From the airport
The metro's red line leaves from inside the terminal and is by far the best-value way in — about 25 minutes to the central interchanges. The old Aerobus shuttle no longer runs:
Portugal
Lisbon
Europe's sunniest capital, tumbling down seven hills to the Tagus.
- Best forCulture seekers · Foodies · Nightlife
- In December16°C · 9 rainy days · sea 16°C
- Ideal stay3–4 nights
- Approx. flying time~11h 30m from Los Angeles
Lisbon, Portugal
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Lisbon spreads along the north bank of the Tagus; the airport sits just 7 km north of the centre.
- CurrencyEUREuro
- LanguagePortuguese
- Local time12:11same time as the UK
- PlugsType C / FBring an adapter
- Drive on theRightOpposite to the UK
- Dialling code+351
Why go
Draped over seven hills where the Tagus meets the Atlantic, Lisbon pairs Moorish alleys and Manueline monuments with a creative energy that has made it Europe's most magnetic capital. Canary-yellow trams, azulejo-clad façades and custard tarts warm from the oven give the city a texture no reinvention can polish away.
- Ideal stay
- 3–4 nights
- The vibe
- Steep, sunlit, gently melancholic
From our guides
Fado is Portugal's saudade set to guitar, and Lisbon sings it nightly in the tiled taverns of Alfama and Mouraria. Skip the coach-party dinner shows: Tasca do Chico in Bairro Alto crams amateur singers, hanging scarves and total strangers into one small room most nights, while Mesa de Frades — a former chapel — does the late, candlelit, reverent version. Silence during songs is non-negotiable. Arrive by 8pm for a table, and let the vinho tinto work.
Featured in Ten city breaks with a seriously good beach attached and Ten easy city breaks that work with kids in tow and Ten cities with world-class live music every night and Ten cocktail cities for a very grown-up bar crawl
Things to do
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Belém Tower
The Manueline sentinel of the Age of Discovery, rising from the Tagus shallows — freshly restored, with timed tickets worth booking ahead.
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Jerónimos Monastery
UNESCO-listed limestone filigree at the high-water mark of Manueline architecture; closed Mondays, and tickets sell out early.
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Ride tram 28
The canary-yellow Remodelado's rattling pilgrimage through Graça, Alfama, Chiado and Estrela is still the city's best €3.30 spent.
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Praça do Comércio
Lisbon's vast riverfront drawing room, rebuilt in Pombaline grandeur after the 1755 earthquake and framed by the Rua Augusta arch.
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Alfama's miradouros
Lose the map in the Moorish-era tangle below the castle, surfacing at Portas do Sol for the definitive rooftops-and-river panorama.
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Pastéis de Belém
The 1837 bakery still guards the monks' original custard-tart recipe — warm from the oven, cinnamon on top, queue and all.
Getting there
-
Fly to
Lisbon (LIS)
Nearest airport to Lisbon, about 8km away as the crow flies.
-
Then
To Lisbon
Humberto Delgado (LIS) sits inside the city, about twenty minutes from the centre on the metro's red line or by taxi.
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On the ground
Getting around
Metro, trams and the funiculars cover the hills, and the historic 28 tram climbs through Alfama. Carcavelos and the coast are twenty to thirty minutes by train from Cais do Sodré.
Public transport: Excellent. Four metro lines, trams, buses, suburban trains and the Tagus ferries make driving pointless.
Metro, trams & the navegante card
The metro, Carris buses, funiculars and the famous trams cover the hills so your legs don't have to. Buy a €0.50 navegante occasional card at any machine and load it with credit or day passes (24 hours, €7.25):
Taxis & apps
Uber and Bolt are cheap and everywhere; the cream-and-black taxis are metered and honest enough on the meter. For a pre-booked ride, Lisbon's biggest taxi cooperative takes calls day and night:
Car hire
A car is a liability inside Lisbon — steep, narrow, tram-tracked streets and scarce parking. Hire one only for day trips beyond the rail lines, like Comporta or the Alentejo coast; Sintra and Cascais are better by train:
Compare car hire pricesFerries & day-trip trains
Commuter ferries cross the Tagus all day — the Cacilhas run from Cais do Sodré is a €1.55 harbour cruise in disguise — and CP trains reach Sintra and Cascais every 10–15 minutes at peak times:
Flights
Los Angeles Lisbon, Portugal
Fly from anywhere — search 4,000+ airports worldwide.
Roughly 11h 30m in the air from Los Angeles (LAX), estimated from the distance — check for a direct route. Pick a month to see every available flight with live prices — Humberto Delgado Airport is just 7 km from the centre, with the metro right in the terminal.
Check dates and prices
Pick your departure date, then your return.
Search flightsNot sure when? Compare fares across a whole month.
Flight times are estimates; prices open on Google Flights. An affiliate flight search will replace this later.
When to go
Daytime highs run from about 15°C in January to 27°C in July. Driest in July and August; wettest in October, with rain on about 10 days. The sea is warmest in June at around 20°C, coolest at 15°C.
The year at a glance — pick a month for detail
December16° · rain 9 days · sea 16°Cool with rain most weeks.
Monthly figures averaged from daily records for 2020–2024 at this location (ERA5 reanalysis). Highlighted months are warm and mostly dry — May to September. Live conditions from MET Norway, CC BY 4.0.
