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I moved my family of four to Lisbon in August 2024, and I have been embarrassingly, unreservedly in love with this city ever since, although I love Porto too.
Before I retired at 42, left a career in Big Law, and made location freedom a reality through investing and building my Etsy print-on-demand business, Lisbon was a dream. Now it is my Tuesday.
And because it is my Tuesday, I know all the things to do in Lisbon. I know which tram line is beautiful but not worth the wait. I know which viewpoints the tour buses skip. I know the restaurant with the babysitter.
I know the kiosk where you can drink a glass of wine while your kids play and see them the entire time, which is the closest I have come to a perfect afternoon in this city.
If it is your first time in Lisbon, this is the guide I wish someone had handed me on my first visit before I moved here. Not a listicle of landmarks. A real map, from someone who grocery shops here and has walked every cobblestone street with a stroller, a coffee, and too much optimism about the hills.
Three to four days is all you need for a proper first time.
Here are all the things to do in Lisbon and what to skip.
How to get around Lisbon on your first visit
Getting around is the first decision that will make or break your first time in Lisbon, and I want to be direct with you: the city is beautiful and the hills are real.
Start your first day in Lisbon with a tuk tuk tour
This is the one recommendation I give to everyone visiting Lisbon for the first time, and I give it without qualification. Book a tuk tuk tour on your first morning.
You will cover the historic neighborhoods of Alfama, Mouraria, Graça, Chiado, and Bairro Alto, hit the best miradouros, learn the city’s layout from someone who actually lives here, and do it without destroying your knees on seven consecutive hills.
If you have any mobility limitations at all, this is especially the right call.
I have a specific guide I recommend personally: his name is Diogo, and I will share his WhatsApp contact below so you can book directly. +351 932 474 115
Booking with a local matters. A good tuk tuk guide is not just a driver. He or she is someone who has watched this city transform, who grew up in these neighborhoods, and who can tell you what the building you are passing actually meant to the people who lived in it.
If Diogo is not available, here are two highly rated private tuk tuk tours worth booking. The Private Tuk-Tuk City Tour with hotel pickup and drop off. It is consistently top-rated for its Portuguese local guides and flexible routing.
For a unique experience, try the Private Food and Wine Tuk Tuk Tour which combines sightseeing with stops at a local tavern for codfish cakes, custard tarts, and Portuguese wine. That is four hours very well spent.
The truth about Tram 28
Every first-time visitor to Lisbon has Tram 28 on their list. I understand the appeal. Those yellow trams winding through Alfama are genuinely iconic, and they are beautiful to see in motion.
Here is my take: skip it.
In peak season, the wait stretches to an hour or more, the tram is packed enough to stop being enjoyable, and pickpocketing is a known issue on busy runs. Locals I have spoken to will tell you the same thing. You do not need to ride it to experience it.
And, some locals actually need to ride it to get around the city and to work!
Walk through Alfama. Let the tram pass you on the narrow street. Take the photo. The yellow trams are everywhere in this city, and they are beautiful wherever you see them.
Your tuk tuk tour will take you through the same streets and the same views at a fraction of the effort and zero of the wait.
Uber and getting around the rest of the city
Uber works well in Lisbon and is affordable by any major-city comparison, especially Boston from where I moved. Bolt is also an excellent option and is sometimes cheaper than Uber.
For families or groups, it is usually more practical than navigating the metro with bags and tired kids. The metro is clean and efficient for longer distances, but in the historic center most things are walkable if you pace yourself and accept the hills as part of the experience.
One practical note: standard rolling suitcases with wheels do not survive cobblestones. Pack a soft bag or be prepared to carry.
Top things to do in Lisbon for first-timers
Ulysses: one of the world’s best cocktail bars, hidden in Alfama
If you do one thing in Lisbon that you will not be able to explain to anyone who was not there, make it Ulysses. This bespoke cocktail bar in Alfama is listed among the world’s 50 best bars, and it is genuinely unlike anything else you will experience in this city or possibly anywhere.
