Sintra is where the royals went to rough it in their vacation castle. The Sintra Palace, complete…read morewith those two giant inverted ice cream cones on top, is basically a royal Airbnb with views to die for and tiles for days. Their of the medieval town is adorable. This is a popular day trip from Lisbon. There are several castles and palaces to explore. Views for days.

This is such an underrated spot in Sintra. Folks come here for the bigger castles, and honestly, we…read morewould've skipped this too if it weren't for the big storm that had come through a few days earlier and closed the larger castles down. Palacio Nacional de Sintra is full of rich history. It was so fun to see the way people used to do things hundreds of years ago -- where they slept, how they entertained, etc. The grounds were beautiful and each room had a distinct theme and vibe, but for me the coolest part were the giant chimneys in the kitchen. Back in the day, it would signal that the king and his court were home when they were really going. If you have time, I would stop in and see the sights. There are guided tour options, but there were plenty of written notes throughout to explain what you were seeing so that you really didn't need it. A cool experience for sure.

This was a great museum and we also really enjoyed the café and gift shop. The museum showcases…read moretiles from the 15th century through today. It was cool to see how the tradition has evolved over the years. Many signs are in both Portuguese and English. All the staff we spoke with were also very fluent in English. This was also the first place I saw a people love us on Yelp sign (in Portuguese) which was super cool. The café serves coffee, beer and wine as well as sandwiches and pasties in a beautiful setting. Part of the café is indoors and part is in a garden courtyard. Beautiful sculptures and flowers. We got here on the bus but you could also Uber. Bus stop is very close but it's a bit out of the way from the main touristic areas. I would budget about two to three hours here depending on how interested you are in the tiles. Definitely have a drink and a snack and enjoy the courtyard garden area. Shop was well stocked, reasonably priced and featured some work by local artisans.

Everyone and their mother told me to come to the tile museum on my recent trip to Lisbon. Honestly,…read moreit was cool to see, but I didn't spend anywhere near the 1-1.5 hours people recommend spending here. It was a 30 minute max type of museum unless you're going to stop and read every single thing about every single tile in this place...which I guess people must do. One thing that was incredibly cool is the panoramic view of what Lisbon used to look like before the big earthquake they had. It's interesting to see what monuments survived, which ones didn't and what stands there today. Overall, if you have extra time during your trip this isn't a bad way to spend it - I just wouldn't plan on being here for hours and hours (unless you really, really want to).

The ruins of the 14th-century Carmo Convent are quite photogenic to walk through once you pay the…read more7€ admission fee (Photo). Towering Gothic arches frame the open sky. It's a remnant of the 1755 earthquake that destroyed much of Lisbon and leads the visitor to the Carmo Archaeological Museum where artifacts have been gathered from the prehistoric through medieval eras. There are items like Peruvian mummies & shrunken heads as well as Roman sarcophagi including the Sarcophagus of the Muses which details nine Greek muses (Photo 10). My favorite piece is actually outside, a bright red statue entitled "Encontro" by Franz Weissman (Photo 2) standing in stark contrast to the heraldic items. The museum is around the corner from the popular Santa Justa Lift. RELATED - Exploring Lisbon? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/btGN-VGvo8

Beautiful, outdoor museum! My tour guide in Porto actually suggested it for when I was traveling to…read moreLisbon. I'm so glad he did. The open air was refreshing and the artifacts themselves were so unique. Great museum that you can go as quick or slowly through as you want.

If you plan to spend a full day in Belem like Jamie W and I did, then I suggest visiting this…read morecontemporary museum but only if you have time after the essential stops like the Jerónimos Monastery. I just don't view the collection here as indispensable for modern art lovers. You can tell by the one-off nature of the exhibits that it started as a private collection, this one from a self-made billionaire businessman named José "Joe" Berardo. In fact, the museum was named after him when it first opened in 2007, but now it's officially called Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC/CCB). The museum is housed inside a massive concrete complex called Centro Cultural de Belém. On the upper floor, there are singular pieces from the likes of Warhol, Picasso, Dalí, Miró, and Lichtenstein. Less interesting to us were the lower floors where they dive deep into highly abstract, conceptual, and minimalist art. The labyrinthine layout is confusing to navigate, but you can skip sections entirely if you're not engaged with the exhibits you see like Jeff Koons' "Poodle" (Photo 9). That happened a lot with us. Admission is 15€, and there's a combo bookstore and cafeteria where we sat a spell and had the 2,5€ Iced Lattes (Photo 8). Frankly, a half-hour is enough for a visit, and it was pretty easy to pick up an Uber from the front of the complex to get back to central Lisbon. RELATED - Exploring Lisbon? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/6RJs_afSDR

Even if you're not a fan of cubism, surrealism, etc., a visit is worthwhile for the beauty of the…read morebuilding itself and the views, which you can enjoy from either the second floor restaurant or the comfy outdoor chairs provided so you can sit and relax. Bonus: was not crowded on a beautiful Sunday in late May when downtown Lisbon was jammed with tourists.

Amazing collection of art from all over the world!…read moreGulbenkian, who was born in Turkey, collected pieces from so many cultures. Here's a list: Egypt Mesopotamia Iran Turkey Egypt China Japan Dutch Europe Highlights: coins from Mesopotamia Ceramics from Iran & Turkey Renaissance medals This is a must see museum in Lisbon. Worth the admission price. Free on Sunday afternoons.

