First visit in November 2022 was my first solo trip in Europe — eight days that felt like a month in the best way. The city rewards wandering: every hill reveals a new miradouro, every alley leads to a tiled facade worth photographing.
The light here is different. Golden, warm, almost amber in the late afternoon. I understand now why photographers are obsessed with Lisbon. Nestled near Cais do Sodré, my hostel doubled as a gateway into the lively center — and a meeting place for new friends. Like San Francisco, Lisbon is a city of hills and winding streets, rebuilt downtown after 1755 but cascading unpredictably outward everywhere else.
A walking tour through Alfama turned me from tourist into welcomed guest. One conversation led to an invitation to a football match at Sporting CP under the lights — still one of the core memories of the trip. Between Bairro Alto's nighttime energy, the miradouros at sunset, and a day-trip to Sintra's Pena Palace, eight days wasn't nearly enough.
Returned briefly in October 2024 with less time but a better sense of the city. Still the answer to "where should I send a first-time-in-Europe friend?"
Full write-up: 8 Days in Lisbon.