Travel guide · Portugal
Lisbon Travel Guide 2026: Belém tickets, Sintra, closed funiculars and real costs
Lisbon from the Miradouro da Senhora do Monte, with São Jorge Castle on its hill. Photo: Dale Cruse - 10M views from San Francisco, CA, USA, CC BY 4.0
Lisbon is Portugal's hilly capital on the Tagus, and the numbers that shape a visit have moved a lot since 2025: national monument tickets jumped, Belém Tower reopened with a hard cap on visitors, and the Glória crash took the old funiculars and the Santa Justa Lift out of service. The decisions that matter are what to book before you fly, whether the Lisboa Card pays for itself, and how to do Sintra now that cars cannot drive up to Pena. This guide answers each one from official sources and shows live prices from 1,440 bookable tours.
Lisbon at a glance
Lisbon is Portugal's capital: about 658,000 people live in the city itself and some 3.35 million in the wider metropolitan area. The city faces the Tagus estuary and climbs a series of steep hills, which is why tram rides, funiculars and viewpoints feature so heavily in most visits.
The earthquake of 1 November 1755 destroyed roughly 85 percent of the city. The flat, gridded Baixa between Praça do Comércio and Rossio is the rebuilt centre, laid out under the Marquis of Pombal with timber-framed anti-seismic buildings. Alfama, on the slope below São Jorge Castle, survived and keeps its tangle of medieval lanes. About 5 km west along the river from Cais do Sodré, Belém holds the Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower, a joint UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983.
| Population | About 658,000 (city, 2025); 3.35 million in the metro area |
|---|---|
| Heritage | Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower (UNESCO, 1983); fado (UNESCO intangible heritage, 2011) |
| Airport | Humberto Delgado (LIS), about 7 km from the Baixa, with its own metro station |
| Metro and bus | €1.90 single (1 hour), €7.25 for 24 hours, plus a €0.50 card |
| Tram on board | €3.30 per ride if you pay the driver |
| Tourist tax | €4 per person per night, up to 7 nights; under-13s free |
| Hottest month | August: average high 29.0 °C, low 18.5 °C |
Lisbon in pictures
Tap a photo to enlarge it. Photos: Dale Cruse - 10M views from San Francisco, CA, USA, Bernard Gagnon, Berthold Werner, Shadowgate from Novara, ITALY, Jakub Hałun — Wikimedia Commons.
Which Lisbon sights do you need to book in 2026?
Verdict: book Belém Tower and Jerónimos for the same morning before you travel — the tower now admits only 900 people a day — and buy São Jorge Castle tickets whenever suits you. In Sintra, book the Pena palace slot first; it is the one ticket that sets your whole day.
| Sight (adult) | Price | Concessions | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerónimos Monastery (cloister) | €18 | Reduced tickets from €9; under-12s free with an adult | Closed Mondays; the church is reported free |
| Belém Tower | €15 | Under-12s free with an adult | Max 60 entries per half hour, 900 a day; 09:30–17:30 |
| São Jorge Castle | €17 | €8.50 ages 13–25 · €14 over 65 · under-12s free | Free with the Lisboa Card; open to 21:00 until 31 October |
| National Coach Museum | €15 | Under-12s free with an adult | Same €15 tier as Belém Tower |
| Pena Palace, Essential Visit | €20 | €18 ages 6–17 and over 65 · family €65 | Palace entry only at your booked time |
| Oceanário de Lisboa | €25.50–29.90 | €15.50–17.70 ages 3–12 | Cheaper the later your time slot |
Jerónimos and Belém Tower cost €33 together since the 2025 price rise
On 1 January 2025 the national museums operator raised Jerónimos from €12 to €18 and Belém Tower from €8 to €15, and put most of the big Lisbon museums (the Coach Museum, the Archaeology Museum, Ajuda Palace and the Museum of Ancient Art) on the same €15 tier. Guides written before 2025 quote half these prices. Children under 12 with an adult still go free, and residents of Portugal get 52 free days a year.
Only the cloister of Jerónimos is ticketed; most guides report that the church, where Vasco da Gama and Camões are entombed, is free to enter. Without a pre-booked ticket the summer queue can run past an hour. The monastery is closed on Mondays, and published hours differ between sources, so check the official ticket office before you plan around a late visit.
