A Tuk Tuk Tour of Lisbon with Local Tuk Tuk

One of the most fun and practical ways to explore Lisbon, especially to get around the steep and narrow streets is by a Tuk Tuk tour, and I had a fantastic time experiencing the ‘Lisbon Big Overview’ tour with Local Tuk Tuk in a swish tuk tuk. Not only is it a unique way to tour around, its also really sustainable too, and I am all for an eco-friendly tour.

Whilst we whizzed to our first stop, Pastéis de Belém to try Lisbon’s famous Custard Tarts, he told us various facts about Lisbon’s history and proved to be an excellent storyteller throughout the day.

We were even able to skip the insane queues to get the famous custard tarts and as we tucked in to them from the comfort of the tuk tuk they were just so decadent and delicious! Ivo made us try them plain, then with sprinkles of cinnamon followed by sprinkles of icing sugar. Cinnamon was my favourite topping but they were just as divine plain too!

Wanting to make sure we saw everything of importance, he took us to see the iconic Belém Tower whilst in the Belém area and said “no one will believe you are in Lisbon unless you have a picture of the tower.” We were blessed with such a beautiful day with blue skies and it was so nice to take a walk up until the tower and soak up the views whilst people watching.

We continued through Lisbon’s charming streets, stopping at various view points, landmarks and places of interest, and it was a really fascinating tour.

Lxfactory on the Sunday was a fantastic market to pick up artisan pieces, so if you happen to be in Lisbon over a weekend I highly recommend it!

I had mentioned that I was fascinated by the Blue Tiles around Lisbon and so Ivo took us to Igreja & Convento da Graça to see some incredible original tiles. I would not have known to visit had it not been for him!

It was how he tailored to tour, knowing instantly what our interests were which was truly fantastic and when taking our photos he always encouraged us to relax and loosen up!

His knowledge of Lisbon’s history was exceptional and I learned so much that day and noticed the different architectural styles from the different eras.

Another highlight from the tour was visiting Basílica da Estrela, which was stunning inside, then walking through the park opposite to where he was waiting with the tuk tuk to continue our tour. I loved how flexible the tuk tuk was, being able to go on routes which we would struggle to walk with the seven hills of Lisbon, and easily navigating through the various narrow and cobbled streets.

Knowing that I was interested in food and drink, he took us to try Ginja, a sweet cherry liqueur served in a chocolate cup, at Santa Clara Mix Café in Alfama. It was delicious and something that would go down a treat during the festive months.

Alfama was our final stop for the day and was a fun and vibrant neighbourhood with a delightful maze of narrow cobbled streets and ancient houses to explore.

We enjoyed a free Port tasting in between wandering the streets and admiring the buildings, and admired hats that had been made out of cork. When in Portugal you must try the Port! It is usually sipped and enjoyed post-dinner.

We saw the lots of artistic murals throughout the day, which I absolutely adored and made me fall in love with Lisbon even more! It is such a charismatic and colourful city, and everyone is so happy, warm and helpful.

All in all we had an incredible time with Ivo on the Local Tuk Tuk Big overview tour of Lisbon, and I highly recommend booking with them for their amazing tuk tuk, which is so comfortable and safe, and also the excellent knowledge, professionalism and level of personalisation that we experienced throughout the duration of the tour. The perfect way to experience the city of trams, tarts and tiles.

This is ideal to do at the start of your trip in Lisbon as you get a fabulous taster of the various neighbourhoods and places of interest and its a great way to get your bearings so you know what you liked and want to come back and delve in to a little more.

I am pleased that they operate in other parts of Portugal and Spain so if you happen to be visiting either Lisbon, Sintra, Faro, Madrid or Ávila, definitely get yourself booked on a tuk tuk tour!

Thanks to Local Tuk Tuk we came as a tourist and left as a local.

Find out more: https://localtuktuk.com/