LisbonLisboaPortugal.com

The best independent guide to Lisbon

LisbonLisboaPortugal.com

The best independent guide to Lisbon

Baixa to Alfama Walking Tour Lisbon

Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3

This guide will provide details of a walking tour that covers two of Lisbon’s most popular areas, the Alfama and Baixa districts. The route is ideal for visitors who are new to Lisbon as it covers the most diverse sections in the city and many of the important attractions of the capital. This walking tour takes approximately three hours to complete and is an enjoyable half day activity for one of your first days in Lisbon.

Alfama Lisbon

The narrow and steep streets of Alfama

Overview of Alfama and Baixa

Alfama is the oldest district of the city and is a maze of narrow streets that stretch from the banks of the estuary up to the castle. Historically this was the section of the city where the poor lived, just outside of the city walls. Today Alfama is rejuvenated with trendy bars and cafes set amongst the crumbling charm of the ancient buildings.

The Baixa district boasts of the grandeur that Portugal once commanded, with wide avenues and magnificent squares. The area was completely rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake and was one of the first cities to follow a grid plan street layout. Baixa is the heart of Lisbon and is where many of the capital’s finest tourist attractions are located.

rossio lisbon

Rossio square in central Lisbon

Start of the Walking Tour

The walking tour of Baixa and Alfama begins from the Praça Dom Pedro IV square, which is regarded by many Portuguese as the centre of their city. The Praça Dom Pedro IV is a prime example of the Marquis of Pombal vision for the entire area of Baixa with wide open spaces with grand monuments and buildings.

Teatro Nacional D. Maria II

The Teatro Nacional D. Maria II

The statue in the centre of the square is Dom Pedro IV, king of both Portugal and the independent Brazil. Legend has it that the statue is actually that of Emperor Maximilian of Mexico, he was assassinated soon after completion of his statue so the sculpture switched orders and delivered this statue to Lisbon. The switch was unnoticed (or accepted) as both leaders were of similar appearance and provided a massive saving to all parties. Praça Dom Pedro IV or more commonly know as Rossio is famous for its nauseating wave pattern stone paving which stretches the length of the square.

The tour heads to the north end of the square, towards the most prestigious theater in Lisbon the Teatro Nacional D. Maria II. To the right of the theater is a small Ginjinha bar, which sells a sweet cheer brandy that is adored by the older Portuguese generation. The church opposite the bar is the fire damaged Igreja de Sao Domingos a strange and macabre religious building.

Igreja de Sao Domingos

Inside the fire damaged Igreja de Sao Domingos

The interior of the Igreja de Sao Domingos has a very heavy atmosphere with dim lighting, fire scorched walls and gruesome statues of Jesus' death. Step back into day light and head north along Rua das Portas de Santo Antao. This is the liveliest area of Baixa during the night as the restaurant swell catering for hungry tourists and the Portuguese attend the shows in the theatres. Be warned the waiters here have a very smooth patter to entice tourist to sample the fresh fish of the day.

Praça dos Restauradores Walking Tour

Turn left on to and the short street opens into Praça dos Restauradores which is dominated by the independence obelisk monument. Within Praça dos Restauradores is the art deco Eden Theater, the pink Foz Palace and the Funicular Elevador da Gloria but sadly the square is often completely missed by tourists. The northern side of Praça dos Restauradores leads into the Avenida da Liberdade a wide tree lined boulevard that stretches to the Square of Marquis of Pombal a pleasant walk for visitors with plenty of time, and energy.

Igreja de Sao Domingos

The Eden Theater and the obelisk in the Praça dos Restauradores

Head south from Praça dos Restauradores and return to Praça Dom Pedro IV, this route passes Rossio train station which was heavily influenced by north African design. The trains that depart from Rossio station head for Sintra, a must day trip Lisbon for all visitors to Lisbon. The trains pass out of Lisbon through a 2km tunnel, Lisbon's greatest engineering achievement of the late 19th century.

Within the district of Baixa there is a unique blend of specialist shops with few large brand stores, this is thanks to the council of Lisbon which protected the price of rents. The control of rents has allowed the preservation of many small family businesses, some of which have been owned by the same families for generations. These stores line the 5 streets that lead south in Baixa selling many traditional produce of Portugal.

Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3

Discover more of Lisbon with our most popular guides

lisbon Portugal guide
top 10 lisbon
Secret Lisbon
Where to stay which district lisbon
48 hours lisbon
lisbon food and meals
Lisbon day trips
lisbon beaches
3 days in Lisbon
1 week in lisbon
24 hours in lisbon
lisbon for families
Baixa district lisbon
belem distrcit lisbon
lisbon shopping
alfama district lisbon
Lisbon sunsets
Parque das Nações district lisbon
Alcantara district lisbon
sintra portugal
Costa da Caparica
cascais portugal
Lisbon viewpoints
lisbon airport guide
Cost of a holiday to Lisbon
wet day in lisbon
Lisbon museums

Thank you,
We really appreciate you visiting our website, but the digital world is changing for the worse.

Independent publishers like us face many new challenges. Search engines now prioritize ads over organic content, and AI replicates our hard work.

If you enjoyed our work, please bookmark our website to easily find us again or share it on social media with your friends and family.

We aim to keep our 1,600+ pages accurate and fully updated. If you spot any errors or outdated information, please contact us at: [email protected]

A complete list of all of our Lisbon articles

uk - pt es it de fr

LisbonLisboaPortugal.com

The best guide to Lisbon

lisbon Portugal guide
top 10 lisbon
Secret Lisbon
Where to stay which district lisbon
48 hours lisbon
lisbon food and meals
Lisbon day trips
lisbon beaches
3 days in Lisbon
1 week in lisbon
24 hours in lisbon
lisbon for families
Baixa district lisbon
belem distrcit lisbon
lisbon shopping
alfama district lisbon
Lisbon sunsets
Parque das Nações district lisbon
Alcantara district lisbon
sintra portugal
Costa da Caparica
cascais portugal
Lisbon viewpoints
lisbon airport guide
Cost of a holiday to Lisbon
wet day in lisbon
Lisbon museums

Please help us
The digital landscape has shifted, squeezing small publishers like us. Between search engine biases and AI plagiarism, we're feeling the heat.
All we ask is that you bookmark us for quick access and share the articles you love.
Spotted an error? Let us know - with over 1,600 pages to maintain, we always welcome your vigilance.
Please contact us at: [email protected]

lisbon Portugal guide
top 10 lisbon
Secret Lisbon
Where to stay which district lisbon
48 hours lisbon
lisbon food and meals
Lisbon day trips
lisbon beaches
3 days in Lisbon
1 week in lisbon
24 hours in lisbon
lisbon for families
Baixa district lisbon
belem distrcit lisbon
lisbon shopping
alfama district lisbon
Lisbon sunsets
Parque das Nações district lisbon
Alcantara district lisbon
sintra portugal
Costa da Caparica
cascais portugal
Lisbon viewpoints
lisbon airport guide
Cost of a holiday to Lisbon
wet day in lisbon
Lisbon museums