Tours

Bus Tours

Many companies organize half-day group tours of Lisbon starting at about €35. Reservations can be made online, through your hotel, or at Ask Me Lisboa kiosks. Carris has hop-on, hop-off tram and bus tours of the city, as do several other companies like Cityrama Gray Line. HIPPOtrip uses amphibious vehicles that plunge into the Tagus River.

Cityrama Gray Line Portugal. This well-established tour company operates hop-on, hop-off sightseeing tours of Lisbon by bus and boat, as well as group tours out to tourist hot spots such as Sintra and the beaches of the Estoril Coast. Areeiro, Lisbon, Lisbon. 213 191 070; www.cityrama.pt. €35.

HIPPOtrip. These lively, family-friendly trips aboard amphibious vehicles take a road tour of the city's major sites before plunging into water for a float on the River Tagus. Trips depart from Alcântara and last 90 minutes. Doca do Santo Amaro, Alcântara, Lisbon, Lisbon, 1350-353. 211 922 030; www.hippotrip.com. €28.

Private Tours

To arrange private tour guides, contact AGIC or Lisbon Tour Guides. An English-speaking guide for a half day starts at €70, while a full day is €100. The well-regarded Rota Monumental offers private tours of the city in comfortable vans. For fun tours by jeep, motorbike, or side car, contact Bike My Side.

AGIC. The Associação Portuguesa dos Guias-Intérpretes e Correios de Turismo (Portuguese Association of Tourist Guides and Tour Managers) provides knowledgeable guides for individual and group tours of the city and further afield. Contact booking@agicportugal for booking and pricing information. 1250-008. 931 108 540; www.agicportugal.com/en.

Bike My Side. For a unique experience, try taking a motorcycle sidecar ride around the steep streets of Lisbon with Bike My Side. Guide Daniel Coelho is a wealth of information about the city and its history and can advise you on the hottest new hangouts. Bike My Side also runs motorbike tours of the most interesting neighborhoods and jeep tours out to the surrounding hills. Lisbon, Lisbon. 962 554 610; www.bikemyside.com. From €160.

Lisbon Tour Guides. Friendly, experienced tour guides lead visitors on full- and half-day walking tours of Lisbon and daylong excursions to nearby Sintra and Óbidos. lisbontourguides.pt. From €50.

Rota Monumental. The knowledgeable and enthusiastic English-speaking guides at Rota Monumental take visitors on individual and group driving tours of Lisbon and the surrounding area. 916 306 682; www.rotamonumental.com. From €49.

We Hate Tourism Tours. This quirky company prides itself on knowing the ins and outs of Lisbon, offering expert guides who are happy to share their favorite bars, restaurants, and attractions. Its wide range of tours includes dinner at tucked-away eateries only locals know about and walks through "the real Lisbon." The offbeat headquarters is worth a visit for the T-shirts. LX Factory, Rua Rodrigues de Faria 103, Alcântara, Lisbon, Lisbon, 1300-501. 913 776 598; www.wehatetourismtours.com. From €47.

Bike My Side. For a unique experience, try taking a motorcycle sidecar ride around the steep streets of Lisbon with Bike My Side. Guide Daniel Coelho is a wealth of information about the city and its history and can advise you on the hottest new hangouts. Bike My Side also runs motorbike tours of the most interesting neighborhoods and jeep tours out to the surrounding hills. Lisbon, Lisbon. 962 554 610; www.bikemyside.com. From €160.

Specialty Tours

For foodie insights into Lisbon and its many cultural flavors, Eating Europe's Undiscovered Lisbon Tours run daily, and take in spots you'd be unlikely to find without a guide. For private wine-themed tours to Lisbon’s hinterland, contact Have a Wine Day. Like to surf? You can find the best breaks with Surf Bus.

Have a Wine Day. The scenic hills and valleys surrounding Lisbon are liberally sprinkled with vineyards, and Have a Wine Day offers flexible individual and group tours to the best wine-producing regions. Trips include visits to historic towns such as Sintra and Palmela. 916 470 995 ; www.haveawineday.com. From €55.

Lisbon Food Tours by Eating Europe. This company has won rave reviews for its insightful foodie walking tours in cities such as Paris, Rome, and London, and the plaudits are already pouring in for these four-hour food-focused tours of Lisbon. Beginning in the Baixa, tours led by knowledgable locals wind through Mouraria and Alfama, stopping to enjoy street-food treats and sit-down meals and along the way. Walkers also sample wonderful wines from different regions of Portugal. 308 810 685; www.eatingeurope.com/lisbon. From €69.

Surf Bus. This well-established outfit offers trips to the best surf beaches surrounding Lisbon, including Guincho, Costa da Caparica, and Praia Grande. Full-day tours can take in farther-flung spots such as Ericeira or Peniche. Hotel pickup, lessons, and equipment are available. 913 587 655; www.surfbus.pt. From €15.

Lisbon Food Tours by Eating Europe. This company has won rave reviews for its insightful foodie walking tours in cities such as Paris, Rome, and London, and the plaudits are already pouring in for these four-hour food-focused tours of Lisbon. Beginning in the Baixa, tours led by knowledgable locals wind through Mouraria and Alfama, stopping to enjoy street-food treats and sit-down meals and along the way. Walkers also sample wonderful wines from different regions of Portugal. 308 810 685; www.eatingeurope.com/lisbon. From €69.

Walking Tours

These tours of Lisbon require strong legs and sturdy shoes, but walkers are well rewarded with incredible views and unique insights into the city and its history. You can take free tours of Lisbon with Lisbon Chill-Out Free Tour, or pay around €20 for more personalized trips with outfits such as Inside Lisbon. Lisbon Walker does tailor-made walks with themes like Jewish Lisbon, African Lisbon, and even Lisbon: City of Spies.

Inside Lisbon. Inside Lisbon offers insightful and energetic walking tours that take in the highlights of the city, as well as less strenuous excursions to nearby spots like the castles of Sintra and the wine-tasting region in the hills of Arrábida. 211 914 545; www.insidelisbon.com. From €38.

Lisbon Chill-Out. Multilingual guides give the inside scoop on their favorite hangouts as well as insights into the history of the city. The free tours–-you tip the guide whatever you think is appropriate–-are three hours long and take in lots of hills, so bring water and wear comfortable shoes. The company also runs literature-themed tours and pub crawls. Praça Luís de Camões, Baixa, Lisbon, Lisbon. 916 060 768; www.lisbon-chillout-freetour.com.

Lisbon Explorer. This company takes pride in offering "tours for the culturally curious," with themes ranging from the city's Jewish history to a secret world of spies and subterfuge. Priced by tour, not by person, this is a good value for groups. Praça Dom Pedro IV, Rossío, Lisbon, Lisbon, 1200-091 . 966 042 993; www.lisbonexplorer.com. From €160 per tour.

Lisbon Walker. Culturally curious visitors to Lisbon can discover the city's secrets, from hidden foodie haunts to the best shops only locals know about. Meet at the northwest corner of Praça do Comércio. Lisbon, Lisbon, 300-044. 218 861 840; www.lisbonwalker.com. From €20.