What to do in Lisbon, Portugal for the day??

We have never been to Lisbon before and I was wondering what is their to do there?

What do you do when you go there??

Is there any private tours you would recommend??

Any tips/advise/ideas are very welcome. :)

Its a big place, don't try and do it all. If you just see the older areas and castle in a day you will be doing well. Its a place you can simply wander round, although it is very hilly so once off the port area you will need transport. Get transport up the hill and wander back down.

There's hop on hop off tourist buses, or very good metro, tram and bus service if you prefer to DIY. Trams are small and not very regular, so you could wait a while and not get on. Drivers will give priority to locals!

Be up early for the sail in, its a great approach.

A second to TheJuggler's advice. Get up the hill first then work down to the port. The castle and older areas are great. Also the water front beyond the port area. Good museums, lots to see, Pace yourself.

This is an incredibly great museum there, http://museu.gulbenkian.pt/Museu/en/Homepage

The museum with a Bosch triptych is also very good and much closer to the port.

We have never been to Lisbon before and I was wondering what is their to do there?

 

What do you do when you go there??

 

Any tips/advise/ideas are very welcome. :)

It's lovely city, I'm sure you will enjoy it. I did this with the 1-day travel ticket (about €7 in 2013). All the best, Tony

[YOUTUBE]z8KoKa6I7y0[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]zxEg6kwlF6Y[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]brr-bT0D7fQ[/YOUTUBE]

Wow! Nice videos, Cornishpastyman1!

Not to be missed--the "cake" (egg tart) that's on Cornishpastyman1's video.

Our day in Lisbon here.

We love to just walk the downtown area on our own.

There is so much to do and to see and we enjoy walking up to the small little towns.

Another option is to take the Hop On Hop Off Bus and that way you can get on and off the bus in different areas.

Keith

Thank You everyone for the information :)

When in Lisbon earlier this year we joined two other couples who had organized a sightseeing and wine tasting tour with Alex from Toursbylocals. It was fabulous. Alex met us with a minivan and driver with plenty of space. We were driven all round the city getting out to walk round and take photos whenever we wanted. You can tailor the tour to do what suits you. Alex took us to places we wouldn’t have found on our own and gave us lots of interesting information about the places we were seeing. Then we were treated to a wonderful experience in a wine bar tasting several wines finishing with port along with cheeses, bread, ham, sausage, chorizo. We were never hurried and by the end of the day had seen everything we wanted to. While not particularly cheap it was the best shore tour we’ve ever done and if we ever get back to Lisbon we’d take a tour with Alex again without a second thought.

We did an AMAZING tour with a company called We Hate Tourism Tours a couple of years ago on our Lisbon stop of a TA cruise. We did a private tour with 4 people. The tour was very fun and a refreshing change from the stuffy, scripted tours we've done in the past. We did the X-Day trip, which took us to Sintra and Cascais as well as around Lisbon, and we could not have been happier. Our guide clearly LOVES Lisbon and his enthusiasm was contagious! I would highly recommend you give them a look!

http://wehatetourismtours.com/lisbon-tours/

We took the HoHo and went to the Tower of Belem, the Discoveries Monument and the monastery. There are all in the same general area and it was a nice way to enjoy these at our own pace.

We, of course, had to stop at a McDonald's! That is an event in and of itself! :p We tried to stop in one at each port to see how different they are in each country, and my sons just HAD to order a "McRoyale" :D

Agree with the suggestion to take a taxi to the top of the Alfama section and walk down. Be sure to stop in at the Fort.

http://lisbon-portugal-guide.com/Alfama-Lisbon/Alfama-district-lisbon.php

While public transportation is an option, hang onto your pockets and purses. The trams are notorious for pick pockets.

We were there for a couple of days and just walked and walked. Love the city and looking forward to being back there again next Spring.

Can anyone please tell me how to get from the port in Lisbon to Largo de Camoes? If it is that far and more than 2 buses, approx. how much would a taxi cost?

Thanks,

Nancy

We love to just walk the downtown area on our own.

 

There is so much to do and to see and we enjoy walking up to the small little towns.

 

Another option is to take the Hop On Hop Off Bus and that way you can get on and off the bus in different areas.

 

Keith

Can anyone please tell me how to get from the port in Lisbon to Largo de Camoes? If it is that far and more than 2 buses, approx. how much would a taxi cost?

