Forty-eight hours is not enough time in Lisbon. I knew that going in and booked the trip anyway, which tells you something about how easy this city is to justify.
Portugal’s capital sits on seven historic hills (a fact immortalized in its nickname, Cidade das Sete Colinas), though the city has long since grown beyond them — a fact your legs will confirm within the first hour. Lisbon is hilly enough to keep you honest, chaotic enough to keep you interested, and just unhurried enough that you don’t feel behind. Every miradouro earns the climb, and the food and wine scene alone justifies the flight.
Cobblestone lanes wind past tiled façades in every imaginable color, wooden trolleys rattle uphill, and café chairs spill onto narrow sidewalks, filled with locals and tourists alike. The architecture stops you mid-stride. Lisbon will have you in worn-in sandals by day two, cheeks flushed from the sun, the hills, and probably the wine.
Here’s how I’d spend 48 hours in Lisbon, what I’d skip, and where I’d stay.
Where to Stay in Lisbon
Santiago de Alfama
If you’re visiting Lisbon for the first time, stay in Alfama. And if you’re staying in Alfama, Santiago de Alfama is the easy answer.
The neighborhood is Lisbon’s oldest because it’s the only one that survived the great earthquake of 1755, and you feel that continuity the moment you arrive. The winding streets and sun-bleached tiled buildings aren’t preserved replicas. They’re original, and that distinction changes how the whole area feels.
The same goes for the hotel. Santiago de Alfama occupies Palácio dos Castros, a 15th-century palace restored over six years by hotelier Heleen Uitenbroek, who had the good sense to leave its character alone. The archways are original, the footprint is original, and the 19 rooms follow the building’s old floor plan — which is why each one feels different, and why the proportions tend to surprise you.
Check-in comes with a glass of ginjinha, the sour Portuguese cherry spirit you’ll see sold in tiny chocolate cups all over the city. By day two, the staff knew our names and even our coffee orders. Neither thing is remarkable on paper, but both are the reason you remember a hotel.
A note of honesty: we were moved out of our original room on day one due to a plumbing issue. It wasn’t seamless. But the staff handled it with ease, relocating us to the hotel’s best suite at no extra charge. The way a hotel manages the unexpected tells you more than a smooth check-in ever could, and this one certainly passed.
Eat & Drink in Lisbon
Verified by Yours Truly
Lupita
If there’s one meal in Lisbon I’d fly back for, it might be the pepperoni pizza at Lupita. Topped with pickled jalapeños and honey, it hits every note — spicy, sweet, charred — on a crust that’s somehow both chewy and crisp. Order a cold blonde ale alongside it and clear your afternoon. You’ll want to stay.
Taberna da Rua das Flores
Everyone has that one coworker who’s always traveling and has the best restaurant recommendations. When she told me to come here, I didn’t think twice, and she was right. Taberna da Rua das Flores feels less like a restaurant and more like someone’s living room, and the food matches the energy: inexpensive, unfussy, and impossibly delicious. I still catch myself daydreaming about the ceviche a month later. Cash only, no reservations. Come anyway.
Comoba
A worthwhile stop for coffee and pastries as you move through the city center. The atmosphere is reminiscent of a café you’d expect to find on the California coast: whitewashed plaster walls, natural light flooding every corner, and original stone arches that remind you the building has been here considerably longer than the matcha menu.
Nova Wine Bar
We stumbled onto Nova Wine Bar on our walk back from Ceramics na Linha and ducked in on a whim. The owner greeted us at the door, sat us by the window, and asked what we were in the mood for. I wanted something light with minerality to cut through the rising temperatures outside, and my husband wanted to try a Vinho Verde. Both were spot on, and we left wishing we’d found this wine bar on night one.
Parra Wine Bistro
We found Parra through the Star Wine List, which tracks the best wine bars in Lisbon (a reliable starting point if you’re trying to drink well). The space is filled with red-and-pink swirling marble, warm lighting, and an intimacy that makes you lower your voice when you walk in. I ordered a wine special from one of Portugal’s islands that was funky in the best possible way, and complex enough that I found myself asking the sommelier for more. We didn’t eat, but the menu looked worth a return visit.
