The Lisboa Card is the official Lisbon pass. If you want to visit Lisbon, this tourist pass is essential. This article details everything you need to know about this Lisbon city pass.
Lisbon, capital of Portugal, never ceases to surprise and delight its visitors with its authenticity. With the charm of its large steep streets and alleys, its colorful azulejos, its gastronomic specialties, the sunny city attracts thousands of visitors each year eager to wander its seven hills and discover its treasures. A weekend is barely enough to discover this captivating city full of museums, monasteries, castles among atypical bars and restaurants.
If you want to discover as much as possible during your stay, I recommend two things: good shoes, and the Lisboa Card. Indeed, given the extent of Lisbon, the Lisboa Card will make it easier for you to visit the most beautiful monuments and will make your travel easier. Because the city is big and full of riches, so you might as well not miss a bit!
So in this article I will talk to you about the advantages but also the prices and how the Lisboa Card works. You will also know when and where to buy the Lisboa Card at the best price (personally I recommend this site), while giving you my opinion on the Lisbon city pass.
What is the Lisboa Card? Is Lisboa Card Worth it
The Lisboa Card is the city’s official tourist pass. If you want to see as many monuments, museums, and get around as possible, this is the ideal city pass to get to visit Lisbon.
Thanks to it, you will be able to benefit fromfull free access to public transport as well as certain major train lines,free or reduced entry to certain tourist places and attractions (such as the Jeronimos Monastery, the Tower of Belem, the Santa Justa elevator…), and priority entry queues over a flexible period, depending on how long you plan to stay in Lisbon.
It is therefore an advantageous choice in terms of budget if we add up the entry prices for all the monuments and sites. Most of the city’s major points of interest are included in this Lisbon city pass with classic public transport card prices.
Easy to use, the Lisboa Card comes in the form of a magnetic card the size of your bank card, easy to slip into your bag.
You can get it from different agencies in the city, and it activates automatically upon first use. Simple, economical and effective!
How much does it cost ? The different prices of the Lisboa Card
Flexible, the Lisboa Card is available in three formats of different durations.
Itis activated from its first use, either on public transport or on the tourist sites included in the package.
Here are the different prices at which you can find the Lisboa Card:
- Duration 24 hours:€21 for an adult, €13.50 for children aged 4 to 15
- Duration 48 hours:€35 for an adult, €19.50 for children aged 4 to 15
- Duration 72 hours:€44 for an adult, €23 for children from 4 to 15 years old
This Lisbon city pass is completely free for children under 4 years old.
Reserve the Lisboa Card
When and where to buy the Lisboa Card?
You can buy the Lisboa Card well before your trip since it is only activated the first time you use it!I advise you to take it online whenever you want before your departure, on this partner site .
Indicate the day on which you plan to collect it once you arrive in Lisbon. Then all you have to do is go with your voucher to one of theAsk Me Lisboaagencies to collect your ticket.
You can also buy the Lisboa Card on site in dedicated agencies, but in my opinion it is less profitable in terms of saving time!
My advice ? Buy your Lisboa Card online and collect it directly at Lisbon airport on the day of your arrival at the agency located in the arrivals hall.
More details in my article on how to reach the center of Lisbon from the airport !
Then it’s up to you to activate it on public transport to reach the city center, or only during your first visit.
You will also find other Ask Me Lisboa counters in the city where you can collect your Lisbon pass:
- Lisbon Airport – Arrivals Hall – 7 a.m. to 12 a.m. TLJ
- Lisboa Story Center – from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. TLJ
- Terreiro do Paço – from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. TLJ
- Palacio Foz – from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. TLJ
- Santa Apolonia Station – international terminal – 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Tuesday to Saturday
- Jerónimos Monastery – Jardim Vasco da Gama – 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday
- Belém Tour – from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. TLJ
- Parque das Nações – Alameda dos Oceanos – From October to March from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. / from April to September from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Other counters also exist outside the city of Lisbon:
- Sintra – train station – from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. TLJ
- Ericeira – Rua Dr. Eduardo Burnay 46, Ericeira – from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. TLJ
- Arrábida – Travessa Frei Gaspar 10, Setúbal – From October to March from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. / from April to September from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
How long is the Lisboa Card valid for?
The Lisboa Card must be activated when you enter an attraction, a museum, a monument or on public transport.
The Lisbon city pass is valid for the duration specified on it when you purchase (24, 48 or 72 hours).
As long as it is not activated, and to compensate for possible postponements or cancellation of your trip,the Lisboa Card is valid for one year after its date of purchase.
What is included in the Lisboa Card?
A true ally for your stay in Lisbon,this city pass gives you unlimited access to the city’s public transport.In fact, you are free to usethe metro, buses, coaches, funiculars, and certain train lines.
Youalso have access to the various tourist sites of the Portuguese capital,as well as tourist sites outside the city ( the Sintra Palace for example ).
- Either for free (without paying a cent more than what the Lisboa card cost you).
- Or at a reduced rate: a reduction of 10 to 50% on certain locations.
You will also havediscounts, between 5 and 10%, on certain businessesin the city offering exclusively Portuguese-made products.
Another advantage,skip-the-line access to most of the city’s tourist attractions, not insignificant if you don’t want to waste time in your marathon of city visits!
