3 Days in Lisbon: A Video-Based Itinerary With Sintra

A relaxed three days in Lisbon can look like this: Day 1 in Alfama and Graça for sunrise views, tiles and a long lunch, Day 2 in Belém followed by a sunset sail on the Tagus, and Day 3 on a full day trip to Sintra for the Castle of the Moors and Pena Palace. Keeping to about three main stops a day, grouped by area, leaves room for good meals and Lisbon's steep hills.

The route below comes from one video guide and the sample plan that Vidtrip's AI planner generated from it. It keeps the creator's restaurants and viewpoints, and each stop links to the moment it appears in the video.

How this 3-day Lisbon itinerary was built

The source is How To Spend 3 Days In LISBON Portugal | Travel Itinerary by Exotic Vacation. The video gives each day a clear area (Alfama, then Belém, then Sintra) and pairs every day with specific places to eat, from a breakfast toastie to a ceviche dinner.

This version was tailored for a couple traveling in September on a mid-range budget, at a relaxed pace, interested in food and photography. So it limits each day to three paced stops by grouping nearby landmarks and meals, prioritizes the creator's best photo moments (sunrise, sunset, tilework, the river and Pena Palace), and keeps the reservation-worthy dinners and the sunset sail. The full interactive version, with a free PDF download, is the Lisbon example plan.

Day 1: Alfama sunrise, tiles and the Graça viewpoints

Santa Luzia is one of the creator's favorite spots in Lisbon, and sunrise is the reason to set an alarm: the sky turns from deep red to orange over the water, and you beat the crowds that gather later. Breakfast is nearby at Portas do Sol Café, where the creator orders a tosta mista (a ham-and-cheese toastie) with fresh orange juice and coffee.

The National Tile Museum sits in a former convent and traces the history of Portuguese azulejos. The creator's highlight is a long panoramic tile painting of Lisbon seen from the water. It is also a good plan B if September brings a rainy morning.

Have a late lunch at Mesa de Frades, a restaurant in a former chapel lined with tiles. The creator's order is the clams in garlic and cilantro (amêijoas à Bulhão Pato), then bacalhau à Brás, shredded cod with eggs and potatoes. Reserve, especially on weekends. Walk it off uphill to Convento da Graça and the free Miradouro da Graça in front of it, then visit Mosteiro de São Vicente de Fora for tilework and rooftop views. The creator suggests going late in the day, but note that it closes at 18:00, with last tickets at 17:00.

For the evening, you have two good options from the video:

• Fado in Alfama. Traditional fado houses serve a set dinner with live music, and the creator says weekends feel especially magical. Book ahead.
• Boa-Bao in Bairro Alto. The creator liked this pan-Asian spot enough to go twice, especially for the seabass bao. It takes no reservations, so arrive 20 to 30 minutes before opening.

If you still have energy, the Portas do Sol viewpoint is the creator's sunset pick, with a glass of vinho verde from the kiosk. It gets crowded, but patience gets you a clear photo.

Day 2: Belém, a Tagus sail and dinner at Prado

Start with the creator's favorite pastel de nata at Fábrica da Nata, where the breakfast combo adds a ham-and-cheese croissant and a latte. Their tip: sprinkle cinnamon on top. Then head west to Belém for Jerónimos Monastery, Belém Palace and Belém Tower. These are popular cruise-ship stops, so go early. A tram, bus or train is cheaper than a taxi.

Lunch at Sud Lisboa is the day's treat: a riverside patio where the creator loved the seafood pasta and oxtail ragù. Then board a small sailboat in the late afternoon. The creator calls it one of the most memorable things they did in Lisbon: boats usually take no more than 10 people, tours often include wine, beer and snacks, and the captain may even give you a short sailing lesson. Book a late departure to catch sunset over the city.

Finish at Prado, a casual farm-to-table restaurant built around seasonal market ingredients. The creator's standouts were steak tartare on a crispy kale chip and a carbonara-style dish where tender strips of squid replace the noodles. The menu changes, and you need a reservation well in advance.

Day 3: Sintra's Moorish Castle and Pena Palace

The creator considers Sintra essential on a three-day trip and gives it a full day. Take the train from Rossio (about 40 minutes) and start early, since both main sights get busy. The Castle of the Moors dates to the 9th century; walking its forested ramparts reminded the creator of the Great Wall of China. Allow about an hour, and wear shoes with good grip for the uneven, hilly paths.

Lunch is at Tascantiga in the old town: sardine pâté, bacalhau à Brás, a glass of vinho verde and a queijada de Sintra, the town's traditional cheesecake-like pastry. Then go to Pena Palace, which the creator says is worth seeing inside and out; plan about 2.5 hours. Take the bus up, then walk down through Pena Park's shaded paths, flowers and small lakes instead of climbing back.

Back in Lisbon, A Cevicheria serves several fresh ceviches under a giant octopus hanging from the ceiling. It takes no dinner reservations, so do what the creator did and arrive about 10 minutes before opening.

What the creator recommends

• Miradouro de Santa Luzia at sunrise, worth the early start.
• The National Tile Museum, one of their absolute favorites.
• Boa-Bao for the seabass bao and noodle dishes.
• A small-group sailboat on the Tagus at sunset.
• Prado for seasonal farm-to-table cooking.
• A day trip to Sintra for the Castle of the Moors and Pena Palace.
• A Cevicheria for ceviche and a fun photo under the octopus.

What the creator says to skip

• Pastéis de Belém for your pastel de nata. The creator was not impressed, feeling the sheer number of visitors hurts both the pastry and the atmosphere, and prefers Fábrica da Nata. The video does later suggest grabbing one if you are in Belém in the morning, so treat it as a taste test rather than a priority.
• The larger river cruise boats. The creator recommends a sailboat over the bigger boats for a more intimate, local experience.

Getting around and where to stay for 3 days in Lisbon

Lisbon is very hilly and cobbled, so keeping each day in one area saves your legs. If you want to rework the stops, our guide to planning your days by area shows how to cluster them.

• Load a Viva Viagem card for the metro, buses, trams and trains, and consider a 24-hour pass on your busiest day.
• Ride Tram 28 for the classic experience, but board early or walk the Alfama stretches to avoid lines.
• Reach Belém by tram, bus or train rather than taxi.
• For Sintra, take the train from Rossio, then the local bus up to Pena Palace.
• Use a taxi or ride-hailing app for late returns up the hill to Alfama.

The sample plan estimates €150-220 per person per day at a mid-range level for tickets, a mix of casual and special meals, local transport and the sail, not counting accommodation. It expects roughly €140-240 a night for a well-located mid-range double in September.

Pack grippy walking shoes, a light jacket for the sail and cooler evenings, and a compact rain layer. Before the Sintra day, save the plan and your tickets on your phone, as our guide to keeping an offline copy of your itinerary explains.

Check before you go: the prices above are approximations from when the plan was generated. Opening times, ticket prices and restaurant policies in Lisbon and Sintra change by season, so confirm them before you travel.

Get the full plan or tailor your own

The interactive Lisbon plan has the full route, a food list, where to stay, packing notes and a free PDF download. If you are traveling with friends or family, in a different month or at a faster pace, a natural next step is to make your own version of this plan on Vidtrip, tailored to your dates, budget and pace while keeping the creator's picks. To do it manually, see our guide on how to turn a YouTube travel video into an itinerary. If Lisbon is the start of a longer trip, our week in Portugal continues north to Coimbra, Porto and the Douro River.