The space is the size of a large closet. The shelves hold around 380 labels, rare bourbons, vintage spirits, liqueurs you would not find outside the plushest hotel bars in the world, including a 1930s Campari and a Booth’s gin bottled in the 1940s.
Founder Manuel Barreira is usually behind the bar himself, and the experience is bespoke: he crafts cocktails based entirely on what you enjoy in the moment, sitting with you as he works.
There is no menu. But, there is just a remarkable bartender, extraordinary spirits, and a conversation. You leave feeling like you found something that was never meant to be found.
This is reservations only, and you will need to book at least 24 hours in advance. Book via Instagram @UlyssesLisbon or email cocktails@ulysseslisbon.com.
Book Ulysses before you book your flight. Spots go fast and it is worth building your itinerary around, it has been one of my favorite experiences in Lisbon.
The viewpoints (miradouros)
Lisbon’s miradouros are the lookout terraces scattered across the hilltops, and they are free, beautiful, and where locals actually go on warm evenings.
Your tuk tuk tour will hit several of them naturally.
On your own, the three worth seeking out are:
Miradouro da Senhora do Monte
Miradouro de Santa Luzia
Miradouro de Sao Pedro de Alcantara
A Fado show in Alfama
Fado is Portugal’s soul music, and hearing it live in Alfama, the neighborhood where it was born in the early 19th century, is one of the most moving experiences you can have on a first time in Lisbon.
It is a genre built on saudade, a Portuguese word that has no direct English translation but describes something like a profound, beautiful longing and nostalgia. When a good Fado singer performs, the whole room goes still.
I recommend booking a tour that combines a walking tour of Alfama or Mouraria with a traditional Portuguese dinner and a live Fado performance at a Fado house.
The Alfama Tour and Live Fado with Traditional Dinner is a strong option, with knowledgable guides that can give you an in-depth rundown of the rich history.
For a more intimate, accessible option, the Fado Show and Portuguese Dinner tour is excellent and the guides take time to explain the music and translate during the performance!
Castelo de São Jorge
São Jorge Castle is Lisbon’s most visited attraction, and it is genuinely worth seeing. Originally built by the Moors in the 11th century, it sits at the top of Alfama with views over the city’s red rooftops and the Tagus River that are hard to beat.
I will be honest with you: most locals I know will tell you it is more impressive from the outside than it is worth your time inside.
If you are passing through Alfama, stop for photos from the surrounding streets and the viewpoints nearby.
If you want to go in, pre-book a skip-the-line ticket to save the queue, especially in summer. There is a skip-the-line ticket with a 15-minute guided introduction that pairs well with a walk through Alfama.
The Jerónimos Monastery, Belém
The Jerónimos Monastery is one of the most extraordinary buildings in Europe. The cloisters are carved in the Manueline style, intricate stonework that looks almost impossible, and the entire structure is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Lines in high season can reach 60 to 120 minutes, so pre-booking a timed ticket is essential.
The monastery opens at 9:30am on weekdays and getting there at opening with a pre-booked ticket is the best strategy.
Note that the Belém Tower is currently closed for construction, so focus your morning in Belém on the Monastery and lunch at SUD (more on SUD below).
And, right next door to the Monastery is a place where you can get the famous Pastéis de Belém (more on that below too!)
Alfama on foot
Alfama is Lisbon’s oldest neighborhood and the one most worth wandering. Narrow streets, laundry strung between windows, Fado music drifting out of restaurant doorways in the evenings.
Walk it in the morning before the tour groups arrive. Let yourself get a little lost.
The streets will eventually return you to something recognizable, and the getting lost is actually the point.
The Time Out Market
The Time Out Market in Cais do Sodré is exactly what a food market should be: around 40 vendors under one iron-domed roof, with everything from fresh fish and grilled octopus to artisan cheese, petiscos, and the best custard tarts in a neighborhood already famous for them.
