Visit Lisbon Guide
Things to Do in Lisbon
Twenty-five things to do in Lisbon, in the order a first visit should take them and numbered to the pins on the map. Each card carries the official adult price, the closed day and a book-ahead tier of one to three dots, read from the venue's own site or from museusemonumentos.pt on 29 August 2026; ten of the twenty-five cost nothing, and three that every older list still recommends are closed with no reopening date. The Lisbon city guide homepage has the short version; this page has the whole list.
Quick answer The four to book, the ten that are free, the three that are closed
Four Lisbon attractions are worth booking before you land: Belém Tower, which reopened on 27 May 2026 with timed slots, the Jerónimos cloister, the Oceanário, whose morning slot costs €4 more than its late one, and Pena Palace in Sintra, which refuses late arrivals. Everything else on this list sells a ticket at the door or is free. Prices and days are the ones we read on the official sites on 29 August 2026.
Key takeaways
- Book in this order: a Belém Tower slot, then the Jerónimos cloister ticket, then the Oceanário entry for a late-afternoon tier, then a Pena Palace day tour with the timed ticket included.
- Free with no ticket: the Jerónimos church, Praça do Comércio, Alfama and its miradouros, Time Out Market, LX Factory, Pink Street, the Pastéis de Belém queue, the São Vicente street market, the walk along the Belém riverfront and the view from Pilar 7's stairs at €3.
- Closed and still on other people's lists: the Santa Justa lift and the Glória, Bica and Lavra funiculars (since 3 September 2025), the National Tile Museum (since 1 November 2025). The funiculars page has the replacement buses.
- With one day, keep Belém in the morning, the castle and Alfama after lunch, and a three-hour walk through Rossio, Chiado and Alfama if you want the streets explained; the one-day route places the slots.
The 25, grouped by area and numbered to the map
Sort by rating, price or time needed with the chips, or filter by district. Ratings and review counts are GetYourGuide's own figures for the linked ticket; where no ticket card exists the rating field stays empty rather than borrowing one. Prices are the official adult fare read on 29 August 2026 and shown in euros; add about seventeen per cent for dollars. Time needed is our routing estimate unless the venue states one.
Belém
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Jerónimos Monastery
Monastery★ 4.2 (15,689)from €181 h 15 minbook-ahead tier 2 of 3
The Manueline cloister is the €18 ticket, Tuesday to Sunday 9:30 to 17:30 with last entry at 17:00 and the ticket office shut at 16:30. The church next door is free through its own door, Tuesday to Saturday 10:30 to 17:00 and Sunday afternoons only. Closed Mondays, 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 13 June and 25 December. No combined ticket with Belém Tower is printed on either page.
Tip: Do the free church first at 10:30, then the cloister; the cloister queue is shortest in the last hour, but 17:00 last entry is strict.
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Belém Tower
Monumentfrom €1545 minbook-ahead tier 3 of 3
Reopened on 27 May 2026 after thirteen months of conservation works, with a slot-based entry system it never had before. €15 adult, Tuesday to Sunday to 17:30; the English page opens it at 9:00 and the Portuguese page at 9:30, and we print both because the official site does. Under-12s free, 65+ and 13–24 half price under the MMP rule.
Tip: Take the first slot of the day: the tower is four floors of one-way spiral stair and a full slot moves at the pace of its slowest visitor.
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Monument to the Discoveries
Viewpointfrom €1040 minbook-ahead tier 1 of 3
The €10 ticket buys the lift to the top, the exhibition and the film. Daily 10:00 to 19:00 from March to September with last entry at 18:30, to 18:00 from October to February; closed 1 January, 1 May and 24, 25 and 31 December. Youth 13–25 €5, over-65s €8.50, under-12s and Lisboa Card holders free. Open on Mondays, which nothing else in Belém is.
Tip: The compass-rose pavement in front is free and photographs better than the view from the top; go up only for the roofline of Jerónimos.
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Pastéis de Belém
Bakeryfrom Free30 minbook-ahead tier 1 of 3
Baking since 1837 at Rua de Belém 84–92, open every day 8:00 to 21:00 and to 22:00 from July to September; the site prints no prices, so neither do we. The takeaway queue and the sit-down rooms are separate lines, and the rooms are usually the faster of the two.
Tip: Arrive before 9:00 or after 19:00; the middle of the day is the coach-party window.
