LISBON: Everything You MUST KNOW Before Visiting 

So right Mário: travelers should always come with respect for the country and its culture and history. You can have fun anywhere and get drunk. Don’t waste a trip in another part of the world and not observe its riches.

Mario and his Tuk Tuk are a “MUST DO” if you’re visiting Lisbon!!! We just spent 5hrs riding with him on 11/22/2023. After watching this video my wife and I contacted Mario through FaceBook as the video suggested. He’s incredibly personable, responsive, and professional. We had options of a 3, 5, or 8hr tour. He picked us up outside our hotel, and offered to drop us anywhere afterwards. The tour included scenic beauty and lookouts over the city, churches, amazing architecture, monuments, street art, unique neighborhoods, tastings, and HISTORY. So much history. Mario is an absolute wealth of knowledge, and I really respected how he shared Portugal’s greatest triumphs alongside the defeats, and some dark times. Along with some personal stories during the 1974 revolution. While he obviously has national pride (deservedly so), he also paints a complete narrative which was fascinating and illuminating. Lisbon is now in my Top 3 favorite international cities along with Rome and Paris. Mario brought it alive. HIGHLY RECOMMEND Mario for anyone needing a first or more complete exploration of Lisbon. Next time we are in Lisbon I’ll make arrangements to meet him long enough for a hug and a hello.

The fact that Dave has the courage to meet his critic say something about his character. Much respect ❤. I will book a tour with Mario soon.

"Colorful organized chaos" Perfect quote to describe Lisbon ❤

That was a highlight of my day when Mario tuc tuc driver happily greets Dave smiling and saying I apologise for my harsh comment ! People let’s all be respectful , friendly and open as Mario and Dave 🙌

I just got home from 5 nights in Lisbon. My first ever foreign holiday, much less doing it alone. All I can say now that I'm home far away from it all, is that I feel like a part of me was left in Lisbon. Such an incredibly beautiful city, culture and population. My heart goes out to this city, and to Portugal.

As a Portuguese living and working in London, and missing my city and my country dearly every single day, your videos always warm my heart. Thank you Dave!

Super Mario should’ve a RU-vid channel with his daily adventures in Lisboa. I hope this video becomes viral!

I’ve been living in Lisbon for over a year now and I couldn’t agree more. It’s magical but people need to take care of it to keep it that way. I‘m glad you mentioned not only positive sides but also talk about things like the housing crisis. It’s insane! I encourage everybody to be interested in this beautiful country and it’s people. PS: Don’t think we didn’t notice you showing us a clip from Manteigaria yet talking about Pastéis de Belém, the original one! 😅

Wow you actually did justice to the city that has been my home town for the last 13 years (I live 15 minutes from the city by train). I think the original recipe of the pastel de nata is served in Belém (even though I don't taste much difference). A lot has changed in the last 13 years, a lot of that is good, but indeed the disadvantage is that Alfaçinhas can no longer afford to live in the capital. I never thought about taking tram 28 in campo de ourique. Let's not inform the tourists there will be a metro station there as then this stop will also be a pain to get on the tram. (in my opinion the tourists should take the red tram that is more expensive but at least then we can use the yellow one as public transport as we pay taxes for that).

I was trying to decide where to study abroad between Portugal, spain, Italy and Scotland and this made me decide on Lisbon. So beautiful!

Both my partner (British) and myself (Portuguese) have decided to leave cold old Britain and move to the center of Portugal. He has never lived in Portugal, although we have visited together a few times, you have been instrumental to his detailed education about my beautiful country. After almost 30 years away you have also been responsible for rekindling my love for Portugal, for those reasons we are truly grateful, keep posting and we will keep watching. Thank you ❤

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of many Lisbon sites with SuperMário the Tuktuk Driver. He is super friendly, easygoing, and extremely knowledgeable of all things Lisboa! We highly recommend his tour! Obrigado!

I'm so happy I found this video before my trip to Lisbon. I was able to book a tour with Mario and it was amazing. Mario has so much passion for his city and so knowledgeable historically and anecdotally. By the end of the tour, I felt like a new friend was made. If you are in Lisbon, I highly encourage you to take this tour with Mario. Thanks @daveinportugal for posting this video!!

