Lisbon has been on my “to-do” list for way too long. Finally, I have decided that it is time to cross it off my list. However, Lisbon is not the only place I want to visit in Portugal. With that in mind, I have planned an 8-day holiday to some of the most beautiful destinations in Portugal, including Lisbon and Algarve.How did we organise our trip?
This was our Portugal travel itinerary:
- day 1: Bucharest – Lisbon
- days 2 & 3: Lisbon
- days 4, 5 & 6: Lagos, Algarve
- day 7: Lisbon
- day 8: Lisbon – Bucharest
How much did we pay for the plane tickets?
We booked two tickets on Wizz Air for around 350€, including Wizz member discount and priority.
Accommodation in Lisbon
During our first three nights in Lisbon, we stayed at Alfama – Lisbon Lounge Suites. The hotel had a rating of 8.5 on Booking.com, but I can say that it looked much better than in the pictures.
What I liked:
- For 8 euros per person, you could enjoy a very tasty breakfast.
- The staff was extremely friendly.
- The hotel had modern and very clean facilities.
- It was located close to the subway.
What I didn’t like:
- It was situated in a very high area, which made it hard to access, especially if you had to carry luggage.
For our last night, we thought about finding accommodation directly from there, the night before. In theory, it seemed like a great idea, since we already knew the city and could have chosen a good area. In practice, the excitement of the holiday got the best of us, and we managed, for the first time, to make a reservation with the wrong date. This wouldn’t have been a big deal if I had realized it before the day we were supposed to check-in. However, on the principle that everything’s fine when it ends well, we managed to find a hotel with an available room at the last moment for that evening.
4 Days itinerary
The 1st day
The first day went by quickly. We took the subway from Lisbon Airport to the hotel and had dinner.
- 1 metro ticket is 1.5€
In the area where we stayed for the first three nights, there weren’t many restaurants. We were too tired to venture too far, so we stopped at a restaurant that boasted about serving the best fish. And not only did they boast about it, but hundreds of Google reviews also praised their food.
When we arrived there, we were greeted by one of the waiters who informed us that the waiting time for a table was approximately 10 minutes. It seemed reasonable, so we waited. However, we later found out that those 10 minutes turned into more than an hour of waiting. I don’t even know why we stayed for so long and didn’t go anywhere else. But most likely, it was because we were too lazy and lacked energy after a long journey and many hours without food. And no, the food wasn’t as good as the internet reviews promised.
The 2nd day
Day no 2. was about Sintra and Cabo da Roca.
How do you get from Lisbon to Sintra?
The easiest way. is by train. You can take it from almost every station and it takes around 40 min to get there. Ticket price isto get to Sintra
We walked up the hill from the train station in Sintra to reach Castelo dos Mouros and Pena Palace. Alternatively, you can take a bus or taxi. We paid 14€ to enter the castle, and it was a great experience, especially for the stunning views.
After our visit to Castelo dos Mouros, we made our way to the bus station to catch a ride to Cabo da Roca. The bus ride took about 40 minutes, and we paid 4€ for the ticket.
Cabo da Roca is the westernmost point in Europe and offers stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean from the top. We highly recommend visiting Praia da Ursa, an incredible beach that is a must-see in Portugal. Although there is a hiking path to get there, the effort is worth it for the breathtaking scenery. In fact, Praia da Ursa is one of the most beautiful beaches we have ever seen.
We’ve spent a few hours at the beach, and then we got back to Lisbon, following the exact same arrival route, but backwards: Cabo da Roca -> Sintra (by bus), Sintra -> Lisabona (by train).
Tip: Make sure to take a photo of the bus schedule, so you know what time you are supposed to leave to catch it.
The 3rd day
On the third day, I visited Lisbon Zoo, which is dedicated to the reproduction and conservation of endangered animals. The zoo makes every effort to recreate the natural habitats of the animals, so that they feel at home. With a layout that resembles an amusement park, Lisbon Zoo is quite spacious and offers a lot to see and do.The admission ticket fee is 21.38€ if you buy them online, price which includes a cable car trip too.
We ended the way properly, by having the tastiest burger ever, at A Cultura do Hamburg
The 4th day
On the fourth day of our Portugal trip, we returned to Lisbon after spending three days in Algarve. We spent the day exploring the city streets until we stumbled upon the famous Pink Street. As the name suggests, the street is painted in pink and is filled with numerous bars and restaurants. However, it was quite crowded which didn’t particularly suit my liking. Later, we visited the Ponte 25 de Abril, which is a well-known Lisbon bridge and bears a striking resemblance to the one in San Francisco.
If you want to read more about Algarve, you can here a look here.
Enjoy your trips!🥰
If you liked this article, please don’t forget to hit the like button and share it with your friends.
Pingback:Top-rated beaches in Lagos, Portugal - Best of Algarve - Hide Et Seek
Excellent post. I certainly appreciate this website. Keep writing!