Belém Tower reopened in May 2026 with a hard daily cap
The tower closed for about a year of restoration and reopened on 27 May 2026. Entry is now staggered: at most 60 people every half hour, 900 a day, with an expected wait of up to about 20 minutes. Tickets are sold online or at the Jerónimos ticket office, and the last entry is at 17:00. Older articles that say the tower is closed are out of date.
São Jorge Castle is open late in summer, which beats the midday crowds
From 1 March to 31 October the castle opens 09:00–21:00 (last admission 20:30), so a visit in the last two hours combines cooler air and the sunset over the Baixa. In winter it closes at 18:00. It shuts on 1 January, 1 May and 24, 25 and 31 December, and its small museum is temporarily closed. BOL is the only authorised online seller.
39 Belém and Jerónimos tours on Excurgo · from $1, typical $79 per person · rated 4.9 across 5,876 reviews
5 São Jorge Castle tours on Excurgo · from $23, typical $37 per person · rated 4.8 across 833 reviews
Is the Lisboa Card worth it?
Verdict: yes, the 48-hour card, if you plan Belém and the castle on consecutive days and use public transport. Skip it if you are mostly in Sintra — Pena and Regaleira are only discounted, not free.
The official card bundles unlimited public transport with free entry to 51 museums and monuments, including Jerónimos and Belém Tower (both still need a slot booking) and São Jorge Castle, which has its own queue for cardholders. It also covers the CP suburban train to Sintra and to Cascais. Prices run until 31 March 2027.
| Card | Adult (16+) | Child (4–15) | Pays off if you… |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 hours | €31 | €21 | Do Belém (Jerónimos + tower, €33) in one day by public transport |
| 48 hours | €51 | €28 | Add the castle (€17) and two days of transport (2 × €7.25) |
| 72 hours | €62 | €35 | Also ride the train to Sintra or Cascais and see a €15 museum |
The arithmetic for two days: Jerónimos €18, Belém Tower €15 and the castle €17 make €50, and two 24-hour transport tickets add €14.50, so about €65 against €51 for the card. Buying online takes another 5% off. The 72-hour card only beats single tickets if you add a museum day or the Sintra train (about €4.60 return), because Pena itself is not included.
Children under 4 travel free on public transport without a card. Under-12s already enter national monuments free, so a child card is mainly a transport ticket.
How do you do Sintra, and which Pena Palace ticket should you buy?
Sintra's hills, palaces and gardens have been a UNESCO cultural landscape since 1995, and they are the most popular day out from Lisbon. Direct suburban trains reach Sintra station in 35–45 minutes from Rossio; Pena is then a ride up on Scotturb bus 434 or a walk on marked trails. Private cars are not allowed on the road to Pena.
Verdict: the €20 Essential Visit is the right Pena ticket for most people — it includes the state rooms, the terraces and the whole park. Pay €45 for the Complete Visit only if the Private Apartments matter to you; it is limited to 20 people per slot.
| Pena ticket | Adult | Youth 6–17 / 65+ | What you see |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park only | €12 | €10 | Gardens and the Countess of Edla's Chalet; no palace |
| Essential Visit | €20 | €18 | New Palace wing, terraces, park |
| Complete Visit | €45 | €20 / €35 | Adds the Private Apartments; max 20 people |
| Guided Visit | €75 | €20 / €67.50 | New Wing and apartments with a Parques de Sintra guide |
Pena palace entry is only at the time printed on your ticket
The park opens at 09:00 and the palace at 09:30; the last palace ticket is sold at 17:30. Book an early slot so the afternoon stays free for a second site. A park ticket can be upgraded to a palace visit online or at a ticket office, but only if slots remain.
Pick one more site: the Moors' walls, Monserrate or Regaleira
The Castle of the Moors runs along the ridge next to Pena. Monserrate (€12) is a palace set in its own park, though its roofs are under scaffolding until early 2027. Quinta da Regaleira, with its spiral Initiation Well, changed its prices in January 2026; buy only from its official ticket site, as the estate warns about tickets sold elsewhere. A booked slot there stays valid for an hour.
Go by train if you want two palaces; take a tour if you also want Cabo da Roca and Cascais
By train, the CP Train & Bus ticket covers the Sintra line plus buses 434 and 435 for the day. Most Sintra tours add Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of mainland Europe, and Cascais on the way back, which are harder to fit into one day by public transport. A typical Sintra tour costs $177; there are 317 on the catalogue.