“Fado Music is the Art of the Portuguese Soul” better be careful my friend, you are starting to become assimilated, pretty soon you will be one of us. 😊

Great video and better comments. Best of all was to notice the respect and love you shown about Lisbon and Portugal. Hope you find the peace, meaning and happiness, which we all seek in our lives.

Beautiful video, Dave! As a young portuguese, this video made me very proud. Lisbon is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe by far, unfortunately for us, young people wanting a better future, Portugal is no longer a place we can live in. As I'm currently moving out, Lisbon will always stay in my heart and a place that I will love forever. Thank you for making such a good video about our city. Wish you all the best.

Bravo Dave! As a Portuguese/Canadian who doesnt live in Lisbon but visits multiple times a year, its refreshing to see a video on the city that captures it's beauty, history and people so eloquently and respectfully. Loved it 👏

Wow, this was definitely one of the best vlogs you have done to date. It's obvious the love and pride that Mario has of his Lisboa. I truly understand his every words and the fact that people need to respect where they go and appreciate the history and culture. I did my first trip to Portugal in May and started in Porto, then Tomar, Evora, Sintra, Alcobasa, Coimbra, Nazare, Lisboa, and I was ready to say i want to live in any of those cities. The sights were breath taking, the people were so nice and welcoming, and the food.... Yummy. I loved the nanny ways to cook bacalao and the awesome pasteisl de nata, as well as the many other treats I savored. I'm definitely looking forward to another trip to explore even more cities/areas. It has been by far my most favorite European designation so far. Cheers to the Portuguese culture and people that made my stay so extraordinary, muy Obrigado. Until next time.

This is not a travel guide. This is a documentary. Thank you for that. Greetings from Greece

As a Portuguese living in the UK/Luton i completely understand and feel sad about it Mario's story because it's true. In other hand hats off to you sir, you accepted his comment and decided to meet with him and end up giving you this wholesome vlog. 👏👏👏

I instantly fell in love with Lisbon when I visited last year. As a huge fan of fado, I knew I would have liked it, but I wasn't expecting to feel the connection that drawns me to the city. I really wish tourists would start going back to hotels.

Mario, we will be there in April. we will take your tour✊🏻

Super Mário is amazing 🤩 wishing him all the best in life!! And I agree with him Portugal 🇵🇹 is not just a weekend for a bachelor party to get drunk, the history is vast ❤❤❤❤

I enjoyed this video a lot because it doesn’t have the same standardized fake messages you hear when watching RU-vid videos about moving to Portugal: “move to Portugal, it is cheap and everything is great”. This video helped me to experience Portugal through the eyes of a local person, who is sharing his love and passion for his country . The video also tells you a sad truth about locals who are priced out of their homes and have difficulty finding a job after the age of 40 y.o. I enjoyed learning the culture, seeing the art and learning the history of the Portugal. I would love to see more if this kind of videos in the future.

I'm portuguese and this video made me cry. Thank you for such authentic content!

Deeply in love with Lisbon and I've got to say this video captures exactly what I love. So nice to see a better representation of the city. Well done. (And YES! to please leave this city better than you found it. 🙂)

I am scheduled to meet with Mario on the 27th. Totally excited.

I am visiting Lisbon at the end of May and I will DEFINITELY be booking a tour with Mario!!

Dear David, this video is awesome. We can only thank you from the bottom of our hearts. All the things you pointed out are very relevant, you are now one of us now. Just two little things: 1) the exodus in Lisboa started many years ago, tourism, speculation and Airbnb like companies "just" accelerated it. 2) you can (and, in fact, you should) applaud fado. In the Coimbra´s tradition (the Balada de Coimbra, or Fado de Coimbra) you don't applaud, but Fado is a Canção de Lisboa (Lisboa's song), and we always applaud it. We don't clap hands during a song, though, unless the singer leads you to it, sometimes when singing a popular march, or Marcha Popular (also a Lisboa's Tradition) Thank you for all your work, all your videos, all your love for Portugal

Your editing and storytelling are really good! Mario is a cool dude

This was beautifully made! The panning, interviews, archived footage of Salazar, and storyline was executed marvelously. I also see some hints of No Reservations/Parts Unknown in the production (the transition to A Gina) and VOs (Ramiro "If the waiter looks upset with you he probably is. And if he's not, you're in the wrong restaurant."). Keep churning out amazing videos!

