What to do in Lisbon during a 5 hr layover?
 

We will be coming back from Faro with a 5 hr layover in Lisbon. I hope we will be able to do a walk about before we have to board our plane for home. Any ideas of what to do in a short time will be very helpful. Our first time to Lisbon. Thanks!

I do not say that you will not have time to do some things. The airport is very close to many of the main attractions of Lisbon and easy and inexpensive to get there by taxi.

But I would like to caution you that for the first time in August, it took us almost two hours to go through passport control.

We had checked in on line and checking in at the airport was a breeze, but passport control was so jammed. They handed us a written warning that if we did not allow at least two hours to clear passport control we may not make our plane.

Now. This was in August. I don't know when you are flying and at other times of the year we had no problem what so ever.

Otherwise you would have plenty of time to stroll along Rua Augusta and down to the waterfront, sit on Rossio and have a coffee and watch people. You may even be able to ride up the Santa Justa and get a scenic view of the city.

Allow at least 30 minutes to and from the airport just to be safe. Fare should be about 10E each way.

"sit on Rossio and have a coffee and watch people" - well said Sher.
Pastelaria Suiça is number one spot for Rossio's sq people watching.

Get the Metro to station Restaradores and take the Elevador up to neighborhood Barrio Alto. Nice vies of the city and some nice cafes, restaurants when you walk past the church that was partially destroyed in the earthquake of the 1750!
And Sher is right about what the approximate taxi fare should be. Dont allow yourself to be "ripped off" by unscrupulous cab drivers trying to hustle foreigners out of their money!