Where to stay
Apartment rentals in tiled buildings, boutique hotels in restored townhouses, hostels of unusually high standard and a full range of chains. Rooms are often small and stairs are common.
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Best base overall
Baixa and Chiado
The flat central grid between the river and the upper town, with the metro, the trams and most sights within walking distance. It is touristy and prices reflect that.
Find stays in Baixa and Chiado -
Best for nightlife
Cais do Sodre and Bairro Alto
Pink Street, the cocktail rooms and the tiny bars of the upper grid, all within a few streets. Nothing starts before midnight and nothing is quiet before four.
Find stays in Cais do Sodre and Bairro Alto -
Best with children
Parque das Nacoes
The modern riverside quarter with the Oceanario, cable car and flat pushchair-friendly promenades, on a direct metro line. It has none of the old city's character.
Find stays in Parque das Nacoes -
Best value
Graca and Anjos
Residential hill neighbourhoods above Alfama with cheaper apartments, good local restaurants and terrific viewpoints. The hills are punishing and you will use the trams constantly.
Find stays in Graca and Anjos
Worth knowing before you book: Ask whether there is a lift; many buildings have four flights and no help with luggage. June's Santo Antonio festivities and the summer weeks book out early at raised rates.
Our picks in this destination
The area · Águas Livres Aqueduct
Budget
ibis Lisboa José Malhoa
Praça de Espanha · economy
A dependable, Green Key-certified economy stalwart a short metro hop from the centre — Lisbon's honest no-frills bed.
View hotel
The area · Baixa
Budget
Home Lisbon Hostel
Baixa · hostel
A multi-award-winning family-run hostel in the heart of Baixa, famed for "Mamma's dinners" and a warmth that made it a backpacker institution.
View hotel
The area · Rossio square
Mid-range
My Story Hotel Rossio
Rossio, Baixa · 3★
Forty-six cheerful rooms in a Pombaline building directly on Rossio square, putting the whole Baixa at your feet for a gentle price.
View hotel
The area · Alfama
Boutique
Memmo Alfama
Alfama · 4★ boutique
A discreet hideaway threaded into Alfama's medieval lanes, whose wine-red plunge pool gazes straight down over terracotta rooftops to the river.
View hotel
The area · Bairro Alto
Boutique
The Lumiares Hotel & Spa
Bairro Alto · apartment-suites
An eighteenth-century palácio reborn as airy apartment-style suites, crowned by the convivial Lumi rooftop bar above Bairro Alto's nightly hum.
View hotel
The area · Parque Eduardo VII
Luxury
Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon
Marquês de Pombal · 5★
Lisbon's grande dame since 1959 — mid-century glamour above Eduardo VII park, with a rooftop running track circling the skyline.
View hotel
Luxury
Pestana Palace Lisboa
Alcântara · 5★
A restored nineteenth-century palace — the Palácio Vale Flôr, a National Monument — wrapped in botanical gardens and frescoed salons.
View hotel
The area · Praça Luís de Camões
Luxury
Bairro Alto Hotel
Chiado · 5★
An eighteenth-century corner of Camões square with one of the city's most coveted rooftop terraces over the Tagus.
View hotel
The area · Rossio station
Luxury
Hotel Avenida Palace
Baixa / Restauradores · 5★ historic
The original Belle Époque grand hotel of 1892, all chandeliers and sweeping staircases, pressed romantically against Rossio station.
View hotelOr search everything else in Lisbon by budget. These are indicative budget bands in GBP per night for two people, not live quotes or guarantees of hotel type. Check your dates, guests, taxes and final price on Booking.com.
Good to know
- Pack this
- Shoes with grip. The calçada pavement is polished limestone and treacherous in the rain.
- Timing
- Dinner runs late, from about eight, and fado rarely starts before nine. Many museums close on Mondays.
- Cash or card
- Cards are accepted almost everywhere, though a few small tascas and the ginjinha counters still want coins.
- Crowds
- July and August are hot and full. June brings the Santo António street festivals, which are excellent and completely packed.
- Safety
- Violent crime is rare, but pickpocketing on tram 28 and at crowded viewpoints is common. Keep bags in front of you.
Similar places
Nearby destinations
Cascais
Portugal · 25km away →
Praia da Ursa
Sintra, Portugal · 32km away →
Comporta
Portugal · 47km away →
Óbidos
Portugal · 73km away →
Baleal
Peniche, Portugal · 76km away →
Alvor
the Algarve, Portugal · 182km away →Elsewhere in Portugal
Related articles
Quick answers
When is the best time to visit Lisbon?
For warm, mostly dry days, May to September. That means highs of 20–34°C with rain on six days a month or fewer. Daytime highs run from about 15°C in January to 27°C in July. Driest in July and August; wettest in October, with rain on about 10 days. The sea is warmest in June at around 20°C, coolest at 15°C.
How long should I spend in Lisbon?
Our suggestion: 3–4 nights.
How do I get to Lisbon?
Humberto Delgado (LIS) sits inside the city, about twenty minutes from the centre on the metro's red line or by taxi.
Do I need a car in Lisbon?
No. Four metro lines, trams, buses, suburban trains and the Tagus ferries make driving pointless.
What currency and language are used in Lisbon?
Currency: Euro (EUR). Language: Portuguese. Plugs: type C and F.
Who is Lisbon best for?
Best for culture seekers, foodies and nightlife. In a phrase: steep, sunlit, gently melancholic.