Alfama, the castle and Bairro Alto, Lisbon: free self-guided audio walk
Quick answer. A free self-guided audio walk from Alfama to Bairro Alto in Lisbon: 4 stops, about 2.2 km, about 30 minutes of walking plus about 27 minutes of listening. Start in Alfama, Lisbon’s oldest neighbourhood, a maze of alleys and stairs named after the Moorish hot springs, and climb to São Jorge Castle on the city’s highest hill. Then cross to Bairro Alto by way of the São Pedro de Alcântara convent beside its viewpoint garden. The Alfama guide warns that the cobbles can be slippery, so wear shoes with good grip.
- Stops:
- 4
- Distance:
- about 2.2 km
- Walking:
- about 30 min
- Listening:
- about 27 min
Alfama, the castle and Bairro Alto, Lisbon: how long does the walk take?
About 57 minutes in all: about 30 minutes on foot over about 2.2 km, plus about 27 minutes of audio at the 4 stops. Time inside the sites is extra.
Alfama, the castle and Bairro Alto, Lisbon: in what order should you visit the stops?
Follow the stops in this order: Alfama, São Jorge Castle, São Pedro de Alcântara Convent, and Bairro Alto. The longest stretch between two stops is about 1.3 km, about 18 min on foot.
Route and map
Opens Google Maps with walking directions through every stop.
Stop 1
Lisbon’s oldest neighbourhood, named after the Arabic Al-Hamma for the hot springs that once flowed here.
about 7 min of audio
Next stop: São Jorge Castle · about 0.7 km, about 9 min on foot
Stop 2
On Lisbon’s highest hill, a sentinel for Phoenicians, Romans and Visigoths, with views over the Tagus.
about 7 min of audio
Next stop: São Pedro de Alcântara Convent · about 1.3 km, about 18 min on foot
Stop 3
A late 17th-century Franciscan monastery beside the garden viewpoint of the same name, with a big reputation and a thin paper trail.
about 8 min of audio
Next stop: Bairro Alto · about 0.2 km, about 3 min on foot
Stop 4
By day a quiet village of cobbled lanes and laundry on iron balconies; by night one of Europe’s liveliest nightlife districts.
about 7 min of audio
How does this self-guided walk work?
The audio guides on this page stay free: open any stop to listen in your browser.
Live Walk Mode uses your location to narrate places as you walk. It opens in the Mappu app at the first stop, Alfama.
Live Walk Mode: 2 hours for 50 credits (€4.99 Starter pack)
Before you go
- Check opening hours, tickets and access on each site’s official page before you go.
- Distances and times are estimates: straight-line distance between stops plus 30%, at 4.5 km/h. Your route on the street may differ.
Plan more days in Lisbon
These day-by-day Mappu itineraries include Lisbon. The day links open the days that visit stops on this walk.
Route checked by Mappu on October 11, 2026. Stop descriptions come from each place’s published Mappu audio guide. Mappu is a Fenutech product.