All the food is so so so amazing.
Is it a bit more expensive then a regular Portuguese Tasca? Yes. Is it touristy? Yes. But, it is still a fun experience for foodies and non foodies. Fabulous food you can try and a great atmosphere.
It is busiest on evenings and weekends. Go for lunch if you want more space to breathe and a table that does not require negotiation. The market is at Avenida 24 de Julho, a short walk from the metro.
The kiosk and playground move (my most underrated tip for parents)
One of the things I fell in love with about Lisbon is something most travel guides never mention: the playgrounds here have kiosks right next to them.
Right there, adjacent, with tables where you can sit and see your kids playing while you drink a glass of wine in the sun.
This is a city that genuinely built its parks for families, and it is one of the small things that made me feel like I had made the right decision in moving here.
My personal favorite is the Quiosque do Cais at Jardim Dom Luís I in Cais do Sodré, directly across from the Time Out Market.
It is a red kiosk that has become something of a local landmark, at least for me. There is a playground right beside it where kids can run and swing and jump while you sit with a drink and watch them the entire time.
It costs almost nothing and it is a genuinely perfect Lisbon afternoon.
Lisbon built its parks for families. Find a kiosk, find a playground, and do not rush.
For museum lovers
If you have an extra half day and a love of culture, two museums in Lisbon are genuinely worth the detour.
The National Tile Museum (Museu Nacional do Azulejo) is housed in a 16th-century convent and covers the full history of Portugal’s extraordinary azulejo tile tradition, the blue and white painted tiles you see on buildings and train stations across the country.
The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, a little further from the historic center, houses one of the great private art collections in the world, with masterpieces from Rembrandt to Egyptian antiquities, all in a beautiful garden setting.
Pastel de nata: the pastry you absolutely cannot leave Lisbon without
The pastel de nata is Portugal’s most famous pastry, and it is one of those things that sounds like a tourist cliché until you eat one fresh from the oven and suddenly understand what all the fuss is about.
A small custard tart with a flaky shell, a slightly caramelized top, and a filling that is simultaneously rich and impossibly light, served warm and dusted with cinnamon.
The recipe traces back to monks at the Jerónimos Monastery, which is why the original version is technically called a Pastel de Belém, and the bakery that has held that recipe since 1837 is still standing, right next to the Monastery.
The original: Pastéis de Belém at Rua de Belém 84-92 is the only place that makes the original version using the original monk recipe, which is still a closely guarded secret. The bakery sells over 20,000 tarts a day and has been named one of Portugal’s Seven Wonders of Gastronomy. Go in the morning to pair it with a visit to the Monastery next door. There will be a line. Actually, there are two lines. The longer line is to be seated inside. But, on the corner there is a takeaway line that moves VERY quickly. I do this every time because I hate waiting in line.
An award winner: Pastelaria Aloma in Campo de Ourique and Parque das Nações has won the Best Pastel de Nata in Lisbon competition five times, most recently in 2025. It has been open since 1943 and every tart is still made entirely by hand, without industrial machines. The flagship is at Rua Francisco Metrass 67 in Campo de Ourique. If you are not able to make it to Belém, Aloma is your answer. Get their pistachio latte too. It is to DIE for.
And if you are not into the fanfare of a famous bakery at all, walk into any local Portuguese grocery store (Pingo Doce or Continente) and grab one for around 50 cents. Every single one will be good. That is just how Lisbon works with this pastry.
The best tours and experiences in Lisbon
Food tours
A food tour is one of the best things you can do on a first time in Lisbon. The city’s food culture runs deep and the best of it is not on the main tourist streets.
A good food tour takes you into the tascas, the family-run grocery stores, and the neighborhood spots that have been there since before you were born.
Here are two worth booking.
