2 Days: Lisbon, Sintra and Cascais
Two days in Lisbon is not enough, and you should know that going in. But it’s still enough to fall for Portugal hard: city core done properly, with Sintra’s palaces and the Cascais coastline parked as reasons to come back. Ready for a real day trip? See the 3-day version .
Book these before you go:
- Skip the line at Belem , timed entry only, both sites
- Check hotel rates in Chiado , the easiest base for a two-day taster
| Day | Focus | Cost to expect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baixa, Alfama and the Castle | ~15 EUR (castle) plus meals |
| 2 | Belem, then a taste of the river | ~18-33 EUR (monuments) plus meals |
| Save for next time | Distance from Lisbon | Travel time | One-way fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sintra (Pena Palace) | ~28 km | ~40 min by train (Rossio) | 2.45 EUR |
| Cascais | ~30 km | ~40 min by train (Cais do Sodre) | ~2.25-2.45 EUR |
Day 1: Baixa, Alfama, and the Castle
Land, drop your bags, and get moving. The Red Line metro runs from the airport to Alameda, where you switch trains for Baixa/Chiado, roughly 25-30 minutes for about 2 EUR. Ignore anyone at the taxi rank quoting a flat fare into town. Lisbon cabs are metered, and that “flat rate” pitch is aimed squarely at tired arrivals. If you’d rather skip the argument, Uber or Bolt from the curb is usually both cheaper and faster.
Start downtown at Rossio Square, then walk into Baixa’s grid of post-earthquake streets toward the Se Cathedral. From there you’re climbing into Alfama, the medieval tangle of alleys that makes Lisbon look like it was built by someone who’d never heard of a straight line. Take Tram 12E up through it rather than the more famous Tram 28. Same views, same wobble over the cobbles, none of the pickpocket reputation that follows 28 on its busiest stretch.
Sao Jorge Castle sits at the top, and the walk up earns you the best rooftop-and-river view in the city, roughly 15 EUR to get in. Time it for late afternoon and you’ll catch the light turning gold over the Tagus. For dinner, find a real tasca, small, family-run, cash often preferred, and order bacalhau. One heads-up before the food arrives: the bread, olives, and cheese that show up on the table are not complimentary. That’s couvert, a per-person charge that lands on the bill whether you touch it or not, so wave it off up front if you don’t want it. Close the night with a fado show if you can find a spot, ideally somewhere small enough that the singer is close enough to see you get chills.
Day 2: Belem, Then a Taste of the River
Get an early tram or Uber out to Belem, a riverside district that’s its own trip from the center, not a stroll. Jeronimos Monastery is the headline act here, Manueline stone carving so intricate it looks embroidered rather than chiseled, and Vasco da Gama is buried inside. Entry runs 18 EUR for the monastery alone (older guides still say around 10 EUR, that figure is years out of date). Nearby, and this trips people up constantly, Belem Tower is a completely separate building, a ten-minute walk from the monastery, not part of the same ticket or the same structure. It reopened in May 2026 after a year of conservation work, now running timed entry slots capped at around 900 visitors a day, tickets 15 EUR. A combined ticket covering both runs 33 EUR, which isn’t really a saving over paying separately, only worth it to dodge a second queue.
Eat your pastel de nata at Pasteis de Belem, the original bakery, warm from the oven, worth the inevitable line. If you tried Manteigaria back in Chiado yesterday, you now have an informed opinion on Lisbon’s best-fought food rivalry, and honestly, both are right for different reasons.
Head back toward Cais do Sodre for the afternoon and duck into Time Out Market before noon or after 9pm, when the seating crunch eases up. Spend your last hours wandering Bairro Alto or Principe Real, whichever mood fits, before one last riverside dinner.
Where to Stay
Baixa or Chiado puts you inside walking distance of almost everything above, which matters more than any amenity list when you’ve only got two days on the ground. Check rates in Chiado before you book.
Getting Around
Buy a Navegante card (0.50 EUR) and load Zapping credit onto it. It drops your per-ride cost below the standalone single-fare price and works across metro, tram, and bus. Skip Aerobus entirely, it was discontinued back in 2022, and any source still recommending it is out of date.
One Real Tip
If two days convinces you Portugal deserves more time, and it will, book Sintra’s Pena Palace timed entry online the moment you decide on a return trip. Walk-up tickets in high season routinely sell out or cost you half a day standing in a queue, and that single booking is the difference between a great day trip and a wasted one. Our Pena Palace visiting guide has the current prices and booking steps whenever you’re ready.