How to Have the Perfect Day in Lisbon, According to a Local

There's no better place to experience all that Portugal has to offer than its capital, Lisbon. The city is brimming with culture, a delightful food scene, and more history than you can soak in on a single visit.

Come explore all the best things to see and do in one perfect day in Lisbon.

Check into the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon.

Located in the heart of Lisbon, the historic hotel, built in 1959, is an art-deco masterpiece. It's a place that blends its mid-century design past with modern touches thanks to a massive renovation in 2021, and now includes works by local artists adorning every wall too.

Each guest room and suite in the hotel comes meticulously outfitted in stylish furnishings, crisp white bedding, and stellar views outside the picture windows. Beyond the cozy accommodations, the hotel also comes with a heated outdoor pool (a real luxury in Lisbon), a full-service spa, and CURA, a seasonally inspired restaurant that's sure to delight.

Get coffee and a treat at Boutik.

Located in the trendy Sao Bento neighborhood of Lisbon, Boutik is part cafe, part surf shop, part gallery, and 100% cool. The cafe offers breakfast bites and delicious coffees all day long, including everything from pancakes to poke bowls, freshly squeezed juices, tonics, teas, and of course plenty of coffee drinks like lattes, Americanos, and of course, straight up espressos. Stick around after eating to pick up some cute clothing or homegoods.

Getting to know Lisbon means walking around—a lot. The best way to get to know this glorious place from one end to the next is by joining a walking tour. But not just any tour. Instead, head out with Humberto Bernardo, the top-rated walking tour host in the city for Airbnb experiences. On the two-hour tour, Bernardo, a lifelong resident of Lisbon, takes guests through the hidden side streets, and unique corners that both show what this city is really all about, and will make you feel like a total local, too. Find him on Airbnb Experiences.

Visit the National Tile Museum.

Walking around Lisbon is a visual fest thanks to its stunning display of tiles (known locally as azulejos) on what seems like every other building in town. If these hand-painted stunners leave you wanting to learn more, head to the National Tile Museum, which comes housed inside a 16th-century convent that is worthy of a visit in and of itself. At the museum, guests can learn all about the city's history with tile, how it was made hundreds of years ago, and how the craft is being maintained today. There's even a stunning fresco painted on tile of what the city looked like before the earthquake of 1755, which will give you a whole new perspective on what life in Lisbon was like.

Get a taste of the best at CURA.

End your day back where it started—at the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon for a bite to eat at Cura. The seasonally inspired restaurant features Portuguese dishes with plenty of special twists thrown in to keep your tastebuds guessing. While every dish on the menu is fantastic, we can't recommend the tasting menu more. Guests can choose between three tasting menus: the vegetarian Raízes; the lighter menu Meia Cura; and the full tasting menu Origens. Each menu is well worth the journey, and with one bite you'll realize why this spot earned its first Michelin star in 2021.