Audrey’s
Breakfast was included with our stay at Santiago de Alfama, which meant we started every morning at Audrey’s. The pastries are really good. The eggs are really good. Our waiter had our coffee orders down by day two without us saying a word. For a hotel restaurant, it has absolutely no business being this charming.
For Next Time
Etma
A couple we befriended in Porto made us promise to check out Etma. We ran out of time, which is one of the few genuine regrets from our time in Lisbon. The café is known for its sourdough and pastries, which, given everything else we ate in this city, is a high bar to clear. It’s on the list for next time, and I’d suggest putting it on yours.
Pavilhao
This one also came recommended by a local and went straight to next trip’s list. Ring the bell on Rua Dom Pedro V, step inside, and you’ll apparently find five rooms packed floor to ceiling with trinkets and oddities from the owner’s life collection, along with a chandelier-lit pool table tucked in the back. I’m no pool shark, but I’m certainly intrigued.
Santa Joana
Santa Joana shares the same Culinary Director as Conzina das Flores, our favorite dinner in Porto. As far as I can tell, Nuno Mendes can do no wrong.
Things to Do in Lisbon
Castelo de São Jorge
Staying at Santiago de Alfama puts you steps from one of Lisbon’s most significant landmarks, and that proximity is worth factoring into your booking decision. Castelo de São Jorge sits at the crown of Alfama, and for a small entry fee, the 11th-century fortress delivers 360-degree views over the city’s historic center, terracotta rooftops, and the wide stretch of the Tagus River below. We arrived just after 9 AM on a weekday and had the grounds largely to ourselves. By the time we left, a line was already snaking down Rua de Santiago. Go early.
Sunset at a Miradouro
Every guide to Lisbon mentions the miradouros, and every guide is right to do so. There are several scattered throughout the city (a handful within Alfama alone), and at least one sunset drink at a viewpoint should be considered non-negotiable.
Ceramics na Linha
Budget more time than you think you need here. I could have spent three hours in Ceramics na Linha, and nearly did — the shop stocks well-priced Portuguese ceramics and pottery across every style and size imaginable. After much deliberation, we narrowed our cart down to a set of plates, two mugs, a serving tray, and a small nightstand dish, all ready to go. At checkout, we asked about shipping to the US. The cost to ship everything home exceeded the cost of the items themselves… don’t even get me started on the tariffs. We put it all back, and I’ve had buyer’s remorse ever since. Next time, I’ll check a second bag in preparation.
Bica
If you find yourself in Alfama with a free afternoon, walk west until the neighborhood changes. You’ll know when you’ve hit Bica: the streets narrow, the crowds thin, and the buildings get more colorful. We stumbled onto it without trying and ended up staying far longer than planned.
Fiera da Ladra
Lisbon’s flea market runs on Tuesdays and Saturdays in Campo de Santa Clara, spilling down a hillside with vendors selling everything from vintage ceramics to old postcards to things that defy categorization. We left empty-handed, though less by choice and more because our suitcase had run out of room.
Things to Skip in Lisbon
Las Dos Manos
Not every recommendation survives the trip from source to table. A food blogger we’d met in Porto was emphatic about Las Dos Manos, so we went in genuinely excited. The empty dining room on a Friday evening should have given us pause. The sashimi confirmed what the room was already suggesting. We left most of it untouched, made our excuses, and didn’t look back.
Lumi
Yes, this is a nice rooftop bar. Yes, there are good cocktails. But can you find better in a less touristy atmosphere? Definitely.
Book That Flight
Forty-eight hours in Lisbon will leave you with a running list of what you didn’t get to. Restaurants you bookmarked too late, neighborhoods you only passed through, a second glass of wine you should have ordered. That’s not a flaw in the itinerary. That’s the mark of a city worth revisiting. Go once, and you’ll understand why people keep going back to Lisbon. Use the credit card points, eat well, and leave room in your suitcase.
Until next time, Lisboa.
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