Lisbon in 3.5 Days

Slippery cobbles, seaside escapes, and the best pizza I’ve ever had.

In the Uber from the station to my hostel, my driver — eager to practise his English — described Lisbon and Porto in a way that stuck with me.Porto, he said, looked like it had been made by the hand of God, while Lisbon looked like it had been made by the hand of man.

He was right. Lisbon immediately felt vast — almost like Porto times ten. The traffic was constant, the noise relentless, and the streets crowded with people. This was a true capital city. I’d given myself four full days here, double what I’d had in Porto, because I knew this was a place that demanded time.

That first walk into town confirmed it — Lisbon was chaotic and beautiful in equal measure. Over the next few days, I’d fall for its rhythm, even when it tested my patience. Between crowded markets, sea air, immersive art, and the best pizza I’ve ever eaten, Lisbon became the star of my trip.

Day 1 – Settling In

In contrast to Porto, I arrived by afternoon rather than evening, determined to make lunch count. The Time Out Market, located at Mercado da Ribeira, was a 35-minute walk from my apartment — a strange mix of steep uphill and downhill on slippery cobbles. I was sure there must’ve been an easier route, but I was too hungry to care.

When I finally arrived, it was a world away from Porto’s calm food halls: crowded, noisy, and overwhelming. My first instinct was to hate it. After weaving through the crowds, I stopped at Marlene Viera’s outlet and ordered the squid and swordfish tataki risotto. It turned out to be incredible — rich, meaty tataki with a light, citrusy risotto that somehow felt delicate rather than heavy.

Before leaving, I wandered to the produce section. Only one stall was still open — a friendly woman packing up for the day. She helped me pick out mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic, and peri chillies. That small interaction ended up being the highlight of the day; I was so excited to finally have the chance to take fresh produce back and cook.

On the walk home, I spotted a bakery called Chez Croissant and decided to grab one for dessert. I didn’t realise they were vegan — which I’m totally open to — but it turned out disappointingly dry and bland.

Back near my apartment, I topped up my groceries at Continente Bom Dia and cooked a simple dinner of octopus, pasta, and a glass of whiskey. Later, I wandered the quiet streets near Avenida da Liberdade and Marquês de Pombal, seeing the city at night — still noisy, still busy, still humming.

Day 2 – Finding My Rhythm

Day two started chaotically. The Mercado da Ribeira produce market was very different to Bolhão in Porto. I left my apartment at 8:30 a.m., hoping to repeat my Porto breakfast routine, but found the market only just waking up. The fruit and seafood options were limited, and most stalls didn’t accept card.

After retracing my steps, I finally found the same vendor from the day before who did take card. By then it was nearly 10 a.m., and perhaps delusional with hunger, I ended up buying spicy tuna maki and taking it to Carcavelos Beach. The train from Cais do Sodré was easy enough, but the long, hot walk from the station was brutal. The beach was postcard-perfect — golden sand, families, surfboards — but it wasn’t really my kind of place. I missed the wild, rocky beaches of Porto. Still, it was a lovely setting for an 11 a.m. sushi breakfast.

From there, I stopped at the Orient Museum. The area around it was oddly empty and industrial, but inside it was a treasure trove — intricate, fascinating, and far larger than I’d expected. I didn’t give myself nearly enough time there, having booked the Banksy Museum for that evening through GetYourGuide, and still needing to recharge both my phone and myself.

Lunch was another failed attempt at the Time Out Market (one stall refused to serve me due to my nut allergy, and nothing else appealed) — but maybe that was a sign to move on. I went to Lupita Pizzeria, a place I’d stalked on Instagram. I ordered a marinara with extra mushrooms and anchovies, took it to a sunny park, and ate alone. For my first solo holiday, eating alone in public had sometimes made me feel self-conscious, but that moment I overcame it — because all I could feel was enjoyment.

The Banksy Museum was another highlight. It was so well curated — engaging without being overwhelming — with a clear flow from start to finish. For a solo traveller, it was the perfect evening activity. You didn’t need someone to walk around with; Banksy’s art is best just looked at, quietly.

Back at my studio, I cooked another octopus dinner and replaced the disappointing croissant from the day before with a chocolate brioche loaf from the supermarket — simple, yes, but soft, rich, and exactly what I wanted for the next few days.

Day 3 – Beaches, Art, and Immersion

After the stress of day two, I skipped the market entirely and went straight to the beach — this time getting off a stop earlier and discovering my favourite of the trip: Praia de Paco de Arcos. Quieter, not exactly rugged like Porto but less polished and more local, it felt like my beach.

On the way back, I stopped in Belém — not for the tower, but for breakfast and art. I picked up a takeaway from The Folks Café: sourdough toast with kimchi and salmon (after politely declining the vegan cream cheese). They’d replaced it with a thick layer of spiced butter, which was a bit much for me, but the bread, kimchi, and salmon were lovely.

Next came the Contemporary Art Museum, which, I’ll be honest, wasn’t for me. I even got scolded for touching the art — or rather, for leaning on something while tying my shoelace, only to realise it was the art. It reminded me of a previous visit to another contemporary museum where my companion and I had stared for a good minute at an overturned bin, trying to decide whether it was art or just a bin.

Luckily, the Klimt & Monet Immersive Exhibition, which I’d also booked through GetYourGuide, was everything the museum wasn’t — bright, beautiful, and genuinely moving. The venue was tucked behind gardens on a steep hill, and the long, hot walk there only made it feel more earned.

Afterward, I returned to Lupita for another pizza — this time their vodka base with mushrooms instead of bacon — and ate it again in the same sunny park. In the evening, I walked to Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, where I’d seen the view in daylight and wanted to see it again at night. Honestly, the daytime view was better — maybe I’ve just become more of a morning person, but cities always seem their most beautiful at 8 a.m.

Day 4 – Creative Lisbon

By day four, I was in the flow. Breakfast was a seeded roll from Gleba Bakery, one of the best I’ve ever had, plus a fruit selection from a stall I’d found in another section of the Time Out Market. Then it was back to my favourite beach for one last sea breeze before heading to the LX Factory — a creative hub I’d been excited about for months.

It completely exceeded my expectations. Every corner had something to explore — the bookshop, clothes, trinkets, random quirky things. I could have spent the whole day there.

I took the train back to Cais do Sodré and wandered past the Santa Justa Lift, drifting through local shops. I didn’t buy much — just enjoyed the act of wandering with no destination. Somehow, on my final day, I stumbled upon the route back to my hostel that avoided all the steep hills. Naturally.

Of course, I ended the day at Lupita again — a final marinara with anchovies, mushrooms, and pickled chilli. As the sun set at Ribeira das Naus, I realised how much Lisbon had won me over. Despite my rocky start, I’d grown to love its chaos, its colour, and its constant hum.

Day 5 – Departure

On my final morning, I couldn’t resist one last stop at Gleba for another seeded roll — and impulsively grabbed a sourdough too, not realising how important it would become later. I treated myself to a fruit salad and sashimi breakfast from the Time Out Market (to the visible annoyance of the chef) and ate it by the river at Ribeira das Naus, saying a slow goodbye to the city.

At Oriente Station, I arrived early and was pleasantly surprised: a Korean restaurant, an Asian supermarket, food stalls, even a second-hand bookshop. The hour flew by.

At the airport, I upgraded to fast-track security — a small luxury that felt slightly ridiculous when I forgot to remove my necklace and earned a suspicious look from the guard. I grabbed spicy sushi as my last meal before boarding and leaving Portugal, and my trusty Gleba bread roll waited patiently in my bag.

Back in the UK at nearly 11 p.m., I checked into the Hilton by the airport (an extortionate treat) and raided the 24-hour M&S for prawns, calamari, cookies, and a mini bottle of wine. With my sourdough roll and a final swig of tequila — a mini bottle I’d randomly picked up from a supermarket in Lisbon — it became my last improvised dinner: the perfect, slightly chaotic end to a perfectly chaotic trip.

Souvenirs & Small Things

Before leaving, I finally picked up the little things I’d been eyeing all week. From a chocolate shop I passed almost every day on the walk to Cais do Sodré, I bought a bar of Calém wine chocolate for my sister — and paired it with a mini bottle of port I’d bought back in Porto. At the LX Factory, I found a pastel de nata liqueur for a friend and a tiny toy cow from a cute kids toy shop for a pregnant friend. I also picked up a Lisbon-themed deck of cards for myself and a bookmark for my mum from a small tourist shop, and a pocket-sized Porto jigsaw for my dad. Small things, easy to pack, and exactly the right way to take a bit of the trip home.

Closing Thoughts

Lisbon wasn’t always easy. It’s loud, steep, and sometimes overwhelming — but it’s also alive in a way few cities are. Between the calm of the sea, the art, and those unforgettable pizzas from Lupita, it reminded me why I love going abroad: to be challenged, surprised, and sometimes completely out of my comfort zone — only to find a rhythm that somehow feels like home.

This was my first trip abroad since before Covid, and it’s given me the bug for adventure again.

Places Mentioned

Time Out Market Lisbon (Mercado da Ribeira) • Marlene Vieira • Carcavelos Beach • Museu do Oriente • Lupita Pizzeria • Banksy Museum Lisbon • The Folks Café • Museum of Contemporary art • praia de paco de arcos• Klimt & Monet Immersive Exhibition • Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara • Gleba Bakery • LX Factory • Santa Justa Lift • Ribeira das Naus • Oriente Station • Calém Wine Chocolate •