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National Coach Museum
Museum★ 4.5 (54)from €151 hbook-ahead tier 1 of 3
Royal and papal coaches in a 2015 building on Avenida da Índia, €15 adult, Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00 with last entry at 17:30. Closed Mondays, 1 January, 1 May, Easter Sunday, 13 June and 24–25 December. The old riding hall across the road, the Picadeiro Real, is priced separately and its fare is not stated on the official page.
Tip: The best-attended museum in Portugal by the state's own count, and never full: walk up.
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MAAT
Museumfrom €161 hbook-ahead tier 1 of 3
The tiled wave on the riverfront and the old power station behind it. €16 for non-residents and €12 for residents in Portugal, Wednesday to Monday 10:00 to 19:00, closed Tuesdays. Thursday and Friday evenings 19:00 to 21:00 cost €8. The roof walk is free and needs no ticket.
Tip: Closed on Tuesday, when the rest of Belém is open; open on Monday, when the rest of Belém is shut.
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Ajuda National Palace
Palacefrom €151 h 30 minbook-ahead tier 1 of 3
The nineteenth-century royal residence uphill from Belém, €15 adult, Thursday to Tuesday 10:00 to 18:00, closed Wednesdays. The Royal Treasure Museum in its new wing is run separately by Turismo de Lisboa at €11, open daily; a combined ticket exists but its price is not stated on either page.
Tip: Nobody queues here. Bus 760 from Belém climbs the hill in ten minutes; the walk is twenty-five and steep.
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Ponte 25 de Abril and Pilar 7
Viewpointfrom €340 minbook-ahead tier 1 of 3
The bridge's seventh pillar holds a viewing platform at deck level. The lift is under repair, so the platform is reached by 372 stairs and the shop sells the ticket at a reduced €3 instead of €3.70; daily 10:00 to 18:00, last entry 17:00, closed 25 December. Lisboa Card holders and under-5s free.
Tip: Pair it with LX Factory, three minutes on foot under the bridge deck.
Alcântara and the riverfront
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LX Factory
Creative quarterfrom Free1 h 30 minbook-ahead tier 1 of 3
A 1846 textile works under the bridge, now shops, studios and the Ler Devagar bookshop. Entry is free and there is no ticket. The official site returned no readable hours on 29 August 2026, so opening times and the Sunday market schedule are not stated here; each shop keeps its own.
Tip: Sunday is the market day by reputation, but check a shop's own page before you build a morning around it.
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Time Out Market
Food hallfrom Free1 hbook-ahead tier 1 of 3
Twenty-six kitchens and eight bars in the Mercado da Ribeira, free to enter, Sunday to Wednesday 10:00 to midnight and Thursday to Saturday to 02:00. The fresh-produce market keeps its own side of the building in the mornings.
Tip: 13:00 to 14:30 is the fight for a table; eat at 12:00 or after 15:00, or take the food to the river wall opposite.
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Pink Street
Streetfrom Free20 minbook-ahead tier 1 of 3
Rua Nova do Carvalho, painted pink in 2011 and roofed with umbrellas in summer, two minutes from Time Out Market. A public street with no hours, no ticket and no official page; the bars along it open late and close later.
Tip: Photograph it empty at 10:00; come back after 23:00 for what it is actually for.
Baixa and Chiado
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Praça do Comércio
Squarefrom Free30 minbook-ahead tier 1 of 3
Pombal's riverfront square, free at any hour. The Arco da Rua Augusta viewpoint is a €5 extra, daily 10:00 to 19:00 with last entry at 18:30, lift to the second floor then 74 steps; under-5s and Lisboa Card holders free. The tourist office on the square is open daily 10:00 to 19:00.
Tip: The arch is the cheapest paid view in the city and looks straight down Rua Augusta; do it at 18:00 when the light is along the street.
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Santa Justa Lift
Liftfrom €6.2020 minbook-ahead tier 1 of 3
CLOSED since 3 September 2025, together with the three funiculars, after the Glória derailment; Carris has published no reopening date. When it runs, the onboard fare is €6.20 for up to two trips plus the viewpoint, and it is not included in the €7.25 24-hour pass. The viewing platform at the top is reachable on foot from Largo do Carmo behind the Carmo ruins.
Tip: Skip the lift entirely and walk up from the Carmo side — that was the better route even before the closure.
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Carmo Convent
Ruin and museumfrom €745 minbook-ahead tier 1 of 3
The roofless Gothic nave the 1755 earthquake left standing, with the archaeological museum in the chancel. €7 adult, €5 for students, over-65s and Lisboa Card holders; Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 19:00 from May to October and to 18:00 from November to April, last entry twenty minutes before closing. Closed Sundays, 1 January, 1 May and 25 December.