317 Sintra tours on Excurgo · from $25, typical $177 per person · rated 4.9 across 71,759 reviews
When is the best time to visit Lisbon?
Lisbon has dry, warm summers and mild, wet winters. By the official 1991–2020 normals, average highs run from 14.4 °C in January to 29.0 °C in August, and most of the 722 mm of annual rain falls between October and April.
May, June and September are the best months
Highs of 22.8–26.8 °C, fewer than six rainy days a month and long evenings for the viewpoints. June brings the Santo António festivities, with the Marchas Populares parading down Avenida da Liberdade on the night of 12–13 June; book rooms early for those dates.
July and August are hot on the hills
August averages nearly 11 days at 30 °C or more and almost three at 35 °C or more. The heat matters more in Lisbon than in flatter cities because so much of the walking is uphill, and the funiculars that used to save the climbs are closed. Plan Alfama and the castle for early morning or the evening.
November to February is the quietest, but the wettest
November is the wettest month at about 115 mm, and December and January average around ten rainy days each. Average lows stay around 8–9 °C, and the castle closes at 18:00 instead of 21:00.
| Month | Max / min | Rain | Rainy days | Days ≥ 30 °C | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 14° / 8° | 96 mm | 10 | 0 | Castle closed 1 January; open to 18:00 |
| February | 16° / 8° | 71 mm | 8 | 0 | Last month of winter castle hours |
| March | 18° / 10° | 67 mm | 7 | 0 | Castle open to 21:00 from 1 March |
| April | 20° / 12° | 63 mm | 8 | 0.1 | Wildfire risk rises from April |
| May | 23° / 14° | 51 mm | 6 | 2.7 | 13 May: main Fátima pilgrimage |
| June | 26° / 17° | 13 mm | 2 | 6.2 | 12–13 June: Santo António festivities |
| July | 28° / 18° | 3 mm | 0.4 | 9.1 | Driest month |
| August | 29° / 19° | 5 mm | 1 | 10.7 | Hottest month |
| September | 27° / 17° | 36 mm | 4 | 6.5 | Still summer weather |
| October | 23° / 15° | 103 mm | 8 | 1.0 | Rain returns; 13 October Fátima pilgrimage |
| November | 18° / 11° | 115 mm | 9 | 0 | Wettest month; castle closes 18:00 |
| December | 15° / 9° | 100 mm | 10 | 0 | Castle closed 24, 25 and 31 December |
Climate figures: IPMA (Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere), climate normals 1991–2020, Lisboa/Gago Coutinho station. Rainy days are days with at least 1 mm.
How do you get from the airport and around Lisbon?
The airport is only about 7 km from the Baixa, and the metro station sits at the edge of the Terminal 1 arrivals hall. Take the Red Line to Alameda and change to the Green Line for Baixa-Chiado. The dedicated Aerobus shuttle no longer runs, so ignore guides that recommend it.
| Ticket or route | Price (2026) | Covers | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single Carris/Metro | €1.90 | One journey within 1 hour (no second metro entry) | Airport run, occasional rides |
| navegante card | €0.50 | Reusable card you load tickets onto | Everyone — buy it first |
| Zapping credit | €1.72 per trip | Pay-as-you-go balance (€3–40) | A few rides a day |
| 24 h Carris/Metro | €7.25 | Metro, buses, trams | 4 or more rides in a day |
| 24 h Carris/Metro/CP | €11.40 | Adds suburban trains (Sintra, Cascais) | A day trip by train |
| Tram fare paid on board | €3.30 | One ride | Avoid it — load the card instead |
The funiculars are not an option in 2026. The Glória funicular derailed on 3 September 2025, killing 16 people. Glória will be replaced by an entirely new lift, expected in 2029; Bica and Lavra were still suspended a year later with no date, and the Santa Justa Lift has been shut since September 2025. The Graça funicular reopened on 30 April 2026.
Tram 28E runs from Martim Moniz through Alfama, past the cathedral and through the Baixa, Chiado and Estrela to Campo de Ourique, about an hour end to end. It is the easiest way up to Alfama, but it is packed for much of the day and pickpockets work it, so keep valuables zipped away.
