Lisbon: Portugal

“My affection hath an unknown bottom, like the Bay of Portugal.”
–William Shakespeare

The iconic city of seven hills and immense blue skies is, like Portugal itself, not a place of the obvious.

Lisbon is a city shaped by the ambition of its urban designers (assisted by a massive earthquake in 1755) and by the enormous wealth of its empire, manifested in broad tree-lined avenues, majestic squares and lavish palaces, golden baroque churches, and the sprawling estates of its titled gentry.

Extensive restoration projects, new hotels, a vibrant culinary scene, and the vigor of a new generation have imbued Lisbon with a style and energy that is at once world-class and, at the same time, uniquely Portuguese.

Lisbon is, at its heart, a city of human scale comprised of unique and colorful neighborhoods best understood through the tutelage of her residents.

Discover 19th-century pharmacies still in use, hidden courtyards, sprawling bookstores, local fado bars, artisanal workshops, full-to-the-brim antique stores, elegant villas, and local bakeries.

Stroll the arcaded passageways and refined plazas of Baixa. Check out the edgy boutiques (or if you prefer, one or two of the 250 bars) lining the cobblestone streets of Bairro Alto. Tour the royal haunts at Belem, from which the Portuguese explorers embarked in search of gold. Climb the sloping labyrinthine streets of the Moorish Alfama and emerge at the Crusader Castle of St. George.

Trams (we can book one privately for you) run up and down Lisbon’s narrow, winding streets and offer ever-changing views of its seven hills and the broad Tagus River, which flows out into the Atlantic just 12 miles from the heart of Lisbon.

Benefit from our unmatched network of connections and insider knowledge. Enjoy, for example, private dinner with the owner of one of Lisbon’s most beautiful palaces, face time with Lisbon’s only 2* Michelin chef, an azulejos (the distinctive blue and white illustrated tiles that characterize Portuguese architecture) workshop for the family, or a romantic private cruise along the Tagus.