Private Tours in Lisbon Old Town: Bairro Alto Tuk Tuk Tour
Exploring the Portuguese capital by foot can be exhausting, so you can try to combine your trip with a Tuk Tuk tour. This way you may pass through the narrow streets of Alfama, one of the city’s most historic neighborhoods, before heading to the vibrant Bairro Alto in Lisbon.
While the tuk tuk is not a traditional means of transport in Lisbon, or in Portugal, it is a very practical vehicle for getting around the narrow streets of Lisbon.
LISBON OLD TOWN
Lisbon’s old quarter counts with many things you can do. Besides the castle, there are several historic churches and the Lisbon’s impressive cathedral. In this part of the city, a bunch of museums provide cultural diversion, and also Lisbon’s biggest flea market is here.
This area is made up of a series of districts and each one of them has its own unique atmosphere and attractions. Explore the area on foot or choose one of the tuk tuk tours from Lisbon, Portugal.
You can start in the Graça district of the Old Town because this neighborhood has stunning views from outdoor cafés.
Then you can discover part of the Moorish history at Castle de São Jorge, which dominates the hillside from Alfama. This castle was built in the 6th century.
Move on to discover downtown Baixa with large squares and neoclassical buildings. This district in Lisbon has been rebuilt and was one of Europe’s first intents of urban planning, containing pedestrian avenues, decorative arches and theaters.
Catch the tram to Chiado which is a district full of 16th-century buildings. Here you can browse boutiques and old bookstores or sit in cafés where the artists of Lisbon once met and worked.
Tram 28 runs through the Old Town
You can also explore the streets of Bairro Alto, which was once a working-class neighborhood, but now is home to some of the most popular bars in the city.
In the evenings, you can catch some authentic Portuguese music in Alfama’s Fado bars, or enjoy tapas and wine in Bairro Alto, or maybe sip some cocktails on rooftops with views in Chiado.
In this part of the capital tram 28 runs from early in the morning until late in the evening. You can purchase a 24-hour ticket for unlimited rides for a day.
The historic heart of Lisbon is the Old Town
Photo: Augusta Street Lisbon.
Downtown Lisbon: the heart of the city
As the city’s most central and most commercial neighborhood, downtown Lisbon also has the largest amount of entertainment options. Here you will find some of the most emblematic streets in the capital of Portugal, whose façades are covered with magnificent tiles that still amaze us today.
Wander between locals and tourists, shops, restaurants and esplanades, while you admire street artists or take a tour of the various attractions in the area. The journey will most probably take you to Praça do Comércio, one of the largest and most beautiful squares in the world. Here you have a lot to discover, whether it is in restaurants or in cultural spaces, such as the Lisbon Story Center, or the famous Cais das Colunas.
Photo: Praça do Comércio. Lisbon Portugal.
Bairro Alto from Lisbon
Bairro Alto is a picturesque working-class quarter in the capital of Portugal dating from the 16th century that has been the city’s bohemian haunt of artists and writers.
Its streets are quiet during the day, but they transform at night as the city’s vibrant nightlife changes. Behind colorful and graffiti-ridden façades, you will encounter a variety of traditional and international restaurants, some tourist-packed Fado Houses, and many bars and alternative shops that remain open until late at night.
Visit the vibrant Bairro Alto district from Lisbon
PRIVATE TOURS IN LISBON
If you travel with a professional tour guide you will make some discoveries that go beyond the information of a guide book. This is a very useful and fun way to find out the best things to do, or where to go, in different fields such as: art, history, architecture, religion, gastronomy, etc.
By choosing a guided tour in Lisbon, you can visit and explore exactly what you want, at your own pace and according to your preferences.
Lisbon is a capital full of history that you can feel. An intense and emotional experience is to see the most impactful points of Lisbon and find out all you can about the Portuguese culture.
TAKE A TUK TUK TOUR IN LISBON
The Tuk Tuk tours are the best option if you are looking for comfort. Nevertheless, there are some parts of Lisbon that can be noisy because of the heavy traffic. That said, we recommend you to choose a circuit in the historic neighborhoods, like Alfama, Chiado or Bairro Alto. These are quieter neighborhoods and may be harder to explore on foot because of the paved steep streets.
The main purpose of a Tuk Tuk tour in Lisbon is to give tourists the best possible usage of their time, in a fun and relaxed way. These tours are not only about what you see, but also about the places you get to explore because sometimes streets are never narrow enough.
Just take the chance to Tuk Tuk when in Lisbon
See some iconic monuments and get breathtaking views from the top of Lisbon´s famous 7 hills. Tuk tuks are the perfect mean of transport that help you explore the city’s narrow streets as they give you the possibility to access places you might have otherwise missed.
Learn about Lisbon’s long history and some of its well-kept secrets as you zip through the city.
A Tuk Tuk tour is one of the best ways for your sightseeing tours
STOP BY MIRADOURO DE SÃO PEDRO DE ALCÂNTARA
The Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara from Lisbon is one of the largest and most iconic observation points in the city. It’s placed next to the top of the Elevador da Glória and it offers a special panorama view.
From this miradouro you can see Avenida da Liberdade, as well as Restauradores and Baixa, and the Castelo de São Jorge with its imposing walls. This viewing point is unusual because is part of a garden where you can enjoy a refreshing drink at the kiosk. In this marvelous part of the city, you can find an original map which is made of azulejos and it helps you to identify some of the iconic places you can see. For all these, this is one of the places you cannot miss.
BERTRAND BOOKSTORE: THE WORLD’S OLDEST BOOKSTORE IS IN LISBON
Located in Portugal’s capital city Lisbon, Livraria Bertrand was founded in 1732 and it is the world’s oldest bookstore still operative, according to the Guinness World Records. Although the ownership, along with the name and the location of the store have changed several times, Livraria Bertrand is considered the Mecca of the bibliophiles.
At one point, this old bookshop began its own printing press and it is mentioned that one of Portugal’s greatest authors, Aquilino Gomes Ribeiro (1885-1963), a Nobel Prize nominee, was a frequent visitor here. Until this day, the bookstore has a corner that is dedicated to Ribeiro, who got several of his books published from the press here.
Nowadays the store operates under the name of the largest Portuguese publisher Grupo Porto Editora.
CHIADO, BAIRRO ALTO AND THE OLD PART OF LISBON
Chiado, Bairro Alto, the old part of Lisbon and the most emblematic spots here become more fun if you discover them in a comfortable and original way: on a tuk-tuk. Explore the Portuguese capital on board this unusual vehicle and get unforgettable memories on your trip.
Photo: Convento do Carmo. Chiado, Lisbon.
