Brass tacks on planning - 4 days in Lisbon
 

Okay, the wedding is over, it was fabulous, and I have a wonderful new daughter-in-law! Now, back to trip planning.

My list of things to get feedback on here is:

1) Rough 4 day itinerary for Lisbon.
2) Just checking on practicalities, my get ready to go to Europe travel checklist may have better options since the last time we were there in…. 2018! (We HAD planned to go to Portugal in 2019 but had to cancel, wonder why?).
3) Rough 4 day itinerary for Porto.

So, this is number 1, 4 days in Lisbon.

Day 1 is arrival day, we get in mid-morning I think. On arrival, at the airport, we’ll get some cash at an ATM, and get a travel card (not the Lisboa card). We’re over 60 (getting close to over 70), so I’m counting on senior discounts at a number of places. We’ll get to our hotel and either our room will be ready or we will store our luggage there until it is.

Since I will be sleep deprived (I’ll get a little sleep on the plane, but not nearly what I need), we’ll likely just explore – we’re staying in Baixa and so we’ll walk a bit there and then go to Chiado. I need to fill this in some more, but I do know I want to see that bookstore (I’m a big bookstore fan).

Day 2 Perhaps we’ll concentrate on Alfama. I do want to go to the Gulbenkian Museum, maybe that’s the day for it. Maybe we’ll book a walking tour. Again, I need to fill this in more, but I need the bones first.

Day 3 I think will be for Sintra. I have a thread on that, and need to make some final decisions about what to see and in what order and what tickets to buy ahead, but this is a good day for that.

Day 4 is for Belem, the Jeronimos Monastery and I don’t know what else and whether we’re there all day or do something else later in the day.

But that’s the bones of the itinerary. I’ve based this on various other threads I’ve seen and after looking at Rick Steves and some other travel guides.

Comments MORE than welcome.

Thanks so much to this helpful and unbelievably knowledgeable group.
Alice

Day 1
Guerra Junqueiro Garden
Parque Eduardo VII
get out in the green spaces and keep walking

bilboburgler, I like the green spaces and walking suggestions, we are of like minds on that. I will check out the garden and park you recommend, thanks very much!

Alice

For your day in Belem I'd recommend the Coach Museum. On the day I went I was tired and thought about skipping it, but I'm so glad I didn't. If you go, I'd recommend seeing the coaches in reverse chronological order. That way you'll start with "cool" and "interesting" and move to "WOW!" since the older coaches are the really impressive ones.

Alice9,
Glad that your son and daughter-in -aw had a fabulous wedding!

Day 1:
What works for me with jet lag (but I arrive from the west coast) is just to wander out in the bright sun (no museums, no bus tours, no boat rides),
I think your plan of wandering in the Baixa and up to Chiado is a good one. And if you need coffee there's the A Brasileira or the Pastelaria Bernard, both next to each other on Chiado's Rua Garrett (I like the latter a bit better, as it's somewhat less crowded). There's also the café in the back room of the wonderful Bertrand bookstore there. And a "meia de leite" is more or less the equivalent of a latte. (but a bica is a shot of espresso, w/o milk).

Day 2;
Alfama would work, but remembering that if it's a Monday, the Monastery São Vicente de Fora, with its magnificent tiles, will be closed, as will the National Pantheon. But the cathedral, Sé, will be open, as well as the Ricardo do Espírito Santo Silva Foundation, a decorative arts museum housed in a palace (which is closed on Tuesday). And if it's rainy, that walk on slippery cobblestones, up and down staircases, won't be much fun.

The Gulbenkian, could also work, remembering that the Gulbenkian is closed on Tuesdays and you can follow it by a walk through Eduardo VII Park--that makes a nice combo-- followed by the walk back to your hotel (all downhill!) along the broad and leafy Avenida da Liberdade. If you need a rest stop there are plenty of red benches, now each dedicated to one of Lisbon's famous female fado singers, with written commentary about their lives, plus refreshment kiosks (quiosques--they're all over the city), like "Banana Café" and "O Melhor Bolo de Chocolate do Mundo" on the avenue, for a stop for a drink or even food.

