One of the biggest draws to the capital city of Portugal is all the day trips from Lisbon that you can take. This is because Lisbon is very centrally located when it comes to the rest of the country. It also has a great international airport that connects it to other countries around the world. This makes it an excellent base for first time travelers and even those who have visited the city multiple times like me.
When it comes to connectivity between the cities, you will find that many are well connected via trains. Others it is better to use the bus routes. The best however is to be flexible and take the car. That way you can combine multiple locations in a single trip. It makes your itinerary more flexible.
I’m going to talk about popular day trips from Lisbon alongside a few of the more offbeat locations that you can add to your list. These will be particularly useful if you have been to Lisbon multiple times and have already covered the highlights.
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Table of Contents
Day Trips From Lisbon Under 100 Km
1. Belem
⭐️ Rating: 4.8/5 (208 Reviews) Price: $78 per person Duration: 4 hours 📍Meeting Point: Main Entrance of Jeronimos Monastery Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!
Distance from Lisbon: 10 km
Recommended tour: Belem walking tour with Jerónimos monastery
Belem is one of the closest day trips from Lisbon that you can head out on. Generally speaking people combine Belem with Cascais which is a short way away but I feel that this can be a pretty stand alone trip because there is a lot to do in Belem.
From breakfast at the famous café de Belem where you can taste the original Pastel de Belem also known as the Pastel de nata or Portuguese custard tarts.
Yes! You don’t have to just stand in line to grab one. You can actually sit down and enjoy your meal! We did this a couple of times and even drove down just for a breakfast here.
The best part is that it is very kid friendly and despite being so busy people find time to be kind and talk to the children. It took the experience to whole different level.
There are other iconic things to do in Belem. This includes the Navy Planetarium, Marine museum, National archeology museum, Jeronimos monastery, tower of Belem and more.
You can see how you can easily spend hours in the city? It is a great place to get away from the tourist hordes in Lisbon and still catch some of the popular attractions. Mind you, Belem can still get crowded but it isn’t as bad as Lisbon.
2. Sintra
⭐️ Rating: 4.8/5 (7499 Reviews) Price: $69 per person Duration: 9.5 hours 📍Meeting Point: Rossio Square Details: Read more on Get Your Guide!
Distance from Lisbon: 28 km
Recommended Tour: Guided tour of Sintra from Lisbon
Another one of the insanely popular day trips from Lisbon is to Sintra. People love the scenic views of the Portuguese palace that is nestled in the hills. The National Palace of Pena is considered one of the gems of Portugal. Its architecture is very unique and it looks like a colorful palace straight out of a Disney movie. Sometimes the mist swirls around the palace, really giving it a really mystical appearance.
There is plenty to do in Sintra and if you want to visit make sure that you book your tickets in advance. This is because like the museums in Amsterdam, this is one of the attractions in the country that gets booked off way in advance. So if you are thinking about an impromptu visit, you could probably just walk around the castle and see it from outside but not get in. That in itself is also beautiful so don’t discount it.
3. Cascais
Distance from Lisbon: 32 km
Cascais is one of my absolute favorite places in Portugal. It is a tourist but it is not quite as crowded as one would expect it to be. The coastal city has loads of activities for people of all ages. One of the things that I really liked was the fact that the city has a very chill pace. You never really feel rushed. It is also one of the best spots near Portugal for seafood because it is a fishing village.
There are loads of great restaurants here and the best part is that it isn’t very expensive to eat out. We particularly liked the way the Portuguese use spices in their cooking. Its very subtle but the results are par excellence. It also reminds me a lot of home and our food in Goa so that may have been a secondary reason why we fell in love with this city.
Another reason why you may find Cascais attractive is to take this visit beyond a day trip. There are some gorgeous hotels here with seafacing views. The best part is that there are some pretty cool beaches at their doorstep. Unlike Lisbon, these hotels will not chip away at your holiday fund immensely. This was why we chose to stay here for a couple of days.
4. Mafra
Distance from Lisbon: 40 km
Recommended tour: Obidos and Mafra combined tour
Mafra is one of the lesser known and rather offbeat day trips from Lisbon. The reason why Mafra popped up on my radar was because we drove past it a number of times during our first trip to Portugal. We stayed in Ericeira and would always see the Mafra palace in the distance.
In the night it is illuminated against the night sky and it looks beautiful. I made a promise to myself then and there that if I ever visited Portugal again then the Mafra palace would be one of the day trips that I would take from Lisbon.
The palace and a Franciscan monastery are combined to form a huge building. While wandeirng thrugh the palace and admiring its décor is one of the things to do here. I would urge you to pause at the Basilica which is absolutely gorgeous.
The pipe organs here are worth noting. Generally you have one pipe organ in a church. Here there are 8! They can be played together and if you are lucky you can also tune in to one of the concerts.
5. Ericeira
Distance from Lisbon: 48 km
Ericeira is one of the well known surfing destinations in Portugal. It isn’t very far away from Lisbon and it takes just about 45 minutes to get there if you drive. Its a bit longer if you decide to take the bus then it takes a bit longer and you can get there in a little over an hour.
When we first visited Portugal we decided to make Ericeira our base. Ericeira has plenty of activities to keep you occupied. The place is also very laid back with a center square where you can easily catch a bite to eat and just enjoy the ambiance. What is really cool is to stroll along the beaches.
