Chiado

Chiado is the simplest half-day in Lisbon that does not involve a ticket. It is about 1.7 km from the Jardim do Tabaco terminal: roughly 26 minutes on foot west along the river to Praça do Comércio and then uphill through the Baixa, or two stops on the metro Blue Line from Santa Apolónia to Baixa-Chiado, whose exit brings you out in the middle of the district. A good way to use a short call is to take the metro up and walk back down, so the climb is done for you. From Largo do Chiado, Rua Garrett runs past A Brasileira café and Livraria Bertrand to Largo do Carmo and the roofless Carmo convent, then down through the Baixa to Praça do Comércio and along the river to the ship. Two hours covers that loop with a coffee stop; half a day lets you add the Bairro Alto viewpoints or a museum. What to prioritise: Bertrand for books in English and Portuguese, a coffee and pastel de nata, and the view over the Baixa from the Carmo area. The Santa Justa lift has been closed since the September 2025 Glória accident, with no reopening date. What to skip: sitting on the terrace of A Brasileira mainly for the Pessoa statue, which you can see from the street. The streets are busiest from late morning and around lunch, and on Saturday afternoons. The pavements are traditional Portuguese stone, which is slippery when wet, and the slopes between Chiado and the Baixa are steep in places. Shops generally open around 10:00, and many stay open on Sundays, but opening hours vary by shop.