Lisbon Highlights tour, a walk through Lisbon landmarks

Lisbon city was the last leg of my 6 weeks backpacking trip in Europe. Even though it was towards the end of my travel, I still had some energy and enthusiasm left to explore the city by walk. As part of the Lisbon highlights self guided walking tour, I walked through some of the amazing Lisbon landmarks.

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About Lisbon

Lisbon is the capital city of Portugal and the city is globally recognised along with Porto. Famous for its architecture and yellow trams, Lisbon has many museums and art galleries. It is one of the cheapest cities to travel in Europe.

One needs at least 3 days to explore Lisbon. The best time to visit Lisbon is between March and May, or between September and October as the days are warmer.

If you love to dive, then definitely scuba dive at Sesimbra when you visit Lisbon.

How to get to Lisbon?

• Lisbon city has an international/ domestic airport called Humberto Delgado or Portela airport. The airport is connected to all the major cities around the world and Europe.
• Flixbus is the bus operator that runs buses between all the cities in Europe.

Read Europe Travel Planner for all the tips and tricks on planning for a vacation in Europe.

Lisbon Highlights tour, a walk through Lisbon landmarks

The Lisbon Highlights tour was an easy self guided tour walking around the streets of Lisbon and seeing some of the spectacular and iconic landmarks of the city.

Statistics

• Starting point: Castle of Sao Jorge.
• Finishing point: Santa Jasta Elevator.
• Total distance: 3.5 kilometres.
• Time taken: One hour or depending on how much time you wish to spend at each landmark.
• Path: Castle of Sao Jorge – Lisbon Cathedral – Dam Square – Santa Jasta Elevator.
• Grade: Easy.

Landmarks covered

Castle of Sao Jorge

Dating back to the 1st century BC, the Sao Jorge Castle is a historical castle in Lisbon. The castle has an important role in the history of Portugal. It was used as the location of fortifications by Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Moors and then eventually to Portuguese.

The castle is open for public from Sunday to Friday between 10 AM and 9 PM and on Saturday between 10 AM and 1 PM. There is an entrance fee of Euros 8.5 per adult and it can be purchased at the entrance gate.

Lisbon Cathedral

Built in 1147, the Lisbon cathedral is a Roman cathedral. The cathedral consists of a Latin cross, three aisles, a transept, a main chapel and an ambulatory. It is made up of three architectures, Gothic, Baroque, and Romanesque architectures.

The cathedral is open for public at different times from Monday to Saturday, but common times include 10 AM and 6 PM. There is no entrance fee to visit the cathedral.

Dam Square

The central hub of Lisbon is the Dam Square. It is filled with cafes and restaurants and is usually bustling with lot of people. The Dam Square is adjacent to the beach and is a beautiful place to hang out, especially to see the sunset.

I also stayed in a couple of hostels along the Dam Square, read hostels in Europe.

Santa Justa Elevator

Also called as Carmo lift, Santa Justa lift is a vertical elevator is situated in the civil parish of Santa Justa. As it is a beautiful looking elevator, it has become of the touristy spots in Lisbon. It was built in 1902 with cast iron.

Safety for solo female travelers

Lisbon is very safe for solo female travelers. I lived in the city, opposite to Santa Jasta Elevator and mostly walked around the city. I did not have any problems during my stay and exploration of the city. However, like any other place in the world, be careful at night and know your surroundings at all times.

While visiting a non-English speaking country, ensure to have these travel apps on your phone to make travel easy.

Closing Notes

Lisbon is a very beautiful city with a lot of history. And it is best discovered by walk and seeing the way locals live their lives. I highly recommend walking around the streets and exploring the old landmarks of the city.

Did you love this beautiful walk? Then you will definitely love the historical walk in Porto.

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