Best Places to Visit in Lisbon this Fall

Lisbon is the ideal destination for a city break during the fall. There are many things to do in Lisbon, even when it is rainy. In our opinion, if you’ve only got a few days to spend in Lisbon, don’t spend your time in Museums, except if you’re into to some particular topic, but spend your time on the streets. Lisbon’s street are a museum itself. Read further and let us convince you to visit Lisbon this Fall.

Lisbon has got a strong history. By the fifteenth century, Lisbon was the capital of the Portuguese expansion. This era is also known by the Discoveries. The Portuguese had exceptional navigational expertise at the time and had set up trading routes round half the world.

In 1498, the Portuguese Vasco da Gama sailed from Belém, Lisbon, to discover the sea route to India. Sixty years later, Lisbon controlled ports from Brazil to Macau, becoming one of the wealthiest cities in Europe. With such an abundance of richness, Lisbon was able to fund extravagant buildings such as the Torre de Belém (Belém Tower) and the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos in Belém. Also the emblematic palace at Terreiro do Paço dates back from then, even though, reconstructed after the Great Earthquake of 1755.

Wealth seemed endless in Lisbon with newly discovered gold in Brazil, yet this second “golden age” ended abruptly with the Great Earthquake. Marquês de Pombal rapidly rebuilt the city. Since then, the “Baixa” (downtown), is grid-patterned.

After the Earthquake, Lisbon never recovered its economic clout. Nowadays Lisbon flourishes as a great holiday destination and also among European exchange students and expats. Lisbon is very popular thanks to it affordable costs of living, great climate, awesome parties, location near to the beach and worldwide recognized universities.

Top areas to visit in Lisbon this Fall

Alfama

Alfama is one of the most original and authentic “Bairros” (neighbourhoods) of Lisbon, being its oldest. It lays the slope between the São Jorge Castle and the Tagus River. If you like walking, we recommend you to put on your walking shoes and get lost in the narrow streets of the idyllic part of the city.

By foot is surely the best way to explore Alfama, but be prepared for many hills and stairs. It might be a tiring walk, but it’s surely worth it, as you’ll find many hidden squares and breath-taking viewpoints. Joining a walking tour is one of the best ways to discover this iconic part of the city.

Eat a local pastry and a “bica” (expresso) in one of the local cafes to recover and stay until later and have dinner in one of the many Fado Restaurants. Fado is the local music, rather melancholic, and Alfama is the place to listen to it in Lisbon while enjoying a typical Portuguese meal and wine. We recommend “Mesa de Frades”.

Fado restaurants are usually a little bit more expensive than normal ones but so worth it. In most of the cases Fado singers start singing late, at about 21h30 or 22h, so don’t be too early in the restaurant and book a table to assure your seat.

Castelo de São Jorge

The São Jorge Castle is located on top of one of Lisbon’s Seven Hills. It is a Moorish castle occupying a commanding hilltop with a beautiful view over the historic centre of the city of Lisbon and Tagus River. The Castle is characterized by its fortified citadel and dates from medieval period of Portuguese history. The Castle is surely one of the main tourist sites of Lisbon. You can buy your ticket online:

If the Castle could speak, it would have a lot to tell – it was home to the Visigoths in the 5th century, in the 9th century it passed to the Moors, to the Christians in the 12th century and royals from the 14th to 16th centuries.

The Ulysses Tower is one of the main attractions of the Castle. Its “camera obscura” offers a unique 360-degree angle on Lisbon. Beyond the views, there are also a few galleries displaying relics from past centuries.

To go up to the castle and to explore the Alfama neighborhood, we suggest you to take the tram 28. Even if you don’t actually know where to go or what to do and are tired of walking, hop into this tram and let it take you around Lisbon. Its route is circular, so at some point, you’ll get back to where you started. It’s real fun (if the tram is not too full). Be careful with pickpockets.

Bairro Alto

Bairro Alto is one of the hippest districts of Lisbon, it lies on the opposite hill of the one of the Castle, being separated by Rossio square. In Bairro alto, during the day, you’ll find many small boutiques that sell unique pieces of super trendy clothes, second hand vintage shops or tattoo shops.

