Last Updated on February 15, 2025
A few years ago, I knew very little about the history and culture of Portugal, though after my first visit to Lisbon and Porto, I couldn’t wait to return. I traveled to Portugal twice in the next 15 months and learned more about this beautiful country each time.
On my third trip, I booked a tour that provided a whole new experience. Viewing Lisbon from the land, sea, and sky made me fall in love even deeper with this fantastic city. Exploring the neighborhoods on foot, zipping across the Tagus River on a boat, and soaring over the red tile roofs and rolling hills in a helicopter was the perfect way to see the city anew.
Lisbon Small Group Guided Tour
Early one morning, I met up with my guide, Pedro, from World Experience, in front of Praca Dom Pedro IV, commonly known as Rossio Square. Six others joined our small group, including a retired couple from Michigan and a woman from Austin, Texas, who had brought her father to Portugal for his birthday.
The other two, a young Brazilian couple, didn’t speak English, so Pedro explained everything twice as we toured. I listened in to catch any Portuguese words that I remembered from my ongoing attempt to learn the language.
Our tour started in Rossio Square, a large rectangular plaza with black and white tiles set in undulating curves. This central part of Lisbon had been rebuilt in a grid after the devastating earthquake and tsunami of 1755 wiped out much of the city and killed an estimated 30,000 citizens.
Pedro described the maritime tradition of Lisbon, starting with the Phoenicians arriving in the 8th century, followed by the Greeks and Romans. As the center of Portugal, the city contained the royal palace until 1755. After escaping the earthquake’s damage, King Jose I refused to return to Lisbon for fear of another disaster. The royal family lived outside the city after this time.
In the center of Rossio Square, a statue of King Pedro IV tops a 75-foot-tall column. Pedro IV was king of Portugal from 1826 to 1834 and the first emperor of Brazil.
We then proceeded up Rua First of December past the ornate Manueline architecture of Rossio Station. At the Monumento ao Calceteiro, built to honor the tiler pavers that created and still maintain the intricate sidewalks throughout Lisbon, Pedro explained how they work their craft. Several yards away, three pavers repaired a small portion of damaged tiles.
Barrio Alto
The Elevador da Gloria, an iconic yellow tram, then carried the eight of us up a steep, winding hill to the Miradouro de Sao Pedro de Alcantara. I have visited many of the 14 miradouros, or viewpoints, on my Lisbon trips. Sao Pedro has been the most frequent and has become one of my favorite places in the world. Red tile roofs spread across the lower city up to the hill topped by the Sao George Castle with the Tagus River as a picturesque backdrop.
Our tour then meandered through the streets of Barrio Alto, near the apartment I stayed in during this trip. Pedro recommended returning to this lively area to visit the many bars and restaurants.
He compared the size of the streets here to the ones in Alfama atop the hill on the opposite side of central Lisbon. The roads in Barrio Alto were designed in the 16th century to accommodate horses and carriages with wider lanes laid out on a grid. Alfama, by contrast, has narrow labyrinthine roads due to its origin in the 8th century under Muslim rule.
In the Largo Trindade Coelho, a small plaza and several temporary booths offered clothing, art, and wine for sale. Pedro stopped at the bronze statue of a traditional lottery seller before we headed downhill out of Barrio Alto and into the Chiado neighborhood. As we strolled down the sky-blue pavement of Rua Nova da Trindade, he pointed out two of his favorite restaurants, Trindade and Bairro do Avillez.
Chiado and Baixa Neighborhoods
Our next stop was at the memorial to Antonio Ribeiro Chiado, a poet from the 16th century, so named because he lived many years in this neighborhood. Pedro explained how Ribeiro was popular in his time because, even though people thought him rude, he was actually very funny.
This neighborhood has typically been the domain of artists, musicians and writers. Every time I’ve passed through Largo do Chiado, with its ornately tiled sidewalk, musicians have provided lively entertainment.
As we headed toward the river and into the Baixa neighborhood, we passed Livraria Bertrand and Armazens do Chiado. Livraria claims to be the longest-running bookstore in the world. I have bought books on every visit in their small English language section. In the Armazens shopping mall, many popular brand names stores attract quite the crowd.
As we strolled down Rua Augusta, Pedro pointed out Manteigaria, his favorite shop for the local pastry specialty, pastel de nata. Outdoor restaurants line the middle of this street, filled with tourists eating cod cakes and drinking vino verde. A triumphal arch announces your passage to the immense Praca do Commercio and the Tagus River beyond it.
Lisbon By Sea
After a quick snack at the café ferry terminal, our group boarded a small tour boat with about 30 canary yellow molded plastic seats. I tried to remain seated at one of the front spots, but the spray from the water and the breeze from our rapid movement drove me further back on this chilly November day.
We darted across the Tagus River to glimpse the 92-foot statue of Christ the King atop a 270-foot-tall pedestal. Although I had visited the monument on a previous visit to Lisbon, the view from the water emphasized its immensity.
Our tour then proceeded under the Ponte 25 de Abril, or 25th of April Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in Europe. The structure had been called the Salazar Bridge after the dictator of Portugal when it was inaugurated in 1966. After the Carnation Revolution on April 25, 1974, the span was renamed. The site was reminiscent of my views of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, which inspired the Lisbon construction. Not surprising, due to the risk of earthquakes in both cities.
As we approached the shore in Belem, a neighborhood west of Central Lisbon filled with tourist activities, Pedro pointed out a low, long and narrow pale-yellow building constructed to accommodate the production of ropes for the booming naval industry in the 1700s. It is currently the Cordoaria Nacional, an exhibit space that also contains the Historical Archive of the Navy.
The Monument to the Discoveries then loomed up on our right. The 170-foot-tall depiction of a boat and waves was built to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator. Sculptures over 20 feet tall line the ship, representing explorers and others prominent in Portugal’s Age of Discovery. I had visited the base of the monument and the observation deck on top, but seeing it from the water was remarkable, as if approaching another ship at sea.
We disembarked near the Belem Tower, and Pedro explained the aspects of Manueline architecture on grand display here. He also pointed out the low windows of this coastal fort defenders of the city used for firing cannon shots into the sides of invading ships.
Lisbon By Sky
After walking past a monument dedicated to soldiers who died overseas, we hopped into a van for the five-minute drive to the helicopter site. The attendants there weighed each of us and showed us a safety video. A pilot then brought us into the air in groups of two or three.
I must admit, I was a bit frightened throughout my ride, although without reason. The pilot and staff showed great expertise, and the view was well worth any nervousness. We lifted off slowly and maneuvered over the river towards the 25 of April Bridge. Our flight took us mainly over the water and Belem, with the hills of central Lisbon visible beyond. The sun peaked out of the clouds enough to light up the limestone of the monuments and buildings and the terra cotta rooftops.
Although I had become familiar with Lisbon and the history of Portugal, this land, sea, and sky tour by World Experience exposed me to fresh perspectives of this magnificent city. The beauty of Lisbon shines whether you are viewing it from above, from the water, or inside its tiled neighborhoods.
I appreciate The Tour Guy offering me the chance to experience Lisbon anew. I recommend it to any visitors, whether it’s your first time here or you’ve been lucky enough to visit many times.