For Sintra, trains leave Rossio (also Oriente and Entrecampos); for Cascais and Belém by rail, use the Cascais line from Cais do Sodré, about 40 minutes to the end of the line. Évora trains go from Oriente, Sete Rios and Entrecampos.
The best things to do in Lisbon
Must do = don't leave without it · Worth it = if it fits the plan. Tour prices are live from the catalogue.
1. See the Jerónimos cloister and Belém in one morning Must do· book ahead
The Manueline cloister is the reason to pay €18; the church next door holds the tombs of Vasco da Gama and Camões. Pair it with Belém Tower (€15) and finish at Pastéis de Belém, which has baked custard tarts from a monastery recipe on Rua de Belém since 1837. Come on any day but Monday, when the monastery is closed.
2. Climb Alfama to São Jorge Castle Must do· late afternoon
Alfama is the part of Lisbon the 1755 earthquake spared: narrow lanes, the 12th–14th-century cathedral and the Santa Luzia and Portas do Sol viewpoints on the way up. The castle walls (€17) give a wide view over the Baixa and the river, and in summer you can stay until 21:00.
71 walking tours on Excurgo · from $0, typical $40 per person · rated 4.9 across 20,540 reviews
3. Walk the Baixa to Praça do Comércio Must do· free
The rebuilt grid between Rossio and the river is flat, which makes it the easiest part of the city on foot. It ends at the arch on Praça do Comércio, opening straight onto the Tagus. Use it as your orientation walk on day one.
4. Spend a day in Sintra Must do· full day
Pena Palace, the Moors' castle walls and Monserrate fill a day; see the Sintra section for tickets and the best way to get there.
5. Hear fado in Alfama or Mouraria Worth it· evening
Fado has been on UNESCO's intangible heritage list since 2011 and grew up in Alfama, Mouraria and Bairro Alto. Small houses there run evening sets, often with dinner; short shows with a glass of port are the cheaper way in. A typical fado experience costs $67.
17 fado tours on Excurgo · from $16, typical $67 per person · rated 4.6 across 2,209 reviews
6. Learn what to eat on a food tour or a pastel de nata class Worth it
A guided tasting walk is a quick way to find out what to order for the rest of the trip; classes teach the custard tart that Belém made famous. Food tours typically cost $105, nata and cooking classes $99.
84 food tours on Excurgo · from $19, typical $105 per person · rated 4.9 across 33,553 reviews
30 pastel de nata class tours on Excurgo · from $57, typical $99 per person · rated 4.9 across 3,661 reviews
7. Sail the Tagus at sunset Worth it· May–October
Seen from the water, the city spreads up its hills, with the 25 de Abril Bridge downriver and Belém's monuments along the bank. Two-hour shared sailing trips cost a typical $68.
133 sailing tours on Excurgo · from $17, typical $68 per person · rated 4.8 across 19,717 reviews
8. Let a tuk-tuk do the hills Worth it
With Glória, Bica, Lavra and Santa Justa all closed, the climbs are steeper than older guides promise. A tuk-tuk links Alfama, Graça and the viewpoints without the walking; a typical tour costs $111. It suits travellers with limited mobility or little time.
171 tuk-tuk tours on Excurgo · from $16, typical $111 per person · rated 4.9 across 39,714 reviews
9. Visit the Oceanário late in the day Worth it· after 16:00
The aquarium at Parque das Nações prices by time slot: an adult pays €29.90 before 11:30 and €25.50 from 16:00, and booking online takes off another 10%. It opens daily until 20:00, so it works well as a rainy afternoon.
10. Cycle the riverfront to Belém Worth it
The riverside route west to Belém is the flattest ride in the city, while e-bike tours handle the hills of the centre. Bike tours typically cost $46.
28 bike tours on Excurgo · from $18, typical $46 per person · rated 4.8 across 5,391 reviews
11. Look for dolphins in the estuary Worth it
A handful of operators run boat trips with marine biologists out of Lisbon; there are only 6 such tours, at a typical $69.
6 dolphin watching tours on Excurgo · from $59, typical $69 per person · rated 5.0 across 1,352 reviews
Worth skipping
- Queuing for the Santa Justa Lift or the Glória funicular. Both have been out of service since September 2025; Glória is not expected back before 2029.
