101 Things to See and Do in Lisbon

If you've already browsed our section on the most important things to see in Lisbon and you want to discover even more, we've put together a special list just for you, so you won't have a dull moment when you visit the Portuguese capital:

 101 Things to See and Do in Lisbon

1. Visit the Antiga Confeitaria de Belém and eat half a dozen Pastéis de Belém. Fair warning: in summer you may find a long line (which moves quickly), as more than 20,000 of these are sold daily!
2. After trying the pastéis de nata, head to the shops on the opposite sidewalk and try the lesser-known Pastéis de Cerveja. A recipe almost as old as the one from Belém.
3. Go cycling (it's free!) in spring/summer from Cascais to Praia do Guincho.
4. Attend the fado gatherings on Saturday and Sunday afternoons at Tasca do Jaime. One of the best places to listen to fado in Lisbon. Pair it with the true traditional flavors of Portugal: bread, cheeses, and wines, along with excellent music.
5. Don't miss the Sachertorte at the Viennese café Kaffehaus, in Chiado. Its owners, of Austrian origin, wasted no time in taking on the local pastry scene — and they've been a resounding success.
6. Don't miss the chance to indulge in a delicious fruit ice cream from Heladería Santini. These ice creams deserve World Heritage status. You can also visit the original Santini Cascais.
7. Enjoy a Sunday brunch at one of these spots: LeMoustache, the café bus at Village Underground, the cathedral's neighbor Pois Café or an even more special one at Palacete Chafariz d'el Rei.
8. Visit the Feira da Ladra and pick up a vintage souvenir for under €5 by haggling with the vendors.
9. Discover the Borboletário at the Museu Nacional de História Natural. A butterfly greenhouse and breeding center open to the public, located in Lisbon's Botanical Garden at Rua da Escola Politécnica 56. Admission is €2 and it is closed on Mondays and public holidays.
10. Stroll along the banks of the Tagus on the new riverside promenade at the foot of Praça do Comércio. Sitting back to watch the gentle waves and doing some  people-watching is also a popular pastime here.
11. Enjoy the dolce far niente gazing into the endless horizon from Castelo de São Jorge.
12. Take a photo next to the bronze Fernando Pessoa outside Café A Brasileira.
13. Explore the Manueline architecture at the Jerónimos Monastery. Declared a UNESCO.
14. World Heritage Site Have a Tosta Mista at A Bela Bar
15. on a Saturday at 3am. More than just "mistas," they're practically "mystical."
16. Head to the Cais do Sodré area at the end of the day and celebrate in Lisbon's nightlife for as long as you can. Try to eat for under €7 atCasa Da India
17. . We've done it! Leave the map at the hotel and exploreAlfama
18. , one of the few neighborhoods that survived Lisbon's devastating 1755 earthquake. Getting lost in its winding Moorish alleyways is what we call experiencing Lisbon for real. Go to Mesa de Frades to listen to fado. Usually, singers — both professional and amateur
19. — who perform all across the city gather here on Fridays and Saturdays from midnight or 1am to share a few songs from their repertoire with the audience. You get to see the best of Lisbon's fado for the price of a beer (usually under €3). Take your laptop to catch up on work or connect with friends at a café in thePríncipe Real neighborhood . This part of Lisbon keeps getting better, with many great new spots opening up.
20. Treat yourself to the "bife à príncipe" at Príncipe de Calharizrestaurant: the dish is HUGE and comes with fries — or roasted potatoes if you prefer — rice, an egg, salad, and thick steaks at the bottom of the plate. It costs around €17 and we recommend sharing it between 2 people.
21. Watch a Portuguese football classic: Benfica vs. F.C Porto on the cinema screen at Café Imperio.
22. Ride the cable car in Parque Das Nações.
23. If money is no object, we recommend visiting one of Lisbon's fine dining restaurants: Belcanto, Feitoria, Bistro 100 Maneiras.
24. Ride the entire Tram 28route. Opt for quieter hours: early in the morning, between 1pm and 3pm, or in the evening.
25. Visit the Mercado da Ribeira, in Cais do Sodré. Time Out took over this once-abandoned market and turned it into a vibrant space featuring Portuguese and international food — perfect for grazing on small plates.
26. Set aside a full day to head to Setúbal, hop on the ferry that takes you across the river to the beautiful beach of the Tróia Peninsula. You won't regret it.
27. Join a group of wave lovers and take surf lessons at Costa De Caparica. A few minutes from Lisbon's city center. Equipment, instructor, two-hour class, and transportation included. Book here.
