When summer passes, Lisbon greets you with its cool salt air, tile-bright alleys, and shorter golden days. Crowds are thin and the city moves into cozy mode. Soup steaming from taverns, fado rooms glowing, sunsets slipping in before dinner.
Expect highs around the low–mid 60s°F, a chance of daily showers, and ~10 hours of daylight. It’s perfect for the traveler who wants to fill their mornings and afternoons with fun and their evenings with public music and long meals with company.
The Best Neighborhoods in Lisbon: Plan Your Stay
Think through your stay in Lisbon by thinking about the type of neighborhood you want to stay in. Each brings its own unique style and feel. Here’s some of our favorites:
Baixa/Chiado: see grand squares, handsome boulevards, and cafés that make you linger. You’re central to everything, with easy tram/metro hops in any direction. This one is an easy first choice.
Alfama/Mouraria: the medieval heart of Lisbon, find here all the staircases and azulejo tiles, fado music at night, sunrise over the river. Romantic, hilly, and photogenic *chef’s kiss*.
Príncipe Real: lots of trees with a residential feel. Check out indie shops by day and find great dining and drinks after dark.
Belém/Alcântara: this is the riverside culture that is home to the LX Factory creative district. It’s quieter after hours, and around 20 minutes to the city center by tram or train.
Day 1: First Day, First Views
Now that you’re checked in, let Lisbon’s surfaces do the talking. Grab a warm pastel de nata. Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty Pastéis de Belém later, so today taste a downtown staple and start out on the right foot!
Spend time wandring from Baixa into Chiado, ride a funicular up to São Roque, then cross to the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara—your first wide-angle of castle, river, and terracotta roofs in that soft Fall light. If showers spit, duck into a café; remember, rain showers here tend to come and go.
Dinner: settle in Chiado/Príncipe Real at a bistro with grilled robalo (sea bass) or dourada (sea bream). Cod (bacalhau) variations are a Lisbon staple. Be sure to try “à Brás”, it’s the local classic.
Day 2: Alfama & Fado
Trace the switchback lanes of Alfama and Mouraria, pausing for tilework and viewpoints. Castelo de Sao Jorge crowns the ridge; save time for its camera obscura if it’s running that day.
When the weather turns, head riverside by taxi to the National Tile Museum. Find centuries of azulejos, from blue-and-white panels to modern giants. It’s an unbeatable rainy-day play.
Return to Alfama after dark for fado: small rooms, candlelit tables, songs spun from longing.
Day 3: Belém’s Monuments
Ride tram/train west for Lisbon’s age-of-exploration postcard. Step into the cloisters of Jerónimos Monastery and note the winter schedule (open Tue–Sun; closed Mondays; last entry typically 5:00pm).
Across the lawn, the Belém Tower keeps watch at the river mouth. Then walk the waterfront to MAAT, the massive museum of art, architecture, and technology housed between a contemporary riverfront shell and the old Central Tejo power station.
End with the original Pastéis de Belém: baked since 1837 to a secret monastery recipe, guarded by just a handful of master confectioners. Eat one warm with cinnamon; carry a box for later!
Dinner in Alcântara at LX Factory under the 25 de Abril Bridge. You’ll see the street art, bookstores, chocolate cake legends, and a cluster of restaurants perfect for a drizzly evening wander.
Day 4: Sintra’s Palaces
Take the morning train from Rossio to Sintra. In the Fall, the forests often wear a cinematic fog, so be sure to carry a light rain jacket and the right shoes.
Prioritize Pena Palace (book timed entry online for savings and to skip the ticket queue) and Quinta da Regaleira for tunnels, gardens, and the spiral Initiation Well. If the weather clears, detour to the Moorish Castleramparts for Atlantic views before rolling back to Lisbon for dinner.
Day 5: Markets, Ferries, and Street Art
Start at Mercado da Ribeira/Time Out Market for a delicious brunch. If it’s clear outside, grab bikes for the flat riverside path from Cais do Sodré; if it’s wet, stay city-side and gallery hop or join a tile-painting or Portuguese cooking workshop.
Later, ferry-hop the Tagus for skyline photos and back again for sundowners on a rooftop.
Day 6: Flea finds and tram nostalgia
Go treasure-hunting at Feira da Ladra, Lisbon’s centuries-old flea market. Arrive early for the good stuff and be sure to bring cash.
Lunch in Graça, then embrace tram nostalgia. The famous 28Estill draws a line; a savvy alternative is the 12E loop through Baixa–Alfama or the 24E up from Praça Luís de Camões into Príncipe Real.
Day 7: Day on the Coast
If the sun is out, ride the coastal line to Cascais: sea air, boardwalk, the Boca do Inferno crashing spray. If clouds threaten, head south and linger in Lisbon’s museums instead.
Some Extra Notes:
Weather planning: Build one “indoor” day (tile museum, MAAT, cooking class) and keep your flexible windows for Alfama strolls and Belém’s outdoor set pieces. Rain is common in the Fall, but it rarely ruins a day if you plan ahead!
Daylight: Sunsets slip in before dinner; aim viewpoints for late afternoon, then tuck into fado or a lingering meal. Be sure to start your day earlier than you would in Summertime.
Transit: Use the metro and trams with a rechargeable Viva Viagem card.
A sample Fall day, stitched together
Morning walk with nata
Take a tram to a museum while it’s quiet;
Find a seafood lunch;
Stroll along a tile alley or riverside walk while the clouds part;
Find a lookout point, or “miradouro” at 4:30–5:00 pm as the light tips gold;
Enjoy the musical fado or a lingering dinner.
If Lisbon teaches you anything, let it be this: plan the big things, flex the rest. Book the fado, enjoy Sintra, mind the weather, then wander. The Fall season rewards visitors with soft light, shorter lines, and kitchens that cook from the heart. Pack layers, keep curiosity handy, and you’ll leave with a pocketful of neighborhoods, not just a checklist.
