Holiday rentals and lettings in Lisbon

Table of Contents

• At a glance: what should you know about holiday lettings in Lisbon?
• Holiday lettings in Lisbon: find your perfect retreat
• Exploring Lisbon: our top recommendations
• Activities: what are the top things to do and see in Lisbon?

• Flats with city views: Most Lisbon lettings are compact one and two-bedroom flats in period buildings, many with balconies, air conditioning and rooftop terraces over the tiled skyline.
• Choose your neighbourhood: Alfama and Baixa suit first-timers, Bairro Alto nightlife, Belém museums and Parque das Nações families needing space and easy parking.
• Guests rate them highly: Our best-reviewed Lisbon stays score above 9.6+, with guests praising terraces, spotless kitchens and short walks to the metro and tram stops.
• Spring and autumn shine: April to June and September to October bring warm, dry days without high-summer queues; winter stays mild and noticeably cheaper.
• Trams, tiles and day trips: Ride tram 28, climb to Castelo de São Jorge, tour the Jerónimos Monastery and take the train to Sintra or Cascais.

Lisbon's stock is overwhelmingly urban: restored top-floor flats in Alfama, airy modern studios near Avenida da Liberdade and family-sized places out towards Parque das Nações. Compact apartments dominate the centre, while quieter hillside villas and characterful bed and breakfasts sit a short tram ride away. Most sleep two to six guests. Amenities matter more than square metres in a city this hilly and this warm.

• Air conditioning for the humid July and August nights
• Balconies and terraces facing the Tagus or the rooftops
• Fast Wi-Fi and a desk for remote working
• Fully fitted kitchens and washing machines for longer stays
• Lifts or ground-floor entries in the steep old quarters

Budget-minded travellers should compare cheap holiday lettings in Lisbon before booking a central stay.

What are the best areas to stay in Lisbon?

For a first visit, Baixa is the easiest base: flat, central and walkable to the river, the trams and the main metro lines. The table below details areas for specific interests:

What do our guests say?

Guests consistently rate Lisbon stays for their terraces, their views and how quickly you can reach a tram stop. Ratings above 9.0+ are common in Graça, Chiado and Belém, where hosts tend to be long-standing locals. Reviewers mention spotless kitchens, thoughtful welcome notes and honest advice about which hills to avoid with luggage.

Here are our top-rated holiday lettings from the past year:

1. Graça Terrace - 9.9+: A five-guest flat in Graça with a large private terrace, well placed for the miradouros and the tram 28 route.
2. Guestready - Lisbon charm - 9.6+: A two-guest Lisbon flat with pool access and a balcony, air-conditioned and within easy reach of the centre.
3. Guestready - The George - 9.6+: A four-guest house in Lisbon with a full kitchen and washing machine, praised for space and a quiet residential setting.

Lisbon spreads over seven hills on the north bank of the Tagus, in the far west of Portugal, an hour from the most famous Atlantic beaches.

✈️What is the best way to get to Lisbon?

For most British travellers, flying is the quickest and cheapest option. Here are the most common ways to get to the city:

• Plane: Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) sits just seven kilometres north of the centre and takes direct flights from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Bristol. The red metro line runs from the terminal to Alameda and São Sebastião in around twenty minutes, and taxis reach Baixa in roughly a quarter of an hour outside rush hour.
• Train: Santa Apolónia and Oriente stations handle Portugal's national network, including the Alfa Pendular from Porto and Coimbra and the overnight Trenhotel from Madrid via Entroncamento. Rossio station serves the forty-minute Sintra line, while Cais do Sodré runs west along the coast to Estoril and Cascais. All four connect directly to the metro.
• Car: The A1 arrives from Porto and the A2 crosses the Tagus over the Ponte 25 de Abril from the Algarve. Be warned that central parking is scarce and the old quarters are largely closed to traffic, so a car park on the edge of the centre is usually the sensible choice.

🥗Where to eat in Lisbon?

According to Google Maps data and reviews, A Cevicheria is the best rated restaurant in Lisbon. Below is a table showing the top 5 highly-rated restaurants hand-picked by our travel experts.