28. Share a family meal at Pizzeria Casanova. If you sit inside, you can call for service by switching on the light bulb above your table. If you sit outside, you'll probably wait a bit longer to be served, but the view is worth it. WARNING: Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays are busy days at this spot — wait times can reach 30 minutes.
29. Visit the Lisbon Oceanarium (Aquarium), a place where more than 8,000 marine species live in perfect harmony. Kids and adults enjoy it equally.
30. Head to the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, and enjoy a diverse collection of works spanning history from 2,000 BC to the present day; then take in its beautiful gardens, before or after your visit to the museum.
31. Ride the Santa Justa Elevator, designed by one of Eiffel's students (yes, the same Eiffel behind the Eiffel Tower, in Paris) and enjoy the view over central Lisbon.
32. Book a special table and take your partner to hear fado and enjoy a wonderful meal at Casa de Linhares / Bacalhau de Molho.
33. Head up to the terrace of the Lisbon National Pantheon on a sunny day and enjoy one of the best views of Lisbon. You can also leave flowers for the most celebrated fado singer of all time: Amália Rodrigues.
34. Sit on one of the terraces at Praça do Comércio. You can grab a bite, have a few beers, sip a vinho verde, or enjoy an ice cream as you watch the afternoon fade away.
35. Visit the family science museum Pavilhão do Conhecimento. Recommended in our guide Lisbon with Kids.
36. View the wind rose from the heights of the Padrão dos Descobrimentos known in English as the Monument to the Discoveries.
37. Explore the Roman, Moorish, and medieval remains in the Cloister of Lisbon Cathedral, better known as the Catedral da Sé.
38. See Lisbon's Cristo Reiup close — a replica standing 20 centimeters shorter than the one in Rio de Janeiro. You can take the boat and bike tour with this tour.
39. Step inside the Museum of Design and Fashion (MUDE) and see pieces by some of the great names in design on display there (such as Philippe Starck, Arne Jacobsen, or clothing designed by Yves Saint Laurent or Jean Paul Gaultier). Plus: IT'S FREE.
40. Travel 500 years back in time by stepping inside Belém Tower, one of the towers that once guarded the river entrance to the city.
41. Walk into Pavilhão Chinês –a bar that feels more like a kitsch museum — and ask for the cocktail menu: the illustrations alone are a delight.
42. If Duchamp, Warhol, Picasso, Dalí, Magritte, or Pollock are names that ring a bell, then you can't miss the Berardo Museum of Contemporary Art.
43. Take your time. Sit back and soak in the city from one of Lisbon's scenic viewpoints (miradouros).
44. Head to the LUX nightclub, one of Lisbon's most famous party spots — a club renowned not only for its spacious interiors and outstanding music selection, but also because one of its owners is Hollywood actor John Malkovich.
45. Some tourists overlook this gem, but it's one of our favorites: the Convento do Carmo. Exquisite ruins of a Gothic church left by the great earthquake, housing an archaeology collection that includes Peruvian mummies.
46. Head to Bairro Alto on a Friday night around 12:30 a.m. and try not to lose your friends in the crowd amid a pleasant buzz.
47. Pick up the most beautiful canned goods on Rua dos Bacalhoeiros at Conserveira de Lisboa. You'll have a hard time choosing your favorite tin. They pack them as gifts and make an excellent souvenir from the city.
48. Do something ZEN and eat in the outdoor garden of the vegetarian restaurant TERRA. The Dalai Lama has dined here on his most recent visits to Lisbon.
49. Attend the Independent Film Festival Indie Lisboa, held every year in the city and one of the most compelling around. (April and May).
50. Meet someone in Chiado, then go sit at the kiosk in Praça Luiz de Camões with a moscatel on the rocks, a vinho verde, or a ginjinha.
51. Head to the Fado Museum, and after sitting down at the square right in front for a few beers, go inside to discover the Portuguese passion for this musical genre.
52. If you have no interest in seeing the world's largest collection of astrolabes and scale naval models, then you won't want to visit the Navy Museum.
53. Take in the view of the 25 de Abril Bridge and the Cristo Rei from the neighborhood of Belém.
54. Visit Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra. We recommend taking the guided tour — it's a little pricier but well worth it. This is an "initiatic garden" consciously designed to "give expression to various religious symbols ranging from the Kabbalah to the Knights Templar, from Christianity to metaphysics." Truly MIND-BLOWING!
55. Since you're visiting Sintra, get lost for a while in its forest, with its magical landscapes. Foggy days are the most photogenic.
56. Head to the International Chocolate Festival held annually in Óbidos and eat chocolate until it's coming out of your ears. (July)
57. Drink a Portuguese beer — Super Bock or Sagres — while gazing at the 25 de Abril Bridge and the Tagus River from one of the restaurants in the Docas area.