I've lived in Lisbon for over a year now, and I still haven't seen some of these places. That speaks to the depth and breadth of what Lisbon has to offer. There's a new adventure around every corner it seems. Enjoying a pint while watching the sun set at one of the many miradouros throughout the city should be high on everyone's to-do list. For anyone planning a visit, do yourself a massive favor and make time for things like that. Go slow, really relax. You won't get any bonus points in life by seeing as many sights as possible in a day. Give yourself at least a week in Lisbon, and leave plenty of time to watch a sunset, or spend a few hours at a kiosk watching the world go by. Also, skip tram 28, unless you enjoy being packed into a small wooden vehicle "butts to nuts". But, do take a tuk-tuk tour. Yeah, it can be a bit pricey, but if you land a good driver, like Dave did, you'll have a great time bombing around the city, seeing a lot of neat things and getting a fun tour.

Man your videos is top quality ! If you want to check out some hot listings I'm currently selling in Lisbon Let me know Moral of this video take a tuk tuk but choose a local driver that will tell you about the soul of this amazing place that I've been calling home for a long time ! Good job mate !

My Portuguese husband and I just returned from Portugal two weeks ago. I miss it terribly. I absolutely loved the history, culture, food, hospitality. It is a beautiful country with so much to do and see. Respect is so important when you visit another country. Soak in their way of living and you may find you fall in love with it as well. Mario is a beautiful soul! Thank you for this video it was done soo well Dave.

Thank you Dave for portraying lisbon in such a lovely way. I often forget how beautiful it is and how lucky we are to live here (I’m from the suburbs of Lisbon). Yes Portugal is far from perfect and life is hard for us with our low wages and high living costs. But wow… it’s beautiful here! Great video!

Planning to be in Lisbon April 19-20... Gonna reach out to Mario to book a TukTuk tour! 🙂

Parabéns DAVE , excelente trabalho . Tens que aprender a falar português . Já não és turista !!!!... és um dos nossos !!... até breve .

Probably one of the best videos about Lisbon for tourists. Very well done. As a Lisboeta it made me proud

Meeting up with Mario is iconic. Lisbon is breathtaking through your eyes - couldn't resist booking those tickets, ha ha. Much appreciated! 😉

Dave… thank you for this video!!! “Mario” was awesome too!!😉👍 We will be there in April!!!

I rode on a TukTuk when I was in Lisbon and I had a blast! This is an amazing video, it made me emotional!

"once a dj, always a dj." absolutely loved mario!

Damn, as a Portuguese absolutely in love with my birth city, this video made me tear up. Thank you, Dave. ❤

Thank you! I’m going to Portugal in 2 weeks and will definitely check out a tuk tuk ride!

The video on Lisbon is fantastic! The talented creator skillfully captured the essence of the city, providing a captivating and immersive experience. Kudos to the author for their talent in showcasing the beauty and charm of Lisbon. It's truly an enjoyable and well-crafted piece of work.

Dave, I love that you've met up with Mario and shared his story with us!

Hi Dave, this is by far the best video I've seen made by a foreigner about my City, you nailed it. In my opinion, despite being a beautiful city, the people's spirit is what makes it extra special. I think Mario truly represents it. Congrats.

Thank you for the video, Dave, I just came back from a 7 night-stay at Lisbon, and I found it such a beautiful city. A colourful organised chaos. Your description says it all. Gentle, melancholic and very friendly people, a lot of climbing up the narrow streets of Bairro Alto, where good food and cafes are plentiful. The dishes with bacalao and the pasteis de Nata are definitely my favourite!

Oh, What a lovely way to start a video on Lisboa! I love the song, Lisboa Menina é Moça 🫶🏻🇵🇹💛 By the wonderful Carlos do Carmo.

Beautiful video! I loved how you gave Mario a chance and the great stories he told. Thanks for all the info and tips! AMAZING!

Dave, my favourite video so far, you dug deep and you found gold, very informative.

Love Mario singing and talking about “ The Carnation Revolution “ Wow ♥️ what a beautiful video this is so heartwarming thank you 🙏

There is nothing I can recommend more than Mario's TukTuk ride. It was a fantastic experience and we were deeply immersed in Lisbon's history. The exchange with his colleagues during the journey was great to see and I'm sure many other drivers were wonderful too. But Mario will always remain a part of our experienced Lisbon and we'll be back.❤

Super Marios tour was unanimously the highlight of our family trip to Portugal!

