GET YOUR CAMERA READY! THE BEST LISBON VIEWPOINTS & PANORAMIC VIEWS

Lisbon is popularly known as “the city of the seven hills” – even though it actually has some more. And you can already imagine what pop ups in cities with so many elevations… of course, viewpoints! These are the Lisbon viewpoints where you can enjoy the best views of the city and even learn interesting things about its history.

MIRADOURO DE SANTA LUZIA (ALFAMA)

The lookout known for its bougainvillea and tiled walls, usually attracts many people since it´s quite close to the center. Come on, tourists don’t usually want to climb a lot of hills… As it is small, it can get quite crowded at sunset time. But if you’re lucky, you can take a seat in one of the tiled benches under the pergolas and enjoy the views while listening to the music from street performers!

Views: The port and the boats, the mouth of Tagus river, the roofs of the Alfama neighborhood and the National Pantheon dome.

Hours and price: 24h / Free

How to get there: If you take tram 28, get off at Miradouro Sta. Luzia. Another option, besides walking, is the Elevator of Santa Luzia.

What to do near there: Visit the church of Santa Luzia that is right next door. Its sides stand out with panels of tiles, and inside there´s tombs, the ship and cruise ship (classified as a National Monument).

best lisbon viewpoints miradouroCredit: Instagram @vidadeportuga

MIRADOURO DAS PORTAS DO SOL (ALFAMA)

From the viewpoint of Santa Luzia you may notice another lively terrace. And it´s this one! It´s called, Portas do Sol viewpoint. Many come here because there is a cafeteria to have a drink while you wait for the sunset… It is also not a bad option to go in broad daylight, as you’ll not lose any details of the beautiful white houses of the Alfama neighborhood!

Views: The port, the River Tejo and a panoramic roof.

Hours and price: 24h / Free. The cafeteria from 9 to 21 (Sun-Mar) and from 9 to 24 (Wed-Sat).

How to get there: Tram 28 stops right in front.

What to do near there: Do not go without going down the stairs and seeing the painted vignettes inside a small tunnel, which tells the story of Lisbon.

lisbon viewpointsCredit: Instagram @julyssa_raquel

MIRADOURO DA GRAÇA OR MIRADOURO SOPHIA DE MELLO BREYNER ANDRESEN (ALFAMA)

Sophia de Mello Breyner was a poetess, and that is the official name of this viewpoint that everyone knows as “Mirador de Gracia”. Its biggest attraction is its cafeteria and its affordable prices! Because unfortunately, the price of beer begins to increase in other viewpoints in Lisbon…

Views: From here you’ll have views of the castle, the Convento do Carmo, the Elevador de Santa Justa, Alfama, la Baixa…

Hours and price: 24h / Free.

How to get there: Tram 28 leaves you at the Graça stop. The 12 also leaves you close at the Largo do Terreirinho stop.

What to do near there: If you like art, go to the Ó! Gallery, an art gallery, specialized in pieces of illustration and drawing where you can get a good gift or a souvenir from the original city.

best lisbon viewpoints 2020

 

MIRADOR SENHORA DO MONTE (ALFAMA)

It is the “balcony” of the chapel of Our Lady of the Mount. It is at the highest point of the Alfama neighborhood, so do not hesitate, here you’ll have very good views of Lisbon!

Views: The panoramic views are more extensive than the other viewpoints of Alfama, and from here you can see Castillo San Jorge, the Covento do Carmo, the elevator of Santa Justa… to the viewpoint of Gracia itself.

Hours and price: 24h / Free

How to get there: With tram 28. There are also tuk-tuks that stop at the most important viewpoints until you get up here, and best of all, they explain things to you!

What to do near there: Visit Casa Independente, a multidisciplinary cultural space that hosts exhibitions, concerts, recitals and other evenings. Just to see the house – which was an old medical office – and its decoration, which is definitely worth to see!

