48 Hours in Lisbon
Itinerary
Lisbon is both the capital and the largest city in Portugal. This city was in fact the first stop on my European Summer trip. Portugal itself is such a unique country with many hidden Gems. One of my favorite things about Lisbon (besides the amazing Portuguese food) was how inexpensive you can make it. This city is really an amazing location if you are looking to get a bang for your buck. There are lots of free and low-cost adventures located throughout the city. See below for my Lisbon Itinerary along with some other recommendations that might be helpful when planning your trip:
Note: This itinerary is not for the weak lol (average walking around 8 miles a day). With only 48 hours I was committed to seeing as much as I could. No time to waste!!!
Day 1:
Arrive in Lisbon at around 9:00am
Take the metro from Lisbon Airport to Casa De Sodre stop - The beautiful thing about Lisbon is the access to public transport. The metro took us straight from the airport to our hostel.
Check in to the Sunset Destination Hostel
Sunset Destination Hostel is 1 of 2 locations located in Lisbon. There is another hostel operated under the same owners around a 10-minute walk away. These are “sister” hostels that host and combine many events together. If I am being completely transparent... this was my first hostel experience ever, and I was not disappointed. Throughout check-in we were immediately made to feel extremely comfortable. The host gave us a tour of the entire space and then showed us to our room. This dorm style room has sliding curtains on the pods to make for a more secure and comfortable stay. The Sunset Destination Hostel itself was located INSIDE the train station...making it very convenient for transportation throughout Lisbon. This Hostel also had an outdoor deck with a bar and pool. With a very social and safe feel I would 110% recommend this to others and stay here again. The cost was only $25 a night - which is an insane price to pay for the quality of stay provided.
Walk by the water down to Praça do Comércio - a large Harbor facing plaza
Eat Lunch at Nosolo Italia - located right of the plaza
With this being my first European meal, it did not disappoint. I had the Margarita Pizza along with a Greek salad. The price was a bit higher due to the location, but nothing too extreme.
Walk the streets of Lisbon and visit the following:
Santa Justa Lift - A famous outdoor elevator that is admired for its architecture. This is 100% worth the ride if you can afford the crowds.
Castelo de S. George: A longer uphill hike that is very worth it. This castle is just as gorgeous up close as it is from a far. The city escape from the view is also amazing.
Lisbon Cathedral: Located in central Lisbon, most Cathedrals in Europe are worth a quick visit to admire.
Pink Street: Is quite literally a pink street. During the day many people go to snap a quick photo and look at the unique pink color. During the night this street is known for its restaurants, clubs, and nightlife.
Take the train to X Factory - This is an Modern and Urban Row located in Alcantara. There are many cute cafes and restaurants, along with plenty of vintage and clothing markets. If you are a bookworm, take a peek into Livraria Ler Devagar to see an amazing library setup.
Catch Sunset at Santa Luzia Viewpoint - Get here early as this spot can be recognized by many for its beautiful views of the city. There are often locals who play live music here which can make your time very enjoyable.
Grab Dinner at Time out Market - Walk across the street from the hostel to Time out Market and grab some dinner. This place has any and all food you could possibly want. The idea is similar to a food court where there are many different options and lots of seating. This place is hectic during most points of the day, but service and food quality is amazing. I ended up getting Sushi from SeaMe and thought it was unbelievably good.
Take and easy night in to beat jet lag
Day 2:
Grab Breakfast To Go - With the time change, I wasn’t very hungry early in the morning. There was a small market next to our hostel where I was able to grab a chocolate croissant for our train ride. May I just say that this croissant hit the spot.
Take the train and Beach Hop in Cascais - Cascais is a vibrant coastal town located just a 45 minute train ride from Lisbon. Lisbon, although located directly on the water, doesn’t have a very appealing sandy beach. This town has multiple sandy beaches along with a small downtown strip with many shops and restaurants. This area was quaint and not very busy for the time of year that we visited. My favorite beach in Cascais was Praia da Rainha.
Walk to the Santa Marta Lighthouse - This is now made to be a museum, but the scenery around the lighthouse is truly a gorgeous sight. If you walk a little past, you will be able to walk along the rocky coast.
Have Lunch at The Flamingo Cafe - This local Cafe in the town of Cascais did not disappoint. The wait staff was extremely funny and welcoming. The food and cost for the location was fairly priced compared to the competition located around. We had Fish and Chips along with an extremely fresh tasting salad. We sat outside and were able to watch people as they roamed the quaint streets.
Relax - After a day in the sun take the time to relax and shower before dinner.
Have dinner at Boa Bon - As I am writing this post 15 country Europe trip, I can confidently say that this was the best food I had. This restaurant was very aesthetically pleasing, and very inexpensive for the quality of food and drink. The idea of the restaurant is to combine tourists and locals which is why many of the food items include a variety of dishes incorporating some local and some not. We had an asparagus alfredo pasta and a salmon salad paired with a liter of white house wine. This was the perfect amount of food. We were also virtually the only ones in the restaurant, but we had the best time. The concept of this restaurant is extremely unique for this area of Lisbon.
Grab Drinks at the Hostel Bar with New Friends - As mentioned previously, our hostel was very social. We ended up meeting two other girls our age that are originally from Australia. We met them for drinks at the hostel bar and played some games including beer pong! Connecting and socializing with people from around the world is so rewarding and fun.
Day 3:
Have Breakfast at Copenhagen Coffee Lab - This was around a 15-minute walk from our hostel, but it was very worth it. We had an amazing breakfast at a more modern and aesthetically pleasing Cafe. On our way back to grab our bags we also grabbed Pastel de Nota which is a dessert like Tarte that Lisbon is known for. I strongly recommend trying local cuisines during your travels.
Metro to the Airport - Lisbon being the Atlantic Gateway to Europe allows for much opportunity for cheap flights. This was the original reason as to why I chose Lisbon to be the first stop on my European trip.
When deciding where to travel next, I have always told myself to choose a country I haven’t been to before. With now visiting Lisbon, I can confidently say that I would return to Portugal. As Lisbon is a city I have become familiar with over the short course of time, I would also be interested to visit other parts of the Portugal coast including Nazare to see some of the biggest waves in the world. Portugal itself is a smaller country with a variety of attractions to be explored.
