Field Guides
Lisbon in 5 days — Overview
Five days in Lisbon with a camera: the neighborhoods by light, a Sintra day and what to skip.
The shape of the trip
Day 1 Baixa and Chiado to get your bearings. Day 2 Alfama and Graça at sunrise. Day 3 Sintra by train. Day 4 Belém and the river. Day 5 a slow day in Príncipe Real and a last sunset at a miradouro. Every morning starts early: the light is best and the streets are empty before nine.
Getting around
Walk, mostly. The hills are steep but the city is small. Buy a Viva Viagem card for the metro, trams and the Sintra train. Tram 28 is worth one ride for the route, early in the morning before the queue forms; after ten it is a crush.
Kit
The Z6III with the 28mm did most of the work. The 24-70mm f/4 stayed in the bag except for Sintra and the night shots. One EN-EL15c battery a day was not quite enough: carry two.
What to skip
The Santa Justa lift queue. The Time Out Market at lunch, unless you enjoy a food court with a view of other people's phones. The castle, if you have already seen the city from Graça: the view is the same and costs nothing there.