Credit: Instagram @anaitamaitravels

 

VIEWPOINT OF THE ARCO DE LA RUA AUGUSTA (BAIXA)

One of the ways to access the Commerce Square is through the great Arch of the Rua Augusta. Above it, one of the Lisbon viewpoints hides with better views of the river Tejo. Inside it has an exhibition about the history of the Arco da Rua Augusta, which was built after the devastating earthquake that the city suffered in 1755. You can go up on an elevator and go down the stairs. For more tips like this, check out the blog post what to do in Lisbon in 3 days!

Views: Of course, from here you have the best perspective of Praça do Comércio, but in addition to that you’ll see another angle of the Castle of San Jorge and the Cathedral of Sé de Lisboa, or the streets of the district of La Baixa.

Hours and price: Every day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. / € 3

How to get there: Metro Terreiro do Paço

What to do near there: If you go down wanting to have a beer, try Outro Lado bar. The difficult part will not be getting there – since it is 5 minutes away on foot – but to choose only one of its many craft beers. Drink a local one and accompany it with a cheese board. Success!

 

VIEWPOINT OF SANTA CATARINA (BAIRRO ALTO)

It´s actually located between the Barrio Alto and the Santa Catarina neighborhood. There are several terraces nearby and also a kiosk, another good option is to have a drink at a good price! Sometimes there is a street musician improvising music. It is one of the most popular viewpoints of Lisbon among young visitors and Portuguese students, since at night they come here to drink (take a bottle, let’s go) and then go out to party in the Barrio Alto.

Views: Good views of the port of Lisbon, the Tagus river and of course the 25 de Abril bridge.

Hours and price: 24h / Free.

How to get there: Metro – Baixa-Chiado. You can also take the Bica elevator from Casi do Sodré and walk down the Rua Marechal Saldanha but… getting there on foot does not require much effort, go!

What to do near there: Just behind the viewpoint is one of the coolest restaurants in Lisbon, Pharmacia. It is called that because it is inside the National Pharmacy Association building and it´s totally on theme, so you can taste Portuguese cuisine while remembering what the medical offices were like back in the day!

Credit: Instagram @flomrnt

 

CASTELO DE SÃO JORGE VIEWPOINT

The Castle of San Jorge has some reconstructed parts and some that are original, but not too much to see, really. The views of the city are themselves the greatest attraction. From the top of the wall you can probably take the best photographs of the trip! One of the points of interest is the Ulysses Tower, from here you’ll get a Lisbon 360 view thanks to the Da Vinci periscope.

Views: Basically… all of Lisbon!

Hours and price: 9 am – 6 pm (November-February) 9 am – 9 pm (March to October) / € 10

How to get there: By tram 28 or 12. Miradouro stop Sta. Luzia. For free from the elevator of the Baixa.

What to do near there: Just below the castle when you walk through narrow streets of Alfama, look for the great graffiti that honors Fado, it is in the Escadinhas de São Cristóvão, 14.

CASTELO DE SÃO JORGE VIEWPOINT LISBON

PILAR 7 BRIDGE EXPERIENCE

This attraction is a transparent glass observation platform, on the seventh pillar of the emblematic 25 de Abril Bridge. It’s accessed from an elevator that leaves you 80m high. The interesting thing about this attraction is not only the views, but the opportunity to closely look at the magnificent structure of the bridge and learn about the history of its construction!

Views: The mouth of river Tejo from a bird’s eye view.

Hours and price: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Last entry at 5:30 p.m. / € 6

How to get there: With the Tramway Carris – 15, Buses 714, 727, 732, 751

What to do near there: At the foot of the bridge is LxFactory, an industrial complex that houses cool restaurants and shops, as well as a good number of artistic spaces. Worth a visit to enjoy its bohemian and casual atmosphere.

best lisbon viewpoints

Credit: @visitlisboa

If you’re looking for other less common places to enjoy a good view of Lisbon, we also recommend taking a look at the viewpoint of the Pollux Department Store, the viewpoint of the Almoreiras Shopping Center, the public viewpoint of Maat (Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology), and the Cristo Rei area viewpoint for more exciting Lisbon views from the south bank.