Thanks,

Nancy

Praca de Luis Camoes (which I think is the same thing) is a little over a mile from the port, but it is a long uphill walk. We did it many times while during our one week stay in Lisbon last year. There is a tram (Azul) which leaves from Santa Apolonia and goes within a block or so from the Praca. Check out the address you want on googlemaps and you can find routes and transportation options.

I have to second Lizp's endorsement of We Hate Tourism Tours! We stopped in Lisbon last month on our Celebrity Silhouette Amsterdam - Rome cruise and did their "Pirates of the Cruise Ship" tour. It was outstanding and we'd use them again in a heartbeat if (when) we get to Lisbon again. Our guide, Miguel not only knew his stuff, but he was funny, welcoming, and passionate about his city. Loved them.

Does the ship dock in walking distance of the town or do p&o provide a shuttle bus. Never been there before and it sounds really interesting and I just like to wander if possible. I am a single traveller, so will I feel safe there.

We have never been to Lisbon before and I was wondering what is their to do there?

 

What do you do when you go there??

 

Is there any private tours you would recommend??

 

Any tips/advise/ideas are very welcome. :)

I recommend a tour with Spain Day Tours. We went with them to visit Pena Palace which is amazing, also included Sintra, Casais and Belem. An excellent company. The guide Andre speaks excellent English and is very knowledgeable.

We did a DIY on our 2012 TA. All the sites were within a couple of blocks of each other. Here are my notes from our scrapbook:

November 7, 2012 We received our wake-up call at 7:30 am and dragged ourselves up to breakfast. When we finally got it together and headed off the ship at 9:30 it was overcast with the threat of showers. We had to make our way to the Lisbon Welcome centre at Commerce Plaza to pick up our Lisboa cards which I ordered on line. The card allows us free admission to 27 attractions as well as transit fare for a 24 hour period. We took tram 15e to the Belem Tower and spent an hour touring the site. We climbed the narrow staircase to the top rampart and it was a bit claustrophobic in the tight quarters. After an hour touring the sight we headed for the Monument of the Discoveries. It was such a beautiful structure and we were so impressed with the carvings. Our next planned site was the Jeronimos Monastery as it was listed as a must see on trip Adviser. We didn’t know much about it before our visit but it was pretty spectacular in its gothic glory. On our way to the national coach museum we stopped and purchased a couple of Portuguese egg tarts which apparently are a must have when in Portugal. They are similar to Chinese egg tarts but I find the pastry better. They serve it with a dusting of powdered sugar. Delicious! The Coach Museum was like the Royal Mews in London. Portuguese royalty must of loved coaches as there were so many in the museum. On completion of our visit we took bus #714 back towards the cruise terminal shortly after 2:00 pm. We arrived at the pier area earlier than we expected so we took a stroll down the waterfront boardwalk and stopped at a restaurant to use their free Wi-Fi. I got wired on an Americano, an Espresso, and tiramisu. We decided to head back on board at 4:00 pm as we wanted to be on deck for the sail away. The harbour area in Lisbon is spectacular and it’s actually too bad that it was foggy and misty. Many were disappointed that we couldn’t see the statue of Jesus on the Redeemer monument.

Belem Tower or the Tower of St Vincent is a fortified tower located in the municipality of Lisbon, Portugal. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the significant role it played in the Portuguese maritime discoveries of the era of the Age of Discoveries. The tower was commissioned by King John II to be part of a defense system at the mouth of the Tagus River and a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon.

Monument of the Discoveries is built on the north bank of the Tagus River in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator.

It represents a three-sailed ship ready to depart, with sculptures of important historical figures such as King Manuel I carrying an armillary sphere, poet Camões holding verses from The Lusiads, Vasco da Gama, Magellan, Cabral, and several other notable Portuguese explorers, crusaders, monks, cartographers, and cosmographers, following Prince Henry the Navigator at the prow holding a small vessel. The only female is queen Felipa of Lancaster, mother of Henry the navigator, the brain of the discoveries. Inside is an exhibition space with temporary exhibits, an interesting film about the city of Lisbon, and an elevator that takes visitors to the top for some bird's-eye views of Belem and its monuments. The pavement in front of the monument is decorated with a mosaic that was offered by the South African government in 1960, representing a compass with the map of the world charting the routes taken by the Portuguese explorers.

