Lisbon Day Trip

Travelling abroad is a great experience that people usually take time with. They might stay on some Mediterranean Isle for a month or so, relaxing on the beach, admiring the views, and taking their time before finally going back home. But where's the thrill? Where's the danger? Where's the risk that if your phone runs out of battery you'll be stranded in a foreign country? I think that trips like that are a bit too boring. Why not go to somewhere like that, say Lisbon for example, for a single day and have to cram in the sights in 10 hours with no suitcase, no hotel, and no backup. That's what I did with some friends on the 5th Feb 2025, and it was considerably more fun (it maybe wouldn't have been if we got stuck there though)!

The Plan:

From Lancaster, we got a 2:40am coach to Manchester Airport (arriving at 4:30am) for the 6:45am flight to Lisbon. We arrived at Lisbon at 9:30am and spent the day wandering around the Southern part of the city, before returning on a 8:10pm flight. We visited the Torre de Belém, the Jerónimos Monastery, and paid a visit to the Capital's Botanical Garden and Cathedral. All in all, it was a pretty great trip, and considering we were only there for 10 hours we managed to fit quite a lot in!

Torre de Belém
The Torre de Belém, an exquisite 16th Century fortification overlooking the city's bay. This was the first main attraction we got to see!
Torre de Belém
The Torre de Belém from another angle!
Tagus Bridge
The Pont de 25 Abril (or the "25th April Bridge"), the 48th longest Suspension Bridge in the World! (I guess I need to see the other top 47 now.)
Sanctuary of Christ the King
The "Sanctuary of Christ the King" Statue, inspired by the similar statue in Rio and built in 1959.
Jerónimos Monastery
The Jerónimos Monastery. Opened in 1495, it is a World Heritage Site alongside the Torre de Belém.
Jerónimos Monastery Tomb
The tomb of Luís de Camões, widely considered Portugal's Greatest Poet. The day of his death, the 10th of June, is Portugal's national day.
Botanical Garden
Statues at the entrance of Lisbon's Botanical Garden.
Botanical Garden
Street art alongside a staircase.
Horse-drawn carriage
A Belém horse-drawn carriage ride, giving tours around the district.
Botanical Garden
Street art alongside a staircase, similar to before.
Pretty Building
Some buildings viewed from the Praça do Comércio square, at the South of the city.
Equestrian Statue of King José I
The Equestrian Statue of King José I, built to honour the man who led the rebuilding of Lisbon following its destruction in the Earthquake of 1755.
Fountain
A fountain in the centre of the city.
Pretty Building
Buildings from beside the Praça Luís de Camões.
Cathedral
The Lisbon Cathedral (Sé de Lisboa), a fascinating 12th Century Cathedral that was rebuilt over the centuries.
Cathedral
The flight home! :)