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Lisbon trip went wrong | 2 days in Lisbon itinerary

Writer's picture: Jaikishan DulaniJaikishan Dulani

Portugal is definitely an underrated country for Indians. In front of Spain or France, we mostly never get enough time to cover Portugal during the Europe trips. During my semester exchange in Europe, I researched about traveling in Portugal, and I couldn't be more thrilled to visit it. It was my bad luck that my trip to the capital of Portugal didn't go as planned, but that is entirely on me.


2 days in Lisbon itinerary: Tram 28
The famous tram of Lisbon

Are 2 days enough for Lisbon?

Before I even begin the story of my Lisbon trip, let me tell you that it is challenging to explore Lisbon in 2 days satisfactorily. Therefore, you need at least 4-5 days to explore Lisbon and its surrounding areas.


2 days in Lisbon itinerary
Colourful streets in Lisbon

But it is better to visit Lisbon for 2 days rather than not visiting at all. Lisbon is one of the most charismatic and vibrant cities globally. So if you can fit Lisbon in your trip to Europe, then do make sure to visit it, and if you like this 2 days in Lisbon itinerary, then do recreate it.


What went wrong?

When we Indians hear about Europe, we think about all the historical monuments, cozy cafes, cobblestone streets in Europe, etc. But one of the most critical elements of the trip is the weather. And it can rain anytime in Europe during winter. I wouldn't wish rainy weather during a Europe trip on my enemy.


2 days in Lisbon itinerary: Tagus river with overcast weather
Tagus river with overcast weather

I went to Lisbon in January, and it is not the best time to visit Lisbon. Lisbon receives maximum rainfall between November - February. On average, 15 rainy days each month. But since I was in Europe during winter only so my choices were limited.



I was in Lisbon for 65 hours, and it rained for straight 65 hours during my stay. For the first few hours, I waited for the rain to stop but eventually, I had to alter my itinerary if I wanted to explore.


The originally planned 2 days in Lisbon itinerary

I won't spend much time here since this plan was never executed. I planned my Lisbon itinerary on my bus trip to Zurich. The original plan consisted of mainly sightseeing in Lisbon since the adventures were waiting for me in Algarve after Lisbon.


I would arrive at Lisbon Portela Airport on the evening of 4 January, take the metro and reach the hostel Be My Guest Hostel Lisbon. That night is just for relaxing, so after having dinner, just sleep.


The first day

  1. Underground Village (one of the most innovative working space)

  2. Belém Tower (for my obsession with everything related to water)

  3. Padrão dos Descobrimentos (good for instagram pics)

  4. Tasting Ginjinha and Pastéis de Nata (for my tastebuds)

The second day

  1. Castelo de S. Jorge (oldest castle in Lisbon)

  2. Martim Moniz Square (for tram 28)

  3. Santa Justa Lift (for a panoramic view of Lisbon)

  4. Taste Sardinhas and Bifanas

After two days of my perfect Lisbon trip, I would've left for Algarve.


2 days in Lisbon itinerary: Beautiful view of Lisbon
Beautiful view of Lisbon

My actual 2 days in Lisbon itinerary

As you know by now that my actual Lisbon itinerary never happened because of rain. Here is what actually happened and how I met amazing Indian fellow travelers.


Arrival in Lisbon

Before I arrived in Lisbon, I was in Zurich. There was a rainstorm in Zurich, and the weather forecast for Lisbon indicated rain for the next week. I was still hoping for a sunny day since it was only a forecast.


I arrived at Lisbon Portela Airport in the evening around 8 PM, and it was raining. All my dreams were shattered. I managed to board the metro and walked the remaining path to my hostel.


Day 1

The following day was worse in terms of rainfall, and it was impossible to go out sightseeing. I had my breakfast and had a chat with the hostel manager. He gave me no optimistic hopes for the sunny day either.


The whole morning and afternoon were spent satisfying my tastebuds. I tried in a few hours all the dishes/drinks I wanted to try in Lisbon, including Sardines, Bifanas, Pastéis de Nata, and overcame the sadness through Ginjinha.


2 days in Lisbon itinerary: Ginjinha
Ginjinha
2 days in Lisbon itinerary: Pastel de nata
Pastel de nata

I had to wait till evening for the rain to become drizzling. The day and my patience were already lost. Then a ray of hope came from the hostel manager when he informed me that one of his known was going to the Belem area in his car and if I wanted to join him. Without even thinking twice, I said yes. I went out, bought an umbrella, and went to see the Belém Tower.