⭐Our guests' recommendation: Our guest traveller Charlotte recommends the O Velho Eurico in Lisbon: a tiny tasca on Largo de São Cristóvão serving reinvented Portuguese classics, with a short handwritten menu and warm, unhurried service.

☀️When is the best time to visit?

The sweet spots are April to June and September to October, when days reach the low twenties, the light is at its best and the hills are walkable without the crowds. July and August are hot and busy but full of festivals, while winter stays mild and lettings are at their cheapest.

Spring

• Best for: Walkers, museum-goers and anyone planning long days on foot.
• Weather: Mild, bright days around 18 to 24°C with occasional April showers.
• Atmosphere: Calm and local, with terraces filling up and jacaranda trees in bloom by late May.

Summer

• Best for: Festival-goers, night owls and families combining the city with beach days.
• Weather: Hot and dry, often 28 to 33°C, cooled by the Atlantic breeze after dark.
• Atmosphere: Lively and crowded, peaking with the June sardine festivals in Alfama and Graça.

Autumn and winter

• Best for: Couples, food lovers and travellers watching their budget.
• Weather: Mild and changeable, around 15 to 22°C, with rain most likely in November.
• Atmosphere: Quiet and unhurried, with short queues at the monuments and Christmas lights along Baixa.

⭐Our Hosts' recommendation: Our Lisbon local expert, GuestReady of Guestready - Lisbon charm recommends coming to visit the miradouros at the end of the afternoon rather than at midday. Start at Senhora do Monte for the widest view, drop down through Graça to Portas do Sol, then finish beside the river at Cais do Sodré as the light goes orange. You can read more about local tips on GuestReady's page.

1. Ride tram 28 through Alfama
2. Tour monumental Belém
3. Cruise and stroll the Tagus
4. Bar-hop Bairro Alto and Príncipe Real
5. Escape to Sintra and Cascais

1. Ride tram 28 through Alfama

   The city's most famous yellow tram grinds from Martim Moniz up through Alfama, past the cathedral and the Miradouro das Portas do Sol, before rattling down to Estrela. Board early in the morning to get a window seat, or simply walk the route in reverse and duck into the fado houses and tiled courtyards along the way. Above it all stands Castelo de São Jorge, whose ramparts give the clearest sense of how the seven hills fit together.

2. Tour monumental Belém

   Belém holds Lisbon's grandest set piece, the Jerónimos Monastery, whose Manueline cloister is carved with ropes, corals and navigational instruments. A short walk away are the Belém Tower, the Monument to the Discoveries and the MAAT, a low white wave of a museum on the riverbank. Join the queue at Pastéis de Belém for a warm custard tart dusted with cinnamon, then cross into the gardens for a picnic with the bridge in view.

3. Cruise and stroll the Tagus

   The Tagus is Lisbon's front garden. Sunset sailings leave from Doca de Belém and Cais do Sodré and pass beneath the Ponte 25 de Abril, giving you the postcard view of the city stacked up on its hills. On foot, the promenade from Praça do Comércio to Cais do Sodré is lined with kiosks, ferries to Cacilhas and the covered stalls of the Mercado da Ribeira. Ferries across the water reach Almada in ten minutes.

4. Bar-hop Bairro Alto and Príncipe Real

   After dark, the grid of narrow streets in Bairro Alto fills with people drinking on the pavement, hopping between tiny bars that each hold twenty people at most. Just uphill, Príncipe Real is calmer and more polished, with a garden square, concept shops in old townhouses and a Sunday organic market. Finish at the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, where the whole castle hill is laid out and lit up in front of you.

5. Escape to Sintra and Cascais

   Two of Portugal's best day trips start at Lisbon's own stations. Forty minutes from Rossio, holiday lettings in Sintra sit beneath the misty Pena Palace and the tunnels of Quinta da Regaleira. West along the coastal line, holiday lettings in Cascais offer a working marina, sheltered town beaches and the crashing Boca do Inferno. Combine the two by bus over the Serra de Sintra, stopping at Cabo da Roca, mainland Europe's westernmost point.