--- title: "Five days of Lisbon through its studios and rooms" city: "Lisbon" country: "Portugal" lens: "Art & Design" duration_days: 5 experiences: 10 price_from: "from €190 for two" currency: "EUR" firm_prices: 2 prices_on_request: 8 published: "2026-09-01" canonical: "https://keystothe.city/lisbon/5-days-art-design" source: "Keys to the City" license: "Free to quote and cite with a link to the canonical URL" --- # Five days of Lisbon through its studios and rooms Lisbon, Portugal · Art & Design · 5 days · 10 experiences · from €190 for two Lisbon does not surrender her secrets to the casual eye; she yields them only behind heavy carved mahogany doors, down private stone corridors, and within light-dappled ateliers where time moves to a different cadence. ## Day one — Noble Silver & Twilight Horology: Bairro Alto's Royal Bench to Closed-Door Mansion Vaults As late afternoon light softens across Lisbon's cobbles, step behind an unassuming entryway into the discreet 1822 Bairro Alto workshop of Leitão & Irmão, official jewellers to the Portuguese Royal House. Here, master silversmiths work at wooden benches worn smooth by two centuries of craft, actively chasing precious metal and setting gems. Observe their meticulous work firsthand and gain access to historical royal jewel archives. As dusk falls over the city, your evening transitions to Casa-Museu Medeiros e Almeida. Once public hours end, the mansion doors open exclusively for you. Wander in absolute privacy through 25 lavishly appointed rooms, including the Lake Room and Louis XIV Room. Surrounded by silk wall coverings and Napoleon's exile silver, listen to the soft, rhythmic ticking of one of the world's premier private horological collections echoing through the silent grand salons—a profound immersion into Lisbon's private decorative arts. ### Leitão & Irmão – Master Silversmith & Crown Jeweller Atelier Visit - Morning, 1.5 hours · price on request · Largo do Chiado 17, 1200-108 Lisboa, Portugal · Introduction by the house · quoted on request Private access to the 1822 Bairro Alto workshop floor of the official jewellers to the Portuguese Royal House, observing silversmithing and gem setting at active benches. Provider: https://www.leitao-irmao.com ### Casa-Museu Medeiros e Almeida – Private After-Hours Tour of Decorative Arts Collection - Evening, 2 hours · price on request · R. Mouzinho da Silveira 4, 1250-194 Lisboa, Portugal · Private arrangement · quoted on request Doors-closed after-hours private tour of a 25-room residential mansion containing Napoleon's exile silver and a world-class horological collection. Provider: https://www.casa-museumedeirosealmeida.pt ## Day two — Sacred Baroque Cloisters & Inhabited Palace Archives Begin the morning behind locked doors at Convento dos Cardaes, a 1681 living convent spared by the 1755 earthquake. Through a private off-schedule opening, walk through tranquil cloisters where early light illuminates signed 1692 Dutch tile panels by Jan van Oort and masterfully preserved gilded woodwork. From the quiet sanctuary of the convent, transition to the Palácio dos Marqueses de Fronteira. Here, a private curator guides you through an inhabited 17th-century Baroque noble estate housing the world's largest in situ 17th-century tile collection. Enter private family rooms and restricted library archives unavailable to standard visitors before concluding with a private stroll through formal hedge gardens adorned with mythological tilework. ### Convento dos Cardaes – Private Guided Access to 17th-Century Baroque Tile & Gilded Woodwork Collection - Morning, 1 hour · price on request · Private arrangement · quoted on request Exclusive off-schedule private opening of a 1681 convent featuring intact signed 1692 Dutch azulejo panels and golden altarpieces. Provider: https://www.conventodoscardaes.com ### Palácio dos Marqueses de Fronteira – Private Curator-Led Tour of Palace & Gardens - Evening, 2 hours · price on request · Limited release · quoted on request Curator-guided exploration of an inhabited 17th-century noble palace featuring private family rooms, library archives, and formal Baroque gardens. Provider: https://fronteira-alorna.pt ## Day three — The Master Craftsmen of Alfama: Royal Ateliers to Sacred Acoustics Spend the afternoon inside the 18th-century Palácio Azurara at Fundação Ricardo do Espírito Santo Silva (FRESS). Step onto the floors of 18 active working ateliers where master artisans preserve traditional Portuguese decorative arts. Watch gilders, woodworkers, and cabinetmakers at work at their benches, observing age-old royal restoration techniques. As twilight settles over Alfama's narrow lanes, walk to Mesa de Frades, an intimate venue inside a former 18th-century royal