About

About ULTIMATE Lisbon City Guide

ULTIMATE Lisbon City Guide is an independent guide for visitors to Lisbon, Portugal. We publish 14 curated lists: restaurants, cafés, bars, hotels, sights, arts & culture, parks, walks, shopping, health, property, developments, motoring and getting around. We cover Chiado and the Baixa, Alfama and the castle, Príncipe Real and the Bairro Alto, the Avenida da Liberdade, Belém, Lapa and Estrela, and the Parque das Nações, with day trips to Sintra, Cascais and Estoril, Comporta, Évora and the Alentejo, and Óbidos.

Our editor

Jai Michael is Editor-in-Chief of the ULTIMATE City Guides. With more than 25 years in the media industry, he founded ABSOLUTE brighton and London TV, and has worked with leading luxury brands around the world.

How we choose

Every place in our lists has been checked against its own website or an official source such as Património Cultural and museusemonumentos.pt, Turismo de Lisboa (visitlisboa.com), Parques de Sintra, Carris, Metro de Lisboa, CP, ANA Aeroportos, the Autoridade Tributária, AIMA, UNESCO or The MICHELIN Guide. MICHELIN stars are quoted only from the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Portugal. We use no ratings, and we leave out anything we can’t confirm.

Before you go

Opening hours, entry rules and timetables change often, and several of Lisbon’s lifts and museums are closed for works in 2026. Please check directly with each place, and with official sources, before you travel. Prices are in euros (€).

For venues

Run a venue in Lisbon and spotted something to update? We review our lists regularly and welcome corrections.

