The Portuguese capital meanders over seven hillsides dense with narrow cobblestone alleys and a history going back hundreds of years. With so many choices, discover the best things and tours near Lisbon. And read through our travel guide to see all the highlights. Known for the welcoming embrace it gives visitors, Lisbon is a laid-back city that caters to residents and visitors. Everyone throngs to its grand avenues and keep its many bars in business come nightfall.
It doesn’t disappoint with design either, as you can see in our Lisbon design guide. Here, grand eighteenth century architectural masterpieces rub shoulders with contemporary skyscrapers. It also has extraordinary vistas with alluring beachfronts, and excellent museums with historic chapels. But Lisbon is also the gateway to exploring all of Portugal, especially guided tours to discover the country. And the hotels in Lisbon never fail to amaze.
Uncover the Soul of Lisbon
It can seem like Lisbon only truly comes to life after dark. There is no better way to see the city than to stroll the streets as the lights flick on and illuminate the city.
Your guide on this 4-hour Fado evening tour will describe the 1755 earthquake and tsunami that almost destroyed the city. It cleared the way for the sights you see elegantly lit up before you. These include the Rua Augusta Arch, Padrão dos Descobrimentos, Belém Tower, and impressive suspension bridge across the River Tagus.
As your feet begin to tire, you guide will take you to a local restaurant serving up authentic dishes. Dine and immerse yourself in the world of Fado, the soulful melodies and dance of a folk music born here.
Explore Lisbon’s Coastal Surroundings
Once you’ve acquainted yourself with the capital, why not join this half-day tour to Sintra? Wind through the countryside of Portugal’s Atlantic coast, following in the footsteps of the country’s former royals. Their palace is today open to the public to marvel at their exquisite taste inside and out. Continue on to the blooms and natural architectural formations of Cascais National Park. Then check out the windswept cliffs of Cabo da Roca, knowing you can go no further westward in mainland Europe.
Your return to the heart of Lisbon includes a stop at chic Estoril, where you can compare the manicured gardens to those of the king at Sintra, and place a bet on the outcome in Europe’s largest casino.
Sample the Best Wines in Évora
If any attraction in Lisbon deserves a full day of exploring, it’s the nearby wineries. This full day tour to Évora shows you a different side of the region. Your walk through the family run Monte da Ravasqueira vineyards, and on to the cellars to sample the latest high-end vintages, follows a guided tour of Évora. This UNESCO World Heritage Site has numerous important sights to uncover, from the excellently-preserved Roman Temple to the city’s cathedral, the largest gothic structure in the country. Also not to be missed is the bustling market that can be found close to Évora’s University, itself a landmark dating back to 1559, and the eerie surrounds of the Capela dos Ossos, or Chapel of Bones, in the Church of Saint Francis, which is decorated with human skeletons.
Search For Miracles in Fatima and Nazaré
As wedding presents go, Queen Isabel must have been very pleased with attractive Óbidos, given to her by her future husband at the turn of the first millennium, and just a detour before you head to Fatima and Nazaré on this full day tour. As beguiling now as it was then, its main attraction is a hilltop castle, the Pousada do Castelo. It’s complete with medieval walls first constructed when the Moors of North Africa held this part of the Iberian Peninsula.
Coastal Nazaré is ideal to stop for a bite while gazing across golden sands to the giant waves that roll in from the Atlantic. They’re so large that Praia do Norte holds the record for the largest wave ever surfed, with daredevil Brazilian surfer Rodrigo Koxa successfully riding a wave that climbed to 24.4m, or roughly the height of a five-story building.
After lunch, your tour takes you to another of Portugal’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the monastery at Batalha, which is one of the finest examples of the Manueline style still in existence. Your penultimate stop is Fatima, an important pilgrimage site for Catholics. It is famous around the world for the repeated apparitions of the Virgin Mary to a group of school children in 1917, and now incorporates various religious structures and a pool of holy water. A visit to the small village of Ajustrel, where the children lived, ends the tour.
Explore North of Lisbon
Should the full day trip to Fatima and Nazaré whet your appetite for the historical and natural beauty north of Lisbon, this six-day tour could be for you. Begin with a day in Óbidos, Fatima and Nazaré, and continue to the architecturally important University of Coimbra. Marvel at its famed Baroque library, before seeing the Church of Santa Clara, where the much-loved Queen Isabel is buried. Switching from land to water, you’ll then have the chance to tour Portugal’s very own Venice. Aveiro even has its own form of gondola, the moliceiro, undoubtedly the finest way to see the city.
The next couple of days you will see the multitude of sights in and around Porto, Portugal’s second city. Home to port, the sweet dessert wine, the city also boasts a range of landmarks. These range from the neoclassical Bolsa Palace to the Gothic Church of Saint Francis. You’ll also see the nineteenth-century Sao Bento Railway station and the metalwork Luis I Bridge spanning the River Douro.
Turning back towards Lisbon, the tour takes in a number of attractive towns and cities nestles in the Douro Valley before continuing on the forests of Bussaco, and then the 800-year-old castle and miscellany of influences that created the unique look of the Convent of Christ at Tomar.
Exploring Near Lisbon
While Lisbon is a stunning city, it’s also surrounded by verdant valleys and a number of adventures. We love the city and we may love everything around it even more! It’s the perfect city for a historic escape and getaways for everyone. Find out where to stay in Lisbon with our curated selection.
