Príncipe Real is the neighbourhood on the hill above central Lisbon, 15 to 20 minutes from the airport by taxi. We had an afternoon and a morning between flights, stayed at The Stanza and spent the whole stop within a 20-minute walk of its front door.

Lisbon suits a short stop because the airport is inside the city. A taxi or Bolt to Príncipe Real takes 15 to 20 minutes and costs €12 to €20 depending on traffic. The metro is about €2 from the airport but involves a change at São Sebastião and a walk uphill at the end, so with a bag the taxi is the better deal.

Príncipe Real sits above Chiado and the Bairro Alto: a garden square with a giant cedar, tiled townhouses and most of what you need within a few streets. It is high enough that the tour groups thin out before they reach it, and close enough to walk down into the centre in 15 minutes.

Where we stayed

The Stanza is a 9-room townhouse a street back from the garden, with a roof terrace open to guests all day. Breakfast runs late into the morning, which matters after a late arrival, and the front desk will hold bags well past checkout if your pickup is in the evening.

The afternoon

Start at the garden and work outwards. The Jardim do Príncipe Real has a Saturday organic market and kiosks with tables under the trees; the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, with the view across to the castle, is 5 minutes downhill. NB. The Glória funicular that normally connects that miradouro to Restauradores was suspended after the accident in September 2025, so do not build a route around it; the walk up the same street takes about 10 minutes.

For lunch, the streets between the garden and Praça das Flores are the petiscos belt: small plates, vinho verde, and counters rather than tables at the good ones. Prices are fair even now: a standing lunch of 3 plates and a glass runs €15 to €20.

A taxi to Príncipe Real takes 15 to 20 minutes from the airport and costs €12 to €20.

For the end of the day, walk 12 minutes down to the Miradouro de Santa Catarina, buy a beer from the kiosk and watch the light go down over the Tejo with everyone else. It is not a secret and it does not need to be.

The morning

Coffee in Praça das Flores, then either the walk down through Chiado for the shops as they open, or 15 minutes further to the Jardim da Estrela if you would rather have a park. Allow 45 minutes to get back to the airport with a margin; Bolt cars reach Príncipe Real in a few minutes at any hour we tried.