A Mini Solo Travel Guide for a Week in Lisbon, Portugal 🇵🇹
Lisbon is quickly growing in popularity! It’s not hard to understand why - it’s absolutely STUNNING, the hilly streets are filled with vibrant colors, and the people who live there are so warm and welcoming!
The Basics
• Safety for Solo Female Travelers: 9.5/10 - use regular precautions that you normally would and trust your gut intuition!
• Budget Friendly: 10/10 - depending on the season you go, Lisbon, and really most of Portugal, is relatively affordable! There are tons of hostels and airbnbs, which is a great way to save! Meals are relatively cheap.
• Accessibility: 8/10 - HILLS, HILLS, and more HILLS. Be prepared for walking and the incline! Think San Francisco hills when you think of the hills in Lisbon.
• Transportation: 9/10 - the public transportation system is excellent in Lisbon. Driving can be a little intense with all of the one way streets, traffic, and narrow roads. Best ways to get around would be by foot, tram, metro, or a taxi/Uber.
• Weather: 10/10 - this really depends on when you go, but honestly, the weather is pretty fantastic in Lisbon. During the summer, it can get pretty warm during the day and comfortable enough at night where you don’t really need a sweater!
Best Times to Visit:
As I mentioned above, the weather is pretty perfect all year round, but I would suggest visiting during shoulder season! It’s cheaper and there are fewer crowds.
• SHOULDER SEASON: March - June & September - October
Where to Stay:
If you travel during shoulder season, you should have tons of options.
• BEST NEIGHBORHOODS: Bairro Alto or Chiado are my personal favorites!
• AIRBNBs: I personally met up with a friend in Lisbon, and we split an Airbnb. For a 2 bed/2 bath apartment, we scored a great Airbnb for the full 6 nights in the Bairro Alto neighborhood for $1000 USD. That’s $500/person for 6 nights. Oh, and the AC and blackout shades in the bedrooms came in CLUTCH. Enough said.
Lucky you, I linked the Airbnb here:
• HOTELS: if you live the life of luxury (I sure do!), The Blue Liberdade Hotel is beautiful and is very centrally located!
• HOSTELS: if you’re ballin’ on a budget, then The LX Hostel is excellent!
✨Pro Tip: if you DON’T get anxiety without a full my loaded plan, you can almost always snag a great deal on airbnbs or hotels if you book closer to a week before you arrive.
✨if you decide you want to stay in a hostel, make sure you book IN ADVANCE! Female only dorms or private rooms get reserved fairly quickly.
Where to Eat:
• A Nossa Casa: make sure to book a reservation in advance! You can walk in for dinner IF, and ONLY IF you wait in line at 6:15 pm, before they open at 7 pm. They welcome solo diners!
• Atahlo Real: a steakhouse that has a gorgeous outdoor patio and bar! GET THE PROVOLONE CHEESE STARTER.
• Breakfast Lovers: do I really need to explain this? 😅This was my fave breakfast spot for yummy juices, smoothies, and coffees!
• La Piadina: phenomenal sandwiches. A piadina is actually an Italian “fast food,” but it reminds me of a panino made with a flatbread. They have multiple locations. I got the Galleto which is a flatbread sandwich with pulled chicken, mozzarella, sautéed mushrooms, lettuce, and honey mustard 🤤🤤I’m dreaming of it now!They have veggie options as well.
• Frutaria Cafe: another breakfast spot that has delicious smoothies, juices, and…. Breakfast 😉
• Tantura: this place is GOOD. It’s a middle eastern restaurant that serves huge plates and is an overall vibe. You also can’t say no to the Sangria pitchers that they have there.
• Pasteis de Belem: DONT MISS THIS!! It’s in Belem and it is home of the famed Pastel de Nata. Get the powdered sugar and ENJOY the sweet, flaky deliciousness. Just be warned: they are so addicting that pigeons will fight you for a taste.
• Trattoria Lisboetta: an Italian eatery with an outdoor dining scene.
Where to Drink:
Pretty much anywhere in Bairro Alto, but here are a couple of places that I liked:
• The Jam Club: super welcoming fun bar for solo travelers! The owner will welcome you with open arms and will seat you with other like minded people!
• Mapogo’s The Legacy: there is an afrobeats nightclub in the basement, complete with hookah, drinks, and a solid DJ!
• A Cultura do Hamburguer: sounds cheesy, but honestly the bartenders are so friendly and welcoming! If you show up during happy hour, for every 2 drinks you order, you can get a free side of French fries covered in an amazing aioli sauce. Highly recommend.
• Delerium Cafe: it gives a sports bar vibe if you’re from the US, and again, the bartenders are lovely. Their mascot is a pink elephant!
What to Do:
• Make a couple of day trips (or do 1 big one) to Sintra and Cascais. Sintra is home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Peña Palace. It’s well worth the trip from Lisbon. Cascais is a beautiful beach, relatively close to the center of Lisbon (you can take the train!).
• Make the trip to Belem! You can take a taxi/Uber. It’s about a 25-30 minute drive depending on traffic in Lisbon. They have a cute downtown area with lots of little shops and boutiques. You can also walk along the water or chill in the park where the Tower of Belem is.
• Take the famed Tram 28! But be warned, it can get SUPER packed. I would suggest doing this when crowds die down. ALSO, please remember that locals actually use Tram 28 for their actual lives… please be respectful and courteous of commuters or locals!
• Sail during sunset! There’s literally nothing else I can say besides DO IT.
• This last suggestion is completely optional! I like to collect a few things to remind me of all my trips. One of those things is a tattoo! I got my tattoo done by @ann_pokes on IG. She is a handpoking queen and owns @NAMEStattoo. Absolutely stunning.
Pro Tip:
✨Book tickets for any major tourist attractions AHEAD OF TIME. I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend purchasing SKIP-THE-LINE tickets, especially for Peña Palace.
AND THAT’S A WRAP! Thank you for reading this far down. You are going to love Lisboa. I wish you safe travels and I hope you manifest the most amazing trip. ❤️✨xx
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