Surrounded by 7 hills with its gothic and modern blend, trams running through the streets, the city has been at the heart of Portugese travel and adventure history.
Now almost a habit, we started with the walking tour through the city centre in Lisbon making our way through the cathedrals, pastry shops, old ruins while listening to the historic events to get the best part of the city covered. If you are staying in the centre, then most of the tourist attractions are at a walking distance. However, Uber is very cheap in Lisbon and you can conveniently book one to travel nearby. The Castle of Sao Jorge sits pretty on the top of the hill but be ready for a steep climb! The Tram 28; painted in yellow with wooden panels; runs from the old district into the new and is favorite with the tourists.
Alfama A trip to Lisbon is incomplete without a visit to Alfama - the historic old part of the city. Tightly coupled houses, narrow winding cobblestone alleys, steps coming up and down from old sides, this is one place where you do NOT need a map. Just start from the top by absorbing the beautiful view of the city and then amble down at a leisurely pace to absorb the Alfama. Spend the evening at one of the bars to listen to Fado - the traditional music.
Sintra An hours drive from Lisbon, is the beautiful historic town of Sintra. Our first stop was Quinta da Regaleira - a maze of chapels, gardens, passages built for Illuminati as part of their journey towards enlightenment. The confluence of fire, earth, water, air in the architecture leaves you mesmerized with its beauty.
Then we headed to Cabo do Roca which is the western most point of Europe with some breathtaking views of the ocean. The place is very breezy and picturesque location. The final stop was the colourful Pena Palace painted with different vibrant colors & beautiful hill views. We took a tour of the area surrounding the palace and it has a separate entry ticket if you want to see the rooms inside the palace. The climb to the palace is uphill and has cobbled pathway.