48 Hours in Lisbon, Slowly
Lisbon rewards anyone willing to start early and walk uphill. This is how I’d spend two days there again — no checklists, just a route that keeps you out of the worst queues.
Day one: tram 28 and Alfama
Catch the 28E at Martim Moniz before 8:30. After nine the queue stretches round the square, and by ten you’ll be standing the whole way. Ride it to Prazeres and back, then get off at Largo das Portas do Sol and lose yourself downhill through Alfama. Don’t use a map for the first hour; every lane eventually drops you near the river.
Lunch at any tasca with a handwritten menu by the door. The prato do dia is usually under twelve euros and comes with soup.
Day one, evening: miradouros
Miradouro da Senhora do Monte is higher and quieter than Graça next door. Arrive forty minutes before sunset and bring something to sit on.
Day two: Belém by river, back by tram
Take the 15E out to Belém in the morning. Skip the monastery queue unless you’re there at opening; the cloister is beautiful, but the riverfront walk to the MAAT is free and empty before noon. Pastéis de Belém is worth it once — eat them warm, standing at the counter.
Practical notes
- A Viva Viagem card with zapping credit is cheaper than single tickets on trams and the metro.
- Calçada cobbles are slippery even when dry. Wear shoes with grip.
- Most museums close on Mondays.
