15 Bucket List Experiences in Lisbon

15 Bucket List Experiences in Lisbon

Lisbon by David Broad – by Wikimedia Commons

1. Eat a pastel de nata in Belém

There’s the famous Pastel de Belém pastry in Belém, which produces one of the most iconic Pastéis de Belém. In 1837, they began to bake the original Pastéis de Belém, following an ancient recipe from the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. Nowadays, they are well-known for the quality of their products, that people even queue sometimes outside the pastry.

If you are visiting Belém, also take a look at the Belém Tower and Jerónimos Monastery. Make a picnic at the huge Belém gardens and enjoy!

How to get there: Take the train at Cais do Sodré station and take the exit in Belém

Price: one Pastel de Belém is 1,10€

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2. Paint your own tile at the National Museum of the Azulejo

Azulejo – by Alvesgaspar – by Wikimedia commons

This museum teaches us of the history of tiles in Portugal. Its mission is to preserve and study their collections and also of the building of the museum. Here you can make your tile. You are given some patterns and templates to paint your tile but you are also free to create your own unique design.

Speaking from personal experience, I know that this is a fantastic activity for the whole family to enjoy – you learn a new skill whilst enjoying eachothers company!

OPENING HOURS: TUESDAY TO SUNDAY FROM 10H00 TO 18H00

NORMAL TICKET: 5 €

How to get there:

Bus: In front of the Museum: 718, 742, 794, 759 (only nights) Avenida Infante D.Henrique (a 5 m. walk to the museum): 728, 759

Train: Santa Apolonia Station

Metro: Santa Apolonia Station

3. Go on a bike ride to Terreiro do Paço

There’s a huge pathway between Cais do Sodré and Santa Apolónia where you can ride a bike and admire the river. Many bikes are available for you to pick and ride it (in Cais do Sodré and Terreiro do Paço).

Gira bikes are available to hire at docking station terminals using the Gira app. Once you have the app choose your pass (daily or monthly) you can use the bike. You can use the daily pass for 24h. You are also free to choose between conventional and electric bikes.

price: 10€ for the daily-pass

4. Have a drink in Bairro Alto

Bairro Alto is the best place to go out at night. It’s full of original bars for all tastes. Depending on the bar you choose, different prices will come up. Usually, it’s a place full of life and full of people from all over the world. Take a drink, listen to some music and enjoy your night!

Bairro Alto by Sam – by Wikimedia commons

5. Walk the streets of Alfama

Alfama is a unique place with ancient houses and streets which tell its rich history. Alfama was situated outside of the city walls, known for being where the poor people lived. Nowadays, it has transformed into an artistic place with craft stores.

My advice for you is to explore it by foot, because this is the best away for you to discover Alfama and its rich heritage.

6. Go to the Zoo

Whether you like animals or you just want to spend a great day with your loved one/s, go to Lisbon’s zoo. There are a lot of activities with the animals, like the dolphin show and travelling in the cablecar. With these activities, you will learn a lot about all the species which live in and around the city.

Tickets: 22€ per adult

Metro station: Jardim Zoológico

Price of the metro ticket: 1,45€

7. Eat an ice-cream at Santini

Santini is one of the best ice cream shops in Portugal and every local goes there. It started in Tamariz in 1949 bringing people the best artisanal ice cream. Nowadays, Santini has grown a lot and people from everywhere go there. There are many Santinis in Lisbon district and also one in Porto. The one I recommend you go to is in Chiado, but if you go to Cascais there are 2 shops where you can buy some ice cream.

Metro station: Baixa-Chiado

Price of the metro ticket: 1,45€

Prices: a small ice cream with up to 2 flavours is 3,20€

8. Take a sunset swim at the beach

Sunset on a Lisbon beach, image sourced from Agoda

If you come to Lisbon, you should go to the beach. In the south of Lisbon district, there are many beaches where you can refresh yourself. There’s also a big pathway where you are able to walk or ride a bike and watch the Atlantic Ocean.

My advice is to go to the Cascais and Estoril beaches. You can go to these by train, taking it at Cais do Sodré.

