How do you travel as a college student? Is it possible to not blog all your savings on a weekend trip? Yes! Here is the ultimate student travel guide to Lisbon!

This past weekend my friends and I decided to pop over to Lisbon, Portugal. Is it possible to explore Lisbon in a weekend? How did we get there? What did we do? Allow me share a few tips, recommendations, and photos from our trip.

At 11:55pm Thursday night, my friends and I hopped on a bus headed to Lisbon. The ticket was 20€, so it was not surprising we were stuffed in the back like sardines, the air conditioner didn’t work, and we arrived at 7am anything but bright-eyed-and-bushy-tailed. However, the reality that we traveled to another country for less than a Chick-Fil-A meal made “roughing it” worth it.

We hopped on a bus, checked into our hostel, and refueled at a nearby cafe with coffees, hot chocolates, and pastries.

Tips:

• Bring cash. Besides dinner, everywhere we went took cash. Cafe’s, museums, shops, bus…you name it. Don’t find yourself without at least 20€ to 40€.
• Stay at Central Hostel. It was cheap, clean, and located in Lisbon’s central area. Additionally, there’s a dainty cafe named Balcão Do Marquês nearby that has delicious, yet inexpensive, Portuguese pastries and coffee.

(Enjoying the view from Miradouro de Santa Luzia and walking the streets of Alfama.)

After the caffeine and pastries kicked in, we explored the Alfama district. When you picture Lisbon in your head, you’re likely envisioning the Alfama District. Small, cobble streets wind up and down Lisbon’s hills. Small, colorful buildings are decorated with tiles and are home to dainty shops and cafés.

Tips:

• Wear walking shoes. They do not call it the “City of Seven Hills for Nothing.” Of the 13 miles we walked each day, I assure you, at least half was straight incline.
• Have a destination. It’s easy to get lost and wander out of the central Alfama area. We routed ourselves to Miradouro de Santa Luzia (a popular viewing deck) and St. Jeorge’s Castle. I highly recommend both. While the castle is a ruin, it is a great looking point and made us feel like kids exploring a highly historic playground.

(Enjoying the classic Lisbon tiles in the Alfama district and the view from Miradouro de Santa Luzia.)

(Jesus é Goes and Time Out Market)

Walking the Alfama made us a bit peckish, so we stopped at Jesus é Goês for a bite. After a nibble of his hand made chapati, samosas, and chickpea chutney, we hit the road again. Later, we stopped at Time Out Market for lunch.

Tip:

• Make reservations. Many restaurants are packed with reservations a week before, so plan ahead! We got lucky with a reservation at Delfina (a well priced, beautiful Portuguese restaurant) but we should have booked way ahead of time.
• Go to Time Out Market. Time Out Market is a perfect way to taste delicious Portuguese classics like octopus and Pasteis de Nata, but also taste dishes from the best Chinese and Italian eats in town. Just be prepared for the crowds!

(Enjoying Embaixada and other concept galleries.)

We walked off lunch by exploring the concept galleries along Rou de D Pedro. These stores are filled with beautiful, original pieces from rising Portuguese brands. If you’re looking for souvenirs that are a little more wallet friendly, there are plenty of small pop ups with crafts in the park across the road. If our reservation, and stomachs, were not calling us to dinner, I am sure we would have explored longer.

Tip:

• Make sure you visit Embaixada. This Portuguese concept gallery is housed in a renovated 19th century palace. Whether you are shopping or browsing it is worth a visit.

(Don’t forget to enjoy the street art!)

(Finding little treasures at the pop up market nearby.)

After a yummy dinner at Delfina, we decided to end the night with something sweet. After winding through the cobble streets of Lisbon for twenty minutes, we found ourselves outside the pink, neon sign of Funky Chunky. Could we have found a more American dessert? Probably not. But was it delicious? Oh yes. Our legs were tired. Our eyes were closing. We hadn’t slept for 48 hours. But trust me–we couldn’t have had a better day.

Have you been to Portugal? What would be your Student Travel Guide to Lisbon?