Is Lisbon hilly? An honest answer on the hills, the cobbles and the lifts

Yes, Lisbon is hilly. Alfama, the castle, Graça and Bairro Alto are all up steep slopes, but a tram or funicular can take you up and you can stroll back down. Visit Lisboa, the city's tourist board, warns of Alfama's "steep, gruelling inclines". On A Taste of Lisbon, the Spice Escapes city break hosted by Pam Harte, the hotel is downtown in the Baixa, the part of the city the trams climb out of, with a metro stop close by.

Below are the steep parts, the cobbles, which lifts are running and how the break is paced. To go with a host and a small group, see the dates and book online on the A Taste of Lisbon page: 15 Apr 2027 – 18 Apr 2027.

Where Lisbon is steep: Alfama, the castle, Graça and Bairro Alto

The hardest walking is in the old quarters on the hills. Alfama is the oldest, its lanes joined by steps and passageways, and Visit Lisboa says it should be discovered "little by little, stopping frequently to savour the view".

The Castelo de São Jorge stands above Alfama, and Graça sits on the next hill along. Across the Baixa, Bairro Alto is a climb up from Chiado, and Visit Lisboa calls a night out there "a steady downhill motion", down to Bica and Cais do Sodré.

The cobbles: hand-laid limestone, so bring shoes that grip

Lisbon's pavements are calçada portuguesa, limestone cubes shaped and laid by hand in patterns. Visit Lisboa says the stone reflects all the light that falls on it, and suggests walking a street twice, once for the buildings and once for the designs underfoot.

Our advice is comfortable shoes with soles that grip, worn in before you go, and a light day bag. Our guide to packing light helps with the rest.

Lisbon's lifts this autumn: Santa Justa and three funiculars shut, Graça open

Do not plan a day around the famous lifts just now. Carris, the city's tram operator, lists the Glória, Lavra and Bica funiculars as out of service and the Santa Justa Lift as temporarily closed. The holiday's Friday suggestions still name Santa Justa, so check it has reopened first.

The Graça Funicular is running, between Mouraria and Graça. Carris says it runs from 7am to 9pm every day and carries 14 people a trip.

Let a tram do the climbing, then walk down

Three ways up the eastern hills without the climb:

• Tram 12E: Carris runs it from Martim Moniz via Rua dos Lagares up to Largo das Portas do Sol and the Miradouro de Santa Luzia, then down past the Sé. Visit Lisboa recommends the 12 to anyone who would rather not end up breathless.
• Tram 28: the tram Visit Lisboa suggests for Graça.
• The Graça Funicular: from Rua dos Lagares, where the 12E also stops, up to Graça.

From Portas do Sol it is downhill past Santa Luzia to the Sé, stopping as often as the views ask.

How A Taste of Lisbon is paced: a downtown hotel and days that are suggestions

A Taste of Lisbon is 3 nights from £639 at My Story Hotel Tejo, downtown next to Figueira Square. Rua Augusta, close by, is a pedestrian street down to Praça do Comércio and the river.

The metro is the quickest way in from the airport, with a stop very close to the hotel, and the joining information explains how to use it. That is why airport transfers are not included.

The days are suggestions. Arrival day is for settling in. Friday suggests Alfama, Rossio Square and the viewpoints, with Tram 28 or a museum if you fancy it. Saturday is Belém by the river, where you could take a boat trip on the Tagus in the afternoon or carry on at your own pace. Every evening is yours.

Most people on a Spice holiday book on their own. Groups are around fifteen people, and some reach twenty, with the host travelling too, so there is company for the tram up and no harm in skipping a climb. A room to yourself carries a single supplement.

New to this? See first-time solo travellers, solo holidays for the over 50s, city breaks and holidays in Portugal.

Cannot make the Lisbon dates? Seville or Kraków, at your own pace

Surprising Seville is 4 nights, 4 Mar 2027 – 8 Mar 2027, from £549, hosted by Jackie Whyte. A 48-hour hop-on hop-off bus ticket is included, so you can pace yourself.

Kraków Discovery is 4 nights, 26 May 2027 – 30 May 2027, from £589, hosted by Jackie Whyte, in a hotel a few steps from Main Market Square and around 500 metres from Wawel Castle.

Questions people ask

Is Lisbon too hilly for older travellers?

Not if you plan around the hills. Stay downtown, ride up and walk down, and take Alfama slowly, as the city's tourist board advises.

Are Lisbon's lifts and funiculars working?

Not all of them. Carris lists the Glória, Lavra and Bica funiculars as out of service and the Santa Justa Lift as closed, while the Graça Funicular runs daily from 7am to 9pm.

What shoes should I wear in Lisbon?

Comfortable shoes with soles that grip, already worn in. The pavements are hand-laid limestone, and the old quarters are cobbled and steep.

How much walking is there on A Taste of Lisbon?

As much as you choose. The days are suggestions, the hotel is downtown near the metro, and the Belém afternoon offers a boat trip on the Tagus.

See the dates and book A Taste of Lisbon online

A downtown base, a tram for the climbs and a host on hand. See the dates and book online on the A Taste of Lisbon page, with the live price. Places today: 9 places left.

Questions about the walking? Ask Pam Harte, the host, through our contact page, or ask Rosie, the chat on the holiday page.