There are plenty of places to rest at the beaches but bare in mind that there isn’t much shade. So either get some sun shade or head out in the early hours of the morning or late in the evening.
As I mentioned before, this is a surfing mecca. People come here during the surfing season and the beaches are full. You can even book a surfing class and it doesn’t matter if you are newbie or not.
6. Obidos
Distance from Lisbon: 86 km
Recommended tour: Obidos walking tour
One of my all time favorite day trips from Lisbon is Obidos. This walled city is a medieval fortress and is pretty much as it was back in the day. I absolutely loved the cobbled stoned paths that you can follow through the city. There are plenty of restaurants that serve up great Portuguese food and they are not even very expensive. Make sure that you try some of the local wine while you are in the area
Now one of the local delicacies to try is the Ginja or Ginjinha. This is a local cherry liqueur that is made from sour cherries which are grown in the area. These are either served up as shots or in little chocolate cups.
You can taste them for a small fee at one of the local bars or even at the stalls that are set up along the main street. I loved it. Shawn wasn’t the biggest fan. So its pretty much an individual preference but so worth checking out.
There’s even a castle inside the fort. They tend to have events here so you can check up on it before you visit. The activities in Obidos won’t keep you busy for the whole day so you can combine it with another location close by or just explore it at a slow pace.
Day Trips From Lisbon Under 200 Km
Day trips from Lisbon that are over 100km but under 200 km are worth considering because the country has a great road network. Generally these trips work well if you are traveling by car because it reduces the travel time.
7. Peniche
Distance from Lisbon: 103 km
Recommended tour: Berlengas Island Trip, Hiking and Cave tour
Peniche is pretty offbeat for people who think of visiting Lisbon. Like Ericeira its another place that is famous for surfing. Now Nazare is very popular for its huge waves and probably attracts most of the tourists but Peniche is a good alternative. This is because it has a lot of beaches some which are great for beginner surfers.
There’s tons to do in Peniche other than surf. The city itself has plenty of restaurants, a fort, and plenty of spots that you can head to catch some of the stunning views of the Portuguese coast. The Berlengas island is another popular day trip from the city. Many people actually skip Peniche and just head to this amazing island.
Despite the distance and the boat ride, people actually make the journey from Lisbon to Berlengas every day. It is one of the popular day trips from Lisbon.
8. Fatima
Distance from Lisbon: 128 km
Recommended tour: Half day trip to Fatima
If you are Christian you’ve probably heard about Fatima. This is one of the popular day trips from Lisbon for pilgrims. Fatima is the spot where it is believed that three children saw Mother Mary.
The area has been turned into a shrine to her and the three children. People from all over the world come to Fatima to pay their respects, pray and offer up requests.
There isn’t a lot to see in Fatima really which is why people often combine it with a visit to a place like Obidos which is reasonably close by. When in Fatima make sure to visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady.
Here you will see numerous shrines dedicated to different events that took place. You will also see the graves of the 3 people who saw Our Lady. If you check the schedule in advance, you can also reach in time for mass.
9. Evora
Distance from Lisbon: 133 km
Recommended tour:
Evora is one of the favorite day trips from Lisbon that locals head out at. The city is very quiet and laid back. It has a low tourist foot fall which makes it idea if you want a quiet unrushed town to spend the day in. Evora is also easy to reach by bus and by car.
Did you know that Evora is an UNESCO Heritage site? It is also considered a museum city because walking around the city is pretty much like walking back into the 16th century when the kings and queen used to live here. The Lisbon earthquake of 1755 affected this city pretty badly since it is pretty close to the capital.
A couple of things to note when you visit Evora include Evora Cathedral Sacred Arts museum, the coach museum, the exquisite food that city is known for and the general laid back atmosphere.
Day Trips From Lisbon That Are More Than 200 Km
I generally would not head out on day trips from Lisbon that are more than 200 kilometers away from the city because of the time spent in transit. Instead, I generally opt to stay in the location. These however are a couple of places that I know people head to.
10. Coimbra
Distance from Lisbon: 204 km
Recommended tour: Guided tour of the University and city of Coimbra.
Coimbra is a pretty big city and it is also a university town. The University of Coimbra is well known among tourists and locals. One because it provides a very good education and the second because it is a very pretty building. It also houses one of the most interesting libraries in the country. You can book tours to head in and see the whole building while learning about its architecture.
That however isn’t the only reason why the city is popular. It has slowly become a very expat centric city because it has a great nightlife, plenty of good food, great facilities, is well connected to the larger cities aka Lisbon and Porto. This also makes it easy to get to as one of your day trips from Lisbon but you could also add it in as a stop on your way from Porto.
The food scene is pretty amazing here. There are plenty of great restaurants. You can even enjoy some of the local fados while you dine. The views from some spots in Coimbra are pretty majestic because the city is situated on a hill so make sure you wear good walking shoes.
All in all this is one of the most difficult day trips from Lisbon largely because of the distance. It is still not one that you will regret.
These are some of the day trips from Lisbon that I have visited whether as a day trip on our road trips across the country. Each of these has its own its own allure.
If you are short on time make sure to stick to the locations that are closer to the main city. That way you won’t spend most of your time traveling. It does also pay to combine locations in a single trip.
Have you ever taken any day trips from Lisbon that are not included in this list? Let us know about them in the comments below.
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- Is Braga worth visiting?
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