I don’t care how fancy you like to travel. Everyone likes to find a deal! And the Lisboa Card is one of the sweetest deals in Europe. Not only does it get you FREE admission to the most sought-after sites and museums in Lisbon, it also includes FREE transportation, plus other discounts all over the city! Here’s your quick and easy guide, along with links to where you can get yours and tips to help you plan your trip!
Three Card Options
You have three options for the Lisboa Card. Choose from a 24-, 48-, or 72-hour pass. Each card gives you access to the most popular sites in Lisbon, discounts at even more attractions and tours, and access to local and day-trip transportation. The 24-hour pass costs €21; 48-hour pass is €35; and the 72-hour pass is €44.
Also notable is the Lisboa-Sintra Pass. You can get a 24-hour pass for €49; 48-hour pass for €63; and 72-hour pass for €73. This pass includes all the benefits of the Lisboa Card, plus the most sought-after sites in nearby Sintra, including transportation to and from Sintra, Park and Pena Palace, and Castle of the Moors. You’ll also receive audio guides for both Sintra and Lisbon for your smartphone!
Even more here: How to Find Cheap Flights
Free Cancellation
If you order your Lisboa Card online, you can cancel it for your money back, up until the day before you choose for your pass to begin validity. If your plans change, you have the flexibility to do what you need to do, whether that’s delay or cancel.
Don’t forget this: What to Pack for a Trip to Spain and Portugal
A Year to Use It
You also have a calendar year from the date of purchase to start using your card. No need to worry about it expiring if you have to delay your trip. Hopefully there won’t be a delay or cancellation for your amazing Iberian vacation, but it’s nice to have this little bit of insurance, just in case!
Keep reading: What to Know Before You Visit Lisbon
How Much are You Saving?
That all depends on how many sites you visit! The more you visit, the more you save, but you don’t have to see everything on the list to get your money’s worth. Without the Lisboa Card, we would have spent €59.20 for all the things we did! Minus the cost of the card (€35), we saved €24.20, and we got to see some sites that wouldn’t have been on our list otherwise!
Read next: What to Know Before You Visit Portugal
Where to Pick It Up
You will want to order your Lisboa Card online here. Once you do, you will receive an email confirming your purchase and including a voucher. When you arrive in Lisbon, you can exchange the voucher for your Lisboa Card at the Lisboa Airport, Foz Palace, or Lisboa Welcome Center.
Keep reading: Where to Eat in Lisbon
Essential Tips
- If you’re flying to Lisbon, don’t forget to pick up your Lisboa Card at the Airport before you leave. You can use the card for your transportation into the city center!
- Many sites are closed on Mondays, so factor that into your Lisbon planning. I have a post coming up all about what to do in Lisbon on Mondays!
- Your pass is truly calculated by hours, not days. So, if you start using your 24-hour pass at 10:00am on a Tuesday, you have until 10:00am on a Wednesday to keep using it. If you start at 3:00pm on Tuesday, you’ll have until 3:00pm on Wednesday.
- Don’t stand in long lines! Your Lisboa Card not only gives you access to the top sites in Lisbon, it also allows you to skip some validation lines. You still may have to stand in line to get in, though, so know what line you’re standing in!
Also helpful: What to Do in Lisbon on a Monday
The Sites We Chose
Here are the sites that we chose to visit with our 48-hour passes. All these sites were 100% included with our Lisboa Cards I have included a little information about them, along with prices as of September 2022 so that you can see the value of the Lisboa Card. We saved a total of €47.20 on all these sites! Find the entire list of sites here.
FREE with the Lisboa Card
This is the big savings! Many of the most popular sites in Lisbon are FREE with the Lisboa Card.
Mosterio dos Jeronimos (Jeronimos Monastery) €10
This is one of your biggest savings! It’s also one of the most beautiful buildings. Dating to the 16th century, it took 100 years to complete! The architecture is absolutely stunning, and the detail is impressive to say the least. You’ll also find Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama’s final resting place in the adjacent church!
Museu Nacional do Azulejo (National Tile Museum) €5
If you want to know about Portugal, you need to know about tile! Set in a 1509 convent, you’ll surely admire both the tilework inside and the Moorish architecture. Even the early examples of tile look like they might have been made just yesterday. And the art extends beyond the tilework itself. Take a look at the painting on them as well!
