What it actually costs
When to go
35°C+ heat, Alfama becomes an oven. June is fine (Santo Antonio festival is magical).
Tram 28 is a tourist nightmare all day. Take it at 8am or skip it entirely — walking the route is better.
What locals know
Pasteis de nata: Manteigaria in Chiado is better than the famous Pasteis de Belem — and no 45-minute queue.
Ginjinha (cherry liqueur) at A Ginjinha near Rossio. €1.50 a shot. It's Lisbon in a glass.
LX Factory is the best creative neighbourhood — restaurants, bookshops, rooftop bar. Go for Sunday brunch.
Take the ferry to Cacilhas (€1.30, 10 mins). Best view of Lisbon from across the river, fraction of the tourist crowd.
Honest warnings
Hills are brutal. Wear comfortable shoes. Cobblestones are lethal when wet.
Petty theft in Alfama and on Tram 28 is common. Keep bags zipped and in front.
Restaurants that have someone outside recruiting customers are almost always bad. Walk past.
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