Tip: Open on Monday, when the state museums are not. The nave is at its best under a clear evening sky at 18:00.
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Glória, Bica and Lavra funiculars
Funicularfrom €4.3010 minbook-ahead tier 1 of 3
All three CLOSED since the Glória car derailed on 3 September 2025. Carris runs replacement buses 51E for Glória, 22B for Bica and 19B for Lavra; a mission team is designing a new system for Glória and no reopening date is published. When running, €4.30 on board for up to two trips, not included in the 24-hour pass.
Tip: The Bica street itself, with the car parked at the top, is still the photograph; walk it downhill from Calhariz.
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Tram 28
Tramfrom €3.301 hbook-ahead tier 1 of 3
Martim Moniz to Campo de Ourique on a 1930s Remodelado car, through Graça, Alfama, Baixa, Chiado and Estrela. €3.30 on board in 2026, €1.72 with zapping on a €0.50 navegante card, or covered by the €7.25 24-hour Carris and Metro pass. Cash is not accepted on some cars; contactless is.
Tip: Board at Martim Moniz before 8:30 or ride the Prazeres-bound car from Estrela in the evening; from 10:00 the queue at Martim Moniz is longer than the ride.
Alfama, the castle and the east
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São Jorge Castle
Castle★ 4.3 (2,567)from €171 h 30 minbook-ahead tier 2 of 3
Eleven towers on the highest hill and the widest view of the city. €17 adult, €8.50 for ages 13–25, €14 for over-65s, free under 12 and with the Lisboa Card. Daily 9:00 to 21:00 from March to October with last admission at 20:30, to 18:00 from November to February; closed 1 January, 1 May and 24, 25 and 31 December. The ramparts shut earlier than the gates as the light goes.
Tip: The 9:00 opening or after 18:30 in summer. The e-ticket saves the ticket-office line, which at 11:00 in August runs down the street.
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Lisbon Cathedral
Cathedral★ 4.4 (1,315)from €745 minbook-ahead tier 1 of 3
The Sé, begun in 1147, with a single €7 ticket covering the high choir, the bell-tower balcony, the treasury and the naves; €5 for children 7–12 and Lisboa Card holders. May to October it opens 9:30 to 19:00 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 10:00 to 18:00 on Wednesday and Saturday; November to April 10:00 to 18:00 Monday to Saturday. Closed Sundays and holy days to visitors; last entry 45 minutes before closing.
Tip: The tower balcony faces the river and the tram 28 bend below; it is the best €7 view in Alfama.
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Alfama
Districtfrom Free2 hbook-ahead tier 1 of 3
The district the earthquake spared, downhill from the castle to the river. Free and open at every hour; the miradouros of Santa Luzia and Portas do Sol are the two balconies, and the Feira da Ladra flea market at Campo de Santa Clara (Tuesdays and Saturdays by long custom; the city publishes no page we could read) is the one fixed event. The fado houses open from about 20:00.
Tip: Walk it downhill from Portas do Sol; every uphill route ends in a stair.
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National Pantheon
Monument★ 4.4 (59)from €1045 minbook-ahead tier 1 of 3
The white dome of Santa Engrácia, 285 years from first stone to consecration, with a rooftop terrace over Alfama and the river. €10 adult, Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00 from April to September and to 17:00 from October to March, last entry thirty minutes before closing. Closed Mondays and the MMP holidays; state ceremonies close it without much notice.
Tip: Tuesday and Saturday mornings the flea market fills the square outside; the terrace is the quiet place to watch it from.
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National Tile Museum
Museumfrom €101 h 30 minbook-ahead tier 1 of 3
CLOSED since 1 November 2025 for building works funded by the recovery plan; the April 2026 ministry statistics still list it as shut and no reopening date is published. When open, €10 adult, Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00. The museum shop has moved to Palácio Foz on Restauradores.
Tip: For tiles while it is shut: the São Vicente cloisters at €8, the Fronteira palace by guided tour, or a tile-painting workshop.
North, east and across the river
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Gulbenkian Museum
Museumfrom Not stated1 h 30 minbook-ahead tier 1 of 3
Calouste Gulbenkian's collection in a 1969 garden building on Avenida de Berna: Lalique, Persian carpets, Rembrandt. Wednesday to Monday 10:00 to 18:00, closed Tuesdays, under-18s free and free for everyone on Sundays from 14:00 per the museum's own snippet. The adult price is not stated here because gulbenkian.pt refused our fetch on 29 August 2026, and the reported closure of the Founder's Collection galleries is unverified.
