Lisbon city centre feels much more commercialised and touristy compared to other parts of Portugal. As we walked around, many shops tried to invite us in.

To be honest, 10 days in Lisbon felt a little too long for us. We stayed longer because of Ben’s conference and the Easter holiday. We stayed in Laranjeiras, a residential suburb about 5 km from the city centre. I found it fascinating to stay in a local neighbourhood overseas for a while, as it felt very different from a typical holiday experience.

During our 10 days in Lisbon, I spent three days exploring Sintra, which deserves a separate post of its own.

Let me start with a few photos in Lisbon:

 

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Day 1 – Exploring Lisbon city centre and eating 😋

We stayed for 10 nights in Laranjeiras. The train ride from there to the city centre took about 10 minutes.

As foodies, we visited quite a few places:

Confeitaria Nacional – the oldest pastry shop in Lisbon.

Pastel de Bacalhau – definitely a tourist trap 😂 It cost €8 each, or €15 with a glass of Port wine. But to be fair, it was quite good.

Fabrica Coffee Roasters – very good coffee ☕️

Uma Marisqueira – famous for its seafood rice and recommended by my favourite YouTuber. It was really good, although we had to wait 30 minutes.

Mescado da Pascoa 2026 (Easter Market) – probably the highlight of our trip! It only ran from 26 March to 5 April this year. There were many stalls, and we especially enjoyed the sausages and white sangria.

 

Day 2 – Castle of S. Jorge and Alfama

Near Castelo de Sao Jorge, I first stopped by As Bifanas do Afonso for a bifana with cheese (€5.50) – it is one of the best pork sandwiches I’ve ever had!

I then visited the castle, one of Lisbon’s top attractions, but to be honest, I found it a bit overrated, probably due to the crowds. After that, I wandered around Alfama, the city’s oldest neighbourhood with its narrow, traditional streets.

Later, I checked out Pink Street and Time Out Market Lisboa. Originally I wanted to eat in the market but it was too crowded, so I ended up having ovos rotos at Bistro 99 instead, which turned out to be one of my favourite meals of the trip.

 

Day 3 – Sintra

 

Day 4 – Belem

We spent the day exploring Belem, Unfortunately, Belem Tower was under construction during our visit, but the nearby Monument to the Discoveries was very beautiful.

We also visited Pastéis de Belém, where pastéis de nata were first created. There were two queues – the much longer one was for takeaway, while the dine-in queue moved surprisingly fast because the café is huge. The pastéis de nata were excellent: crispy, creamy, and not too sweet 😋

Later, we visited the Maritime Museum. I could tell Ben really enjoyed it because he learned a lot, and I liked hearing him explain things to me in a more interesting way.

 

Day 5 – Photography session and Cascais

One of my regrets in life is that we never took wedding photos. So, we decided to book a one-hour photography session in Lisbon through Viator. I noticed there are quite a few similar experiences now, perhaps it’s becoming a trend.

As we get older, I find myself wanting more photos to look back on in the future. I would love to do more photography sessions like this in different places around the world.

After the photoshoot, we visited Cascais, a relaxed coastal town recommended by a friendly American couple we met earlier in the trip. The train ride from Cais do Sodré Station to Cascais took about 40 minutes.

We also walked along the scenic 3 km Cascais–Estoril promenade by the coast. Here, I had my first bacalhau à Brás (codfish à Brás), and it was surprisingly delicious! I don’t know when I’ll get the chance to eat it again 😋

 

Day 6 – Relaxing day and Fado show

We took it easy today after a busy few days of sightseeing. In the afternoon, we enjoyed Madeira wine, cookies, UauCacau chocolates, and cake in our apartment courtyard. I really loved the peaceful atmosphere… although I spotted a few lizards and decided not to tell Ben so I wouldn’t ruin the mood 😂

One of the most popular cultural experiences in Portugal is watching a fado show, a traditional style of Portuguese music that is usually emotional and soulful. I booked a tour that included a walking tour and dinner with a show at Alfama Grill. I was a bit nervous because it was my first time booking through Hello Ticket, and the guide even arrived half an hour late.

To be honest, we didn’t enjoy the show as much as expected, perhaps because it felt quite touristy. The performances were short and the breaks were too long. But I did enjoy the creamy bacalhau 😋

 

Day 7 – Sintra

 

Day 8 – Ben’s walking tour

Ben had been to Lisbon before and joined a free walking tour, so this time he became my personal tour guide 😂

We wandered around the city, including a lookout point that is a free and great alternative to the famous Santa Justa Lift. I was very satisfied with his tour, and we also enjoyed some good food around the city.

 
Day 9 – Sintra

 
Our next destination was Lagos. We took a train from Lisbon, which took about four hours including one transfer. It was a bit challenging because there were not many signs at the stations, and we were worried about missing the train.

 
Looking back, I really enjoyed the food in Lisbon. I think food is one of the best ways to experience a culture. Back when I was backpacking, I only looked for the cheapest meals, but Ben slowly turned me into a foodie 😋

Portuguese food is seriously underrated!

Who says travel has to be about doing a lot of things? Some days, we took it easy and had no plans at all – and I still miss the relaxing time in the courtyard, Ben’s walking tour around the city, and of course, the food.

Travel is about memories and experiencing something different. Even living in a new place for a short period of time can be a unique experience.

Previous destination: Madeira
Sintra
Next destination: Algarve