Travel Tips for Lisbon

Lisbon rewards good planning. Most travel tips boil down to one question: where do you pay admission, and what's free? We've gone through all 25 sights in our guide and pulled out what actually matters when you're preparing your trip, prices, free alternatives and the pitfalls of 2026.

Free or paid?

Some of Lisbon's best sides cost nothing. The four major viewpoints are open to everyone: Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara above Baixa, the tiled Miradouro de Santa Luzia in Alfama, Miradouro da Graça and, with the city's finest sunset - Miradouro da Senhora do Monte. Add to that Parque Eduardo VII, the riverside promenade at the 25 de Abril Bridge, and Time Out Market, where only the food costs money (and only by card, no cash accepted). Plenty of churches let you in free too: Igreja de São Roque, with its gilded Capela de São João Baptista, is free to enter, as is the nave of Jerónimos Monastery and Lisbon Cathedral (Sé), you only pay for the cloister (€18) or the tower and treasury tour (€7).

The big monuments are where it gets expensive, and here's a common misconception worth clearing up: São Jorge Castle is not free, it costs €17 (free only with a Lisboa Card, or for children under 12). Belém Tower has charged a steep €15 since January 2025, up from €8 previously, after Portugal's national monuments raised prices across the board. Other admission fees: Jerónimos cloister €18, Oceanarium €25, MAAT €16 (the rooftop is free), National Pantheon and Monument to the Discoveries €10 each, Gulbenkian Museum from €10 (free on Sundays from 14:00), Carmo Convent €7, and the terrace of the Rua Augusta Arch €5.

Tickets, the Lisboa Card and public transport

If you're planning to see several major sights, the Lisboa Card is the cheapest way to do it. In 2026 it costs adults €31 (24h), €51 (48h) and €62 (72h), and children aged 4 to 15 pay €21/28/35. It includes free entry to Jerónimos Monastery, Belém Tower, São Jorge Castle, the National Pantheon and the Monument to the Discoveries, plus unlimited travel on the metro and Carris buses and trams. Jerónimos and Belém Tower alone save you €33, our guide Is the Lisboa Card worth it? breaks down the full maths.

Public transport rewards a closer look too: Tram 28 costs €3.30 if you pay the driver, but as little as €1.72 with a Viva Viagem (zapping) top-up card, and it's free with the Lisboa Card. The Santa Justa Lift is free to ride with a card fare, though the viewing platform at the top still costs an extra €5. For how the metro, trams, funiculars and the zapping card system fit together, see our guide to public transport in Lisbon.

What's new and accessibility in 2026

Check three things before you travel. First, time slots: since May 2026, Belém Tower admits only 900 visitors a day with a booked slot, even Lisboa Card holders need to reserve online. Second, closures: the Ascensor da Glória funicular up to Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara has been out of service since the accident in September 2025 (replacement bus 51E), while the Bica Funicular has been running again since June 2026. Third, renovations: the National Tile Museum is closed until the second half of 2026, and the founder's collection at the Gulbenkian Museum until July 2026 (the modern CAM wing stays open).

Travellers with reduced mobility should plan Lisbon carefully. Tram 28 has high steps; only route 15E to Belém is fully accessible. Funiculars such as the Bica Funicular and the dome climb at Estrela Basilica (around 112 steps, no lift) aren't accessible, and the miradouros are reached via steep cobblestones. Carmo Convent, by contrast, is fully wheelchair accessible.