The Undiscovered Lisbon Food and Wine Tour is consistently the top-rated food tour in the city, with over 7,600 five-star reviews and the 2025 Viator Winner award.
It takes you deep into Baixa and Mouraria with exclusive access to a historic Fado house where a local chef does a tasting. Guides like Kriszti are praised for warmth and their ability to connect the food to the neighborhood’s story. The tour runs 3.5 hours.
For something that covers more ground, the Tastes and Traditions Food Tour walks you through Baixa, Chiado, and Cais do Sodré with stops at a century-old bakery, a traditional grocery where you sample acorn-fed Iberian ham, the ginjinha spot, and a family-run tasca for salt cod with alheira sausage.
This one earns its reputation with first-time visitors specifically. Guide Sara has received excellent reviews for making the food personal and historically grounded.
Wine Tours: Setúbal and the Alentejo
Portugal is one of the most underrated wine countries in the world, and Lisbon sits between two exceptional wine regions that are both easy day trips from the city.
For something closer, the Setúbal Peninsula is about an hour south of Lisbon and produces some of Portugal’s most distinctive wines, including the world-famous purple Moscatel that grows exclusively in this region.
The Private Setúbal Region Wine Tasting Tour includes hotel pickup, visits to multiple wineries, and tastings of award-winning reds and whites alongside local cheese and bread. Guide Ricardo is mentioned by name in multiple reviews for his knowledge of both the wine and the regional culture.
For the full experience, a private day trip to the Alentejo is one of the best things you can add to this trip. I have done this personally and it was exceptional.
The landscape alone is worth it: rolling plains, cork oak forests, whitewashed villages, and a quality of light that feels different from everywhere else in Portugal. Seriously, we saw stars at night, which I miss so much living in the city.
A Private Évora and Alentejo Wine Tour from Lisbon includes hotel pickup, a guided visit to the UNESCO city of Évora, and two winery visits including the prestigious Herdade do Esporão.
The full-day tour includes a five-course paired lunch at the winery, which is worth the price on its own.
Day trips from Lisbon: Sintra, Cascais, and wine country
Sintra: book a private tour, full stop
Sintra is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, and also one of the most crowded. The logistics of getting there independently, navigating the steep terrain between the palaces, and managing ticket lines during high season can turn a genuinely magical day into a frustrating one.
This is one place where doing it independently is not worth the money you save.
Book a private tour with hotel pickup. A good private guide will get you to Pena Palace early, before the crowds hit the interior, and customize the day around what you actually want to see.
Pena Palace, Quinta da Regaleira, the Moorish Castle, and the historic village center are all worth time. Especially Quinta da Regaleira, it is stunning and my kids absolutely loved it. My daughter was convinced rapunzel lives in one of the towers on the property.
You cannot do all of them well in a half day on your own.
I recommend this Private Tour of Sintra from Lisbon of the Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira. It runs 8 hours with hotel pickup, and the operator specifically starts at 8am to secure a 9:30am palace slot before crowds build.
For a half-day option, the Private Half-Day Pena Palace Tour with Hotel Pickup runs five to six hours with skip-the-line access. The tour has earned excellent reviews for making the palace’s history feel personal.
Cascais: easy to do on your own, or combine it
Cascais is a completely different situation. It is a 30 to 40-minute train ride from Cais do Sodré metro station, and that ride along the coast is one of the most scenic commutes in Europe.
You can also take an Uber or Bolt for roughly 25 to 30 euros. Either way, Cascais is easy enough to do independently.
Once you are there, walk from the marina toward Boca do Inferno, the dramatic cliff formation where Atlantic waves crash into sea caves.
It is a short coastal walk past the Santa Maria lighthouse and one of the best things you can do in Portugal.
For lunch, we love YAM at the Cascais Marina. Great food, beautiful water views, the kind of easy afternoon meal that makes you want to stay another hour.
For the sunset, take a taxi or drive out toward Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe.
