The biggest queues are in Belém, and most of the rest of Lisbon costs nothing: viewpoints, squares and a tram. Book the Belém Tower and the Jerónimos Monastery in advance, since the monuments often sell out, and go to Belém on any day except Monday.
1Belém Tower
Photo: Igor Passchier / Pexels, Pexels License
A small fortress from the early 16th century that stands in the water at the mouth of the Tagus. Its Manueline carving of ropes, shields and a rhinoceros is finer than the size suggests.
Time
45 min to 1 h including the climb
Setting
Both
Best time
Opening time, or late afternoon for the light
Getting there
Cascais line train to Belém, or tram 15E
Tip: The interior is cramped, with a few small rooms and a narrow spiral stair, so a busy day means a slow queue at the door. If you only want the picture, the riverside promenade shows the tower well and costs nothing. The terrace at the top is worth the climb for the view of the Tagus and the bridge.
Open Tuesday to Sunday from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm, with last admission at 5 pm. Closed on Mondays, 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 13 June and 25 December. Admission €15, half price for ages 13 to 24 and over 65. The tower and the monastery sell separate tickets.
Begun in 1501 and paid for by the spice trade, this is the great monument of Portuguese late Gothic, on the UNESCO list with the tower. The two-storey cloister is the highlight, with every arch and column carved with ropes, plants and sea creatures.
Time
1 h to 1 h 30 min for the cloister and the church
Setting
Indoor
Best time
Right at opening, on a weekday
Getting there
Cascais line train to Belém, or tram 15E
Tip: Come before ten and walk straight up to the cloister, because the arcade is lovely empty and difficult when it is full of groups. Inside the church, look for the tombs of Vasco da Gama and the poet Luís de Camões near the entrance. The monument is sometimes closed for state occasions, so look at the official page the day before.
Open Tuesday to Sunday from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm, last admission at 5 pm; closed on Mondays and on the same holidays as the tower. Admission €18, half price for ages 13 to 24 and over 65, free for children up to 12. Buy online if you can, because tickets often sell out.
A stone caravel, built in its present form in 1960, with Henry the Navigator at the prow and explorers, mapmakers and poets in a line behind him. The pavement in front carries a huge map of the routes Portuguese ships sailed.
Time
45 min with the viewing platform
Setting
Both
Best time
Late afternoon, with the sun behind you
Getting there
Cascais line train to Belém, then ten minutes along the river
Tip: You can see the monument for free from the riverside promenade, and many visitors stop there. Go up only if the sky is clear: the platform looks over the monastery roofs, the tower and the bridge, and a hazy day wastes the ticket.
Open daily from 10 am, until 7 pm from March to September and until 6 pm from October to February; last entry half an hour before closing. Closed on 1 January, 1 May, and 24, 25 and 31 December. Admission €10.
A Moorish fortress on the highest hill of the old town, rebuilt after the Christian conquest of 1147. The walls and towers give the widest view of the red roofs, the river and the 25 de Abril Bridge, and peacocks wander the gardens.
Time
1 h 30 min to 2 h with the walls and the viewpoint
Setting
Outdoor
Best time
The last two hours of daylight
Getting there
Tram 12E or 28E to Largo das Portas do Sol, then a short climb
Tip: Walk up through the Alfama and take the tram back, never the other way round. The exact closing time of the wall-walks depends on daylight and they shut early in the evening, so reach the top by late afternoon if sunset is the aim. Skip the middle of a summer day, when the stone holds the heat.
Open daily from 9 am, until 9 pm from March to October and until 6 pm from November to February; last admission half an hour before closing, and the walls and towers close earlier. Closed on 1 January, 1 May, and 24, 25 and 31 December. Adult ticket €17.
The oldest quarter, a tangle of lanes, stairs and tiny squares that survived the earthquake of 1755. Its miradouros, Santa Luzia and Portas do Sol among them, look out over the roofs to the river.
Time
2 to 3 h with the viewpoints and no plan
Setting
Outdoor
Best time
Morning for photographs, evening for fado
Getting there
Tram 28 or 12 to Portas do Sol, or on foot from the Baixa
Tip: Get lost on purpose and walk downhill. Santa Luzia has the postcard view over the tiled terrace; Portas do Sol next door is busier and has a bar. After dark, grilled fish and fado drift out of the small restaurants, so book a table if you want music with dinner.
The great riverfront square where the royal palace stood until 1755, framed by yellow arcades and opening to the Tagus through a triumphal arch. The bronze statue of King José I stands in the middle.
Time
30 min to 1 h
Setting
Outdoor
Best time
Early morning, or at sunset from the river steps
Getting there
Metro Blue line to Terreiro do Paço
Tip: Walk through the Rua Augusta Arch to the Baixa and look back, as the view is better from the street. Sit on the wide steps down to the water in the evening, when the light turns the arcades golden. The arcades hold cafés that charge square prices, so have your coffee in a side street.
Photo: Miguel A. Ferreira / Pexels, Pexels License
The old yellow tram that rattles through Graça, the Alfama, the Baixa, Chiado and Bairro Alto on one line. It is slow, noisy and uncomfortable, and for many people the ride is the best hour of the trip.
Time
1 h to 1 h 30 min with the wait
Setting
Outdoor
Best time
First thing in the morning, or after eight at night
Getting there
Metro Green line to Martim Moniz, where the line starts
Tip: Board at the start, where you can sit, and not in the middle, where a full tram drives past the stop. Pickpockets work the crowded cars, so keep your bag in front of you and your phone out of the open window. If the queue is hopeless, tram 12 makes a shorter loop through the same streets.
A ticket bought on board costs €3.30. The 60-minute Carris/Metro ticket loaded on a Navegante card costs €1.90 and is also valid on buses and, for one journey, on the metro.
A Gothic church whose roof fell in during the earthquake of 1755 and was never replaced. The bare arches open straight to the sky, and the old chapels hold a small archaeological museum.
Time
45 min
Setting
Both
Best time
Late morning, when the sun reaches the nave
Getting there
Metro Blue or Green line to Baixa-Chiado, or the Santa Justa lift
Tip: It is an open-air ruin, so a wet day shortens the visit. Stand in the nave for a while and look up, then go through to the small museum in the apse. The Santa Justa lift beside it carries you up to the Carmo level.
Open Monday to Saturday from 10 am, until 7 pm from May to October and until 6 pm from November to April; closed on Sundays. The last entry is 20 minutes before closing. The Santa Justa lift costs €6.20 for two trips when paid on board.
A 28-metre statue of Christ with open arms on a tall pedestal above Almada, finished in 1959. It looks over the whole river and the Lisbon skyline, and the 25 de Abril Bridge runs beneath it.
Time
2 to 3 h including the ferry crossing
Setting
Outdoor
Best time
The hour before sunset
Getting there
Ferry from Cais do Sodré to Cacilhas, then a bus or taxi up the hill
Tip: The lift to the terrace is optional, because the free viewpoint at the foot already looks across to Lisbon. Large bags, backpacks and drink bottles are not allowed into the monument, and swimwear and bare chests are refused, especially strictly in summer. The ferry ride is half the point: the city rises up from the water as you cross.
Open daily from 10 am, until 7 pm from April to September and until 6 pm from October to March; the last ride up leaves 20 minutes before closing. The viewpoint is free. The lift and terrace cost €10 from the age of 13 and €3 from 8 to 12, with tickets sold only at the sanctuary.