chapel built by King João V. Take your seats beneath original Baroque azulejo tile walls for a multi-course traditional dinner. During the evening, experience unamplified acoustic Fado recitals performed directly beside your table, where the singers' voices echo against historic tilework in an unforgettable acoustic setting. ### FRESS (Fundação Ricardo do Espírito Santo Silva) – Master Craftsman Workshops - Morning, 2.5 hours · price on request · R. São Tomé 90, 1100-261 Lisboa, Portugal · Private arrangement · quoted on request Private studio tour through 18 active working ateliers inside an 18th-century palace to observe master craftsmen passing down royal decorative arts. Provider: https://www.fress.pt ### Mesa de Frades – Intimate Fado Recital & Dinner in an 18th-Century Chapel - Evening, 3.5 hours · from €65 pp (verified Aug 2026) · R. dos Remédios 139, 1100-453 Lisboa, Portugal · Limited release Traditional Portuguese dinner accompanied by live acoustic Fado recitals inside an 18th-century former royal chapel adorned with original azulejo tiles. Provider: https://www.mesadefrades.pt ## Day four — Clay, Fire & Industrial Heritage: Discontinued Archives to Active Kiln Floors Dedicate your fourth day to the evolution of Portuguese ceramic art. Begin with a private architectural design walk at Cortiço & Netos hosted by the founding brothers. Explore floor-to-ceiling wooden racks containing rare discontinued 20th-century industrial tiles salvaged from defunct factories across Portugal. After examining these industrial design archives, transition to the restricted atelier floor of Fábrica de Cerâmica Viúva Lamego. Here, step past active kilns and onto the working production floor. Observe contemporary master ceramicists and painters actively hand-painting tile panels for major architectural commissions, gaining firsthand perspective on how Lisbon's living ceramic traditions are carried into modern design. ### Cortiço & Netos – Private Industrial Azulejo Archive & Design Walk - Morning, 1.5 hours · price on request · R. Maria Andrade 37D, 1170-215 Lisboa, Portugal · Private arrangement · quoted on request Private design walkthrough hosted by founding brothers of floor-to-ceiling archives housing discontinued 20th-century Portuguese industrial tiles. Provider: https://www.corticoenetos.com ### Viúva Lamego – Private Heritage Tile Factory & Artisanal Atelier Visit - Evening, 2 hours · price on request · Rua Thilo Krassman 39 -, Zona Industrial da Abrunheira, Abrunheira, 2710-089 Sintra, Portugal · Introduction by the house · quoted on request Private entry to restricted factory atelier floor to observe master artists hand-painting tiles beside active ceramic firing kilns. Provider: https://www.viuvalamego.com ## Day five — Private Founder Legacies & The Royal Vault: Lalique Masterpieces to Crown Jewels On your final day, experience the crescendo of Lisbon's private collections. A senior museum curator greets you at the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum for a private walkthrough of Calouste Gulbenkian's founder collection. Bypassing main hall flows, explore René Lalique glass masterpieces, rare manuscripts, and canvases by Rembrandt with dedicated expert commentary. Afterward, continue to the Museu do Tesouro Real inside the Palácio Nacional da Ajuda. Accompanied by a vault specialist, step inside one of the world's highest-security modern vaults. Examine uncut Brazilian diamonds, royal insignias, and exquisite 18th-century Germain silver tableware up close—a remarkable finale to five days focused on Lisbon's makers, collections, and historic rooms. ### Calouste Gulbenkian Museum – Private Curator-Led Tour of Founder's Collection - Morning, 2 hours · price on request · Av. de Berna 45A, 1067-001 Lisboa, Portugal · Private arrangement · quoted on request Private curator-guided exploration of one of the world's most significant private art collections, including Lalique jewelry and Rembrandt canvases. Provider: https://gulbenkian.pt ### Royal Treasure Museum (Museu do Tesouro Real) – Curator-Led Vault Tour - Evening, 1.5 hours · from €60 per group (verified Aug 2026) · Calçada da Ajuda, 1300-012 Lisboa, Portugal · Private arrangement Guided private tour inside a high-security vault at Ajuda Palace housing the Portuguese Crown Jewels, uncut Brazilian diamonds, and Germain silver. Provider: https://www.tesouroreal.pt ## The footprint from €190 for two — experiences only; flights and hotels are yours to choose. 10 experiences · 2 firm prices · 8 on request. --- Source: Keys to the City — https://keystothe.city/lisbon/5-days-art-design. Prices are "from" figures per person unless stated otherwise, verified on the dates shown. Quote freely with attribution and a link.