5 Itinerary Ideas For a Trip To Lisbon, Portugal
Naky’s African Lisbon Tour
My group with Naky at the beginning of the tour.
Naky’s tour was one of the best I have been on, and an added plus was that I connected with so many people on that tour as well. I’ve taken the synopsis of the experience from his website and added it below.
“Designed to shed light on the important role of Portugal in the slave trade and colonization. During this half-day tour, the African Lisbon Tour covers the history of Portugal from the 15th Century, the beginning of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, to its abolition in the 20th Century.
During the 4-hour walk, we revisit the history and on the basis of documents, we discuss without taboos.
The African Lisbon Tour is intended to be a platform that attracts anyone who wants to interact with participants from all over the world; connect and grow with others while being challenged and discovering new perspectives and history. It allows you to see Lisbon’s neighborhoods with a different eye while admiring its beauty.”
What I loved about this tour was not only learning about real history, but also how passionate Naky is about connecting with the community. Along the walk, we stopped at black businesses in the city and ended the tour at a West-African restaurant called Mambo with some of the best chicken I have ever tasted. This was an optional part of the tour but everyone in my group stayed for it. After dinner, it turned into an impromptu Black Bar Crawl. Naky took those of us who wanted to stay out to different black owned bars in the city.
My favorite was the wine bar Tabernaculo, owned by Hernani Miguel. Miguel was born in Guinea-Bissau, a country in West Africa, and so much of the space is a reflection of his West-African routes. During my visit, they even had an African arts market on Saturday mornings. Read more about Tabernaculo here.
If you only have time for one tour while in Lisbon, make sure it is this one!
2. Time Out Market Lisboa
Time Out is one of the top attractions in the city. The market brings together restaurants, fresh food, events and workshops all in one. I spent a couple hours walking the vendor halls and sampling the food. If you are looking to experience a true “taste” of Lisbon, make this a stop on your trip!
Courtesy of Time Out Market
3. Tuk-tuk tour
Tuk-tuk tours are extremely popular in Lisbon. It is a great way to get a tour of the city and familiarize yourself with the sights. I actually booked one solo and had a great time! I went through Airbnb Experiences to book.
4. Day Trip to Sintra
Sintra is a town in the Lisbon District near the Portuguese Riviera. It is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its historic estates and royal palaces and castles. I did not book a tour from Lisbon to Sintra, I took the train which is about a 30 minute ride from the main center of Lisbon.
From there I caught a bus that took me around the municipality. I purchased tickets to see Pena Palace. Unfortunately the day I went was pretty cloudy, but apparently the views from the palace are gorgeous on a clear day. The palace itself was extremely picturesque and looked like something out of a Barbie movie.
Pena Palace
I only did a quick day trip but there is tons to do in Sintra. You could easily spend two or three nights here to visit all of the palaces and gardens. There was also shopping and plenty of restaurants to try out!
Learn more https://www.sintra-portugal.com/
5. Walk the Streets
Lastly, Lisbon is super walkable. (Be prepared for the hills though!!) I loved just strolling out of my airbnb and walking the streets to come across different coffee shops, restaurants, and shops.
Pink Street is another place to explore and is lined with stores and restaurants to check out. Plus it is supere picture-worthy.
Pink Street
I was there during the holidays and there were Christmas markets everywhere. It is a fun city to just get lost in so take the time to do just that! You' never know what you may come across.
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