Guided Tours and Trips in Lisbon and Its Surroundings
In Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, it is recommended to travel and tour with local guides who will enrich your trip experience and expose you to interesting sites, spectacular viewpoints, alleys, restaurants, cafes, and vibrant markets. You can choose walking tours, bicycle tours, or Segways. You can also combine food and wine tours. Music lovers will be happy to combine a typical dinner with Fado music characteristic of Portugal.
Recommended Trips in Lisbon:
Recommended tours in Lisbon from Viator:
♦ Another expanded article on Lisbon: The Lisbon Travel Guide
Guided Tours Outside of Lisbon
The surroundings of Lisbon also feature attractive destinations, for example, a must-do tour outside of Lisbon is to Sintra, located 40 minutes from Lisbon. Sintra is a picturesque city located in the center of a ridge of hills overlooking the sea. You can get to Sintra by train, rental car, or on a half-day or full-day tour.
Other popular destinations include Óbidos, Nazaré, and Sesimbra.
Recommended Guided Tours from Lisbon to Out-of-Town Destinations from Viator:
Tours for Cruise Passengers in Lisbon
Lisbon is also a destination for many cruise ships sailing in Western Mediterranean ports along with Portugal, as well as cruises between England and the Canary Islands or transatlantic cruises, and more. For cruise passengers who do not want to take the expensive and crowded tours offered by the ship, you can book recommended, cheaper, and smaller-group guided tours here from Viator that are tailored for cruise passengers, meaning they pick you up from the port and return you to the port:
Recommended Viator tours tailored for cruise passengers with port pickup:
Recommended Hotels in Lisbon
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The 7 Hotel
3-star hotel in the historic city center, 3 minutes walk from Rossio Square. The studio apartments have a kitchenette. Free internet.
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Pousada de Lisboa - Small Luxury Hotels Of The World
5-star historic boutique hotel in the city center on the riverbank. Pool, wellness center, sauna, gym, restaurant, and bar. Free internet.
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HF Fenix Music
3-star hotel in the city center close to Avenida da Liberdade. Rooftop pool, free internet.
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H10 Duque de Loule
4-star hotel in a convenient location near Eduardo VII Park. Paid parking. Free internet.
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Lisbon Marriott Hotel
4-star hotel not far from the airport. Outdoor pool, gym, restaurant and bar. Free internet in public areas. Paid parking.
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Lisbon Five Stars Apartments Sao Juliao 72
Spacious vacation apartments with an equipped kitchen in a central location in Lisbon within walking distance of many attractions. Free internet. Paid parking.
Guided Tours by Car
The tours are suitable both for those coming to the city for a few days and for tourists arriving on a cruise ship for one day, depending on the points of interest you want to see: viewpoints, ancient churches, Jewish sites, parks, and more. Some combine typical food and beverage tastings in the tours.
In addition to the tours mentioned above, I also highly recommend the tours by Premium Tours and by Walkborder. The guides speak fluent and clear English, are kind, knowledgeable, and fascinating. The cars of both companies are modern and luxurious, and you will be able to see a lot in depth during a 7-8 hour tour.
Guided Walking Tours in Lisbon:
Lisbon is a relatively compact city and you can tour many adjacent neighborhoods in the city center on foot. A particularly recommended guided tour, especially for first-time visitors to the city, is by Lisboa Autêntica. The company offers a variety of tours; the most successful one for "beginners" is Essential Lisbon.
During the tour you will learn a lot about the city, its history, culture, life there, and of course its food. It is worth taking the tour on the very first day of your trip to Lisbon because you will receive plenty of tips that you can use throughout your stay in the city. You will walk through narrow and picturesque alleys, peek into restaurants where "Fado" shows take place,
you will see impressive buildings, murals, and of course overlook the city from many varied viewpoints.
such as Rossio Square:
The company also offers gastronomic tours, a tour of old Lisbon, a tour following "Fado" music, as well as customized tours. You can join a group tour, but it is much better (and really not expensive) to go on a private tour with them.
