Lisbon has been my home for over a year now and I’ve loved exploring its nooks and crannies. That’s how I’ve been able to visit well known places and gone further to find lesser known ones. In my search for what to do beyond the obvious, I’ve found free things to do in Lisbon that I’m sure you’ll enjoy!
Lots of times when we travel we spend lots of money on activities so knowing you can save on some things will help your wallet in the long run. Some of these are great for rainy days and others better for sunny ones. Let me know which you’ll do first on your visit to Lisbon.
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Free Things to Do in Lisbon
Viewpoints
In my opinion, one of the things you can’t miss out on in Lisbon are the many lookout points. The best part is that many of them are free to visit and enjoy! Many are great for sunrise or sunset and all are great to take in the views of the city including the bridge, Christ and lots of colorful buildings.
A few of my favorite look out points include:
- Miradouro da Graca
- Jardim do Torel
- Miradouro de Sao Pedro de Alcantara
Santa Clara Flea Market
Located in the Alfama neighborhood, there’s a free to visit market every Tuesday and Saturday morning from about 10am to 2pm. There’s lots of local vendors set up to sell their goods. There’s no fee to enter the market, just pay for what you buy. You can find lots of unique finds here.
Street Art
As you walk along the streets of Lisbon you’ll see lots of graffiti, but if you want to see street art there’s a few places you need to head to. One of those is the Alfama neighborhood. There’s meaning to the art here showcasing Fado, history, and culture. You’ll find street art in others parts as well such as LX Factory and Fábrica do Braço de Prata.
Eduardo VII Park
The biggest park in Lisbon is free and open to the public at all hours of the day. It’s great for picnics, catching up with friends, and strolling on a nice day. During the Christmas season there’s a Winter Wonderland market that pops up with markets, rides, an ice skating rink, and more!
Estufa Fria
One of Lisbon’s largest greenhouses, Estufa Fria is found in the upper left part of the Eduardo VII Park. It’s not always free, but every Sunday from open to 1pm it is! Part of it is covered making it great to visit on a rainy day, but the slightly exposed part could have rain falling on you if it’s more than a drizzle.
Lisbon Botanical Garden
Located in the Principe Real neighborhood is Lisbon’s Botanical Garden. It’s right next to the Museum of Natural Sciences. Every Sunday from open to 12pm it’s free to enter, but only the gardens, not the museum. When you enter through the side gates, they’ll ask you which you plan to visit and then direct you where to go for the gardens without needing to pay.
LX Factory
Near the Tagus River and right next to Alcantara is the LX Factory. This spot is popular for its laid back atmosphere and array of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and more. There’s even a hostel here if you want to be near a lot of the action without going far. It’s free to enter and you just need to pay for what you want to purchase/consume.
Walk Along the Tagus River
If you’re visiting Lisbon during some warm or sunny months, then you must talk a walk along the Tagus River. Make a picnic out of it and bring some snacks and wine and sit on the steps to take in the sunset view.
Depending on how much walking you want to do, you could even walk along the river all the way to Belem and see the Belem Tower and the Monument to the Discoveries and enter one or both if you’d like.
Prazeres Cemetery
The Campo de Ourique neighborhood has a cemetery which has a nice view of the 25th of April bridge and the Christ the King statue. It’s pretty far from the tourist circuit so it’s never crowded. There’s lots of beautiful and intricate gravestones to take in and benches to sit on to relax or even have a snack.
Aqueduct das Águas Livres
It took me a while before I knew that Lisbon even had an Aqueduct, especially one so big! A major highway passes through it but it’s not on the touristy side of town so unless you go that way, you might miss it.
The best part is you can actually walk on it! It’s open to the public for a fee, about 5 euros varying by tier (student, retired, etc), but is free the first Sunday of the month!
Livraria Bertrand (bookstore)
Are you a lover of books? Then you’ll want to head to the Livraria Bertrand as it’s considered the world’s oldest bookstore. It may not look like it as I’m sure it’s gotten some remodeling done over the years, but it’s nice to be able to walk in a piece of living history. In the back you’ll find a little cafe to grab some coffee or pastry between browsing the book sections. It’s free to enter and walk around, you’ll only pay for any books you purchase.
Pink Street
This one is a crowd favorite especially with the colorful umbrellas above the pink street. This spot has lots of bars, restaurants and nightclubs so expect it to be loud and crowded especially during the summer months and on the weekends.
I’d suggest going mid-afternoon if you want pictures without many people and some light in the photos. Once I went early AM thinking that would be better but the ground was so dirty from people spilling drinks the night before that the street barely looked pink. They always clean it by mid day though.
Looking to explore beyond the free activities? Check out this list with unique things to do in Lisbon!
Related Lisbon Posts
- Getting from the Lisbon Airport to City Center
- Unique Things to Do in Lisbon
- Lisbon Viewpoints You Must See
- Laptop Friendly Cafes to Work in Lisbon
- Lisbon Day Trips
- Beautiful Cities in Portugal
- Christmas in Lisbon
- How to Apply for the Portugal D7 Visa
- Getting a Portugal NIF Number for Free
- International Zip Line from Spain into Portugal
I hope you’ve found this list of free things to do in Lisbon useful to help plan your upcoming trip! Let me know which of these you end up visiting or plan to. I’ll be adding more to this list soon so make sure to bookmark it for later.
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Viaja more y live más,