You can also find cosy coffee shops for the rainy days. By night, Bairro alto is popular to go out for dinner, grab a nice pizza or spend the night in a Fado restaurant, everything is possible here. Almost every day of the week, after 23h00, Bairro Alto starts to become a busy place for drinks.

A fun and authentic way to discover Bairro Alto and other “food districts” is by joining a small group food and wine tour. You’ll discover the flavors of Portuguese cuisine on a guided walking tour of Lisbon. With a culinary guide, you’ll enjoy the best food and wine, and get insider tips about the city.

Many small bars open their doors and people tend to grab a Caipirinha or a beer and drink on the streets. Bairro Alto is friendly to all kind of tastes, there is an “Erasmus Corner”, a “LGBT Street”, karaoke bars or Latin bars. Here you can eat some tapas and taste the best cocktails in town while enjoying live music in a very cosy environment.

Rossio

Rossio is the main square of the Portuguese capital. It’s surrounded by Portuguese restaurants and by one of the main theatres of Lisbon, Dona Maria II Theatre. The beautifully paved square, with typical Portuguese “calçada” had two beautiful fountains. Rossio is the location of one of our favorite “tascas” (small local restaurants), “A Tendinha”. Here, you can quickly grab a delicious soup for lunch with some nice pastries and a glass of red wine. Don’t expect the best service, but you’ll find the most authentic bites.

Chiado

Chiado is one of the poshest neighbourhoods of the city. In between Rossio and Bairro Alto, Rua Garret is very popular for shopping. Here you’ll find international fashion stores like H&M and Zara but also local boutiques that occupy the stunning buildings.

To rest between all the shopping, you must have a coffee at “A Brasileira”, where Fernando Pessoa, a Portuguese poet used to get inspires. If feel like something sweet, grab one of the best croissants at “Benard” or an ice-cream at “Santini”. Chiado is nice to take a walk after dinner and enjoy the animation by some street artists.

Praça do Comércio

The Praça do Comércio (Commerce Square in English) is located in between the city center, Rua Augusta and the Tagus River. The square is still commonly known as Terreiro do Paço because, until it was destroyed by the great 1755 earthquake, it was the location of the Paços da Ribeira (Royal Palace). After the earthquake, the square was completely remodelled as part of the rebuilding of the Pombaline Downtown by Marquês de Pombal, the Minister of the Kingdom of Portugal from 1750 to 1777.

Several restaurants are nowadays located around the square. We recommend to grab a beer and a “Picapau” (small pieces of meat) with bread at the Beer Museum. Also, enjoy the view by the river where you can usually find some street artists playing music.

Praça do Comércio, or Terreiro do Paço, is where Terminal Fluvial do Terreiro do Paço is located, a major boat station. Here you can catch ferries to the South Bench of the Tagus River. You can join a boat tour on a traditonal boat from Praça do Comércio.

Avenida da Liberdade

Avenida da Liberdade (Avenue of Freedom) is the beautiful avenue that connects Restauradores (next to Rossio square) to the Marquês de Pombal roundabout. This avenue is where all the fashion design shops are located. You can find Gucci, Dolce and Gabanna and some Portuguese designers. It’s worth it to walk up on one side and down on the other for some window shopping.

On your way you can grab a drink on one of the many kiosks or at the São Jorge Cinema, one of our favourite spots for coffee after dinner.

Gulbenkian Gardens and Museum

The project for the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and Museum was launched in 1969. The foundation of the museum was founded according to Calouste Gulbenkian’s last will, to accommodate and display Gulbenkian’s art collection belonging nowadays to the Foundation of Calouste Gulbenkian. The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum is a museum in Lisbon that contains a beautiful collection of, mostly ancient bus also some modern, art.

The museum itself is worth a visit but also the gardens around it are spectacular and a popular place for Portuguese families to go for a walk and feed the ducks.