A walking tour would also work in the afternoon. I do go to museums in the morning, when my powers of concentration are much better, then use the afternoons for walking around.

Day 3: whether this is a good day for Sintra will depend, I think, on what day of the week it is. Sintra gets packed on weekends but also on Mondays when most of the Belém monuments are closed. But Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon may be the days that you have in Lisbon?

Day 4: If it's Monday, the Jerónimos Monastery and other Belém monuments are closed.
Depending on your interests there (and the crowds), Belém can take the entire day, if you want to hit Jerónimos (I would do it first before large bus tours arrive), then the Monument to the Discoveries (elevator to the top, or not), then the walk up to the Torre de Belém (the inside we skipped because of the close quarters), then back to the far eastern end of Belém, to hit one of these also in Belém: (it's a lot to pack in)

Your other Belém options-
Berardo Modern Art Museum, a walk on the rooftop of the MAAT, the vast Naval Museum, tracing Portugal's rich nautical history, or the lovely Coach Museum (we now do this one last before making our way back to our hotel), which doesn't get too crowded in the afternoon. You don't need to visit both the contemporary building, with the largest collection of carriages, AND the original museum, housed in the former riding school, since the collection there is much smaller, although the frescoes are beautiful. Both are included on your ticket, but the old building is closed on Tuesday but open on Monday.
Homepage - EN - National Coach Museum.

Hope this helps to get you started.

Maribel, I meant to put in our days of the week - we arrive on WED and depart for Porto on SUN. So perhaps we shouldn't go to Sintra on Friday? Our four days are Wed-Sat.
I agree about museums in the morning and walking tours in the afternoon.
So we have no Monday closure problems for the Lisbon part of the trip.

Thanks as always,
Alice

Alice9,
Glad you have n Monday closure problems.

I probably wouldn't go to Sintra on the day after arrival (that would be Thursday for you), since I'd want to spend my second day getting to know the city better, getting better oriented, discovering a different neighborhood or two....but that's me, not you.

If you get an early start to Sintra on Friday morning, it might be better than trying to tackle it the very next morning after your Wed. arrival, unless you opt for a small group guided tour rather than a DIY. Just a thought....
Every traveler is different.

I agree with Maribel recommendations.
I was impressed with São Vicente de Fora church roof, it's made of big blocks of stone and completely flat except for the bell towers and cupola. Considering how long ago the church was built, what a feat of engineering. There's no indication from inside the church but at the time I was allowed to go to the roof, also great for photo of city skyline towards the river.
Home - Mosteiro de São Vicente de Fora

At Jeronimos visit not just the church but also the cloister ($fee).
If you're in Belem on a Saturday you can visit the President's palace.
https://www.lisbonportugaltourism.com/guide/palacio-de-belem.html

On the south side of river, by the bridge you'll see a large statue of Christ the King (Cristo Rei), it has an elevator inside to the top. Really great views of Lisbon, great for photos and the statute itself is impressive.
https://www.lisbonportugaltourism.co...to-christ.html

Happy travels

If you wish, you can click on my name to read my trip report for Lisbon and Sintra to see what we did there, and how we organized our days.

In a nutshell, we visited the Gulbenkian in the morning. We did spend about 3 - 3.5 hours there because we like to take our time and not rush through things. We enjoyed both the Modern Collection building and the Founders Collection building. We enjoyed walking through the gardens and we had a light lunch at their outdoor cafe. Later on that afternoon we went to Miradouro de Alcantara, one of the many viewpoints in Lisbon. Partially followed a Rick Steves walking tour of Bairro Alto, and visited the Sao Roque Church.

On another day, we visited the Castle Sao Jorge in the morning, then had a light lunch, and then wandered around the Alfama. Also visited the Mosteiro De Sao Vicente De Fora. Don't miss the rooftop for spectacular views!

