What to Pack for a Trip to Lisbon

Lisbon has it all: world-class cuisine for the gastronomically inclined, ancient fortresses, art and architecture for the cultured traveler, and a vibrant local bar, music, and nightlife scene for everyone in between. We have tips to help you explore everything Lisbon has to offer in our local guide. Before you go through, pack these essentials to make the most of your trip.

We’ve shared packing essentials for any 36-hour trip in previous lists, so we talked to Ria Misra, an editor at Wirecutter, about some of the things you might want specifically for a trip to Lisbon, and her thoughts on the best products to fill those needs. Here are her picks.

Don’t Forget Your:

• A good camera and a travel tripod. With gorgeous hilltop views and sweeping overlooks of both the city and the sea, you’ll want a great camera to capture the scene. The Olympus OM-D EM-10 Mark delivers crisp, clear images, but also is compact enough that you can comfortably transport it around the city. A travel tripod will help you set up those shots (or just give yourself time to jump in-frame after setting a timer!)—but walking up Lisbon’s hilly terrain will make you glad to shed any unnecessary weight. The MeFoto Roadtrip Travel Tripodpacks down comfortably small for easy carrying.  Ms. Misra reminded us to secure that camera, too — especially before a hilly walk. The BlackRapid Sports Breathe was the most comfortable camera strap Wirecutter tested and also leaves your camera easily accessible for quick snapshots while you walk around town.

• Sunglasses. Like any city on the sea, a pair of sunglasses is a must to protect your eyes from glare off the water and bright, direct sun. This pair of keyhole sunglasses from Kent Wang is polarized to protect your eyes, sprucely put together, and lightweight enough for me to wear comfortably all day long. Be prepared for an occasional turn of whether the other way, too, with a good, compact umbrella.

• A sheddable, lightweight outer layer. With nighttime drinks in Lisbon’s gorgeous rooftop bars and cafes, and afternoon walks by the waterfront, you’ll want a layer that you can slip on easily when the wind off the water kicks up, but that disappears inconspicuously when you head into a local bar for a glass of port and today’s market specials. Outdoor Research’s Tantrum Hooded Jacket packs down tiny but is easy and comfortable to layer over an outfit when you want to.

• A bag for all your souvenirs, and then some. If you pick up some of the cork souvenirs that the city is known for (over a third of the world’s cork forests are in Portugal) along the way, you’ll need a place to hold it — and Baggu’s Duck Bag is roomy and durable enough to give you a place to stash it (plus a few of your other essentials as you move around the city). This canvas bag has a long strap in addition to its handles so you can sling it around your shoulder when wandering through museums and shops.

• An ebook reader. If you have one, you probably already take it with you everywhere, but stick with us here. An Amazon Kindle Paperwhite in your tote will keep you entertained through an afternoon coffee break at one of Lisbon’s world-class coffee bars (like Fábrica Coffee Roasters, for example) or just while people watching in the square. Both of those are activities we heartily recommend. Another virtue, though, is that you can also flip through a travel guide as you move around the city, without looking like you’re flipping through a travel guide — great for the tourist who wants to blend into the crowd. (Don’t forget to protect your Kindle with a cover — Wirecutter likes this one from Omoton — before you tuck it into your bag, too.