With a unrivalled sunsets, an unbelievable food scene (especially brunch) & even some of the best beaches in Europe - Lisbon is our favourite city in Europe without a doubt - it has everything! 😍

Luke spent 3 months there as a Digital Nomad back in 2023. His knowledge of the city helped us to create what we think is the best 4-day itinerary combining all of what we have mentioned - it’s not just a normal trip to Lisbon, but exploring some of the best-kept secrets within a short distance outside of the main city.

Itinerary

Day one - Explore the City 👣

A walking tour is the way we start every trip to a new major city! Lisbon is no different, and it’s the first thing we recommend you do on the first morning. It helps you understand everything about the area, especially its history. Walking tours are usually around 2-3 hours, starting in the morning and ending around lunchtime, giving you enough time to grab a coffee before you start your walk around.

Usually, city breaks are short on time, and you want to try and see all the main attractions - rather than staring at Google Maps figuring it out for yourself, this small investment means you can see most things straight away and spend the rest of your time in other areas of the city.

If you’re looking for an incredible local lunch spot, check out Union: The Best Bifana in Lisbon

Throughout Lisbon, there are many Miradouros - the best in our opinion is Miradouro da Graça. It is one of the highest points in Lisbon, and it’s the best view of the city by a long distance. You can see São Jorge Castle, Vasco da Gama Bridge and the Tagus River all from the same spot.

A "miradouro" is a Portuguese word for a viewpoint or terrace, most famously found in the hilly city of Lisbon, Portugal. These elevated spots offer stunning panoramic views of the city's rooftops.

There’s a “hole in the wall” bar here - we recommend getting here early in the evening and setting up ready for sunset. It’s the perfect way to end your first day in Lisbon.

Day Two - São Jorge Castle, LX Factory & sunset boat 🌇

On day two, you’ll tick off the rest of the major highlights in Lisbon, starting with São Jorge Castle. Not only are the views from the castle incredible, but it's also a fascinating piece of history dating back to the 11th century. Spend a couple of hours exploring the grounds and taking in the panoramic views over the city.

After the castle, get ready for the evening and get a Bolt or Uber to LX Factory - a creative hub housed in a former industrial complex under the 25 de Abril Bridge. It's filled with quirky shops (including an amazing library), street art, and great places to eat some food. There is a cool rooftop bar for a drink. Leave yourself a couple of hours to explore and eat around here before your sunset cruise.

Make sure you book ahead and end your day with a sunset boat tour on the Tagus River. Watching the sun set over Lisbon from the water, with views of Belem Tower, Monument to the Discoveries and the Christ the King statue. While soaking in the colourful views of the city, you get to see the sunset along the water behind the iconic 25 de Abril Bridge - it's truly magical and one of the highlights of any trip to Lisbon.

Day Three - Beach day at Costa de Caparica 🏖️

A slow morning is good in Lisbon, especially when you have the world’s best brunch scene on hand. There are many good spots, but one of our favourites is Breakfast Lovers, which has a few spots across the city - there are so many options for brunch that you won’t be disappointed.

Not many know this, but a short trip across the bridge you saw on days one and two, there is one of the best beaches in Europe, Costa de Caparica. We recommend booking Praia Irmao for lunch or dinner - again, our favourite thing to do is to watch the sunset, so definitely booking here for dinner and having a long beach day is the best option in our opinion.

It’s about 30 minutes and €25 in a Bolt or Uber - but it’s so worth the time and money to visit this beach. Head directly to Irmao when you book, as the beach is long and vast, which will save you a lot of time walking along the beach. You can book a bed here, which is a bit expensive. Alternatively, you can just bring your own towels and set up near it and get some drinks to take out through the day before you have food in the evening.

While the beach is quiet by European standards for a beach of this quality through the day, by evening it becomes empty, and you will get what we think is the best sunset view in the whole of Lisbon (out of the 3!).

Day Four - The Portuguese Riviera 🏰

Catching the train from Lisbon is easy, and visiting Cascais is another thing not enough people do during their trip to the city - those that do do it, usually visit Sintra, which is a great option for day four, but we are here to offer hidden gems or things that people might not know about. After taking a straightforward 40-minute train to Cascais from Cais do Sodre, you can rent a bike directly from near the barriers.

There is a dedicated bike path all the way from Cascais to Praia do Guincho, another stunning hidden gem of a beach. Along the path, you’ll see all that Cascais has to offer, with stunning stop-offs including Praia de Santa Marta and Boco de Inferno (otherwise known as “the devil’s mouth”). The entire ride is about 9km and takes around 45 minutes at a leisurely pace, but we recommend taking your time to stop at these incredible viewpoints along the way.

Once you reach Praia do Guincho, you'll find a wild, windswept beach that's popular with surfers and feels worlds away from the city despite being less than an hour from central Lisbon. On return to Cascais, you can stop off for some food before returning back to the city.

Alternatives with local bus transport for this day include:

• Visiting Sintra’s palaces
• Visiting Cabo da Roca, the most western point of Europe & hiking to a “secret beach”