Tip: The garden is free and open every day; go for the Sunday afternoon if the price matters.
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Oceanário de Lisboa
Aquarium★ 4.6 (11,351)from €252 hbook-ahead tier 2 of 3
Europe's largest indoor aquarium, priced by the hour you walk in: adults €29 before 11:30, €27 from 12:00 to 15:30, €25 from 16:00; children 3–12 €17, €16 and €15; over-65s €19, €18 and €17. Daily 10:00 to 20:00 with last entry at 19:00, no closed days, 5 per cent off online with the code the site prints.
Tip: The €25 tier from 16:00 still leaves three hours; the morning tier buys you the school groups.
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Cristo Rei
Viewpointfrom €102 h with the crossingbook-ahead tier 1 of 3
The 1959 Christ statue on the south bank, with a lift to the terrace at the statue's feet. €10 for anyone 13 and over, €3 for ages 8–12, free to 7; daily 10:00 to 19:00 from April to September and to 18:00 from October to March, last ascent twenty minutes before closing. The ferry to Cacilhas costs €1.60 with zapping and the bus up the hill is not on the 24-hour pass.
Tip: This is the only place the bridge and the whole city sit in one frame; go at 17:30 in summer for the low light.
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Sintra and Pena Palace
Day trip★ 4.7 (23,619)from €45Full daybook-ahead tier 3 of 3
Forty minutes by CP train from Rossio, and the one day trip most first visits make. Pena park and palace €45 adult, with a dated and timed slot for the interior, no late tolerance at all and a thirty-minute uphill walk from the gate to the door. The Lisboa Card covers the train but not Pena. Regaleira is €20 with an hour's tolerance on its slot.
Tip: Take the 9:30 palace slot or the last one; the middle of the day is a queue on a hillside.
Numbers match the list — tap a pin for the guide.
Top 10 at a glance
The first ten we would take, with the official adult price, the summer hours and the closed day, read from museusemonumentos.pt, castelodesaojorge.pt, sedelisboa.pt, oceanario.pt, padraodosdescobrimentos.pt, carris.pt and parquesdesintra.pt on 29 August 2026. Book-ahead is our tier: walk in, days ahead, or weeks ahead.
| Rank and place | Official adult | Hours (summer) | Closed | Book ahead | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Jerónimos cloister | €18 (about $21) | Tue–Sun 9:30–17:30, last entry 17:00 | Mondays | Days ahead | Check |
| 2. Belém Tower | €15 (about $18) | Tue–Sun 9:00 or 9:30–17:30, timed | Mondays | Weeks ahead | |
| 3. São Jorge Castle | €17 (about $20) | Daily 9:00–21:00, last entry 20:30 | 1 Jan, 1 May, 24–25 and 31 Dec | Days ahead | Check |
| 4. Alfama and its miradouros | Free | Always | Never | Walk in | |
| 5. Praça do Comércio | Free; arch €5 | Arch daily 10:00–19:00 | Not stated | Walk in | |
| 6. Tram 28 | €3.30 on board | Not stated by Carris | Never | Walk in | Check |
| 7. Oceanário | €25–29 by hour | Daily 10:00–20:00, last entry 19:00 | Never | Days ahead | Check |
| 8. Lisbon Cathedral | €7 (about $8) | Mon–Sat from 9:30 or 10:00 | Sundays | Walk in | Check |
| 9. Time Out Market | Free | Sun–Wed 10:00–00:00, Thu–Sat to 02:00 | Not stated | Walk in | |
| 10. Pena Palace, Sintra | €45 park + palace | Palace 9:30–18:30, last entry 18:00 | Not stated | Weeks ahead | Check |
Belém Tower hours are printed as a range because the monument's English and Portuguese pages disagree on the opening time. Dollar figures at €1 = $1.17.
Tickets and tours for the top 10
Every card links to the operator's own page, where the date calendar shows what is still open. Prices in euros as listed on GetYourGuide on 29 August 2026; the official fare sits beside it in the list above so you can see the difference.
from €18
Lisbon: Jerónimos Monastery Entrance Ticket
€18 — listed at $20.85; the platform charges in your own currency
Listing details checked 2026-08-29
Plain entry ticket to the 16th-century Manueline monastery in Belém. The official shop sells the same ticket — compare before booking.
