Cheap things to do in Lisbon
Flea markets, tasca lunches and local bars without spending much at all.
This is Lisbon for people who want to eat well, walk a lot and keep their wallet more or less intact. Three days move between the flea market crowds of Alfama, the hilltop quiet of Graça and the post-industrial cool of LX Factory, with cheap bacalhau, neighbourhood wine bars and a few genuinely free afternoons in between. No tasting menus, no tourist traps, just the city as locals actually use it.
Day 1: Baixa-Chiado and Cais do Sodré
Start with the flea market and a cheap lunch in the arches, then follow the river west to Pink Street before dinner in Príncipe Real and a nightcap at the neighbourhood bar.
- 9:30 AM
Caffè di Marzano Vermuteria
Espresso at the marble counter for about a euro, Italian style, just off Rua Garrett.
Map - 10:15 AM
Feira da Ladra
Tuesday & Saturday flea market behind São Vicente, free to browse, great for vintage finds and local colour.
Map - 12:30 PM
A Merendinha do Arco Bandeira
Hole-in-the-wall under the Arco da Bandeira baking chouriço bread and savoury pastries for pocket change.
Map - 2:00 PM
Pink Street
Stroll the famously colourful Pink Street and the riverfront, free, lively, quintessential Cais do Sodré.
Map - 7:30 PM
Cascais Remo
Neighbourhood Portuguese restaurant for a cheap prato do dia and a jug of house wine.
Map - 9:00 PM
Day 2: Mouraria, Graça and Gulbenkian
Wander Graça's miradouro streets on foot, eat a table-length platter of bacalhau at true tasca prices, then the Gulbenkian's gardens and, if it's Sunday afternoon, its collection for free.
- 9:30 AM
Praça das Flores
Ornate kiosk café for espresso or cold imperial, part of the quiosque crawl through the city's historic kiosks.
Map - 10:30 AM
Graça
Wander Graça's hilltop miradouro streets, old trams, local life, free and one of Lisbon's most authentic neighbourhoods.
Map - 12:30 PM
Zé da Mouraria 2
Table-length platters of bacalhau with chickpeas and grilled meats at true tasca prices, here and the best-value meal in the area.
Map - 4:30 PM
Calouste Gulbenkian Museum
One of Portugal's great art collections, free on Sunday afternoons; the gardens are always free.
Map - 7:30 PM
Frangasqueira Nacional
Takeaway piri-piri chicken off the grill; carry it to a bench in the Príncipe Real garden.
Map - 9:15 PM
The Kissaten
Small Japanese-style listening bar in Santo António for a quiet drink and good records.
Map
Day 3: LX Factory and Príncipe Real on foot
Cross under the bridge to browse the post-industrial factory village, grab a no-frills grill lunch, then wind down the evening with cheap wine and neighbourhood plates in Príncipe Real.
- 9:30 AM
- 10:15 AM
LX Factory
Free to wander the post-industrial factory village, galleries, bookshop and street art under the bridge.
Map - 12:30 PM
Churrasqueira da Paz
Small family grill on Rua da Paz with shared tables; get grilled fish or chicken early before they sell out.
Map - 7:30 PM
- 9:30 PM
Parra Wine Bistro
Parra Wine Bistro for a cheap glass of wine to close the night, neighbourhood bar with no pretension.
Map
Where to stay
The Lisbonaire Apartments
The cheapest listed option, apartment-style and a short walk from Príncipe Real, Chiado and the Day 3 dinner stretch.
Montecarmo12
Mid-range but well-priced, right at the top of Príncipe Real and within easy reach of almost every stop across all three days.
Make Lisbon your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- O Velho Eurico: months ahead
- Belcanto: weeks ahead
- Prado: weeks ahead
- Clube de Fado: weeks ahead
- Arrábida kayak and coasteering: a few days ahead
- Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira: weeks ahead
Skip these
- The couvert (bread, olives, butter on table) is charged per item; decline it with 'não, obrigado' before touching.
- Rua Augusta restaurants have picture menus, touts and inflated prices; two blocks in any direction fixes it.
- The Mercado da Ribeira food hall at Cais do Sodré is good but loud, crowded, fight-for-a-table and 40 to 50% pricier than local equivalents; go off-peak or to Campo de Ourique market.
- Pink Street is a photo backdrop and a rowdy stag strip by night; fine for one drink, not a whole night.
The full Lisbon travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around