A particularly recommended tour for families by the company is the "Scavenger hunts" where, through a fun and experiential game, you discover the secrets of the city and its tourist sites.
Contact them in advance by email or phone: info@lisboaautentica.com
(+351) 913 221 790 / 969 233 891
Short video on Lisbon's landscapes:
Segway - Bicycle Tours
A fun and convenient way to see the steep Alfama district is on a Segway tour. You will ride through winding alleys on uphills and downhills while learning about the history and culture of the city, and stop for a short visit at a variety of popular tourist sites. There are also Segway tours combined with food tastings along the way.
♦ To book from Viator:
Lisbon Sightseeing Tour by Segway
:
Lisbon Highlights Guided
Segway Tour
For bicycle enthusiasts there are also tours in the flat area of the city on the promenade by the sea.
Bicycle Tour: Bike Tours Lisbon - Center of Lisbon to Belém
Food Tours
Eat Drink Walk - Food Tours
A highly recommended tour for those coming to the city for a few days is the food tour by this company, where you will tour several neighborhoods in the city for about 3-5 hours and taste the best that local restaurants have to offer. At each place you will taste one or two dishes accompanied by matching wine. You will get to know places popular among locals, from small stalls to indulgent restaurants. The company has several successful tours, ranging from tapas tours to gourmet tours. Particularly successful is a tour called Chiado Gourmet starting at a market called Mercado da Ribeira, a place that used to be a food and flower market and has mostly turned into a designed and trendy food hall belonging to Time Out with quality and diverse food stalls including local delicacies such as high-quality cheeses and cold cuts alongside chef stalls offering dishes from all over the world.
After tasting representative dishes characteristic of Portuguese cuisine alongside fine local wine, you will continue on to a small restaurant specializing exclusively in canned fish. You will be surprised to discover how many types of canned tuna exist and how palatable they can be, especially when paired with a light wine. At the following restaurants you will taste Portuguese tapas, alongside garlic shrimp, fish cake, and other typical dishes of Portuguese cuisine.
We visited a stylish and modern bar named Jose Maria da Fonseca which has thousands of bottles installed with special lighting on its curved ceiling. This is the place to taste delicious and sweet Muscat wine.
You cannot finish without the traditional dessert: Pastel de Nata at a delicatessen named Manteigaria. Among the restaurants and stalls you will visit a club named Pensao Amor which used to be a brothel and is now designed in a special atmosphere with sofas and even a pole for strip dancers, you will visit the Bertrand bookstore which is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest operating bookstore since 1732 and a magical housewares store. You will learn a lot about the people of Lisbon from a personal and intimate angle and also discover hidden gems in the city that are not written about in guidebooks. The guide and owner of the company, Philomena, will turn the tour into an experience for all the senses. The company also has a successful wine tour called Azeitao Wine Tour in wineries outside the city. The tour is also combined with cheese and dairy tastings which are also a specialty of that region.
Taste of Lisboa, Food Tours
This is another company that organizes food tours in less touristic neighborhoods in authentic restaurants where most diners are locals.
A particularly recommended tour by the company is: Tram 28-Campo de Ourique Food & Cultural Tour starting at the starting/ending point of the popular and historical transportation line "Tram 28"
and focusing entirely on one neighborhood named: Campo de Ourique known among city residents for its restaurants.
In this neighborhood, local chefs open their new restaurants to test their success and only later open branches elsewhere in the city.
On the tour, which lasts about 4.5 hours, you visit 7 different and diverse restaurants/cafes including among other things "the best chocolate cake in the world" (it's unclear to me who decided this, but this is what is advertised in the cafe and there is no doubt it is very successful),
a modern oyster bar, a restaurant with typical home-style food, a visit to an authentic market (where all shoppers are locals)
Mercado Campo de Ourique market
where a variety of stalls and restaurants are located, where you will also taste canned fish (one of the most famous foods in Portugal) and a variety of interesting tapas.
Every dish in every restaurant is accompanied by drinks (various wines: red, white, green), coffee, or tea.
