ref: a few days in Lisbon

3 days in Lisbon plus 1 day trip to Sintra is perfect.

What to see and do is listed in any guidebook (or google "Lisbon tourism").

Sorry, can't help you with hotel suggestions. Have a look at [www.hostelworld.com] or [www.booking.com].

Sintra is fantastic!
The bus ride from Sintra to Cascais is also. Then the train back to Lisbon.

Cascais is very nice, I'd recommend a trip out there - train is 30 min one-way and doesn't cost too much.

The castle is a must see, spectacular views and one of the most interesting castles I have seen in Europe - very different with it's Arabian influences.

I'd recommend "Resto do Chapito" - it's a well known circus school (government funded) but also has a restaurant and tapas bar. The place used to be a womans prison and sits just below the castle with great views overlooking the bay and red tiled houses. The food is quite nice and (we thought) prices are reasonable - we were there at the end of August and school was out (for holidays) so there were no performers about but the view and food was worth it.

There are a number of good Fado clubs, it's a well known (ie famous) product of Lisbon and if you want to do something at night it would be a great way to spend it.

Taxis are dirt cheap! A taxi from the airport to Santa Justa (heart of down town Lisbon) cost us €5...

We also did a hop-on hop-off tour... normally we don't and do things ourselves but we were with company and were pushed for time. We were quite lazy and just sat on the open top bus enjoying the sun and didn't get off - even still we saw a surprising amount of the city and the audio tour guide was quite interesting. Basically it takes you around all the major tourist attractions and lasts (if you don't get off) about an hour - value for money IMO.

Alcantara (the old dock area) which is a short taxi ride from down town Lisbon is a great place to go out for dinner. The view overlooking the look-a-like Golden Gate Bridge (same architects) is quite spectacular... there are a range of restaurants and pubs with prices to suit just about all travellers. Late at night there are also a number of clubs - cannot verify the quality of the nightlife I'm afraid.

Sintra has lots of palaces. Spectacular scenery.

Hi! Try the hostel Goodnight Backpackers http://www.goodnighthostel.com/. The hostel is located in the historical center of Lisbon with a good access to public transports.
To visit around: The S. Jorge Castle, the several viewpoints where you can relax and have a beer (or two) while you enjoy the great panoramic views over Lisbon and the river; the Archaeological Camo's Museum (in Largo do Carmo); the trendy "Bairro Alto" where you can find fancy stores (decoration, clothes, nice hair studios, etc); you also have to go to Alfama and listen to "Fado" the traditional music from Portugal and have a good meal in one of the tiny traditional restaurants of the neighborhood http://fado.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=8&Itemid=50.

You can’t get more into the culture than that! ;)

Have a great time in Lisbon. Enjoy!

Edited by: explorem0re

Here's a list of the Best Lisbon Hostels, all of which are under 25 euros per person per night.

As for things to do, definitely take a day trip to Sintra (only 45 min from Lisbon by train). In Lisbon, ride tram 28 through the city, visit the castle and the Belem district, and if you like nightlife, go to Barrio Alto.