Experience Lisbon To The Fullest.

Just last month, I finally got to add a new country to my list. Country #24 was none other than Portugal and it all started with three days in the hot and sexy city of Lisbon. My itinerary was jammed packed full of fun activities, good food and laughter filled times with a group of 6 other travel bloggers as we bunked together in a holiday flat courtesy of Housetrip.

Thanks to them, I’m now able to tell you exactly how you can experience Lisbon to the fullest for yourself. Start by watching this video featuring my favorite Instagram postcards of Lisbon.

Now how did we manage to see all of these rather awesome sights? Well, we took three different tours that brought us to every nook and cranny of the city and even nearby towns.

1) Walking Tour – Do the Experience Lisbon Walk with Urban Adventures and tour Lisbon using your own two feet. Your guide (I recommend Paulo) will take you to some of the city’s most famous landmarks, vibrant multi-cultural neighborhoods like Mouraria and have you sample all sorts of local food and drink like cheese, seafood and green wine. After all that food, you certainly won’t mind the sometimes arduous uphill climbs as make your way around the city. The tour usually lasts 3 – 4 hours and costs 26 euros per person.

2) Sidecar Tour – Believe it or not, it’s actually possible to tour Lisbon by motorcycle with the Sidecar Touring Company. You and a buddy can book a big vintage hog, complete with a driver named Hannibal and race through the streets of Lisbon. Choose the Lisbon at Night tour which starts at sunset to view the city when it’s veiled in a beautiful and romantic light. As city tours are never complete without food, you’ll stop for some Pastel de Belém. Your ride will take about 2 – 3 hours and costs 85 euros per bike/sidecar which can hold 2 people.

3) Day Trip – Book the X-Day Trip with We Hate Tourism Tours not only because you love the ridiculously cute name of their company but to introduce yourself to the area surrounding Lisbon. You’ll hit up over 10 attractions including the castle and palace filled Sintra, the beach town of Caiscais and the “end of the world” at Caba Da Roca, the Western most point in continental Europe. Your tour includes a van, local driver and tour guide (ask for the very lovely Martha) and a heck of a lot of food! Before long you’ll be wishing you were wearing your favorite pair of buffet pants as you feast on queijada, ice cream, Pastel de Belém and a picnic lunch complete with Portugese wine. The tour runs 7 hours and costs 45 euros per person.

4) Eat and Drink –  If you’re looking for a little fast food over lunch, try some roasted chicken at Bonjardim restaurant. For a traditional Portugese dining experience and Fado performance, head to Mesa de Frades. For just 38 euros a person, you’ll be treated to food, drink and music. If you’re really lucky, you’ll meet the sexy fado singer who just happens to look like Motorcycle Dairies star Gael Garcia Bernal and has a voice of an angel.

I recorded our fado singer live as we were eating dinner. Give him a listen by clicking play on any of my Soundcloud clips below.

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5) Live – Skip the hotel and find yourself the perfect place to “live” by renting a holiday flat from Housetrip in Lisbon. Our group of travel bloggers was put up in this beautiful seven bedroom flat in the Marques de Pombal area!

Follow me on Instagram (@cherylhowardblog) for updates on my travels across Europe and adventures at home in Berlin. You can also follow my Vimeo channel to see even more videos like this one and on Soundcloud to hear sounds from my travels.