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Emilie: Take a day trip out to Sintra, you can see the most beautiful castles and gardens! The National Palace of Pena is the most popular destination to visit in Sintra, but I recommend the Villa Sassetti which has both Mediterranian architecture and gardens. It is also much quieter.
Our Travel Insiders:
Emilie: 45 years old, visited Portual every year for the past 10 years with her partner.
Evelyn: 60 years old, visited Portugal for 2 weeks with three girlfriends.
WHAT TO SEE
Evelyn: Starting in Lisbon, if you have time, I highly recommend taking the tram to Belem. This whole area is heritage listed as it survived the earthquake of 1755 which devastated most of the city. The scenery is breathtaking. The Belem tower has 5 storeys inside and a rooftop which is open for public access. If you get tired and need a sugar hit, I recommend heading to Manteigaria for a traditional Portugese Tart.
Photograph Credit: TimeOut Market
WHAT TO EAT
Emilie:
Time Out Market has all the best chefs under one roof, I recommend finding a couple dishes you like the look of and share them so you can try as much as possible! For the quintessential Piri Piri Chicken go to El-Rei Dom Frango-Calçada. If you like Indian food, Chutnify Principe Real is phenomenal - you have to try the Dosa's. Another staple is the Portugese Tart, our favourite we tried were from Manteigaria.
Evelyn: We went to lunch at Zé da Mouraria which had so many authentic options served in big metal bowls. Thankfully we made a booking, the line was down the street for a table - So I recommend doing the same.
GETTING AROUND
Emilie: When in Lisbon, take advantage of the buses and trams. It is definitely not a car city. There are also lots and lots of steps because it’s so hilly.
Evelyn: A lot of people do a Lisbon to Porto road trip which is stunning, having your own car makes it much easier to stop off at little towns and make detours. Especially around sunset! One thing to note if you are driving, there are a LOT of tolls in Portugal that connect to tags on the cars. Be prepared for that expense! The airport can be quite overwhelming on your way out of Lisbon. They don’t announce flights, I recommend doing your research on the terminals and gates.
WHERE TO STAY
Emilie: A tip when booking hotels and Airbnb's, many buildings don’t have elevators, so this is good to keep in mind when packing. We stayed at a boutique hotel called the Lumaires one time and the staff were wonderful. Everything you might want to see in Lisbon is a 15 minute walk maximum.
Evelyn: We stayed at the Turim Boulevard Hotel. It had a rooftop pool and bar which was such a treat. It was close to restaurants and tram stops as well as the route to the airport.