The next day we visited Belem and spent most of the day there. First on our list was the Jeronimos Monastery. Then the Discoveries Monument. I highly recommend taking the elevator to the top. A very short line, and the views are spectacular. We admired the Belem Tower from afar. Visited the Coach Museum, and also had lunch at Restauraunt Vela at the Belem Dock.

The day before we flew home, we took a guided tour to Sintra and Cascais.

Hope this helps.

We flew to Portugal after visiting our daughter in France, so we didn't have to worry about what to do on arrival day regarding getting over jetlag.

I agree about going ahead with Sintra on Friday, for exactly the reasons you give, that's why I had arranged my days that way - you just gave me pause about avoiding it Thu-Sun. We're going on our own, and as I said in another posting, will save Pena Palace for afternoon, so hopefully we should do okay.

Alice

aulop, thanks for the recommendations, adding to my list!

Alice

Thanks, KarenWoo, what you have here is great, but I will definitely read your trip report, I find trip reports SO helpful.
I agree about not rushing museums. And I see you are into great views, as am I, so thanks for the tips on those.
We're doing Sintra on our own, and not Cascais because I think doing both doesn't give you enough time in Sintra - but I do see LOTS of Sintra/Cascais tours, so it must work well for many people.

Great information, thanks!
Alice

Alice,
I do think that Sintra and Cascais, under present circumstances, given the huge Sintra crowds/long lines, is now too much during high season, unfortunately.

I think that Pena may be better after 3, given the recent reports on other travel forums.

If on your Belém day, if you find the waterside restaurants too crowded (the Vela at the Doca Bom Sucesso docks/marina is a great choice), and you just want a quick and nice (huge) sandwich, there's a new Confeitaria Nacional just east of the Belém Tower, (one of the city's famed pastéis de nata places).
It also has an outdoor terrace, and because it's mostly sandwichs/salads, there's a good ebb and flow there. You order and pay at the counter, but the wait staff brings your food to you. It's usually not as crowded as the other places that are closer to Jerónimos.

Thanks, Maribel, you've confirmed my plans about Sintra. And thanks for the restaurant tips in Belém, that will be a big help.
Alice

A place in Belém that seems to not get much mention here but which we found excellent is the Maritime Museum.

Yes, Seamus, the Naval Museum that I mentioned is actually called the Maritime Museum, Museu de Marinha, (wrong terminology). It really is excellent, and it's vast! It sits next to Jerónimos and the attached Archaeological Museum. There's soooooo much to see in Belém!
https://ccm.marinha.pt/pt/museu

What about the Tile Museum? I've seen several positive references about that, and it seems right up m alley.

Alice

Thanks, Seamus, will investigate!

Alice

Absolutely, Alice,
The tile museum, Museu Nacional do Azulejo, is amazing, one of my top 3 museums to visit, and its chapel is a masterpiece of Baroque. It's closed on Mondays but that won't affect you, just a note for others.

http://www.museudoazulejo.gov.pt/en-...entDetail.aspx.

I’ll mention the Museum of Resistance and Liberty in the Lisbon’s Alfama, not only because I liked it myself, but also because it hasn’t been mentioned on this response “thread” (nor on any other Lisbon forum thread I’ve ever seen). As of my visit (2017) it contained mainly large, well-illistratred wall posters, in both Portuguese and English, describing in detail the Antonio Salazar dictatorship, and the resistance to it. Otherwise, there wasn’t a lot of concrete “stuff,” though there was a reconstructed resistance apartment showing some of the methods used by the resistance to operate and communicate in secret. (Also, a very small display of medieval artifacts — the museum is located in an old Moorish building known as the “Aljube.”)

Note that my visit was December, 2017; things may have changed since then. Note too that they have a website, and while I found museum inspiring myself, fascists and authoritarians may not appreciate it as much.