There is a coastal road with pullover spots near the Guincho Road where you can park, walk to the cliff edge, and watch the Atlantic swallow the sun with nothing between you and 5,000 miles of open ocean.
The drive from Cascais to Cabo da Roca at sunset is one of the most quietly spectacular things you can do in the greater Lisbon area.
If you want hotel pickup and a guide who covers both Cascais and Sintra in a single day, the Sintra and Cascais Small-Group Day Trip from Lisbon covers Sintra, Cabo da Roca, and Cascais in one well-organized day with pickup from central Lisbon. It is the most efficient way to do both destinations without navigating multiple transfers.
Where to eat in Lisbon on your first visit
Lisbon will not let you eat badly. The baseline quality here is genuinely high even in places that look like nothing from the outside. These are the specific spots I send people to on a first time in Lisbon.
SUD Restaurant, Belém
Go to SUD for the view and stay for the food. This large, spacious restaurant in Belém sits right on the Tagus River, and every seat in the house has a view.
People walking the waterfront promenade. The wide river. The light in the late afternoon. I have been here multiple times and it remains one of my favorite places to eat in Lisbon.
The food is excellent, the space feels right, and the location in Belém means you can pair it with a morning at the Monastery.
And, SUD also has a playground right next to it. Here’s a tip. If you have kids who cannot sit still, ask for a table next to the playground.
We did this a few times and our kids would go back and forth from the dinner table to the playground and we could keep an eye on them while enjoying our dinner. Reserve a table at SUD here.
A.P.F. Cafe and Restaurant, near Estrela
The name stands for “A Partilhar com a Família,” Sharing with Family, and A.P.F. on Rua das Trinas earns it completely.
This is the restaurant I recommend to every parent visiting Lisbon, because it has solved the problem every parent knows: you want to eat somewhere good with actual ambiance, but you also have children.
A.P.F. has a full kids’ play area in the basement with a trampoline, a wooden play house, a library, and soft play for toddlers.
On weekends, they have an in-house babysitter supervising the whole thing. You sit on a gorgeous terracotta-tiled patio, order from a seasonal menu with French-inspired dishes and excellent vegetarian options, and eat an entire meal without dividing your attention seventeen ways.
The food is genuinely good, not just good for a family restaurant.
Luz by Chakall, Estádio da Luz
If you want a dramatic dining experience and have kids in tow, Luz by Chakall inside the Benfica stadium is one of Lisbon’s more surprising restaurants.
Argentine-born Chef Chakall created a menu that moves between Argentine, Italian, and Portuguese flavors, empanadas, excellent beef, bacalhau, handmade pizzas.
The views of the pitch (aka, the field) are theatrical. There is a large supervised kids play area so parents can eat in genuine peace. Even if football means nothing to you, eating inside a stadium of this scale is an experience worth having.
Javá Rooftop, Cais do Sodré
Javá sits on top of the former CTT building on Praça Dom Luís I, and it is the only rooftop in Cais do Sodré with unobstructed views down to the Tagus River. Every table has an equal view, the designers made this a deliberate choice.
The menu is Mediterranean-leaning, with standout grilled dishes including octopus, pork ribs, and polenta. The cocktails are well-made and the wine list is solid. Go for sunset.
Hotel Memmo Alfama, rooftop bar
The Memmo Alfama rooftop is a destination regardless of whether you are staying there. On a Friday afternoon we ordered bottles of wine and sat with a view of the Tagus River and the red rooftops of Alfama spreading out in every direction around us.
The light at that hour in Lisbon is something you cannot photograph properly. It is one of those experiences you just have to be present for.
Go for a glass of wine as the neighborhood settles into evening.
It can sometimes be hard to find, just follow the signs on the street. It is kinda hidden in a back street.
Luxury experiences in Lisbon
Lisbon is one of the most elegant cities in Europe, and it has a quietly exceptional luxury offering that most people do not know about until they are already here. If you want to do this city properly, private guides, elevated dining, stays inside palaces and five-star spas, here is how.