Photo credits

• The terminal building of Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport, by Sharon Hahn Darlin, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Holm oaks, vineyards and golden fields of the Alentejo plain, by Alvesgaspar, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The walls of the Castelo de São Jorge and its pines above the rooftops of the old city, by Massimo Catarinella, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The walls of the Castelo de São Jorge and its pines above the rooftops of the old city, by Massimo Catarinella, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The royal box and gilded tiers of the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, by Nonducorduco1971, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The two-storey Manueline cloister of the Jerónimos Monastery around its lawn and fountain, by Jakub Hałun, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The tree-lined promenade and water channel of the Avenida da Liberdade, with patterned paving, by -wuppertaler, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The tree-lined promenade and water channel of the Avenida da Liberdade, with patterned paving, by -wuppertaler, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The gilded church of the Madre de Deus at the Museu Nacional do Azulejo, with blue-and-white tile panels, by Philip Mallis from Melbourne, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lisbon’s red roofs falling to the Tagus, with the dome of the National Pantheon and the church of São Vicente de Fora under a clear blue sky, by Dudva, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Tower of Belém on the Tagus under a blue sky with white clouds, by Alvesgaspar, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Tower of Belém on the Tagus under a blue sky with white clouds, by Alvesgaspar, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The 25 de Abril Bridge across the Tagus to Lisbon, seen from the south bank, by Ingo Mehling, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Trays of freshly baked pastéis de nata, by Photo Claude TRUONG-NGOC, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The hall of the Cais do Sodré railway station, with its clock and arched window, by Simon Burchell, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The 25 de Abril Bridge across the Tagus to Lisbon, seen from the south bank, by Ingo Mehling, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Santa Marta lighthouse and a seaside villa in Cascais at dusk, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A tower and the walls of the Castelo de São Jorge, with olive trees and a cobbled path, by Jakub Hałun, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Castelo de São Jorge on its hill above the rooftops of the Baixa, by Jakub Hałun, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Tiled façades, balconies and red roofs seen from Chiado, by Ввласенко, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Rua Augusta Arch and the yellow arcades of the Praça do Comércio under a blue sky, by Bernard Gagnon, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The suspended building of the National Coaches Museum in Belém, by Reino Baptista, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Rua Augusta Arch and the yellow arcades of the Praça do Comércio under a blue sky, by Bernard Gagnon, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red and yellow Pena Palace on its wooded peak above Sintra, by Jakub Hałun, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A train at the platform of the Baixa-Chiado metro station, by Daniel from Glasgow, United Kingdom, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Teatro Nacional D. Maria II on the Rossio, framed by jacaranda trees in flower, by Nan Palmero from San Antonio, TX, USA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The box hedges of the Parque Eduardo VII running down to the Marquês de Pombal and the Tagus, by Jules Verne Times Two, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Forte da Cruz above the beach at Estoril in the blue hour, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Looking up into the dome and marble vaults of the Basílica da Estrela, by T meltzer, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A marble fountain among tropical plants in the Estufa Fria, by 0000ff, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Corinthian columns of the Roman temple in Évora under a blue sky, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The towers and Gothic portal of Évora Cathedral, by Ingo Mehling, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The entrance of the Museu do Fado in Alfama, by 69joehawkins, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A Tagus ferry, with Lisbon across the water under a blue sky, by Mister No, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A kitesurfer in the surf at Guincho, under the cliffs of the Sintra hills, by Alvesgaspar, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A gallery of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum with a picture window onto the garden, by GualdimG, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A fountain and pool in the Gulbenkian Garden under a blue sky, by GualdimG, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A marble fountain among tropical plants in the Estufa Fria, by 0000ff, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lisbon’s red roofs falling to the Tagus, with the dome of the National Pantheon and the church of São Vicente de Fora under a clear blue sky, by Dudva, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Tiled façades, balconies and red roofs seen from Chiado, by Ввласенко, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The tree-lined promenade and water channel of the Avenida da Liberdade, with patterned paving, by -wuppertaler, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The two-storey Manueline cloister of the Jerónimos Monastery around its lawn and fountain, by Jakub Hałun, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The carved ribbed vault of a gallery in the Jerónimos cloister, by Jakub Hałun, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A stepped street under trees between yellow tiled houses, by Pedro Ribeiro Simões from Lisboa, Portugal, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Looking up into the dome and marble vaults of the Basílica da Estrela, by T meltzer, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The tree-lined promenade and water channel of the Avenida da Liberdade, with patterned paving, by -wuppertaler, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A painted warehouse at the LX Factory, with the 25 de Abril Bridge behind, by TJ DeGroat from San Francisco, CA, Los estados unidos, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The curving tiled roof and riverside steps of MAAT on the Tagus, by Nan Palmero from San Antonio, TX, USA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A train at the platform of the Baixa-Chiado metro station, by Daniel from Glasgow, United Kingdom, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The entrance of the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga on the Rua das Janelas Verdes, by Ana Correia 28, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The woods of Monsanto Forest Park, with the Tagus beyond, by Manuelvbotelho, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The stone battlements of the Moorish Castle on the ridge above Sintra, by travelmag.com, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The tree-like steel canopy over the platforms of the Gare do Oriente, by Bobo Boom, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Trays of freshly baked pastéis de nata, by Photo Claude TRUONG-NGOC, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Canal houses and bridges in Amsterdam, by Michielverbeek, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alhambra in Granada in the evening light, by Jebulon, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The floodlit Acropolis and Parthenon at dusk, seen from Philopappos Hill, by Giles Laurent, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The pink sand beach of Harbour Island, the Bahamas, by Rüdiger Stehn from Kiel, Deutschland, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The road winding out to the lighthouse on Cap de Formentor, Mallorca, above the open sea, by Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Grand Palace reflected at dawn, by Nawit science, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The golden sand and calm water of Paynes Bay, St. James, by Barry haynes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sagrada Família lit up at night, by Maksim Sokolov, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Belgrade's old town and the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael above the Sava at sunset, photo: © ULTIMATE International Media.