Dave, thank you for great video and thank for Mario great Portuguese man. We loved your video was very useful and defiantly we will visit Lisbon soon. Chaos

Dave as a Portuguese-born living in the US I'm so proud of my country and the love story for it you share on your weekly videos. Mario is right (as you al so stated), people should have respect for the culture, understand what "saudade" comes from the heart. Love your videos and congratulations, your Portuguese accent is becoming almost f;aw;ess. BTW - the best way to eat sardines, is makr sure to order small ones, either grilled or fired, and eat them whole. 🙂

I’m with Super Mario! I still can still hear that militar anthem from 1974 when I was 9 years old! Thanks Dave for the way you’re sharing and portraying the beauty of our capital and country! Cheers 🍻

You are a class act! You gave Mario the respect he deserves. Will definitely ride Mario's Tuk Tuk when I visit. Great video. Keep them coming.

One of the best videos you produced so far. Congrats Dave and thanks for enjoying my little country

Your editing is amazing!! Just found your channel.

What an awesome video...loved it and learned a lot about this beautiful city and the culture of Portugal... thanks Dave ...btw loved Mario

The most amazing, heartwarming, and delightful video I've ever seen in my life

Coming to Lisbon in September and will absolutely book a ride with Mario. What a lovely guy!

Wow, you have improved a lot... I was brought up in Lisbon, and the locals don't say "Lisboa", they actually say "Lshboa", they think it's posh, hahaha I studied languages, I say Lisboa. Sardines in September are not expected to be good, take a note that sardines are better eaten in months without the letter "r". Loved the detail about the "azulejo", it does come from old Andalusian Arabic "az-zuláyǧ", which means polished stone, Moroccan tiles are still broken in pieces and polished in small forms. The area near Portas do Sol you show in minute 10:23 is where Muslims used to be buried before the Christian conquest in 1147, after the conquest the Moors were forced to settle in today's Mouraria (Moorish Quarter) and their second cemetery ("almocave" from Andalusian Arabic "al-maqbara", this is also etymology for the English word macabre) was right below Mirador da Graça. The biggest empire in world was actually the Spanish Empire between 1580 and 1640 when the Spanish Kings Philip II, Philip III and Philip IV ruled Portugal, it was Spanish and Portuguese empires combined, after this only the British could built a big empire. I just wanted to correct what Mário said. The fado [from Arabic حدو (ḥadû)] music was born in the old Mourara (Moorish Quarter) of Lisbon and only came out of the closet when centuries of Catholic inquisition against the Muslims and Jews was abolished in the 1820s. Fado is more about longing for, about the expression of a permanent loss than about music itself. Some people say fado was initially sung by Crypto-Muslims (people that practised hidden Islam) from Lisbon to express their terrible loss the loss of their (religious) freedom, traditional fado dark outfit has Moorish roots and the Portuguese guitar is said to be a daughter of the Arabic oud. The word "saudade" can be translated into "loss" or longing for, some linguists say the word saudade may also have its roots in Arabic سوداء (saudâ), which also means sadness and melancholy, since the word was already used by Mozarabic poets from Córdoba, particularly the poet Ibn Quzmān al-Qurṭubī (1087-1160). The 25th April bridge was officially named as "Ponto sobre o Tejo" it was never officially named "Salazar Bridge" as there were another "Salazar Bridge" in the country and the law did not allow two bridges with the same name. Though the bridge was known by everyone as "Ponte Salazar" and there are videos showing the letters being removed after the revolution in 1974. The dictatorship lasted for 48 years.

Great video. I love Lisbon. It absolutely sucks you in. Mario was awesome. I loved his story.

I am planning a visit to Portugal in two weeks 🤩🥳 I wanted traveling there during long time of period but after watching your videos i am more in love with Portugal🤩😇 Really cant wait 😍😍😍

Protect Mario at all cost

Oh my gosh, this is my favorite of all your wonderful videos, Dave! Your passion and respect for Lisboa comes through loud and clear. Thank you!!

