Find out all about our 1 day in Lisbon itinerary. These tips are for those people who, despite having such a short time, want to make the most of Portuguese culture.
Complete 1-day itinerary in Lisbon
If you only have 1 day to visit Lisbon, start your trip early by visiting one of the postcards of the Portuguese capital: the Jerónimos Monastery. Built in the 16th century, it is located in the Belém district and is close to the Tagus River estuary, which bathes the city.
This is one of Portugal’s most popular tourist attractions because, as well as being a benchmark of Portuguese Manueline architecture, it is one of the main hall churches on the continent. And the coolest thing is that, as you leave the monastery, you’ll see the Belém Tower, another beautiful spot in the city, which you can climb and enjoy incredible views over the river.
Important tip: To make the most of your trip is to stay in the best region. If you want, see our article here that explains the best area, hotels and how to save a lot on accommodation.
Moving on to Praça do Império, you’ll find the next item on this list of tips for your 1 day in Lisbon itinerary: the Padrão dos Descobrimentos. A depiction of the Age of Navigations with numerous sculpted historical characters such as Camões and Pedro Álvares Cabral.
Our tip is to stay in this area for lunch and, for dessert, try the delicious and traditional pastéis de Belém. Then take the metro to Oriente station, where you will enter the splendid Parque das Nações, a tourist attraction that was built for the 1998 World Expo, leaving a beautiful, modern and touristy legacy for the city.
Here you can ride the Lisbon Cable Car and be amazed by the beautiful view of the city from above. You can spend around 2 to 3 hours walking around the site, depending on what you want to see.
And since the visit and the ride are quick, you can round off the tips on what to do in 1 day in Lisbon itinerary by going to the center, in the Baixa Lisboa area.
There, you’ll see Praça Pedro IV and have the chance to go up the Santa Justa Elevator, which will take you to the bohemian Chiado district – one of the coolest in the city and which has a huge variety of shops, tourism and cafés. This is certainly the perfect end to your day of sightseeing in Lisbon.
Save money on tickets to paid attractions in Lisbon
There are incredible tours that take you to see the best of Lisbon and several other Portuguese cities. We’ve traveled the world and found a great company that offers all these guided tours at very good prices. On our last trips, it was precisely this Lisbon Tickets website that we used.
As well as being one of the biggest ticket sellers in the world, the site is very secure and you can buy all your tickets in one place. By the way, it’s always cheaper to buy your tickets in advance, online, to avoid queues and to avoid wasting your travel time.
Best-selling tickets:
- Free Tour of Lisbon
- Visit to St. George’s Castle Alfama district
- Lisbon Cable Car
- Lisbon Oceanarium
- Boat trip Tour of Belém
- Tour of Belém and Jerónimos Monastery
- Lisbon Card
Save money on your trip to Lisbon:
Saving money: do you want to plan your trip while making the most of your budget? Be sure to read our article on how to travel to Lisbon cheap, with all the tips to save the most, while still enjoying it!
Car: if you are thinking about renting one this is the best website. It compares the price at all rental companies and finds unbeatable prices. You can save up to 30%!
Mobile chip: we always use this chip. It’s electronic (eSIM), you install it instantly and you can use your cell phone’s Internet anywhere in the world.
Hotels: our article on where to stay in Lisbon. You will find out the best area, the hotels that we have stayed there and how to save a lot on the hotel.
Travel insurance: medical care in another country is very expensive and it is extremely important to take out travel insurance for any trip abroad. This is the website we always take out our insurance on. Reliable and at a good price.
Transfer: do you need one from the airport to the hotel? Find out here how to book and for the lowest price!