- Tram 28 at midday from Martim Moniz. Ride early or late, or board mid-route; at peak it is crowded and a target for pickpockets.
- Regaleira tickets from unofficial websites. The estate warns that visitors arrive with tickets bought elsewhere; use its own ticket office.
- Driving to Pena. Private vehicles are not authorised on the access road; take the train and bus 434.
- Paying tram fares in cash on board. €3.30 per ride against €1.90 on a card, or a €7.25 day ticket.
What are the best day trips from Lisbon?
Verdict: Sintra first, with Cabo da Roca and Cascais if you take a tour. For a second day, choose Évora for Roman ruins and an easy train, or the Fátima–Nazaré–Óbidos circuit by tour.
| Where | On your own | Time each way | Tours on Excurgo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sintra | CP train from Rossio, then bus 434 to Pena | 35–45 min by train | 317, typical $177 |
| Cascais and Cabo da Roca | Cascais line from Cais do Sodré (25 km) | About 40 min to Cascais | Usually combined with Sintra |
| Évora | CP train from Oriente, Sete Rios or Entrecampos; or Rede Expressos bus | About 1 h 30 (bus 1 h 45) | 33, typical $244 |
| Fátima, Nazaré, Óbidos | Best by tour in one day | Full day | 147, typical $211 |
| Arrábida and Setúbal wine | Best by tour | Full day | 42, typical $171 |
| Porto | Long day; many tours stop at Óbidos, Nazaré or Fátima | Full day | 33, typical $457 |
Cabo da Roca is the westernmost point of continental Europe, about 42 km west of Lisbon, with a lighthouse some 165 m above the Atlantic. Its cliffs and wind make it a short stop rather than a destination, which is why tours slot it between Sintra and Cascais.
Évora, about 140 km east, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986. The 1st-century Roman temple and the Chapel of Bones in the Church of St Francis are the highlights, and direct trains take about an hour and a half, so it works without a tour.
33 Évora tours on Excurgo · from $57, typical $244 per person · rated 4.8 across 1,505 reviews
Fátima has drawn pilgrims since the apparitions of 1917. Avoid 13 May and 13 October unless you are going for the pilgrimage: crowds at the sanctuary can reach hundreds of thousands on those days. Most tours combine it with the seaside town of Nazaré and walled Óbidos.
147 Fátima, Nazaré and Óbidos tours on Excurgo · from $6, typical $211 per person · rated 4.8 across 14,052 reviews
42 Arrábida and Setúbal tours on Excurgo · from $56, typical $171 per person · rated 4.9 across 3,141 reviews
How many days do you need in Lisbon?
Three full days cover Belém, Alfama and the castle, the Baixa and an evening on the river; add a fourth for Sintra. Five days leave room for Évora or Fátima, or for slower days that the hills make welcome.
2 days
Day 1: the Baixa, Alfama and the castle at sunset. Day 2: Jerónimos, Belém Tower and pastéis in the morning, a sunset sail or fado at night.
Tickets ≈ €50 · fado ≈ $67
4 days
The two days above, plus a full day in Sintra (Pena and one more site) and a day for a food tour, the Oceanário and the viewpoints.
Tickets ≈ €95 · Sintra tour ≈ $177
6 days
Four days as above, plus Évora by train and the Fátima–Nazaré–Óbidos circuit or a lazy day in Cascais.
Tickets ≈ €108 · Évora trip ≈ $244
Ticket sums: 2 days — Jerónimos €18, Belém Tower €15, castle €17. 4 days — plus Pena Essential €20 and the Oceanário from €25.50 (after 16:00). 6 days — plus a Monserrate ticket (€12). Transport, train fares and the Lisboa Card change the totals.
How much do tours and tickets cost in Lisbon?