Dave! This video so beautiful! I think it’s your best! I’ve been watching your content for a while. I moved to Lisbon 5 months ago and couldn’t be happier! I love your conversations with Mario. I’m going to be sharing this with several friends that are coming to visit soon. You’re the best! Obrigado!

So you basically earn yourself a free tuk tuk ride! I hope you tip him well. I plan on riding Mario’s tuk tuk when I visit Lisbon.

One of your best yet, we are heading back in September for 3 months we will look up super Mario for sure. This will be our 3rd time in lisbon only staying a few days and then porto and then down to Lagos for the balance of our stay. Keep up the good work

Thanks so much for the thoughtfulness and intention you put into the storytelling of the video. It’s beautifully shot and shows a fuller view of Lisbon than other videos I have seen.

Dave, I enjoy your videos. This one is superior! I love Mario's recollections & the Revolutionary footage. You covered all of the reasons I fell for Portugal during my first visit. Bravo

Thanks Dave in Portugal for turning me on to Super Mario!

Best city I ever visited!! Cant wait to go back and stay forever

Visiting in literally two weeks and this video couldn't have came at a better time!

I can't wait to visit Lisbon. I'll definitely have to find Mario!

Mario is soooo nice! I hit him up for June. Looking forward to meeting him and his friend Nanu! 😊

What a beautiful video, Dave. I love the way you capture the feeling, the spirit, the mood of Lisbon. One thing I find amazing in Lisbon is all those callors combined with clear sky, it's really pretty and provides a good energy.

Leave it better than you found it, so true!

Your videos just keep getting better and better. Living in a beach town (for one year now) with my husband, I've not been drawn to visit Lisboa. But after seeing this segment, I actually want to visit via Mario's tuk tuk tour. I'm looking forward to it. Maybe end of Sept(?) when the tourism slows a bit. Thank you, Dave.

Great vid, kudos to Mario!

Mario, what a legend. Great video. Subscribing.

Hey Dave!! Your videos never disappoint Agree Portugal has much history Thank You 🤗☮️🌞🌎

What a beautiful description of our city and our history, thank Dave, obrigado Mário.

The English language does have a translation for "saudade", but it is an archaic word - DESIDERIUM: an ardent desire or longing, especially a feeling of loss or grief for something lost.

Aww my Lisboa! 3rd gen American . Loved it when i visited and can't wait to return and live eventually. Such rich history from Moors, Sephardic jew (Moorish Hebrews) to present day. Your videos are great. Catch the fado festival in Sept. Santa Casa Alfama Festival. Stumbled on it when i visited, told by a...tuk tuk driver.

Lovely, informative video of a city that sticks to my soul like a beautiful melancholic 'xaile'. A unique capital that I adore! Thanks, Dave for your perfect pronunciation of the different places and locations in Lisbon. ❤

Brought back happy memories of our several very happy visits to Lisbon over the years and, yes, I endorse your sentiments wholeheartedly! 🤗

I visited Santander in the north of Spain and ate the sardines. The most unbelievable fish dinner I have ever eaten on vacation. I don't care for them here in the states, so I was pleasantly surprised!

I really love the way you treated the Tuk Tuk driver Mateo! R-E-S-P-E-C-T ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

Thank you for capturing such beautiful scenes and cultures aspects of Portugal! Glad you love my culture and respect us as individuals ❤

As "alfacinha de gema" (a native of Lisbon, born and raised), loved it and thank you❤

Dave, thank you for your kind words.

One of the best city videos I ever watched. I’d definitely meet Mario when I come to Lishboa 😊

Dave, new to the channel. You're crushing it. Keep doing what you're doing!

You brought a rtear to my eye with this one! Thank you so much!!

You can eat sardinhas with your hands as well, the result is nothing a bit of water and soap cznt solve. Sardinhas is one of our few dishes where cuttlery etiquette is not strictly enforced/espected. If you are eating sardinhas in the street during one of our Santos festivities in June eating sardinhas by hsnd is an inevitability it also adds to the fun.

I am a Ukrainian still living in Ukraine while it’s at war. And I am planing to give myself a vacation from everything and visit Lisbon for a couple of days starting on October, 31, right on Halloween)). I came across this video by chance and now I am so thrilled to get there as soon as possible!!!))) Thank you so much!🫶