The Jeronimos Monastery is the most impressive symbol of Portugal's power and wealth during the Age of Discovery. King Manuel I built it in 1502 on the site of a hermitage founded by Prince Henry the Navigator, where Vasco da Gama and his crew spent their last night in Portugal in prayer before leaving for India. It was built to commemorate Vasco Da Gama's voyage and to give thanks to the Virgin Mary for its success. Vasco da Gama's tomb was placed inside by the entrance, as was the tomb of poet Luis de Camões, Other great figures in Portuguese history are also entombed here, like King Manuel and King Sebastião, and poets Fernando Pessoa and Alexandre Herculano. The monastery was populated by monks of the Order of Saint Jerome (Hieronymites). It is one of the great triumphs of European Gothic (UNESCO has classified it a World Heritage monument), with much of the design characterized by elaborate sculptural details and maritime motifs. The cloisters are magnificent, each column differently carved with coils of rope, sea monsters, coral, and other sea motifs evocative of that time of world exploration at sea. Here is also the entrance to the former refectory that has beautiful reticulated vaulting and tile decoration on the walls depicting the Biblical story of Joseph. The church interior is spacious with octagonal piers richly decorated with reliefs, and outside is a garden laid out in 1940 consisting of hedges cut in the shape of various municipal coats of arms of Portugal. In the center is a large fountain also decorated with coats of arms, often illuminated on special occasions.

The National Coach Museum has one of the finest collections of historical carriages in the world, being one of the most visited museums of the city. The museum is housed in the old Horse Riding Arena of the Belém Palace, formerly a Royal Palace which is now the official residence of the President of Portugal. The Horse Riding Area was built after 1787 following the Neoclassical design of Italian architect Giacomo Azzolini. Several Portuguese artists decorated the interior of the building with paintings and tile (azulejo) panels. The inner arena is 50 m long and 17 m wide, and was used for training horses and for horse riding exhibitions and games, which could be watched from its balconies by the Portuguese royal family. The museum was created in 1905 by Queen Amélia to house an extensive collection of carriages belonging to the Portuguese royal family and nobility. The collection gives a full picture of the development of carriages from the late 16th through the 19th centuries, with carriages made in Italy, Portugal, France, Spain, Austria and England.

The National Coach Museum has one of the finest collections of historical [/font]carriages in the world, being one of the most visited museums of the city. The museum is housed in the old Horse Riding Arena of the Belém Palace, formerly a Royal Palace which is now the official residence of the President of Portugal. The Horse Riding Area was built after 1787 following the Neoclassical design of Italian architect Giacomo Azzolini. Several Portuguese artists decorated the interior of the building with paintings and tile (azulejo) panels. The inner arena is 50 m long and 17 m wide, and was used for training horses and for horse riding exhibitions and games, which could be watched from its balconies by the Portuguese royal family. The museum was created in 1905 by Queen Amélia to house an extensive collection of carriages belonging to the Portuguese royal family and nobility. The collection gives a full picture of the development of carriages from the late 16th through the 19th centuries, with carriages made in Italy, Portugal, France, Spain, Austria and England.

What great notes!

Just to add an update, in May of this year the National Coach Museum moved to new facilities, although keeping part of the collection at the riding arena. You can now visit either one or get a joint ticket that lets you visit both. Details on their new website: http://museudoscoches.pt/en/visite/

This is an incredibly great museum there, http://museu.gulbenkian.pt/Museu/en/Homepage

. . . .

Just wanted to make a note that as of this writing, this museum is open on Mondays, but closed on Tuesdays. I write this because a very famous guidebook stated it was closed on Mondays. So for those who want to go, be sure to check out their hours in advance.

Happy Travels!

Just wanted to make a note that as of this writing, this museum is open on Mondays, but closed on Tuesdays. I write this because a very famous guidebook stated it was closed on Mondays. So for those who want to go, be sure to check out their hours in advance.

 

Happy Travels!

Thanks for the update on the CALOUSTE GULBENKIAN MUSEUM. I had forgotten about this place. It is an amazing museum. Easy to spend hours there.

And for another thing to do a bit on the different side, consider visiting the Port Wine Institute. If you are into wine, this makes for an enlightening stop.