You will also visit a unique hotel located in an ancient building where you will taste a typical local pastry rich in egg yolks (very typical of all desserts in the country). During the tour you will learn a lot not only about food but also culture, customs, literature, and plenty of spicy details about the fascinating city.
Restaurants and food stalls in Mercado Campo de Ourique
Local Food Cooking Course
Culinary enthusiasts will be happy to combine a local food cooking course during one of their days visiting Lisbon.
A successful company is: Cooking Lisbon , you will cook a complete typical Portuguese meal with your own hands, while learning the secrets of the local cuisine, popular food ingredients, spices, and more. Of course, at the end of the cooking, you will eat the meal you prepared accompanied by local wines of course. The company also offers cooking courses combined with a visit to a local market and local pastry-baking courses.
Trips Near Lisbon
Sintra
A must-do tour outside of Lisbon is to Sintra, located 40 minutes from Lisbon. Sintra is a picturesque city located in the center of a ridge of hills overlooking the sea. In the past, kings and lords lived in Sintra, and to this day it is full of mansions and palaces from ancient periods. Do not miss a visit to the huge and colorful palace Palacio do Pena.
Details in my article on Sintra: ♦ Trip to the city of Sintra and its surroundings
♦ To book from Viator:
Guided day trip from Lisbon to Sintra and Cascais in a small group :
Sintra and Cascais Small-Group Day Trip from Lisbon
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The trip departs from central Lisbon and lasts about 8 hours.
Trip to Sesimbra, Azeitao, and Setubal
Walkborder offers a successful "advanced" tour off the beaten tourist path: The Sesimbra Azeitao and Setubal Tour, - this is a full-day tour south of Lisbon (the trip begins with a drive over Lisbon's impressive bridge reminiscent of the San Francisco bridge - the "25th of April Bridge") including a visit to a charming fishing village named Sesimbra, where a castle overlooks a lovely view
picturesque alleys, a local market, and wonderful beaches.
From there you continue driving to a national park named "Arrabida" Arrabida natural Park featuring various viewpoints of picturesque sandy beaches, and numerous hiking trails amidst lush vegetation.
From there you continue with a short drive for lunch in the city of Setubal known for its seafood (the most popular dish is fried giant cuttlefish strips, named: Choco Frito). After lunch you walk along the main street of the city which features a covered market and a large flea market.
You continue driving to a charming town named "Azeitao" where you take a guided tour of a tile factory named: Azulejos de Azeitao where all tiles are produced manually, learn about the various production methods, and see the artists in action. The price of each tile there: 150 Euros!
Nearby you visit an ancient and magical winery named: Jose Maria of the Fonseca located in a castle with wonderful gardens.
You take a guided tour and tastings of a selection of wines. Wine prices in Portugal are very attractive and the wines are high quality. Highly recommended to buy some for home.
For dessert you visit a local fresh and sweet pastry factory (of course based on egg yolk and sugar) named Jortas De Azeitao which produces the cookies characteristic of this region (each region has its own characteristic cookies). This is an excellent place to buy treats and souvenirs from the region in the beautiful factory store.
The company also offers tours following the Jews of Portugal and the many Jewish sites in the country: Jewish Route in Portugal
Alternatively, you can book the following recommended tour from Viator:
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Small group day trip from Lisbon to Sesimbra and Arrabida including wine tasting
Arrabida and Sesimbra Small-Group Day Trip from Lisbon with Wine Tasting
The trip departs from central Lisbon and lasts about 8 hours.
Guided Tours in Hebrew in Lisbon and Its Surroundings
A variety of successful guided tours in Hebrew in Lisbon and its surroundings with local guides at the company
Portugo - Tours in Hebrew in Lisbon and Surroundings .On the tour in Lisbon you will experience the must-see sites in the city center across several neighborhoods, discover amazing viewpoints, a quality coffee shop, graffiti, and plenty of fascinating information about the beautiful city, including much about the history of the Jews over the years in Portugal. Highly recommended!
The company also offers tours outside of Lisbon as well as personalized private tours.
The memorial to the Jews murdered in Lisbon in 1506:
Graffiti in the alleys of Lisbon:
