For a festive city break with a difference, try Lisbon. You won’t experience any ice or snow in this Portuguese capital city as December’s daytime temperatures average 15C. But you will find streets aglow with twinkling Christmas lights, colourful nativity scenes, a buzzing restaurant scene and little hole-in-the-wall bars and outside stalls selling tiny chocolate cups full of ginja or ginjinha, a sweet liqueur made from Morello cherries.
You’ll also find several Christmas markets dotted across the city. Whilst smaller in size than their more famous German and Central European counterparts, Lisbon’s Christmas Markets offer a friendly festive atmosphere with local handicrafts to buy and produce to sample. The city also has numerous outdoor attractions open year-round and on rainy days, a multitude of amazing museums, galleries, shops and a stunning aquarium provide ample refuge.
Lisbon’s Christmas Markets
Right in the city centre is the Christmas Market at Rossio Square. Traditional food includes roasted chestnuts and hot mulled wine. Hop aboard the Christmas Train for a journey through the streets of Baixa, Lisbon’s vibrant and bustling heart with grand buildings, plazas, shops and restaurants. Baixa is also home to the Elevador de Santa Justa – a wrought iron lift transporting passengers up and down one of Lisbon’s steepest hills – and the magnificent waterfront Praça do Comércio which houses Lisbon’s official Christmas tree.
Other popular markets include Wonderland Lisboa, located in Parque Eduardo VII around 2 km north of the city centre. It is easy to reach by metro. Here you’ll find an ice-rink, a giant Ferris wheel, Santa’s house and stalls selling handmade goods.
Tram 28
Take a journey back through time on this iconic and rattly ride aboard Tram 28. These vintage trams set off regularly from Martim Moniz Square, squeezing through narrow streets, sometimes forcing pedestrians to flatten themselves against the walls, and taking tourists and locals through historic neighbourhoods. The entire route takes anything from 48 minutes to an hour and it is recommended to stay on for the entire route as, although hopping off is easy, hopping back on to the packed trams can prove problematical. There are alternative hop-on hop-off trams and buses used for sightseeing.
Castelo de São Jorge
Towering above the city with magnificent views across the river to the ocean beyond sits the grand 11th century Castelo de São Jorge with a history dating back to Roman times. The castle was named after England’s patron saint St. George in 1387 as it was presented to Philippa of Lancaster as a wedding gift from husband King João. You can walk around the ramparts and cannons, and climb towers for the most amazing panoramic views across the city, river and sea. There are also gardens where peacocks strut and native Portuguese trees grow. Wear comfortable shoes to cope with the cobbled stones and book your entry tickets online to avoid disappointment.
Feira de Ladra
Lisbon’s flea market is a great place to mingle with the locals and browse for antiques. It is held every Tuesday and Sunday morning at Campo Santa Clara in Alfama – Lisbon’s oldest district with its maze of narrow cobbled streets.
The Lisbon Aquarium
Arguably one of the best Aquaria in the world, the Lisbon Aquarium is the perfect place to while away a few hours in an entrancing underwater world. Highlights include a 40-metre long nature aquarium with more than 10,000 tropical fish and 46 different aquatic plants, and a central aquarium with around 70 species from four oceans including sharks, penguins, puffins, sea otters, sunfish, sea dragons and rays. The sea otters are unbelievably cute as they float on their backs fluffing up their fur and playing with ice cubes. Located on the waterfront around 11km northeast of the city, the Aquarium is close to the Ponte Vasco da Gama – a stunning 17km long bridge spanning the River Tagus.
Belem District – a fascinating area to spend a day or two exploring
Belem Tower (Torre de Belém)
Often used to symbolise Lisbon, this iconic white limestone tower sits around 2.5km from the centre of Lisbon and can be easily reached by the E15 tram or by a pleasant stroll along the river. Guarding the river Tagus (Tejo) estuary, this 16th century fortification was the ceremonial gateway from which famous Portuguese explorers set sail across the Atlantic. Winter is an ideal time to visit and climb the narrow spiral staircase to enjoy the river and city views. Outside, study the intricate stone carvings and see if you can spot Europe’s earliest carving of a rhinoceros. Legend has it that back in 1517, an elephant was pitted against a rhino on a nearby beach to determine which of these awesome, newly discovered animals would prove the mightiest. After taking just one look at the rhino, the elephant turned tail and fled. Sadly, the rhino subsequently drowned in a shipwreck when being transported to Pope Leo X.
Monument to the Discoveries (Padrão dos Descombrimentos)
Take a ten-minute riverside walk to the west of the Belem Tower and you’ll find this more modern monument, also constructed from white limestone. Celebrating the 15th and 16th century Portuguese explorers, the 52-metre high Monument to the Discoveries was built in the 1960s to celebrate 500 years since the death of Henry the Navigator. The magnificent view from the viewing platform is arguably one of the best in the whole of Lisbon.
Jeronimos Monastery (Mosteiro Jerónimos)
Funded by the spice trade, this magnificent monastery built from dazzling white limestone contains a stunning two levels of cloisters with intricately carve archways and latticework. Amazingly, the building was originally on the water’s edge until the flow of the river Tagus was moved 300m south following the devastating earthquake of 1755. The Monastery was one of few large buildings to survive, thanks to its clever design with multiple small columns supporting the roof.
Museu Coleção Berado
Located just 100m southwest of Jeronimos Monastery, the Berardo Collection Museum contains a fantastic collection of surrealist, abstract and pop art with works by Picasso, Bacon, Warhol and more. Like most of the city’s galleries and museums it offers a generous discount on ticket prices to visitors aged 65 and over and is closed on Mondays.
National Coach Museum (Museo Nacional dos Coches)
Located around 750 metres east of the Jeronimos Monastery, this surprisingly interesting museum is truly a hidden gem. Feast your eyes on sumptuous and stately ceremonial carriages dating back to the 17th century.
En route to the museum, you will walk past the famous Pastéis de Belem bakery where you will be tempted to line up for one or more of the city’s best Natas – handmade since 1837 to a secret recipe that originates from the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos. No trip to Lisbon is complete without sampling at least one ‘de Nata’ (Pastéis de Nata) – Portugal’s iconic custard tart. But be warned, you’ll want to go back for more!
Ponte 25 de Abril Bridge and Cristo Rei
If time allows, take a trip across Lisbon’s iconic Ponte de Abril Suspension Bridge to visit the Statue of Christ the King and enjoy a completely different view of the city. Closely resembling San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, the Lisbon version is tall enough to allow large cruise ships and yachts to sail beneath it and into the cruise terminal. From the end of the bridge, it’s a short drive to the Cristo Rei where you can climb up inside the statue to the 80-metre high viewing platform to look back across the river to the city. Alternatively, you can cross the river by ferry and take a bus ride to the statue.
Sintra
Winter is the ideal time to visit the attractive Portuguese town of Sintra located around half an hour from Lisbon by car or train. Spend the day visiting the colourful fairytale Palacio da Pena that stands high on a hilltop; the Castelo dos Mouros, an impressive Moorish castle with far-reaching views to the coast; and the Quinta da Regaleira, a neo-gothic mansion with gardens that contain secret passageways and a deep well used by the Knights of Templar for initiation ceremonies.
Restaurants
With its fresh seafood, international cuisine and Michelin-starred restaurants you’ll be spoilt for choice when eating out in Lisbon. In fact, TimeOut lists no fewer than 118 best restaurants in Lisbon! Locals and visitors queue for Ramiro’s, a no-frills eatery just north of Martim Moniz metro stop which has been serving up some of the best seafood in Lisbon since the 1950s. A crisp Vinho Verde or cerveja (beer) makes the perfect accompaniment.
Simple Portuguese words
English is widely spoken across Lisbon but it is always nice to be able say hello, please and thank you.
- Olá – hello/Hi (oh-LAH)
- Bom dia – Good morning (bohm DEE-ah)
- Boa tarde – Good afternoon (bo-ah TAR-deh)
- Boa noite – Good night (bo-ah NOY-the)
- Tchau – Bye (chow)
- Obrigado – Thank you (if you are a man speaking) and Obrigada (if you are a female)
- Por favor – please
- Con licença – excuse me (com LEE-sens-ah)
- De Nada – you’re welcome (de-NAH-da)
Lisboa Card
The Lisbon Card can be a money-saver for visitors with just a few days to explore Lisbon, offering free public transport and access to many of the city’s must-see attractions.
Next steps
Call our team of Silver Travel Advisors on 0800 412 5678 to plan and book your perfect Lisbon city break.