Private sailing on the Tagus River
One of the most memorable things you can do in Lisbon is watch the city from the water. The Tagus is wide and the skyline, Alfama, São Jorge Castle, the 25 de Abril Bridge, the Belém Tower at dusk, reads completely differently from the river than from land.
A private sunset sailing tour is the most beautiful way to see it.
The Private Luxury Sailing Boat Tour departs from Doca do Bom Sucesso in Belém and takes your group past the Torre de Belém, Monument to the Discoveries, MAAT Museum, Jerónimos Monastery, and the 25 de Abril Bridge before bringing you back as the sun drops.
You might be able to spot dolphins on the crossing. Catering can be arranged on board with 48 hours notice.
For a 2-hour private daytime option, the Private Tagus River 2-Hour Cruise departs from Belém with a personal skipper and free drinks included.
Private walking tour with a local historian
If you want to understand Lisbon at a deeper level than a standard tour allows, book a private walking tour with a local expert guide.
The Best of Lisbon Private Walking Tour covers Alfama, the Santa Justa lift, Bairro Alto, and the Graça viewpoint with a guide who adjusts pace and depth to your interests.
Guides are local Lisboetas who bring the history of the earthquake, the Carnation Revolution, and the Moorish quarter to life in a way no group tour can replicate.
The Best of City Private Walking Tour is another top-rated option, with guides João and Chon praised for their depth and pace.
Private food tour with exclusive local access
If you want the food tour experience elevated to something genuinely private, the Undiscovered Lisbon Food and Wine Tour by Eating Europe offers private group options with exclusive access to a historic Fado house and tastings curated specifically for your group.
This is the 2025 Viator Winner and the most-reviewed food tour in the city. For a purely private experience from the first step, contact the operator directly to arrange a group-only booking.
Private luxury Sintra day trip
A private Sintra tour is already one of my strongest recommendations for any first-time visitor, and for a luxury trip it becomes even more essential.
The Sintra Full-Day Private Tour with Pena Palace Entry gives you a hotel pickup, skip-the-line palace entry, and a guide who customizes the entire day to your group.
For guests who want to combine Sintra, Cabo da Roca, and Cascais in a single seamless private itinerary, the Private Sintra, Pena Palace, Cabo da Roca, and Cascais Tour is consistently top-rated.
And if you are looking for an amazing hotel, Penha Longha in Sintra is a luxury resort with literally everything you can imagine. A friend of mine chose this hotel for her honeymoon. Here is my review of the Penha Longha Resort if you are looking for a truly luxurious stay in Sintra.
Luxury hotels in Lisbon
Lisbon’s luxury hotel scene punches above what most visitors expect. These are the three I recommend and have reviewed (not sponsored or hosted by the hotels).
The One Palácio da Anunciada is a beautifully restored 16th-century palace just steps from Avenida da Liberdade. The rooms blend original Portuguese architecture, marble, natural wood, hand-painted blue and white ceramic headboards, with genuine five-star comfort. Most rooms look onto private garden courtyards. The restaurant has what has been described as the loveliest ceiling in Lisbon. A quiet, extraordinary oasis in the middle of the city. Read my review of the One Palácio da Anunciada here.
Martinhal Lisbon Oriente is the finest family hotel in Lisbon and one of the best in Europe. Five-star family suites in the heart of Parque das Nações, a Kids Club from six months, a baby concierge, and rooms that actually fit a family without feeling like a compromise. I truly love this place, here is my in depth review if you want to learn more about Martinhal.
Corinthia Lisbon is the city’s premier spa hotel, with the largest spa in Lisbon at 3,500 square meters, 13 treatment rooms, a heated indoor pool, and a full water therapy circuit using the ESPA product range. Locals book spa treatments here as a weekend ritual, which tells you everything. The hotel runs a free hourly shuttle to the historic center. I had a Mom solo weekend here, read more about the hotel here.