Check Availability
from €27
Lisbon: São Jorge Castle E-Ticket and Audio Guide
€27 — listed at $28.78; the platform charges in your own currency
Listing details checked 2026-08-29
E-ticket to São Jorge Castle with a self-guided audio tour on your own phone; stay one to four hours. Bring headphones — the audio is your only guide.
- Enjoy a hassle-free visit with an entry e-ticket for the St. George Castle
- Download the app, the tickets & the audio tour on your phone prior to your visit
- Marvel at the Ulysses tower, King Manuel I statue, and the Santa Luzia viewpoint
- Discover the Martim Moniz Door, the Castle’s Neighbourhood and more
from €25
Lisbon: Oceanário de Lisboa Entrance Ticket
€25 — listed at $28.96; the platform charges in your own currency
Listing details checked 2026-08-29
Pre-booked entry to the Oceanário in Parque das Nações — 8,000-plus animals across four ocean habitats around one central tank. The official site sells the same ticket.
- Discover more than 8,000 sea creatures from 500 different species at Lisbon Oceanarium
- Explore marine life in Europe’s largest aquarium
- See sharks, coral reefs, the only 2 existing sea otters in Europe and much more
from €22
Best of Lisbon Walking Tour: Rossio, Chiado & Alfama
€22 — listed at $25.49; the platform charges in your own currency
Listing details checked 2026-08-29
Three-hour walk from Rossio and the Carmo Church ruins through Chiado and Baixa into Alfama, with one pastry stop. The cheaper of the two city walks here.
- Experience central Lisbon's major sites on a guided walking tour
- Stroll through the city's neighborhoods, including Chiado, Baixa, and Alfama
- Learn about Lisbon's revolutionary past in Restauradores Square
- Get a taste of local flavors with an included custard tart tasting
from €25
Lisbon: History, Stories and Lifestyle Walking Tour
€25 — listed at $28.96; the platform charges in your own currency
Listing details checked 2026-08-29
Three-hour guided walk through Chiado and Bairro Alto up to the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, built around the city's history and everyday life. Hills and cobbles…
- Visit the Bairro Alto, dating from the 16th century
- Take in the views from Miradouro São Pedro de Alcântara
- Take a ride on an iconic Lisbon tram
- Explore the Alfama district, the city’s oldest and most picturesque neighborhood
from €44
Lisbon: Sintra, Pena, Regaleira & Cabo Roca Coast & Cascais
€44 — listed at $28.03; the platform charges in your own currency
Listing details checked 2026-08-29
Ten-hour Sintra circuit at the low end of the price range: Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira, free time at Cabo da Roca, then Cascais, Guincho and Estoril…
- Discover the fairytale village of Sintra and its unique atmosphere
- Visit the mysterious Quinta da Regaleira, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Explore the colorful Pena Palace, one of Portugal’s Seven Wonders
- Enjoy breathtaking views of Cape Roca, the westernmost point of mainland Europe
from €20
Lisbon Tram No. 28 Ride & Walking Tour
€20 — listed at $23.17; the platform charges in your own currency
Listing details checked 2026-08-29
Three-hour combination of a ride on Tram 28 up the hill and a guided walk through Alfama and its viewpoints. Solves the packed-tram problem by riding it with…
- Ride the historic Tram No. 28 across Lisbon Old Town
- Enjoy breathtaking and panoramic city views
- Walk through the picturesque neighborhood of Alfama
- Learn about Fado
from €7
Lisbon: Lisbon Cathedral Entry Ticket
€7 — listed at $8.11; the platform charges in your own currency
Listing details checked 2026-08-29
Seven-euro entry ticket to the Sé covering the baptistery, treasury, high choir and the balcony over Alfama. The nave itself is free — the ticket is for the…
- The church that saw Saint Anthony grow and keeps the relics of Saint Vincent!
- Explore different architectural styles
- Discover the Treasury of the Patriarchal Sé
from €20
Lisbon: Top-Rated Authentic Fado Show & Wine
€20 — listed at $15.06; the platform charges in your own currency
Listing details checked 2026-08-29
Fifty-minute live Fado show with explanations between songs and a glass of wine. A show, not a dinner — eat before or after.
- Experience one of Lisbon’s highest-rated Fado shows
- Enjoy a glass of Port wine or Moscatel
- Hear live traditional Fado from male and female singers
- Learn about Fado’s history, instruments, and songs from the musicians
from €25
Lisbon: Hills, Alfama, and Mouraria Tour by Electric Bike
€25 — listed at $28.96; the platform charges in your own currency
Listing details checked 2026-08-29
Three-hour e-bike ride through Alfama, Mouraria and Graça, using the motor to take the hills. Cobbles and traffic still demand a confident rider.