A welcome quiet and peaceful experience to escape the noise, crowds and chaos of Lisbon…read more Eclectic museum. Collection has a little bit of everything from 5,000 year old artifacts to modern abstract paintings and sculptures. For a complete overview plan to spend about 3 hours here.. If you are lodging downtown, take an uber to get here instead of changing buses several times. You'll save an hour commute.

What a lovely museum about the history of Lisbon located on the University Campus. It is closer to…read morethe airport than the downtown tourist area. It is also called Pepper Palace. It is 3 euro entry fee that is very fair and worth so much more. Gives you the entire history of Lisbon which is very helpful to understand Portugal from 1300 to the great earthquake of 1755 all the way to modern Lisbon. Highly recommend to get a better appreciation of Lisbon. The museum is 2 floors and you get access to the lovely garden with peacocks walking around. Walk the garden because it is very beautiful with a nice breeze. WiFi available to customers. Bathroom: available and clean

History of Lisbon, the largest city in Portugal and the capital. It is the third biggest city in…read morethe Iberian peninsula after Madrid and Barcelona. It is also one of the oldest cities in the world, the second oldest in Europe after Athens. The museum has five branches. This one is with the history of the city, is located in the former Palácio Pimenta, an 18th century palace built by King John V of Portugal for his mistress. Lots of exhibits and you can expect a brief tour to take at least an hour. A proper examination is closer to three hours if you walk the garden (peacocks!) and a get coffee at the small cafe out there if it's a nice day. The city has been run by Romans, Germanic tribes, Moors and then conquered by Afonso Henriques in 1147. Artifacts on display include ceramics from the 6th century BC, gold pendants from the 2nd century AD, Roman column caps and paintings. One small room is dedicated to the history of the massive Estátua de D. José I in Praça do Comércio and the sculptor, Joaquim Machado de Castro. I found this to be an interesting exhibit. Nearly all the captions are in Portuguese and English. If there's an audio guide on offer, I didn't spot it. [Review 19057 overall - 250 in Portugal - 26 of 2023.]

Instead of taking the tram directly to Belem Tower, Jamie W and I got off at the Calvario stop…read more(where the LX Factory is) and walked the rest of the way along the Tagus River. It took about an hour extra to get to the tower, but it was a good step day and well worth the additional sights. Chief among them was the striking architecture of this wave-shaped building overlooking the river. Housed in both a futuristic building and a vintage industrial power station, the museum itself was closed, but the undulating rooftop was open and free to enjoy panoramic views of the Tagus River, the 25 de Abril Bridge, and the waterfront promenade. It reminded me of the similarly conceived Opera House in Oslo also dominated visually by its walkable roof (review: https://yelp.to/sdji5rX0Cu). RELATED - Exploring Lisbon? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/XS5EvqaG1J

The best part of this experience was walking alongside the water as a cool breeze was blowing and…read moretaking in the beautiful architecture of the building and gazing at the bridge and surrounding landmarks. Once inside I was bewildered by the scarcity of the "Art". And it somehow got much worse when I visited the galleries. I'm baffled that there is any cost to this attraction let alone 15 Euros and the cafe was no better. Wish I had read the reviews first. Definitely left completely bummed out. However the persons working the front desk were super kind and helpful and for that, they deserve all the stars.

The Maritime Museum showcases the history and contributions of Portuguese navigators…read more My husband and I toured this museum for 8 euros each. In about one hour, we saw dozens of model and life-sized ships, canons, statues, paintings, coins, informational plaques, the king's and queen's cabins, a gift shop, and more. I felt most interested in the life-sized ships. Overall, I think that this museum is worth a visit if you are already in the area.

We were fortunate to come here as a Gate 1 tour. With tours you can skip the lines, so I like that…read moreabout them, but of course you are on everyone else's schedule. I was torn between admiration of a culture playing to it's strengths (being surrounded by water has it's perks), and Derek L's view of colonialism. There was exactly 1 acknowledgement of how the country benefitted from slavery. It's a slippery slope of acknowledging how one acquired wealth but also realizing it occurred at a major violation of human rights. The room of boats was awesome, esp being able to view it from above on a balcony. The gift shop had some nice holiday themed items.

On my first visit to Lisbon sixteen years ago, I failed to visit this legendary monastery because I…read morecame on a Monday, the one day they're closed. I could resolve my disappointment only by devouring a half-dozen pasteis de nata across the street. This time I made sure Jamie W and I had reservations for a scheduled time-slot on a day other than Monday. When we arrived, there was still a long line of people and no shade from the blazing sun, but we got in quickly. I have to say the building did not disappoint. Built in the 15th century during the Age of Discovery, it took a full century to complete because the Manueline architectural style was so idiosyncratic. As a tribute to Portugal's seafaring history, the inlays on the stonework were made intricately with decorative paneling on windows, arcades, and pillars. Traditional stone columns were sculpted into twisted ropes, corals, anchors, and sea monsters. The result is a stunning level of craftsmanship epitomized by the beauty and meticulous detail of the cloister. The two-story structure is a prime example of flawless symmetry and historical significance. The church houses the tombs of legendary explorer Vasco da Gama and famous Portuguese poets. Monks from the Order of Saint Jerome used the monastery to pray, meditate, and offer spiritual discourses. You can do the same. Admission per person is 18€. RELATED - Exploring Lisbon? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/3GGfbOtM3m

I won't review the experience inside the monastery but give timings on our arrival and the wait…read more We arrived around 9:45am and there was a relatively short line (maybe 30-50 people? The line got significantly longer in the next 30 minutes). At 9:55am they started letting 9:30am ticketholders in. We were let in around 10:15am (we had 10:30am entry tickets).