Price ranges per person from the 1,440 Lisbon tours on Excurgo. Entry tickets for the big monuments are cheap by comparison (€15–20), so the gap between a self-guided day and a tour is mostly the guide and the transport.
| Activity | Tours | From | Typical | Top end |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sintra day trips | 317 | $25 | $177 | $365 |
| Fátima, Nazaré and Óbidos | 147 | $6 | $211 | $394 |
| Évora and Alentejo | 33 | $57 | $244 | $480 |
| Arrábida and Setúbal wine | 42 | $56 | $171 | $257 |
| Porto day trips | 33 | $107 | $457 | $856 |
| Tuk-tuk tours | 171 | $16 | $111 | $285 |
| Walking tours | 71 | $0 | $40 | $194 |
| Food and wine walks | 84 | $19 | $105 | $207 |
| Pastel de nata and cooking classes | 30 | $57 | $99 | $206 |
| Fado shows | 17 | $16 | $67 | $182 |
| Tagus sailing and sunset cruises | 133 | $17 | $68 | $514 |
| Bike and e-bike tours | 28 | $18 | $46 | $147 |
| Dolphin watching | 6 | $59 | $69 | $74 |
| Belém and Jerónimos tours | 39 | $1 | $79 | $297 |
| São Jorge Castle tours | 5 | $23 | $37 | $38 |
| Surf lessons | 21 | $29 | $46 | $103 |
“Typical” is the median price; “top end” is the 90th percentile (private and premium options). 99% of Lisbon tours offer free cancellation.
21 surf lessons tours on Excurgo · from $29, typical $46 per person · rated 4.9 across 1,219 reviews
Where should you stay in Lisbon, and what is the tourist tax?
Verdict: for a first visit, stay in the Baixa or just above it in Chiado: flat streets, the metro and trams on the doorstep, and Rossio and Cais do Sodré stations for Sintra and Cascais within walking distance. With the funiculars closed, a base at the bottom of the hills saves real effort.
Alfama puts you among the fado houses and below the castle, but expect steep lanes and stairs everywhere. Belém is calm and close to the monuments, though far from the evening life of the centre. Parque das Nações is modern and next to Oriente station and the Oceanário, handy for early trains to Sintra or Évora but a metro ride from the old town.
| Tourist tax | €4 per person per night |
|---|---|
| Since | 1 September 2024 (was €2) |
| Maximum | 7 consecutive nights (€28 per person) |
| Exempt | Children under 13 |
Rules, safety and money in Lisbon
Lisbon's main risk for visitors is petty theft. The UK Foreign Office warns about street crime on public transport and at crowded tram and bus stops, where thieves work in teams and use distraction, so the classic hot spot is a full tram 28.
- Pickpockets: keep phones and wallets zipped and split your cards and cash. Carry a copy of your passport photo page.
- Nightlife: drink spiking happens; buy your own drinks and keep them in sight. Measures are often stronger than in the UK.
- Drugs: illegal drugs carry severe penalties, including long prison sentences; ignore anyone offering them on the street.
- Beaches: a red flag means no swimming, yellow means paddling at the edge only. In a rip current, swim parallel to the shore.
- Wildfires: the risk peaks from April to October; starting a fire, even by accident, is a crime. Emergency number 112.
- Driving: photo ID is mandatory and must be shown to police on request.
- Tipping: not expected; rounding up or about 5–10% for good restaurant service is usual. Check whether service is already included.
- Entry: UK visitors can stay 90 days in any 180 in the Schengen area; on the first entry you may be asked for fingerprints and a photo under the EU Entry/Exit System.
UK passports must have been issued less than 10 years before arrival and stay valid for at least 3 months after leaving the Schengen area.
Mistakes travellers regret in Lisbon
- Trusting pre-2025 prices. Jerónimos is now €18 and Belém Tower €15, not €12 and €8.
- Turning up at Belém Tower without a slot. Only 60 people get in every half hour since May 2026.
- Planning Belém for a Monday. Jerónimos is closed on Mondays.
- Counting on the Glória funicular or the Santa Justa Lift. Both have been out of service since September 2025.
- Buying the €45 Pena ticket by default. The €20 Essential Visit already includes the state rooms, terraces and park.
- Booking a late Pena slot. The last palace ticket goes at 17:30, and a second Sintra site needs time.
- Trying to drive or taxi up to Pena. Private vehicles are not allowed; use the train and bus 434.
- Going to Fátima on 13 May or 13 October without meaning to join the pilgrimage.
- Paying for every tram ride on board. €3.30 each, against a €7.25 day ticket.
- Booking the Oceanário for the morning. The 16:00–18:30 slot is €4.40 cheaper per adult.
Lisbon FAQ
How much is a Jerónimos Monastery ticket in 2026?