- Alfama: Lisbon’s oldest neighborhood and the most charming one
- National Pantheon: it’s a majestic baroque monument
- Nossa Sra. Do Monte: One of the city highest points with a magnificent views
- Saint Jorge Castle: One of the most emblematic monuments.
from €19
Lisbon: Tagus River Cruise with Welcome Drink
€19 — listed at $17.39; the platform charges in your own currency
Listing details checked 2026-08-29
Ninety-minute Tagus cruise past Alfama, Praça do Comércio and Belém Tower with a welcome drink. The cheapest way to see the waterfront from the river.
- Capture pictures of Lisbon from the Tagus River to share with friends
- Admire the vibrantly colored historic buildings in the Alfama quarter
- Marvel at the Tower of Belém fortification which reaches into the water
- Get up close to the 2,277-meter-long '25th of April' suspension bridge
from €130
Lisbon: Private Guided Tuk-Tuk Tour with Hotel Pickup
€130 — listed at $150.60; the platform charges in your own currency
Listing details checked 2026-08-29
Private tuk-tuk with hotel pickup and driver commentary for two to four hours around Lisbon's landmarks. Priced per tuk-tuk, so it makes more sense for a group than…
- See the highlights of Lisbon and enjoy breathtaking views
- Ride up and down the city’s hills and visit its old neighborhoods
- Explore the city in a fun and easy way by tuk tuk
from €65
Lisbon: Dolphin Watching Ocean Safari with Marine Biologist
€65 — listed at $71.53; the platform charges in your own currency
Listing details checked 2026-08-29
Three-hour speedboat run out of the Tagus onto the Atlantic with a marine biologist, looking for dolphins in a small group. Wild animals — sightings are likely, not…
- Learn about wildlife and cetaceans near Lisbon
- Scan the ocean in search of dolphins with marine biologists
- Enjoy riding on a safe, fast, and comfortable speedboat
- See Lisbon's gorgeous coastline and Bugio Lighthouse
from €10
Lisbon: National Pantheon Entry Ticket
€10 — listed at $11.58; the platform charges in your own currency
Listing details checked 2026-08-29
Entry ticket to the Baroque National Pantheon in Alfama, with its tombs of Portuguese notables and the dome terrace. Covered by the Lisboa Card and sold at the…
Check Availability
from €20
Lisbon: National Coach Museum Entry Ticket and Audio Guide
€20 — listed at $23.05; the platform charges in your own currency
Listing details checked 2026-08-29
E-ticket to the National Coach Museum in Belém with a downloadable phone audio tour; allow an hour to ninety minutes. Bring headphones.
Check AvailabilityHow to plan a day around the openings
Lisbon attractions close on three different weekdays, and the split decides the shape of a visit more than any ranking. Read the table before you fix the order of your days. Two figures are missing on purpose: the Gulbenkian's adult price and LX Factory's hours, whose official pages could not be read on 29 August 2026, are stated as not stated rather than guessed.
The state monuments run by Museus e Monumentos de Portugal — Jerónimos, Belém Tower, the Coach Museum, the Pantheon, Ajuda and, when it reopens, the Tile Museum — shut every Monday. The cathedral and the Carmo Convent close on Sunday instead. The Gulbenkian and MAAT close on Tuesday, Ajuda on Wednesday.
The castle, the Oceanário, the Monument to the Discoveries, Cristo Rei and the Pena Palace open seven days. So the week has a shape: Monday is for the castle, Alfama, the Carmo, MAAT and the Discoveries monument; Sunday is for Belém's state sites and the Gulbenkian's free afternoon; Tuesday to Saturday is when everything is open at once and the Monday closures page becomes unnecessary.
