I’ve done a lot of really cool things in my lifetime, but so far, one of the coolest things I’ve ever done was tour Lisbon by motorcycle and sidecar. While being hosted by HouseTrip in Lisbon, I and a group of travel bloggers got to spend the evening with the friendly folks at Sidecar Touring Company.

Going On A Sidecar Tour In Lisbon, Portugal

Our curious group of travel bloggers was pretty excited to meet up with our new “crew“.  As we came out of our flat, across the street waiting for us were four men from the Sidecar Touring Company with their big old vintage hogs. I squealed in delight and seriously could not wait to start the ride! I even started humming Born to Be Wild. Yes, really!

Being the hard-working bloggers that we are, an extreme photo shoot ensued. We snapped pictures of the bikes, each other on the bikes, the drivers, us with the drivers … you get the “picture.” Finally, donning our “ultra sexy” helmets, we jumped into the sidecars or in the seats behind the driver and before we knew it were racing through the streets of Lisbon.

The photographer in me wanted to capture everything and I mean everything! The derelict yet hauntingly beautiful buildings, the epic street art, the Moorish-influenced tile facades but admittedly, it’s tough to properly take shots from the back of a moving vehicle (especially once it got dark).

I suppose it was one of those times when I should have sat back and enjoyed the ride but how could I not want to take photos of such a vibrant, charismatic, and gorgeous city? I fell more in love with each passing moment. It was the perfect time for a ride as the sun was just beginning to slip away, leaving the city bathed in a seemingly heavenly light.

Lucky for all of us, there were several stops along the way. Tour highlights included Bairro Alto, Almada, the Glass Elevator, the Belém district, and so much more (even Pastéis de Belém).

These crumbling facades never failed to make my heart swoon the entire time I was in Portugal.

I felt very glamorous posing at this viewpoint and happy to lose that “man-repelling” helmet for a moment.

For me, the best part of the evening was when we went to another viewpoint and watched the sunset over Lisbon. It was at this exact moment that I began to fall really hard for this city.

Then it was night and picture-taking became a tad more difficult. Still, I managed to get a few worthy night shots.

The tour lasted about 3 hours and I honestly cannot think of a better way to get acquainted with Lisbon. It’s a really fun and unique way to get that first taste of the city. As it’s a big place geographically speaking and takes time to get around, you manage to cover a lot of distance in a relatively short period of time. Based on your experience, you can choose which spots you’d like to revisit later.

What do you think? Would you take a sidecar tour in Lisbon? Let us know in the comments below.

Good To Know

1) Warning, when you take this tour people will stop and stare, even laugh and point. It’s pretty rare to witness a parade of motorcycles and sidecars making their way through the streets of Lisbon. Be good-natured and enjoy the attention. Smile, wave, and secretly know they are jealous!

2) Sidecar Touring Company not only offers night but day tours through Lisbon as well. You can even go outside the city to places like Sintra, Cabo da Roca, and Arrabida. Up to two people can be allocated to one bike and you can switch spots whenever you stop so that one person doesn’t have to be stuck in one place for the entire tour. For our night tour, it costs €85 euros per bike/sidecar. Prices will be higher for the longer half-day and day trips.

3) Book your accommodation in Lisbon with booking.com.

Booking.com

4) Make your stay in Lisbon even better by going on other tours as well.

5) If you’re looking to drive around on your own, consider renting a car. I’d also recommend checking out these tips for renting a car in Portugal.

6) Looking for more inspiration about what to do in Portugal? Read over some of my popular blog posts:

• Beautiful and Quirky Sintra, Portugal – Sintra, Portugal is a UNESCO World Heritage site full of stunning Portuguese castles, gardens, and palatial villas. It also has a surprisingly quirky side!
• Feast At Restaurant Casa No Campo In Arouca Portugal – Hidden deep in the mountains of Northern Portugal is Restaurant Casa No Campo, serving up regional cuisine in an old barn-turned restaurant.
• My Favourite Hostel in Portugal Is Living Lounge Hostel Lisbon – Living Lounge Hostel Lisbon is a result of a collaboration between artists, DJs & designers. They even offer a nightly dinner with wine.

*Disclosure – My time in Lisbon was complimentary, courtesy of HouseTrip. Any opinions expressed are entirely my own. This post contains some affiliate links. If you book a tour or hotel through any of these links, I’ll earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!