€18 for an adult to visit the cloister, up from €12 since January 2025; reduced tickets start at €9 and children under 12 with an adult go free. The monastery is closed on Mondays. It is also free with the Lisboa Card, though a slot booking is still needed.
Is Belém Tower open again?
Yes. It reopened on 27 May 2026 after about a year of restoration. Entry is limited to 60 people every half hour and 900 a day, from 09:30 to 17:30 with last entry at 17:00. The adult ticket has been €15 since 2025.
Which Pena Palace ticket should I buy?
The Essential Visit at €20 suits most visitors: it covers the New Palace wing, the terraces and the park. The Complete Visit at €45 adds the Private Apartments in groups of up to 20. Palace entry is only at the time on your ticket.
Can you drive to Pena Palace?
No. Parques de Sintra says private vehicles are not authorised to reach the monument. Take the CP train to Sintra station and Scotturb bus 434, walk the marked trails, or join a tour.
Is the Lisboa Card worth it?
Usually the 48-hour card is. At €51 it covers Jerónimos, Belém Tower, São Jorge Castle and all city transport, which cost about €65 bought separately. It also includes the train to Sintra and Cascais, but Pena and Regaleira are only discounted.
How do I get from Lisbon airport to the city centre?
Take the metro from the station by Terminal 1 arrivals: Red Line to Alameda, then Green Line to Baixa-Chiado. A single ticket is €1.90 plus €0.50 for the reusable card. The Aerobus shuttle no longer runs.
Are the Santa Justa Lift and the Glória funicular open?
No. After the Glória derailment of 3 September 2025, Glória, Bica and Lavra stopped, and the Santa Justa Lift has been closed since September 2025. Glória is due to be replaced by a new lift around 2029. Only the Graça funicular has reopened.
How much is the tourist tax in Lisbon?
€4 per person per night since September 2024, charged for up to seven consecutive nights, so at most €28 per person. Children under 13 are exempt.
When is the best time to visit Lisbon?
May, June and September, with highs of about 23–27 °C and few rainy days. July and August are the hottest, with around 9–11 days a month at 30 °C or more, while November is the wettest month.
Is Lisbon safe for tourists?
Generally yes; the main problem is pickpocketing on crowded public transport and at tram stops, with tram 28 the best-known target. Keep valuables zipped, buy your own drinks at night and ignore street offers of drugs, which carry severe penalties.
Sources and how this guide is made
Written by the Excurgo editorial team with AI assistance. We are a tour comparison site, not a tour operator, and we have not personally tested every tour. Every fact was researched in official and specialist sources and checked against them before publication; prices, ratings and tour counts come from our live catalogue of 1,440 Lisbon tours. Ratings and review counts are collected by Viator and Tripadvisor. Tours are picked by rating weighted by number of reviews (at least 20); we earn a commission from Viator when you book, and it does not affect the order.
- Parques de Sintra — Pena Palace prices, hours and access (Oct 2026)
- Parques de Sintra — Pena Essential Visit (Oct 2026)
- Parques de Sintra — Monserrate prices and works (Oct 2026)
- Castelo de São Jorge — ticket prices (Oct 2026)
- Castelo de São Jorge — opening hours (Oct 2026)
- Museus e Monumentos de Portugal — official ticket office (Oct 2026)
- Metropolitano de Lisboa — 2026 fares (Dec 2025)
- CP – Comboios de Portugal — Sintra by train, Train & Bus ticket (Oct 2026)
- Turismo de Lisboa — Lisboa Card (Oct 2026)
- IPMA — climate normals 1991–2020, Lisbon (2024)
- Oceanário de Lisboa — tickets and hours (Oct 2026)
- GOV.UK — Portugal safety and security (Oct 2026)
- DNoticias (Lusa) — 2025 national monument price rises (Jan 2025)
- Sábado (Lusa) — Belém Tower reopening and entry limits (May 2026)
- RFM — status of Lisbon's funiculars and lifts a year after Glória (Sep 2026)
Photos come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences (CC BY, CC BY-SA, CC0 or public domain); the author and licence are shown under each one. They show the places described, not the exact tours listed.
Changelog. 12 October 2026: guide published with 2026 prices (Jerónimos €18, Belém Tower €15, Pena from €20), the May 2026 Belém Tower reopening and the status of Lisbon's funiculars.
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