58. Have a tenderloin at the Restaurante Café Buenos Aires while listening to tango and watching a Lisbon sunset.
59. If Calatrava and Alvaro Siza Vieira are names you recognize, you clearly have a passion for architecture. For that reason, make sure to visit the Parque das Nações (Park of Nations) and enjoy the visual delight of the Oriente Station's structure.
60. Go windsurfing at one of the best beaches for this sport in all of Europe: O Guincho.
61. Grab a burger at one of the cafés along the beachfront promenade at Costa da Caparica.
62. Take a dip in the Atlantic Ocean along the shores of Cascais, the "Portuguese St. Tropez," when the water reaches its summer peak temperature of 18 degrees.
63. Visit the Praça do Castelo de São Jorge, which just months after opening in 2010 received its first international architecture award — recognized for the architectural harmony it achieved in preserving what is known as "Lisbon's first inhabited site, dating back to the Iron Age, along with other remains of Moorish occupation and a 15th-century archbishop's palace."
64. Head to the Jardim Zoológico de Lisboa. Although it's a bit far from the city center and a little pricey, we think it's well worth it. The zoo is home to dolphins, tigers, chimpanzees, and giraffes, and also features a botanical garden, cafés, and children's play areas.
65. Bear in mind this only happens once a year and for just three days (at least for now): Enter Lisbon's Underground Roman Galleries in the Baixa area. It typically opens around late September, and the lines to get in can be extremely long. So bring patience and determination, because the underground journey is absolutely incredible. Especially enjoyable if you've already been to Rome.
66. Visit the Jardim da Estrela at any time of year. During summer there are concerts, and on the first weekend of every month there's a small street market showcasing crafts and design.
67. Step inside, even if just to look around, the Casa do Alentejo, — "a 17th-century Moorish palace where the influence of Arab culture on our country is unmistakable. Flashes of Morocco appear in the entrance hall, with its mosaic floors and ornate horseshoe arches decorated with fine details that define the architecture of the space." If you'd like to try something, we recommend the chorizo with a glass of red wine!
68. Stroll along Avenida da Liberdade from Rossio to Marquês de Pombal and admire the designer boutiques lining this bustling avenue.
69. Go for tapas at the WineBar do Castelo and sample some of Portugal's most prestigious wines, paired with the daily set menu or their wine-friendly specialties. It's located right next to São Jorge Castle.
70. Enjoy fresh fish and seafood on the other side of the river at Restaurante Ponto Final (Almada). Take the ferry from Cais do Sodré to Cacilhas. The view of Lisbon and the sunset from there is simply stunning.
71. At the lower level of the São Pedro de Alcântara Viewpoint, a kiosk serving hot dogs has opened. Grab one, rest on a bench in the square, and continue on your way.
72. Take the "Lisbon on Foot" tour, which for a modest fee offers an excellent journey through the city and its most fascinating landmarks.
73. Visit one of the  most visited museums in Portugal: the National Coach Museum, known in Portuguese as Museu dos Coches. Of wide interest across the Iberian Peninsula: "the collection highlights a rare example of a traveling carriage belonging to Philip II (Philip III of Spain), built in Spain between the 16th and 17th centuries, one of the oldest carriages known to exist."
74. Visit the Tile Museum (Museu do Azulejo), a richly rewarding museum that tells the story of Lisbon through its azulejos, an essential part of Portuguese architecture and decoration.
75. Eat Bacalhau (Salt Cod). It is said that salt cod in Portugal can be prepared 365 different ways, one for each day of the year. What is certain is that, regardless of the preparation, no other people in the world consume as much cod as the Portuguese. For that reason, no matter when or how, this is a sine qua non when visiting Lisbon. In any case, we recommend checking our restaurant list and choosing where to go.
76. Head to Parque Florestal Monsanto, the city's green lung, have a picnic, and play — football, chess, or anything else! There are also climbing walls, children's playgrounds, lush vegetation, and all kinds of local flora and fauna.
77. Visit the Príncipe Real Organic Market, one of the city's first organic initiatives, held in the main square of that neighborhood, very close to Bairro Alto, every Saturday morning at an early hour.
78. Stop by Confeitaria Nacional, the place where the bolo rei was created, and one of the most fascinating cafés in the city. It is located next to Praça da Figueira, just a few steps from Rossio square.
