The best investment you can make on a trip to Lisbon is the Lisboa Card. Tourist passes aren’t always great deals, but Lisbon’s is a major money and time saver. It offers free or reduced admission to most of the city’s attractions, and also allows unlimited rides in all public transportation within Lisbon (metro, buses, trams, funiculars, and trains), as well as trains to Cascais and Sintra. The only transportation service that’s not free is the AeroBus, which is the bus that goes from the airport to the city center, but the card still offers a 25% discount (to reach the center from the airport for free, take the metro instead).
The card may be purchased for 24-, 48-, or 72-hour periods, ordered online (see link below) and then picked up at the tourist office at the airport, which is found in the arrivals hall and open from 7am to midnight (if you arrive on an earlier or later flight, you may pick up the card at the tourist office in Comércio Square, in the city center). The card comes with a free booklet with tourist information about the attractions covered.
Free Attractions with the Lisboa Card
Jerónimos Monastery
Belém Tower
St. George’s Castle
Ajuda Palace (except temporary exhibitions)
Coaches Museum
Tile Museum
Ancient Art Museum
Discoveries Monument
Santa Justa Elevator
Rua Augusta Arch
National Museum of Contemporary Art of Chiado
National Archaeology Museum
National Pantheon
25 de Abril Bridge Museum and Observation Deck
Edward VII Park Greenhouse
Lisboa Story Center
Anastácio Gonçalves Museum
Fado Museum
Júlio Pomar Museum
Aljube Museum
Bordalo Pinheiro Museum
Marionette Museum
Lisbon Museum
"Fast Track"
The "Fast Track" machine found at some of the attractions where the card offers free admission
The Lisboa Card also offers “fast track” at the Jerónimos Monastery, Belém Tower, National Archaeological Museum, and Ajuda Palace, meaning skipping the long lines. All you have to do is scan the card on one of the machines like the one pictured above.
Attractions with Discounts with the Lisboa Card
Arpad Szenes-Vieira da Silva Museum (50%)
Water Museum (50%)
São Roque Museum (50%)
Medeiros e Almeida Museum (40%)
Carris Museum (30%)
St. Vincent Monastery (25%)
Calouste Gulbenkian Museum (20%)
MAC/CCB Museum (20%)
Carmo Convent (20%)
Lisbon Cathedral (20%)
Amália Rodrigues House-Museum (20%)
Orient Museum (20%)
Maritime Museum (20%)
Graça Church (20%)
Convento dos Cardaes (20%)
Oceanarium (15%)
MAAT (15%)
Knowledge Pavilion (15%)
Parque das Nações Cable Cars (10%)
Amoreiras 360º Observation Deck (€1)
Attractions Not Included in the Lisboa Card
Fronteira Palace
Cristo Rei
Military Museum
Decorative Arts Museum
Geological Museum of Portugal
Botanical Garden
Order Your Lisboa Card:
THE LISBON-SINTRA PASS
Also visiting the fairytale palaces in Sintra? Then the Lisbon-Sintra Pass is the option for you. It includes the Lisboa Card, plus tickets to Pena Palace, Pena Park, and the Moorish Castle, and even audio guides for your smartphone, for Lisbon and Sintra. It really is a great deal, saving you a lot of time and money. Order it here:
