The best things to do in Lisbon

1.Tram 28

The old yellow tram that rattles up through Graça, Alfama, the Baixa and Chiado.

Tip: Board early in the morning at Martim Moniz to get a seat, and keep your phone and wallet out of reach: pickpockets work the crowded trams.

2.Castelo de São Jorge

A Moorish castle on the highest hill of the old town, with ramparts to walk and the widest view over Lisbon.

Tip: Go late in the day and stay for the sunset over the river.

3.Santa Luzia and Portas do Sol viewpointsFree

Two terraces next to each other with bougainvillea, tiled walls and the view over Alfama's rooftops to the river.

4.Fado in Alfama

Lisbon's mournful folk song, sung in small restaurants in the lanes where it was born.

Tip: Most fado houses ask you to have dinner and to stay quiet during songs. Book ahead and ask whether there's a minimum spend.

5.Lisbon Cathedral

The Sé, the city's oldest church, a fortress-like cathedral begun in the 12th century.

6.Feira da LadraFree

The 'thieves' market', a flea market below the National Pantheon on Tuesday and Saturday mornings.

7.Praça do Comércio

The grand riverfront square rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake, with the Rua Augusta arch leading into the Baixa.

Tip: Climb the arch for a view straight down Rua Augusta.

8.Elevador de Santa Justa

An iron lift from 1902 linking the Baixa to the Carmo square above.

Tip: The queue can be long. You can walk to the top walkway from Largo do Carmo instead.

9.Carmo Convent

A Gothic church left roofless by the 1755 earthquake, its open-air nave now home to a small archaeological museum.

10.Chiado's cafés and bookshopsFree

The elegant shopping district, with the historic café A Brasileira and Bertrand, the world's oldest bookshop still trading, open since 1732.

11.Time Out Market

A food hall in the old Ribeira market at Cais do Sodré, with stalls from well-known Lisbon chefs and restaurants.

Tip: Go at lunchtime on a weekday; evenings and weekends are packed.

12.Miradouro de São Pedro de AlcântaraFree

A garden terrace looking across the Baixa to the castle, with a kiosk bar.

13.A night in Bairro Alto

A grid of narrow streets that fills up after dark, when people take their drinks outside and the whole neighbourhood becomes one bar.

Tip: It gets going after 11pm. If you want to sleep, don't stay right in it.

14.Gulbenkian Museum

One man's collection, from Egyptian art to Lalique jewellery, set in a modernist building and a peaceful garden.

Tip: The garden is free and one of the best places in the city for a quiet hour.

15.Jerónimos Monastery

A World Heritage monastery in the ornate Manueline style, paid for by the spice trade, with Vasco da Gama's tomb.

Tip: It's closed on Mondays. Book a timed ticket to skip the long cloister queue.

16.Belém Tower

A 16th-century fortress on the river that once guarded the entrance to Lisbon's port.

Tip: The inside is cramped; the outside, from the riverbank, is the real sight.

17.Pastéis de Belém

The bakery that has made Portugal's custard tarts to a secret recipe since 1837.

Tip: The takeaway queue is long, but there are big rooms inside where you can usually get a table faster.

18.Oceanário de Lisboa

One of Europe's largest aquariums, at Parque das Nações in the east, built around one huge central tank.

19.A day trip to Sintra

Palaces and gardens in the hills, including the colourful Pena Palace, about 40 minutes by train from Rossio station.

Tip: Book timed tickets for Pena, arrive early, and use the local bus or walk between the palaces rather than queueing for taxis.

20.Cascais and the beaches

A seaside town at the end of a coastal train line from Cais do Sodré, with town beaches and the wild Guincho beach beyond.

Tip: Sit on the left side of the train going out for the sea views.