Portugal. The sound of this small but mighty country’s name fills me with so much excitement whenever I hear people have plans to visit.

This little beautiful nugget on the western coast of Europe is a true and authentic gem in a continent filled with them. I often recommend Portugal as a great option to visit, especially from North America, since it’s really just a hop, skip and a jump across the pond from the Eastern coast.

For many, their plan is to first visit Lisbon, Portugal. As the capital of Portugal and the place where so many international flights or trains from other parts of western Europe dock, it’s a natural starting point. Something that I think is important to keep in mind is that although it is an incredible city, you can still cover many of the essentials in a compact itinerary, even with only 2 days in Lisbon.

Chris and I visited Lisbon a few years back and immediately fell in love with the city. We planned a 10-day trip around Portugal (which I will break down further in future articles) and decided to tackle Lisbon in two days during our visit.

When you’re considering what to visit in Lisbon on your own, it can be daunting. But with my help, when you’re planning your compact yet comprehensive visit to Lisbon, Portugal, here’s my take on the best way to spend two days in Lisbon.

When to Visit Lisbon

The best times of year to tackle Lisbon are anytime between March to May or September to October. These times of year still have ample daylight to get a lot of exploring in and they are warm and tend to be sunny, but they won’t be overcrowded by tourists and your accommodation prices won’t go through the roof.

When Chris and I planned our visit to Lisbon, Portugal, we decided to go in late April and it was honestly such a beautiful time of year weather-wise to go. We had sun on nearly all of the days of our trip, and temperatures got up to a comfortable 24 degrees celcius during the day. In our evenings spent exploring neighbourhoods like you’ll do in Alfama (on day 1 of your Lisbon 2 day itinerary below), all we needed was a light sweater.

It was all the perfection a European holiday should be.