How many days do you need in Lisbon?
Three to four days is the honest answer for a first time in Lisbon. You can see the main neighborhoods, do a day trip to Sintra or Cascais, eat at several excellent restaurants, take a food tour, and leave feeling like you actually experienced the city rather than checked it off a list.
Five or six days lets you add an Alentejo wine trip, visit the Gulbenkian, take an afternoon on the Tagus River, and take the pace down to something that actually feels like how Lisbon wants to be experienced.
Best time to visit Lisbon
My personal recommendation is September or October. The summer crowds are gone, the weather is still warm and genuinely beautiful, you can get into restaurants without a week’s advance notice, and the city breathes again after the intensity of July and August.
Before I moved to Portugal, I visited twice in October and it was still spectacular.
Summer is not bad. It is just hot and very crowded. If summer is your only option, go early in the mornings before 9am, pre-book everything, and build rest time into your afternoons when the heat peaks.
One more practical note: the evenings here cool down faster than you expect, even in summer. Bring a layer for dinner outside.
Final thoughts on things to do in Lisbon
Lisbon gives back exactly as much as you give it. Book the tuk tuk tour on your first morning. Find a kiosk near a playground. Eat somewhere with a river view. Let yourself get lost in Alfama on a slow evening when the Fado is starting and the light is low and you have absolutely nowhere to be.
The hills are steep. The cobblestones are humbling. Tram 28 is beautiful and not worth the wait. Everything else is yours.
Portugal Travel Planning Guide
🚑 Should I buy travel insurance for Portugal?
It is strongly recommended. Non residents do not automatically receive free public healthcare, although private healthcare is available. Travel insurance covers emergencies, delays, and medical visits. If you require a Schengen visa, insurance is mandatory. Visitors Coverage is a highly trusted and recommended choice.
💳 Will my debit card or credit card work in Portugal, and do I need cash?
Most major credit and debit cards work in Portugal, including Visa, Mastercard, and many travel cards from US and UK banks. Some smaller cafés, markets, and rural spots still prefer cash, so carry a little on hand. To avoid foreign transaction fees, cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve are excellent options. For ATM withdrawals and currency exchange, use a Wise card. Wise usually provides better exchange rates than traditional banks and is widely accepted at Portuguese ATMs and anywhere debit and credit cards are accepted.
📲 Will my phone work in Portugal?
Many major carriers offer roaming plans, but costs vary. For affordable data, purchase a local SIM from Vodafone or MEO or use an eSIM like Airalo. Public wifi exists but is not always reliable, so a local data plan is ideal.
🚙💨 Is it safe to rent a car in Portugal?
Yes. Renting a car is one of the best ways to explore Portugal. Roads are well maintained. Expect toll highways and narrow streets in older villages. Automatic cars are limited, so book early. I recommend using Discover Cars to find the most reputable rental car company. Just filter for the company with the best reviews.
💧 Can you drink tap water in Portugal?
Yes. Tap water is safe throughout Lisbon, Porto, the Algarve, and most populated regions. In remote rural areas water systems may vary, so check locally if you are unsure. Many visitors prefer a filtered bottle because the mineral taste can be stronger in some areas, though generally safe.
🏩 Best way to book accommodations in Portugal
I use Booking.com and Hotels.com for hotels. Mostly Hotels.com because I love a rewards program! For unforgettable, luxury stays, I highly recommend Plum Guide for your stay. VRBO also works incredibly well for luxury stays, especially for families.
✈️ Best site to search for flights to Portugal
Skyscanner and Google Flights provide reliable fare tracking for Lisbon, Porto, and Faro. Prices vary significantly by season, with summer being the highest.
🎫 Do I need a visa for Portugal?
US, UK, and most EU passport holders do not need a visa for short tourist stays within the 90-day Schengen limit. Stays longer than 90 days require a visa arranged before arrival.
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