79. Come for the Festas de Santo António. For nearly two weeks, these festivities are celebrated in the Alfama neighborhood, one of the most traditional in the city. A mass wedding ceremony also takes place. Enormous quantities of sardines are grilled over charcoal, the soup "Caldo Verde" is served, and plenty of red wine flows on different street corners throughout the neighborhood, where a lively and festive atmosphere goes on until the early hours of — well, who am I kidding: until the next day! It is celebrated every June 13th and the entire city comes to a standstill to enjoy one of the most fun celebrations of the year. Popular marches with live music are also organized and can be followed throughout the city center.
80. Eat picanha. Although it is Brazilian in origin, it has become part of the local culture. It is a meat dish with a very particular cut — essentially the king of the churrasco. You can try it at  Picanha – Janelas Verdes, although most traditional Portuguese restaurants include it on their menus.
81. Dine at A Travessa, one of the most unique restaurants in the city. Set within the grounds of a 17th-century convent, founded by a Belgian in 1978 and boasting years of experience preparing its delicious roasted pork dish, as well as its celebrated dessert: an olive oil cake with condensed milk, green figs, and toasted pine nuts and almonds.
82. Take a sailboat cruise along the Tagus. Enjoy the sunset over Lisbon with a glass of champagne in hand. For less than you might think: Book a River Cruise in Lisbon.
83. Ring in the New Year at the Praça do Comércio. There are few things more Lisbon than this. Gathering alongside a crowd of Portuguese people, watching Portuguese bands perform, and enjoying a light show on the banks of the Tagus is one of the best ways to spend New Year's Eve in this city.
84. Stay at one of the stunning design hotels that Lisbon has to offer. If you want something truly special, look for the Altis Belém.
85. Explore every venue along Rua dos Remédios in Alfama. In recent years it has become one of the most popular streets in the city, blending unpretentious Portuguese charm with influences from other European cities.
86. Buy a hat at "A Loja Dos Chapéus", a shop located in Bairro Alto where, for a fair price, you can find everything from berets to party hats. An excellent souvenir to treat yourself to on your visit to Lisbon.
87. For under €20, book a three-course dinner at the Hard Rock Café Lisboa.
88. Head to Largo Das Portas Do Sol, in Alfama, and watch the afternoon fade and the trams go by from the terraces located there. Map here.
89. Head to the Miradouro Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen and admire the city while listening to the church bells ring. Map here.
90. Head to Parque das Nações, rent a bike, and pedal toward the Vasco da Gama Bridge. The area features wide green spaces, children's parks, and open views along the river.
91. See Lisbon from a bird's-eye view with this Lisbon helicopter tour. Definitely the most adventurous idea on this list.
92. Visit "Cacau Da Ribeira" in Cais Do Sodré and enjoy a hot chocolate late at night. They also serve croquettes and other quick bites for those heading out of clubs in the early hours.
93. Stop by LX Factory, and explore some of its shops, companies, bookstores, or galleries. It is a place that brings together the best of Lisbon's creative scene: designers, architects, filmmakers, and more. LX Factory is a building that temporarily serves as home to dozens of creative firms and, while awaiting permits for the demolition and reconstruction of the area, has become this kind of super modern, post-industrial Lisbon. A mini city that is great fun and well worth a visit.
94. Join a pub crawl in Lisbon. This experience gets you into 3 popular clubs without queuing and with free-flow beer and sangria. If you enjoy going out and meeting people, it's an activity not to be missed.
95. Have a ginjinha in Rossio — a very popular cherry liqueur in Lisbon. Map of the most popular spot.
96. On a hot summer day, head to the ice cream shop Fragoleto in the Baixa and order a special sorbet, such as lemon and basil — few things are more refreshing than this ice cream.
97. Stay a few days in Alfama. We believe that, being such a traditional and unique neighborhood, there is no better way to truly experience and "feel" Lisbon than by "living" in this area for a few days. The challenge is to chat with the people working in the nearby shops, buy fruit at the small local grocers, head out at night to the bars and connect with the locals, and wander through the neighborhood streets during the day. Staying in an apartment in Alfama is quite an original idea — and if you can do it, you should!
98. Visit the Film Museum (Cinemateca de Lisboa) and catch whatever film is showing. For under €3, it is one of the best things you could do, and the beautiful venue is well worth admiring too.
99. Have an "amarguinha com limão" at Bicaense, a bar on the same street as the Elevador Da Bica.
100. Take a photo at Praça do Comércio with the Arco da Rua Augusta in the background. A classic.
101. COMMENT! From your favorite corner of Lisbon, tell us what you loved most. And share this list with all the tourists, friends, and family members visiting the city. And if possible, contribute your own ideas so we can write the list of 1,001 things to do and see in Lisbon sooner rather than later =) Thank you.