Lisbon is known as the city of seven hills, and it's exactly that uneven topography — so tiring to walk — that gives you its greatest gifts: miradouros (viewpoints) on every corner, with views that change depending on the neighbourhood, the time of day and the light. After years guiding tuk-tuk tours around the city, this is the real list of the viewpoints that are genuinely worth the stop, ordered from the historic centre outwards.
1. Miradouro das Portas do Sol
The classic of classics, at the entrance to Alfama. An open view over the brown-tiled rooftops, the Tagus river and the 25 de Abril Bridge in the distance. There's often a Portuguese guitar player in the late afternoon — it's worth staying an extra 10 minutes.
2. Miradouro de Santa Luzia
Just 200 metres from Portas do Sol, but with a different angle and the famous tile panels depicting the Lisbon that existed before the 1755 earthquake. It's probably the most photographed viewpoint in the city, and for good reason.
3. Miradouro da Graça
Less touristy, more peaceful. It sits next to the Graça Convent and has one of the best views of São Jorge Castle — from the outside, which gives a different perspective from being inside it.
4. Miradouro da Senhora do Monte
The highest viewpoint in Lisbon and, for many local guides (us included), the most beautiful. A 360° view: castle, river, 25 de Abril Bridge and the Cristo Rei statue on the other side. Few tourists climb up here — it's a bit of an uphill walk, but it always pays off.
5. Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara
On the Bairro Alto and Chiado side, with a garden and a terrace café. A view over São Jorge Castle and Alfama, great for sunset because it catches direct light until late.
6. Santa Justa Lift (top)
Not quite a traditional "viewpoint", but the terrace at the top of this neo-Gothic lift — designed by a disciple of Eiffel — gives a unique view over the Baixa and the castle. There's usually a queue: go early or in the late afternoon.
7. Miradouro do Parque Eduardo VII
At the top of Lisbon's most central park, with the famous geometric lawn in the foreground and the whole Avenida da Liberdade and the river beyond. It's the most "postcard" view of modern Lisbon.
Bonus: 3 lesser-known viewpoints
If you've already visited the ones above on past trips, or simply want to escape the crowds, these three are worth the detour:
- Miradouro de Santa Catarina (Adamastor): near Cais do Sodré, with a young, laid-back atmosphere at sunset.
- Miradouro de Monsanto (Panorâmico): an abandoned building turned alternative viewpoint, with views over the whole city and the Monsanto Forest Park.
- Cacilhas (across the river): a 10-minute ferry from Cais do Sodré, the view of Lisbon from the other bank of the Tagus is, surprisingly, one of the finest — and almost nobody tries it.
How to visit several viewpoints in one day (without getting exhausted)
The part travel guides don't usually tell you: Lisbon's viewpoints all sit on top of hills, connected by narrow cobblestone streets — beautiful to look at, treacherous to walk, especially in the heat or rain. The most comfortable way to visit them all in one day is by electric tuk-tuk: it climbs the hills effortlessly, stops exactly where the view is best, and still leaves time for unhurried photos between each stop.
Lisbon Viewpoints Tour — 3 hours, €240 per group
Visit 7 of the viewpoints on this list in a single private tour, with a certified local guide and hotel pick-up included.
If you'd rather see even more in a single tour — viewpoints, Alfama, Graça and Belém — the Half Day tour combines it all in 4 hours. And if your time in Lisbon is tighter, Lisbon à la Carte lets you pick only the viewpoints that interest you most.