40 things to do for free in Lisbon – a Complete guide to Lisbon on a budget

We have travelled cities and countries on every budget, from taking our first trip together while still at school working part time jobs to inter-railing Europe on a €20 a day budget.

With that, we’ve learned a thing or two about making the most of a trip without spending a fortune. As with any city, finding things to for free in Lisbon is completely possible as the city offers so many sights and activities that can be appropriate for any budget.

In this guide, we will take you all of the best things to do for free in Lisbon, from stunning viewpoints to activities and attractions around the city.

We will also provide you with recommendations for hotels in Lisbon for every budget based on our experience of the city.

Where to stay in Lisbon on a budget

Although cities in Western Europe tend to be more expensive than most when it comes to accommodation, there are still plenty of budget friendly hotels in Lisbon to choose from.

Choosing where to stay in Lisbon will ultimately determine how much it costs. The more central the area, the more costly the accommodation typically.

Our personal recommendation for a budget friendly hotel in Lisbon would be Hygge House, which has rooms from as little as €60 a night with a private bathroom and has a guest rating of 8.9 on booking.com.

How many days do you need in Lisbon

3 days in Lisbon should be enough time to enjoy the best of the city without feeling like you are in too much of a rush. While certain locations like Belem Tower are a little bit outside of the city centre, everything in Lisbon is still quite easy to reach.

Lisbon is a very hilly city so it is not the kind of place you should be in too much of a rush to see unless you have great cardio levels.

Ideally, we would suggest spending at least 3 days in Lisbon and using at least one of these days taking a day trip to Sintra or else Cascais depending on the time of year. If you visit during particularly good weather, we would recommend taking a trip to Cascais, a picturesque town around 30 minutes from the city.

Map of Lisbon

Free Viewpoints in Lisbon

No matter what your budget one thing you will not miss out on in Lisbon is a great view. While the steep hills of Lisbon may not be everyones favourite walking terrain, they make up for it by providing stunning views of the city below, the Tagus river and 25th of April bridge.

Alfama Views

Our favourite viewpoint in Lisbon also happens to be in our favourite area of the city – Alfama. This picturesque area is filled with stunning views and character filled streets. Simply taking a walk around Alfama is a free activity that could easily fill a day in Lisbon.

For the perfect view at sunset, we would recommend going to Miradoura da Santa Luzia, which has perfect views of the river below and is lined with Bougainvilea flowers in the spring to make it a great place for a photo as well.

Nearby, we would also recommend visiting Cafe Garagem at sunset as well, which has incredible views of Castelo de Sao Jorge. Not quite free but for just a couple of Euros we would also suggest grabbing a hot chocolate from Casa Sao Miguel depending on the time of year you visit.

Ponte 25 de Abril

One of the cities most iconic views is of the bridge connecting Lisbon city centre to Almada – Ponte de 25 Abril.

Luckily, there are some great places you can go to get picture perfect views of this stunning piece of engineering. Our personal favourite is at the Maat Museum, which is actually free to enter on the first Sunday of every month. But if you go outside along the steps you will be able to have an unobscured view of the bridge and again, we would recommend going here when the sun is just starting to set.

Walking Tour of Lisbon

When you think of free and walking tour together, you would be forgiven for thinking it won’t be very exciting. But our walking tour route of Lisbon is filled with colour, views and great photo spots to make your stay memorable. As far as things to do for free in Lisbon go, there are few better options than to explore the streets that make up the character of the city.

Rua Da Vinha

First up on the walk is a ‘hidden gem’ as one of Lisbon’s lesser known colourful streets – Rua da Vinha. This is not a tourist attraction in the traditional sense but a residential area lined with pastel coloured houses that sums up the colour and character of the city.

Pink Street & Green Street

Next on the list would be the more renowned locations of Pink Street and Green Street. At these locations you will encounter an awful lot more tourists and we don’t think they offer the same kind of character that Rua da Vinha provides but there is plenty of atmosphere around them so they are still worth visiting.

LX Factory

Next on the list is a little bit further away as you head out of the city but it is one of our favourite places to visit in Lisbon – LX Factory. This trendy industrial area is lined with boutique shops, bars and restaurants which naturally are not free but this is still well worth visiting for a walk around.

In particular, we would recommend exploring Le Devagar, a 3 story book store in the centre of LX Factory.

Miradoura de Santo Amaro

Just around the corner you will find one of Lisbon’s best viewpoints and again, one of its lesser known options – Miradoura de Santo Amaro. This viewpoint, situated at the side of the church of the same name provides incredible views of the city and you will often find it with much smaller crowds than other viewpoints.

Park Eduardo III.

The final suggestion we would have for a free walking activity in Lisbon is to visit Park Eduardo III. This huge estate provides panoramic views of the city.

Free Activities and Attractions in Lisbon

Tram 28

One of the most iconic things to do in Lisbon is to ride the tram 28. This tram will take you across the whole city from x to y in around 45 minutes and it is definitely worth adding to your Lisbon itinerary.

While the ticket is not necessarily free, the journey would be included in a Via Viagem 24 hour public transport pass, which covers all of your transport around the city for less than €7.

Belem Tower and the Monument to the Discoveries

Next up is one of our favourite places to visit in Lisbon – Belem Tower.

We visited Belem Tower shortly after we got engaged so it always holds a sentimental value for us. While you do have to pay to go inside the tower it is just as good to experience for free from the outside.

Just a short walk from Belem Tower you will also find the Monument to the Discoveries – a memorial statue dedicated to to the memories of Portugal’s age of explorers.

Day trip to Sintra or Cascais

Again this isn’t free, particularly if you take a day trip to Sintra and plan to visit Pena Palace etc. but you can get the train to Sintra or the seaside town of Cascais for only €2.50 each way.

If you are visiting Lisbon on a budget, getting to spend a day exploring Cascais for only €5 is well worth the expense.

Arco da Rua Augusta

Our final free thing to do in Lisbon is set in the heart of the city in Lisbon’s shopping district of Baixa/Chiado – Arco da Rua Augusta.

This memorial arch was built as a memorial to commemorate the reconstruction of the city after a major earthquake hit Lisbon in the 1700’s.

This is also a great area to visit if you are visiting Lisbon at Christmas as the cities main Christmas tree is erected just a couple of minutes walk from the arch.

Aside from these options there are also plenty of cathedrals and buildings you can view for free/relatively cheap such as the Se Cathedral, Elevador de Bica and Elevador de Santa Justa which we would also recommend for visiting Lisbon on a budget.

Where to eat on a budget in Lisbon

When you think of free things to do in Lisbon, a free meal won’t be the first thing that comes to mind but we have some found great options on a budget.

The first one and best option in our eyes is to grab a taco at La Malquerida. While they are typically €10+, every day from 6pm-7pm you can get a taco for just €1! You will likely have to queue for this but if you are visiting Lisbon on a budget, this is the best place for you.

The next option we would recommend is 100 Montaditos – a popular sandwich spot where you can get almost anything on the menu for just a euro every Sunday and Wednesday.