| Closed day | Closes | Still open that day |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Jerónimos, Belém Tower, Coach Museum, Pantheon, Ajuda palace, Tile Museum (already closed for works) | Castle, Sé, Carmo, MAAT, Discoveries monument, Oceanário, Cristo Rei, Pena, Time Out Market |
| Tuesday | Gulbenkian, MAAT | Everything in Belém, the castle, the Sé, the Carmo |
| Wednesday | Ajuda palace | Everything else |
| Sunday | Sé (to visitors), Carmo Convent; Jerónimos church until 14:00 | Cloister, Belém Tower, castle, Gulbenkian free from 14:00, Alfama flea market at Santa Clara in the morning |
| Every day since 3 September 2025 | Santa Justa lift; Glória, Bica and Lavra funiculars | Replacement buses 51E, 22B, 19B on the same hills |
The Belém morning, and why it is a morning
Belém holds eight of the twenty-five and they open in a staircase: the Jerónimos cloister at 9:30, Belém Tower at 9:00 or 9:30 depending on which official page you believe, the Discoveries monument, the Coach Museum and MAAT at 10:00. The cloister's last entry is 17:00 and its ticket office shuts at 16:30, the tower's afternoon slots are the first to sell, and the tram from Praça da Figueira is the 15E, about 35 minutes. Start at the cloister at 9:30, walk the eight minutes to the tower for an 11:00 slot, and the Pastéis de Belém queue at 12:30 is the natural end.
The Belém district page has the order on the ground; the one-day route has the clock times.
The east side after lunch
The castle is open to 21:00 from March to October and the ramparts are best when the light drops, so it does not need a morning. Tram 28 from Martim Moniz is a queue from 10:00 onwards but almost empty on the 8:00 car and again after 19:00. The Pantheon shuts at 18:00 in summer, the Sé at 19:00 on four days and 18:00 on two.
The order that works: Sé at 15:30, downhill through Alfama to Santa Luzia, up to the castle by 17:30, ramparts at sunset. The Alfama page has the stairs, and the castle page the gates.
Free things to do in Lisbon, and the free Sunday that no longer exists
Ten of the twenty-five cost nothing, and they are not the leftovers. The Jerónimos church through its own door, Tuesday to Saturday 10:30 to 17:00. Praça do Comércio and the river steps below it at any hour. Alfama's two miradouros, Santa Luzia and Portas do Sol, and the Graça one above them. Time Out Market, LX Factory, Pink Street and the Belém riverfront from the tower to MAAT, whose roof is a free walk. The Campo de Santa Clara flea market on Tuesday and Saturday mornings. The Gulbenkian's garden every day, and its museum on Sunday afternoons from 14:00, per the foundation's own listing.
Then the thing every older guide still promises: free museum Sundays. Since 1 August 2024 the state's museums and monuments are free on Sundays, holidays and 52 days a year for Portuguese citizens and residents only, registered with a citizen card and tax number at the ticket office. Tourists pay every day. The exceptions are run by other bodies: the Monument to the Discoveries is free for Lisbon residents on Sundays until 14:00, the São Vicente monastery for residents on the first Sunday, MAAT for residents on the first Sunday morning, and the Museu da Água's aqueduct walk is free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month at €4 the rest of the time. If a page tells you Jerónimos is free on Sunday morning, it was written before August 2024. The tickets index prints the rule beside every price, and the Lisboa Card page works out what the card saves instead.
Three things every list still recommends that you cannot do
The Glória funicular derailed on 3 September 2025 and Carris took the Glória, Bica and Lavra cars and the Santa Justa lift out of service the same week. On 29 August 2026 carris.pt had a mission team designing a new system for Glória and no reopening date for any of the four; the replacement buses are 51E for Glória, 22B for Bica and 19B for Lavra, and the Santa Justa platform is reachable on foot from Largo do Carmo. The funiculars page tracks the notices.
The National Tile Museum closed on 1 November 2025 for building works and the ministry's April 2026 statistics still counted it shut, with no reopening date published; its shop has moved to Palácio Foz. The Pilar 7 lift on the bridge is under repair, which means 372 stairs at a reduced €3. And the Gulbenkian's Founder's Collection galleries were reported closed for renovation with a July 2026 reopening — reported, not verified, because the foundation's site refused our fetch. None of the four is a reason to skip the city; all four are a reason to distrust a list without a date on it.
Lisbon with kids: what the rules say
The rules are more useful than the tips. Under-12s enter every state monument free — Jerónimos, Belém Tower, the Coach Museum, the Pantheon, Ajuda — and ages 13 to 24 pay half under the same MMP rule, with a family rate of half price for at least one adult with a minor. The castle is free under 12 and €8.50 from 13 to 25. The Oceanário charges children 3 to 12 €15 to €17 by the hour and under-2s nothing; Cristo Rei's lift is free to 7 and €3 from 8 to 12. The Lisboa Card has a child version from 4 to 15 at €21, €28 and €35, and under-4s ride free on the metro. The tourist tax of €4 a night is charged from age 13.
