Looking for ways to experience Portugal’s capital city without breaking the bank? Check out these five cheap things to do in Lisbon.
Feira da Ladra (Thieves Market)
This outdoor street market has been a Lisbon institution since the 12th century, and today, visitors can search the stalls for knickknacks, antiques and all sorts of odds and ends from dusk until dawn on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Vendors roll out blankets as their makeshift storefronts during the free market, and you’ll find everything from clothes and crafts to coins and stamps at this Campo de Santa Clara Street market.
Alfama
After browsing through the treasures of Feira da Ladra, don’t miss a chance to wind your way through the cobblestone streets of the surrounding Alfama neighborhood. Alfama has an undeniably old soul, and you’ll see how the locals live as traditional Fado music spills into the narrow streets from nearby restaurants and matriarchs hang laundry to dry from the balconies above.
We Hate Tourism Tours
This cheekily named tour company offers an affordable way for visitors to get a deeper sense of Portugal’s capital city without having to navigate Lisbon’s hilly terrain by foot. For 25 euros, you’ll learn the history behind some of Lisbon’s top landmarks (including cathedrals, parks and basilicas) as a four-wheel-drive jeep takes you along Lisbon’s seven famous hills on the King of the Hill tour. The tour also includes a local drink tasting.
Lisboa Card
If historic sites and museums top your list of things to do, save yourself some euros by purchasing a Lisboa Card, which offers free or discounted admission to more than 80 local attractions and free rides on the Metro, local buses and the historic tram. Sites you can visit for free with the card include the Belem Tower, Jeronimos Monastery, National Pantheon and Ajuda Palace. A 24-hour Lisboa Card is 18.50 euros, while a 72-hour pass is 39 euros.
Santa Luzia
Hilltops make for prime viewpoints in Lisbon, and one of the city’s perfect perches is the Miradouro de Santa Luzia. This romantically landscaped terrace offers free panoramic views of the historic Alfama district, including the dome of the National Pantheon and the church of Santo Estevao amongst the red-roofed homes of the historic neighborhood.
(Main image: mat’s eye)
