Enjoy City Life and Sun in Lisbon, Portugal

I highly recommend staying in the Chiado district. You can walk from there to beautiful sites like Commerce Square and St. George’s Castle. I loved grabbing a drink and a pastel de nata in any of the many cafes and enjoying the sun, some street music and people watching.

You can easily take a taxi or Uber to the town of Belem, which is a short drive from Lisbon. You can visit the Jeronimos Monastery and Belem Tower there.

Lisbon is a great base for day trips to other nearby cities and towns. I highly recommend a visit to Sintra, with its multiple castles and gardens. The beach town of Cascais is also nearby. You can take a train to Sintra, or I suggest hiring a local guide to drive you from your Lisbon hotel to see Sintra in person.

The food in Lisbon was some of my favorite in all of my European travels. Definitely take a food tour — it gives you a way to experience local delicacies and learn the history of the City. There are many great companies, including Secret Food Tours. For dinner, definitely don’t miss dinner at Ramiro’s — unbelievable seafood and they even take reservations.

There’s a reason that Portugal is a really hot destination. Lisbon provides an amazing mix of old architecture and newer hotels, shopping and restaurants. Make sure to bring good shoes — you can do a lot of walking in Lisbon and Sintra. But, there’s also lots of taxis, ubers and pedicabs driving around Lisbon if you need to give your feet a break.

This trip report is part of our ongoing series on travel to Lisbon. In need of further inspiration? Check out Laura Allen’s guide, 5-Day Guide to Lisbon & the Algarve With Kids.