The second day of your stay actually takes you a little bit out of the city centre of Lisbon. Using the metro you get directly to Parque das Nacoes, which is a very modern part of Lisbon. This area was pretty much completely remodelled for the World Expo 1998. When exiting the metro, you will find an impressive station building with lots of shops and an authentic book market. Then you can directly head into the next huge shopping centre. On the other side of it there is the waterfront with plenty of artworks installed and some beautiful relaxing gardens laid out. You have an amazing few over the fantastic Bridge Vasco da Gama which is incredibly long and you can even go on a short gondola ride along the coastline. There is also the Oceanario, which is a maritime museum/aquarium combined and great for kids. Simply take some time around here to walk along the water, marvel at the fantastic things to see and let the wind blow through your hair!
Once you had enough of the sea-like area and walking around to explore all the former Expo pavillons, catch the metro back into the city. From there, go for one of the iconic electronic trams, that bring you comfortably up the hills in Lisbon. Head to the Cathedral of LIsbon, which is a gothic church with an impressive inside. From here, head further up the hill to reach the beautiful Miradouro de Santa Luzia, which you will also find in my post about the most wonderful view points in Lisbon. Here you find some restaurant, obviously a fantastic view over the harbour, some pool like water installation that is perfect for taking pictures as well as a little garden with benches. Take a break here from the hike up the hill before you get ready to keep going.
On your way to the castle you will probably need lunch now. There are plenty of cute little restaurants with fantastic food and cozy outdoor sitting areas in the many side streets. Once you have reached the Castelo de Sao Jorge, I recommend buying a ticket and going inside. It is pretty cheap and there are spectacular views and photo spots awaiting you! You can walk all around the castle and there are some roof tops in the middle that you can go up to which seem to be too hidden for most so that it is perfectly quiet up here. Take your time to take some fantastic pics. Read my post on how to use the sun in your photos or how to use accessories to make them look even greater. Also enjoy the views over the roofs of Lisbon and try to spot the places you have already visited or you will go to next!
To reach the next stop on your tour, you can either go by public transport or walk, accoridng to your preferences. We decided to walk and saw some impressive street art hidden in the little alleys on our way, but is was also a little exhausting as - again you need to go up a hill. Before you actually reach the Panteao Nacional, you will first see the church Igreja de Sao Vincente de Fora, which is beautiful from the outside and has a museum included as well. Both the buildings have a very light grey colour and can be seen from far away, such as from the Castelo de Sao Jorge where you have been before. Only 3 minutes further around the corner is the National Pantheon with its remarkable dome on top. Again, you will probably marvel at the outside before you actually go inside. Keep some track of the time, as the Panteao Nacional closes at 5pm already. Make sure to get a peek inside before this time!
Now you pretty much made the most important stations of today`s route! For the evening you can have two different options and choose spontaneously regarding how tired you and your fellow travellers are already.
Option 1: head to another view point, which does get crowded for sunsets, so don`t be there too late. It is the Miradouro da Senhora do Monte, again up on a hill, which means you should still have some energy left to go here.
Option 2: head down the hill through the magical alleys of the Alfama district and walk along the water to get back to the Bairro Alto.
Whichever option you choose, you will find a remarkable sunset view both up on the viewpoint or down at the water. If you manage to walk all the way to the station Cais do Sodre along the water, you actually even have some free music, as there are always some really good street artists playing their favourite songs. You might wanna sit down with some glass of amazing Portuguese wine and watch the sun disappear.
One important tip of mine: These itineraries obviously have numbers like day 1, day 2, etc. However, it is worth thinking about the order before you simply go on exactly this trip. Especially the weather is a major consideration in planning what to do when. In case it is always sunny, that`s fantastic! Enjoy the beautiful weather and have an amazing day, no matter what you are doing. Or do you have some rain on the forecast? Well, then I would rather do certain things on better days while others can also be enjoyed on a rainy day, like this Day 2 itinerary.
You are excited to read about day 3 of the itinerary? Then go ahead!