Belém

Belém is a neighborhood in Lisbon’s West. It’s a very popular place for tourists two visit, many due to four main attractions that it hosts, in between beautiful gardens and typical buildings:

Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

The Jerónimos Monastery is a monastery of the Order of Saint Jerome. It is one of the most noticeable examples of the Portuguese Gothic Manueline architectural trends in Lisbon. In 1983, the Monastery was classified a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the nearby Tower of Belém.

Belém Tower

The Belém Tower is a fortified tower which is a UNESCO World Heritage because of its important role in the Portuguese Discoveries. The tower was commissioned by King João II to be part of a defense system and a ceremonial entrance to Lisbon at the mouth of the Tagus River. As such, the tower was built in the early 16th century and is another prominent example of the Portuguese Manueline style along with other architectural styles.

Padrão dos Descobrimentos

Also known as the Monument to the Discoveries, this monument celebrates the Portuguese Discoveries (or Age of Exploration) during the 15th and 16th centuries. Along with the main statue of Henry the Navigator, on both sides of the ramps of the monument are a total of 33 figures from the history of the Discoveries, like Vasco da Gama (discoverer of the sea route to India and Pedro Álvares Cabral (discoverer of Brazil). 

Pastéis de Belém

No words can describe how delicious these typical pastries are. Please just go to Belém an try them.

Docas de Santo Amaro

At the Docas, you can fins multiple nice restaurants and bars. Locals love to have lunch at “Rui dos Preços” for some clams with a “Prego no Pão” – beef on a bun.

Docas de Santo Amaro is the place where most touristic boat tours depart from. Joining a boat tour in Lisbon is a must to enjoy the city from a unique point of view and to feel the Tagus River. This area is also popular for corporate events as there are boats suitable for groups in Lisbon.

Parque das Nações

The modern Lisbon parish of Parque das Nações was established in 2012. It’s a leisure, commercial, and residential area since the 1998 World Exposition (EXPO ’98). Parque das Nações is located in north-eastern Lisbon next to the Tagus estuary, one of the biggest and diverse estuaries of the European Continent and formerly used for mainly industrial purposes. Nowadays, Parque das Nações hosts one of Portugal’s most modern Marinas.

There are several things to do in Parque das Nações, you can go for a walk or a run along the stunning promenade to enjoy the views over the Vasco da Gama Bridge, Vasco da Gama Tower, the São Gabriel and São Rafael twin towers and the Marina. You can enjoy a concert in the huge Atlantic Pavilion concert hall or go to an event of congress in FIL.

If you appreciate nature and the ocean but the weather does not allow for a boat ride or other ocean-related activity, the Oceanarium is the place to go. The Lisbon Oceanarium is a large-scale aquarium presenting an ocean habitat with marine animals, especially large ocean dwellers such as sharks.

Parque das Nações is home to Lisbon’s Casino – “Casino Lisboa”. The Casino is a very modern building with an Arena Lounge and three Gambling Bars. Even if you don’t like gambling the “Cascino Lisboa” is definitely worth a visit to have dinner or to enjoy a show or concert. “Casino Lisboa” is open every day from 15h to 03h. On Fridays, Saturdays and holiday eves, the casino is open from 16h to 04h, so you can enjoy until a little later.

For the shopping fanatics, Parque das Nações hosts one of the major shopping malls of Lisbon, Vasco da Gama Shopping Mall. The modern building has got an enormous supermarket, many international brands and smaller boutiques and a food court.

Getting Around During Your Visit in Lisbon this Fall

The best way to get around Lisbon is by foot, Uber or Bolt, or public transport. We recommend buying a Lisbon Card to enjoy free admission to top attractions and discounts at various landmarks. You can buy this card for 24, 48, or 72 hours, the Lisbon Card provides unlimited free access to the public transport system.

Final Words

Lisbon in fall is magical. The crowds fade. The light softens. Streets invite you to wander. Old neighborhoods charm with stories. Tasty food and local music greet you. The river sparkles at dusk. Museums, gardens, and castles await. Walk, rest, explore. Lisbon shows its heart in every corner. You’ll leave richer in memory. And feel free to reach out to us, as Lisbon locals, we’re happy to help!