Palacio Nacional Ajuda (National Palace of Ajuda) €5
While it was left officially unfinished when the royal family fled to Brazil in 1807 (courtesy of Napoleon’s army), the finished portions are truly grand! It was intended to be one of the largest palaces in Europe, and it was well on its way.
Museu do Tesouro Real (Royal Treasure Museum) €10
Want to see crown jewels, grand diplomatic gifts, and royal robes? You’ll find them all here! The national treasures are on display here, but just as interestingly, each member of the royal family is memorialized here as well. I know next to nothing about the Portuguese Royal family, so this was quite the education for me!
Experiencia Pilar 7 (Pilar 7 Bridge Experience) €5
If you like a high viewpoint, you’ll find it here! Located in the 7th pilar of the famous 25 de Abril Bridge, you can see the inner workings, the history of the bridge, and get a view from 215 feet up!
Torre de Belém (Belém Tower) €6
This iconic symbol of Lisbon and Portuguese exploration has been around since the early 16th century! It’s one of the most popular sites in Lisbon, and you can go up into the tower when you come. Validate your ticket at the sales office, in a separate line for Lisboa Card holders. You may still need to stand in line to go in, and go up, but you can skip the long ticket purchasing line!
Read next: How to Savor Your Travels
Discounted with the Lisboa Card
FREE is great, but a discount is pretty nice, too! Here are the discounted experiences we had with our 48-hour passes.
Museu Arqueologico do Carmo (Carmo Archaeological Museum) Saved €1
I’m so glad we got here when this site opened at 10:00am! It’s one of the most beautiful buildings in the world, in my opinion, because of its “ruined” arches. Dating from 1389, it was ruined in a massive 1755 earthquake. You’ll get 20% off (€1) with your Lisboa Card. Don’t miss the archaeological museum in the back!
Padrao dos Descobrimentos (Discoveries Monument) Saved €1.20
Near the Torre de Belem, the Discoveries Monument stands to memorialize the Portuguese discoverers. You can go up to the top and get a pretty spectacular view at what once was considered the “end of the world.” You’ll get a 20% discount (€1.20) with your Losboa Card.
Se de Lisboa (Lisbon Cathedral) Saved €1
One of the oldest buildings still standing in Lisbon, this cathedral has survived earthquakes, battles, and nearly 900 years! It’s well worth a visit, especially at 20% off (€1) with the Lisboa Card. You can visit the sanctuary for FREE, but the outer halls and treasury on the second floor are by ticket only.
Torre da Igreja de Castelo de Sao Jorge (Holy Cross Church of São Jorge Castle) Saved €1
The church tower within the castle village walls has one of the best views in the city! You can also ring the bell, and enjoy a hot chocolate in winter, or cold juice or wine in the summer! With the Lisboa Card, you’ll get 20% off (€1).
More here: The Top 10 Places I Could Visit Again and Again
Transportation Benefits
If it’s public transportation, you can use your Lisboa Card for it! Even the famous yellow Tram 28 is included (€3 per ride), so you can move efficiently among the sites you want to visit. With the Lisboa Card, you will have completely FREE, unlimited travel benefits on buses, metros, trams, and elevadores. We used both trams and buses during our trip, and we saved on transportation for a total of €12 each!
Buses
We had such good experiences on the buses! We took the bus several times and always found the schedules to be clear (although a few minutes late on occasion), and the cards were easy to use with the tap pad when we hopped on. Always enter in the front, and exit out the center or back doors to help with crowd flow. Trips are €2 per ride.
Trams
The trams are more expensive than the buses at €3 per ride (every time you hop on counts as a separate ride), so this is a massive savings that really adds up quickly! Always enter at the front and exit out the back to help with crowd control. Capacity is 38 people, but many more squeeze on throughout the day. Check out the TRAM 28 Lisbon website for more details.
Pro tip: Take the tram early in the morning! It starts running just before 6:00am, and your best bet for a less-crowded experience will be between 6:00am-8:30am.
Read on: Staying at Solar do Castelo Hotel, Lisbon
*Note: This post is a partnership! Obrigado (thank you) to Visit Lisboa for providing our 48-hour Lisboa Cards. As always, all opinions are my own. Find out more on my Policies Page.
Want more? Get everything you need to know on my dedicated Portugal Page!
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