Cascais beach – by Husond – by Wikimedia commons

Train: Cais do Sodré

Price of the train ticket: 2,25€

9. Eat “travesseiro” & “queijadinha” at the Palácio da Pena in Sintra

The nature and the palaces up on the hill make Sintra a really unique place with its own climate, cultural and geographical.  The architecture of the Palácio da Pena is intricate, and its history deep.

The sweets you should try here are specific to Sintra: queijada and travesseiro. They are both quite different…

To eat a travesseiro, my advice for you is to go to the Piriquita pastry. Piriquita was founded in 1862, about 160 years ago. Nowadays, has a great success for the quality of their sweets, mainly the travesseiro. Travesseiro is a sweet made of two parts: the dough and the filling. The filling is made of almond, sugar, eggs and cinnamon. The dough is made of flour, margarine and water.

Piriquita by Vitor Oliveira by Wikimedia commons

To eat a queijadinha, you should go to Queijadas da SAPA, a little pastry store in Sintra. They started to make their sweets in 1756 in Ranholas and then they installed in Sintra in 1887. They are one of the five brands of queijadas that are officially recognised by Câmara de Sintra. The queijadinhas have also two parts: the dough and the filling. The dough is made of egg, salt, water, flour and butter.  The filling is made of cinnamon, salt, flour, sugar, freh«sh cheese, eggs, butter and lemon.

Prices: Queijadinha at SAPA: 0,85€ | TRAVESSEIRO AT PIRIQUITA: 1,50€

Train station: Sintra

Price of the train ticket: 2,25€

10. Visit the Armazéns do Chiado

Armazéns do Chiado by Rick Morais – by Wikimedia commons

Armazéns do Chiado is not a large shopping centre but it has a great selection of boutiques. The FNAC store is one of the most well known, which sells books, music and electronic goods. At the 6^th floor, you have a lot of restaurants where you can buy food at a reasonable price.

It’s located in Chiado on the avenue full of shops. Usually, it’s a place swarming with people because it’s a “meeting point” where everyone comes together for a day out.

Metro station: Baixa-Chiado

Price of the metro ticket: 1,45€

11. Travel in the Tramway 28

One of the brand images of Lisbon is the Tramway 28. It was first inaugurated in 1914 and the route starts at Largo do Martim Moniz and ends in Largo dos Prazeres. It passes through several historical places like Sé, Graça and Largo das Portas do Sol. It’s agreat way to get around for someone who wants a visual tour of the historical parts of Lisbon and doesn’t want to walk up and down.

Ticket of the tramway: 3€

12. Travel in the cableway at Parque das Nações

Parque das Nações is in the modern part of Lisbon, with new buildings and a lot of companies. It’s near the Tagus river and has a huge pathway alongside it. If you want to have an experience from the skies, you can take the cableway and watch Parque das Nações and the river from it. For anyone who wants to spend the day there, there is a huge shopping centre and many restaurants.

Metro station: Oriente

Price of the metro ticket: 1,45€

13. Walk in the Avenue of Liberty

The Avenue of Liberty is known for being one of the most expensive shopping streets in Europe.

From Louis Vuitton, Prada to Zadig & Voltaire, these are just some of the brands that are found there. It has also some of the most luxurious hotels in Lisbon, like Tivoli. It’s near Marquês do Pombal and Parque Eduardo VII.

Metro station: Avenida

Price of the metro ticket: 1,45€

Avenida da Liberdade by Paulo Valdivieso – by Wikimedia commons

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14. Discover the best view of Libson from the São Pedro de Alcântara

Lisbon has several viewpoints from which you can admire different parts of the city and the river. São Pedro de Alcântara viewpoint has a view to the São Jorge Castle and to the river. It has a park where you can rest and have a drink. There are some coffee shops near this viewpoint, so if your thirsty or hungry, you can serve yourself there.

Metro station: Restauradores

Price of the metro ticket: 1,45€

15. Visit the Gulbenkian Museum

The Gulbenkian Museum is one of the greatest museums in Lisbon for the art it contains. The exhibitions and collections are organized chronologically and in geographical order for you to visit. This museum has a park outside and usually, it’s peaceful. If you want to go shopping, near this museum there is El Corte Inglés.

Tickets: 10€ (age 30-64); free (age 0-12); 5€ (age 13-29 and 65-99)

Metro station: São Sebastião

Price of the metro ticket: 1,45€