Best Things to Do in Lisbon

Lisbon doesn't have one headline sight on the scale of the Louvre or the Sagrada Família. Its pleasure is in the mix: a monastery in the morning, a viewpoint at sunset, a plate of clams in between. This is our list for a first visit, roughly in order of priority.

1. Belém. The Jerónimos Monastery, the Belém Tower and the original custard tart bakery, all along the same stretch of river. Half a day at least. Our Belém guide has the ticket details.
2. Alfama. The oldest quarter, a maze of stairways, laundry lines and tiny squares below the castle. Get lost on purpose, then follow our Alfama walk to find your way out.
3. São Jorge Castle. Moorish walls on the city's highest hill. The ruins inside are modest; the ramparts and the view over the Baixa and the river are the reason to go. Queues build from late morning.
4. The miradouros. Lisbon's viewpoints. Senhora do Monte is the highest and least crowded, Santa Luzia has the tiled walls and bougainvillea, São Pedro de Alcântara looks across at the castle. Go at sunset and bring a drink from a kiosk.
5. Museu Nacional do Azulejo. The tile museum, in a convent east of Alfama. Five centuries of azulejos, a gilded chapel, and a long tiled panorama of Lisbon before the earthquake. One of our favourite museums in the city.
6. Calouste Gulbenkian Museum. An oil magnate's private collection, from Egyptian pieces to Lalique jewellery, in a calm modernist building with a garden. The main building has been under renovation, so check what's open.
7. The Baixa and Praça do Comércio. Walk down Rua Augusta, under the triumphal arch, and out onto the huge riverside square. The Cais das Colunas steps lead straight into the Tagus.
8. Tram 28. The yellow tram's route through Graça, Alfama and Estrela is lovely, the ride itself often less so. Read our transport guide before you join the queue.
9. Fado. The mournful Lisbon song, performed in small restaurants in Alfama and the Bairro Alto. Choose a place where the singers are the point, not the background.
10. LX Factory. A former textile works under the 25 de Abril bridge, now shops, cafés and a huge bookshop, Ler Devagar, with a bicycle flying overhead. Best on Sunday.
11. Time Out Market. The food hall in the Mercado da Ribeira at Cais do Sodré. Crowded and not cheap, but a quick way to taste many of the city's chefs in one place.
12. A ferry to Cacilhas. The short crossing from Cais do Sodré gives the finest view of Lisbon from the water for the price of a bus ticket. Eat grilled fish on the quay on the other side.

With a spare day, go to Sintra. Nothing in Lisbon itself looks anything like it.