• The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin against a blue sky, by Berthold Werner, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Royal Pavilion in Brighton under a blue sky, by Qmin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Romanian Athenaeum in its garden, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the Danube, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The pyramids of Giza across the desert, by Ricardo Liberato, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bixby Creek Bridge on the Big Sur coast, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Nyhavn, Copenhagen, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro, by Gzzz, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Burj Khalifa and Business Bay at blue hour, by Robert Bock, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Ha’penny Bridge on the Liffey, Dublin, by Chris Rycroft, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Edinburgh Castle on its rock above the trees of West Princes Street Gardens, by Matti Blume, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A schooner silhouetted against the sunset off Key West, by Joe Parks from Berkeley, CA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Aerial view of the white sand spit of Ses Illetes and Llevant, the salt pans and, across the strait, Ibiza and Es Vedrà, by Beni Marull, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Baie des Anges, Nice, by Tobi 87, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Blue domes of Oia above the Santorini caldera, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Helsinki Cathedral above the South Harbour, by Ввласенко, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hong Kong Island and the harbour at night from Victoria Peak, by Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The walls of Dalt Vila and the cathedral above the harbour of Ibiza Town, in late sun, by Charles from Port Chester, New York, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hagia Sophia and its minarets in golden evening light, by Nserrano, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Varenna on Lake Como, by Daniel Case, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Las Vegas Strip at dusk, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lisbon’s rooftops falling to the Tagus under a clear blue sky, by Dudva, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Congress Square, Ljubljana, with the castle on its hill behind, by Petar Milošević, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower lit at dusk across the Thames, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Downtown Los Angeles at sunset beneath the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains, by Alek Leckszas, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Metrópolis building at the start of the Gran Vía, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• La Seu, Palma’s Gothic cathedral, and the Almudaina above the old sea wall, seen from the Parc de la Mar, by Enric, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An aerial view of a small island ringed by reef in the Maldives, by Luka Peternel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Valletta’s honey-coloured skyline, with the dome of the Carmelite church and the spire of St Paul’s, above the harbour at sunset, by Olga Prystai, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yachts in Puerto Banús, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Turquoise water below the pine-topped cliffs at Cala Macarella, Menorca, by Markus Trienke, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, by Robbschultz69, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Duomo di Milano and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II on the Piazza del Duomo, by kuhnmi, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Monaco from above, Port Hercule and Monte-Carlo below the mountains, by Spike, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Taj Mahal Palace and the Gateway of India from the harbour, by iMahesh, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sunset at the Naples Pier, by pmarkham, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The New York City skyline from Top of the Rock, by Dillan Payne, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Oslo Opera House, by Christian David, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Eiffel Tower seen from the Trocadéro in Paris, by Chabe01, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Millennium Bridge over the Morača, by Desemeus, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Prague Castle and Charles Bridge, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, by Berthold Werner, edit by Böhringer, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peak, by Kabelleger / David Gubler, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Church of St John at Kaneo above Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Reykjavík and Mount Esja from Hallgrímskirkja, by Jakub Hałun, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Peter’s Basilica in Rome under a clear blue sky, by Alvesgaspar, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Golden Gate Bridge seen from Battery Spencer, by Christoph Strässler, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sebilj fountain and the square of Baščaršija, by Yukof, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Lujiazui skyline lit up at night across the Huangpu River, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The towers of the Central Business District lit up at night, reflected in Marina Bay, by Bijay Chaurasia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Matterhorn in winter above Zermatt, by JoachimKohler-HB, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Warrior on a Horse fountain in Macedonia Square, Skopje, lit at night, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia, under a pink evening sky, by Jose Ligero Loarte, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A caparisoned elephant in the Esala Perahera procession, Kandy, by Daniel Liabeuf, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the twin volcanic spires of the UNESCO-listed Pitons, by xiquinhosilva, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gamla Stan, Stockholm, by Nordenfan, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Longtail boats on West Railay beach beneath the limestone cliffs, by Krzysztof Golik, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The restored Pyramid of Tirana under a blue sky, by BBB2021, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Rolling green hills and a farmhouse near Pienza in the Val d’Orcia, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Calatrava’s Hemisfèric lit at twilight, reflected in its pool, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Grand Canal and Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, by Irin Acassi, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The tiled roof of St Stephen’s Cathedral and the rooftops of central Vienna, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Mark's Church and its tiled roof on St Mark's Square, Zagreb's Upper Town, by Jorge Láscar from Australia, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Zurich and the Limmat, by Daniel Kraft, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A cobbled lane of whitewashed houses with bougainvillea inside the walls of Óbidos, by Alexkom000, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A shoal of fish silhouetted in the blue light of the Oceanário de Lisboa, by Anthony Brass, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The tree-like steel canopy over the platforms of the Gare do Oriente, by Bobo Boom, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Padrão dos Descobrimentos and its carved figures against a deep blue sky, by Ingo Mehling, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The box hedges of the Parque Eduardo VII running down to the Marquês de Pombal and the Tagus, by Jules Verne Times Two, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red and yellow Pena Palace on its wooded peak above Sintra, by Jakub Hałun, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Castelo de São Jorge on its hill above the rooftops of the Baixa, by Jakub Hałun, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A stepped street under trees between yellow tiled houses, by Pedro Ribeiro Simões from Lisboa, Portugal, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A stepped street under trees between yellow tiled houses, by Pedro Ribeiro Simões from Lisboa, Portugal, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Looking down the spiral staircase of the initiation well at the Quinta da Regaleira, by Maria Eklind, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sardines grilling over charcoal, by Joseolgon, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Rossio, with its column, bronze fountain and wave-patterned paving, by This photo was taken by Anton Zelenov. Please credit this with : Photo : Anton Z, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A blue-and-white azulejo panel of the Lisbon waterfront at the Miradouro de Santa Luzia, by tomislav medak, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The royal box and gilded tiers of the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, by Nonducorduco1971, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The façade of the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos on the Largo de São Carlos, by Lijealso, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sardines grilling over charcoal, by Joseolgon, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The tree-lined promenade and water channel of the Avenida da Liberdade, with patterned paving, by -wuppertaler, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white façade and conical chimneys of the National Palace of Sintra, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A yellow Tram 28 bound for Prazeres on a narrow street, with the river at the end of the view, by Ввласенко, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The tree-like steel canopy over the platforms of the Gare do Oriente, by Bobo Boom, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The walls of the Castelo de São Jorge and its pines above the rooftops of the old city, by Massimo Catarinella, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.