2 days in Lisbon itinerary: Belem Tower

Belem Tower is a fortified tower at the mouth of the Tagus River built in the 16th century to protect Lisbon. Although the tower's architecture was marvelous, it looked more like a scary building, perfect for a horror movie shooting scene.


2 days in Lisbon itinerary: Belem Tower
Belem Tower

By the time I reached, it was already 5 PM, and the ticket counter was closed. Only I know how much I cursed my luck at that time. But I was not alone. There were several people outside the tower holding their umbrellas and clicking pics. I also did the same.



Soon it was dark, and the rain was intensifying. The last situation I wanted was to get stuck in a rainstorm at night, similar to the evening in Zurich. So I started my journey back to the hostel. My 2 days in Lisbon itinerary was looking like a disaster to me.


Day 2

The following day when I went to the hostel's common room to have breakfast, I saw a group of 4 fellow travelers who looked liked Indians to me. Without hesitating, I introduced myself and got to know their names. Within a few minutes, we get acquainted and shared our travel stories over breakfast. They told me that they were leaving to visit Sintra, and I told them that I didn't plan yet as it was still raining in Lisbon.


2 days in Lisbon itinerary: My new friends from Lisbon
My new friends from Lisbon

I am not sure whether they invited me to join them or I asked to join them (I hope it's the former one :P). Since we enjoyed the trip and later met in Rome again, I assumed they enjoyed my company. It was the first time I traveled with someone from my country in Europe, and it was astonishing.


'Traveling solo does not always mean you're alone. Most often, you meet marvelous people along the way and make connections that last a lifetime.' – Jacqueline Boone

We boarded on a train from Rossio Station in Lisbon's Baixa to Portela de Sintra. We bought the tickets offline, and there were no reserved seats. The journey took 40 minutes to Portela de Sintra. We opted for Pena Circuit hop-on hop-off option for reaching Pena Palace. After walking on the steep slope for some time, we reached our destination.


2 days in Lisbon itinerary: Pena Palace
Pena Palace

Pena Palace has a long history to boast of, but I am not interested in history, so I didn't focus on it (just like school days). Although I know that it has UNESCO World Heritage status and today, Pena Palace is one of Portugal's most visited and prettiest heritage sites. The palace was constructed by an amateur German architect (we should never underestimate anyone).


2 days in Lisbon itinerary: Me with Pena Palace
Me with Pena Palace

The red and yellow façade, a curving stone staircase, domes, and turrets give the castle an almost enchanting feel. The most beautiful part of Pena Palace is its colorful terrace, perfect for Instagram. Click as many pictures as you can outside the palace as you cannot click pictures inside the palace.



We could've visited many places on a single day, but we instead chose to have fun at a single place peacefully. It was fun to know each other and have many laughs rather than running from one place to another. They clicked many pictures, and I didn't because I enjoyed the moment rather than storing them digitally (I regret it now). I should've captured more photos and videos to keep the memories alive.



We left Sintra and arrived in Lisbon before night. It was time for dinner. When a group of Indians unites, then the obvious choice is Indian food. We saw this restaurant named Darshan Nepal near our hostel, which served Indian food.


At first, we were skeptical about getting good Indian food at a Nepalese restaurant, but they amazed us. Their food was not only delicious, but it was almost as if we ate in an Indian restaurant and the best dish, in my opinion, was pani puri. The rainy day came to an end by talking with each other in the hostel common room, and then we slept.


2 days in Lisbon itinerary: Pani Puri in Lisbon
Pani Puri in Lisbon

Departure to Algarve

I packed my bags in the morning, said goodbye to my new friends, and went to the railway station. Trains in Europe are a delight for me. It's so comfortable and so empty, if you have traveled on Indian railways then you know what I mean. I boarded the train to Algarve. You can read about my trip to Algarve here.


What all I missed in the itinerary?

Although I missed almost everything in the itinerary other than Belem Tower and the food. But there were a few things that I didn't even plan in the itinerary.


Street art

Lisbon is an open-air gallery for its street art. The Portuguese capital is now known as one of the cities with the best street art. These days, cities are covered in good graffiti and bad graffiti, and Lisbon has more than its fair share of the good variety. If you are visiting Lisbon, then definitely go for a walk on its Graffiti street art.



Nazare

I became obsessed with surfing a few months after my Europe trip. Later, I learned about Nazare, an extreme surfing spot with waves as high as 100 feet! That's an entire moving skyscraper. Imagine an ancient giant brought back to life by some sorceress's magic and turning into bursts of white foam. The biggest wave ever surfed was 111 feet (34 meters). It is definitely on my wishlist to visit next time I am in Europe during winter.



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