during the day, so arrive early or stay for sunset, when it’s a real treat.
The Carmo Convent was founded in 1389 and stands on Largo do Carmo in Chiado. The earthquake of 1755 brought down its roof, and the Gothic nave has stood open to the sky ever since. The Carmo Archaeological Museum has occupied the old chancel since 1864. Inside the roofless nave, the open sky is breathtaking. Evening events are held here from time to time, so check the listings before you go if you want to see the ruins at night.
King Manuel I founded the Jerónimos Monastery in 1496, and construction began in 1501 and ran for roughly a century. It is a masterpiece of Manueline architecture, Portugal’s late-Gothic style, and wherever you turn there is a beautifully framed shot. Hidden in the carving are ropes, coral and armillary spheres, each reflecting this strong seafaring country and a joy to discover as you explore. The church is free to enter and holds the tombs of Vasco da Gama and Luís de Camões. The cloisters require a ticket. The monastery and the Tower of Belém were inscribed together as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
The Tower of Belém is a 16th-century Manueline fortification on the banks of the Tagus, both a military structure and an architectural gem. Looking up at it from the riverbank is a magnificent sight, and the exterior is free to explore from every angle. The interior reopened in May 2026 after a year-long restoration and now runs on timed entry (details under Before You Go). If slots are full, you lose little: I find the view from the outside prettier, and exploring along the riverbank is more fun than waiting in line.
LX Factory sits beneath the 25 de Abril Bridge in Alcântara, west of the city centre, in a converted industrial complex. It’s a hipster mecca of trendy shops and cute cafés, and it’s popular with visitors, so go early on a weekday or visit on a Sunday for the market. The highlight is Ler Devagar (“Read Slowly”), a charming bookshop built inside an old newspaper printing works. It feels like a mix between an abandoned factory and Belle’s library from Beauty and the Beast. To get here, take tram 15E or a bus, or the train to Alcântara-Mar. The metro does not reach it.
My other favourite miradouro is São Pedro de Alcântara. This lookout has a beautiful terraced garden and a kiosk serving drinks and snacks, so you can sit and watch the sunset. Musicians often draw a crowd here. From the terrace you can see across the entire city to St. George’s Castle and the hillside beyond. Looking out at the view with a drink in my hand and music in my ears is honestly one of my favourite memories of the whole trip. The Glória funicular that normally climbs here is closed; walk up or take tram 24.
Rua Nova do Carvalho, in Cais do Sodré, is the insta-famous Pink Street. The street was painted pink in 2011 as part of an urban-renewal project, and it was once the heart of Lisbon’s red-light district. Today it’s a busy strip of bars and music venues, and by day the pink pavement makes it far less sinister. People have strong opinions about it, and some recommend skipping it. I think many expected the pretty, pristine road they saw on their feeds, but plenty of Instagrammers retouch their photos to make it look cleaner and emptier than it is.
Pastéis de Belém is the bakery beside the Jerónimos Monastery that has been making its custard tarts since 1837, following a recipe it says came from the monastery. You’ll find custard tarts everywhere in Lisbon, but this is where the original is made, and you’d be remiss not to take a million photos before devouring them. The shop is a maze of white-and-blue tiled rooms and smells heavenly. Sit down with an espresso and soak up the atmosphere of this historic bakery. The sit-down rooms usually move faster than the takeaway line.
The Arco da Rua Augusta is the gateway to Praça do Comércio, the grand riverside square that looks out over the Tagus. The arch commemorates the city’s recovery after the 1755 earthquake, and it was completed in 1873. It stands at the end of one of Lisbon’s busiest streets and can be annoyingly touristy, but arrive early in the morning and you’ll have the elegant, rebuilt Baixa almost to yourself. A ticket gets you up to the viewing platform.
Down a quiet staircase near the busy Miradouro das Portas do Sol, a short walk from Santa Luzia, you’ll find a tunnel painted with a bright, cheerful series of cartoons by illustrator Nuno Saraiva. The comic-strip panels run from the Phoenicians and Romans through the Age of Discovery, the 1755 earthquake and the Carnation Revolution of 1974. In a city brimming with street art, it’s one of the best pieces, and it doubles as a free history lesson. It’s reached by stairs, so it isn’t stroller- or wheelchair-friendly.
Sintra is about 40 minutes by train from Rossio Station and is home to some of the most incredible castles and historic buildings near Lisbon. It feels like living inside a fairy tale. Pena Palace is the most fantastical of them all, its colours beaming across Sintra’s skyline. It draws huge crowds, so get here a few minutes before the palace opens at 9:30 and you’ll enjoy it far more than an hour or two later, when you can barely move. Palace entry is by timed ticket. And who can blame everyone for coming? It really is as amazing as you hear.
Hopefully this helps you find the best of Lisbon. Let me know in the comments what your favourite part of the city was, or what you’re most looking forward to seeing.
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