What holds a ten-year-old: the Oceanário for two hours, the castle ramparts, the Coach Museum for exactly as long as the gold lasts, the ferry to Cacilhas at €1.60 and the Discoveries lift. What does not: the Jerónimos cloister after the first twenty minutes, and Belém Tower's one-way stair with a pushchair, which the slot system will not let you wait out. The Lisbon with kids page has the playgrounds and the tram-28 verdict; a private tuk-tuk with hotel pick-up is the way families with small children do the hills without the stairs.
Turn the list into days
Each itinerary places the Belém slots in the morning they work best and drops the items that do not fit.
The practical pages
Next hub
Tickets
Every ticketed place on this list with its official price beside the platform price, and the recovery rules for a missed slot: every official price and what to book.
Belém Tower and Pena are the two timed onesNeighbourhoods
Six areas compared by what they hold and how far they are from this list: the six districts on one map.
Belém is the only one that needs a tramDay trips
Sintra, Cascais, Évora, Óbidos and Porto with the train fare beside the tour price: day trips from Lisbon by train and by tour. Or go back to the Lisbon city guide.
Sintra about 40 minutes by CP trainThings to do in Lisbon: questions
What should I not miss in Lisbon?
The first ten in the table above: the Jerónimos cloister, Belém Tower, the castle, Alfama, Praça do Comércio, tram 28, the Oceanário, the Sé, Time Out Market and Sintra. Book the Jerónimos cloister ticket and a Belém Tower slot first; the rest walks up.
What are the top 5 things to do in Lisbon?
Jerónimos Monastery, Belém Tower, São Jorge Castle, a walk through Alfama and a day in Sintra. Three of the five are ticketed: the castle e-ticket skips the office line, the Jerónimos page explains the free church, and the Sintra page prices the Pena slot.
Which things to do in Lisbon are closed right now?
The Santa Justa lift and the Glória, Bica and Lavra funiculars, all since 3 September 2025, and the National Tile Museum since 1 November 2025, with no reopening date published for any of them on 29 August 2026. The funiculars page lists the replacement buses; the Tile Museum page has the alternatives.
How many of the things to do in Lisbon need a booking?
Four: Belém Tower, which has had timed slots since its 27 May 2026 reopening; the Jerónimos cloister in high season; the Oceanário, whose price depends on the hour; and Pena Palace in Sintra, which refuses late arrivals. The other twenty-one sell at the door or are free. The tickets index sorts all of them by what to book.
Is three days too long for the main sights?
No. Two days cover this list's city items — Belém in one morning, the castle side in another — and the third day is Sintra, which cannot be squeezed into a half day once the thirty-minute walk to Pena's door is counted. The three-day route shows the split; with a fourth day, the Cascais coast or the Arrábida kayak are the usual additions.
What can I do in Lisbon for free?
Ten of the twenty-five on this page: the Jerónimos church, Praça do Comércio, the Alfama miradouros, Time Out Market, LX Factory, Pink Street, the Belém riverfront and MAAT's roof, the Santa Clara flea market, the Gulbenkian garden and its museum on Sunday afternoons. There is no free museum Sunday for tourists any more — the rule became residents-only on 1 August 2024. The Lisbon costs page prices a day either way.
What is the best walking tour of the things to do in Lisbon?
For a first morning, the three-hour walk through Rossio, Chiado and Alfama at €22, rated 4.9 from 3,231 reviews, covers the centre without a single ticket; the history and lifestyle walk at €25 is the larger-group alternative. Neither goes to Belém, which is a separate tram ride and a morning.
Things to Do in Lisbon: Filmed Overviews
Three overviews that show the places on this list as they look on the ground: the streets, the tram, the Belém front. Prices and closures in the videos are from their filming dates; the figures on this page are the ones we read on 29 August 2026.
Best Things to See and Do in Lisbon | Ultimate Guide Lisbon
A guide-led run through the list above, Belém to Alfama, useful for seeing the distances.
Video: the tour guyBest Things To Do in Lisbon Portugal 2026 4K
The city in 4K: the miradouros, Praça do Comércio and the riverfront at the hours that matter.
Video: Island Hopper TV48 Tips I Wish I Knew Before Visiting Lisbon, Portugal
Practical tips on the hills, the trams and the queues; filmed before the funicular closures, so treat those lines as history.
Video: Camden DavidVideos load from YouTube only when you press play.
Page last reviewed 2026-08-29. Prices, hours and terms are set by the venue or operator and confirmed at checkout.
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