The famous Tram 28 is a great way to see Lisbon and get an overview of the city, whilst staying relatively cool once you're inside. Be prepared to queue even if you pick it up from where it starts at Praça Martim Moniz - every tourist in Lisbon has the same idea and we had to queue for nearly 2 hours - but once you're on, it's worth it, especially if you're lucky enough to grab a seat.
Image of Tram 28 via Unsplash.com Portuguese Gravity @portuguesegravity
We visited in early September and the city was incredibly warm (think mid-30's!).
Tram 28 travels through various Lisbon neighbourhoods from Praça Martim Moniz to Campo Ourique, passing several top sights such as the Se (Cathedral). The tram itself makes you feel as if you're travelling back in time, especially with the wood panelling used inside the carriages. Climbing up and down the steep hills and narrow streets, it sometimes feels like you're close enough to knock on the doors of the buildings you pass. The pretty, mostly pastel, coloured buildings, either painted or patterned with tiles, are just as you imagine they would be and provide masses of colour inspiration. It’s particularly inspiring for colour combinations for our home interiors, seeing the muted tones all lined up alongside each other. The journey is a fantastic city tour, a blur of colour passing by outside the window.
If you stay on to the end, the cemetery at Prazeres is incredible. Vast and peaceful, many of the intricate graves and mausoleums date back to the 1880s. The views from the far end are stunning, overlooking the 25 de Abril bridge and out to Cristo Rei. There was also a perfectly placed cafe outside the cemetery, built out of a shipping container and ideal to get a much-needed refreshing drink!
A top tip - on the return journey, none of the trams were running back to Martim Moniz. We jumped on a tram back to Estrela, and from there it's about a 10-15 minute walk to the nearest metro.