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List of free visits with Lisboa Card
Here is the list of 38 tourist sites, museums and monuments where you will have free access with the Lisboa Card:
- BelemTower
- themonastery of the Hieronymites(Jerónimos) in Belem, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- theArc de Triomphe on rue Augusta
- Pilar 7– Bridge Experience (April 25 bridge)
- Lisboa Story Centre, museum dedicated to the history of the city
- the national palace of Ajuda
- the Chiado Museum of Contemporary Art
- the national azulejole museum National Pantheon
- National Tile Museum
- Coach Museum
- Museum of ancient art
- Santa Justa Elevator
- CARRIS Museum
- CP-Comboios de Portugal
- FERTAGUS
- National Pantheon
- Museum of Ethnology
- Costume Museum
- Theater and Dance Museum
- Archeology Museum
- Music Museum
- Dr. Anastácio Gonçalves Residence Museum
- Republican National Guard Museum
- Ceramics Museum – Sacavém
- Air Museum
- Alcobaça Monastery
- Neorealism Museum – Vila Franca de Xira
- Museum of the work of Michel Giacometti
- Casa da Cerca – Museum of Contemporary Art – Almada
- Chapel of the Holy Spirit of Mareantes – Sesimbra
- Setúbal Museum – Municipal Gallery
- Tight
- Sesimbra Maritime Museum
- Tesouro Real Museum
- CIRES – Interpretation Center of the Sado de Roaz estuary
- Royal Treasury Museum
But also outside Lisbon:
- the national palace of Mafra
- the convent of the Order of Christ in Tomar, also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Sintra Mitos and Lendas
- Bathalha Monastery
Discounted visits valid with Lisboa Card
In addition to the visits included in the Lisboa Card, you will also find quite a few interesting discounts:
- 20% discount on the Dom Fernando II and Glória Ship
- 10% discount onPalais Biester (Sintra)
- 15% discount on Video mapping (Immersivus Lisboa – O Cubo)
- 10% discount on SEOTours
- 10% discount on Setubal Alive
And many more, listed in the mini guide provided with the tourist pass!
A practical mini guide to Lisbon (city guide)
With the Lisboa Card, you also haveaccess to a mini guidethat you can collect at the same time as this tourist city pass. A little guide, not so mini since it still has almost 140 pages!
It’s not just a guide to using the Lisboa card listing all its advantages because it also gives youpractical information about your visits, with a short introductory paragraph on monuments or museums, opening times. openings, skip-the-line access, access and lines to nearby metro or bus stations, etc.
In short, everything you need to best prepare your trips and visits!
If you want to discover Lisbon differently, I also invite you to read my article on guided tours of Lisbon in French !
Access to public transport
Lisbon is a large city, very spread out, and even walking enthusiasts will be happy to benefit from unlimited access to the different means of transport available in the city and its surroundings! You will therefore be able to borrow freely in detail:
- Lisbon metroline network (including the lineserving Lisbon Airport)
- network of trams, buses,Carriselevators , as well as a 25% reduction onthe Aerobus(serving the airport directly from the city center)
- Fertagustrain taking the Ponte 25 Abril above the river
- mainline trains serving the suburbs of Lisbon to get you toCascaisorSintra
You can also use means of transport that serve as tourist attractions:
- the Santa Justa elevator
- tram 28 traveling through the Alfama district
- the Bica funicular.
Can you take Tram 28 with the Lisboa Card?
Yes quite !
The Lisboa Card allows you to use the legendary Tram 28 which connects Martim Moniz to Campo Ourique.
You can board the typical “remodelados” for free, the famous yellow and white trams that date from the 1930s.
This tram 28 is perfect for going to the popular districts of Alfama and Baixa.
My Experience on the Lisboa Card
The advantages of the Lisboa Card
You will have understood,the advantages of the Lisboa Card are numerous. I’ll give you my opinion on the Lisboa Card.
Thanks to this Lisbon pass, you will have unlimited access to public transport in the city, as well as in the nearby suburbs, which is a definite advantage when you want to visit Lisbon in 3 days for example .
For comparison, a pass24 heuresclassic only for public transport costs €10.15, and a metro ticket costs €1.45.
You will also have access to most of the city’s interesting sites (musées et attractions), either for free or with significant discounts.
If you want to see as much as possible, Lisbon being full of little gems and classified sites, this pass is a real must-have for any stay in the Portuguese capital!
Still for comparison, it’s€9 for entry to the Belem Towerand€10 for the Jeronimos Monastery… I’ll let you do your calculations!
Finally, another advantage of the Lisbon city pass: itsflexibility.
Available in 24, 48 or 72 hours, it allows you to adapt your visits to the time you have available during your stay.
Theprinciple of activation at the time of first useis also to be welcomed!
A Lisbon pass24 heuresactivated at 10:02 a.m. will be valid until 10:02 a.m. the next day. Unlike other passes which are automatically activated at the start of the day. No time wasted!
I would highly recommend the72-hour Lisboa Card: it will allow you to visit Lisbon at a lower cost and is ideal, particularly for a first stay in Lisbon.
The disadvantages of the Lisboa Card
Honestly… I don’t see any drawbacks to the Lisboa Card! Because something has to be said, we could possibly regret only having access to a monument or museum once with this Lisbon pass.
So there is no question of doing the Belem Tower in a loop!
Lisbon Card FAQ
Where to collect the Lisboa Card?
Once purchased online, the Lisboa Card is easily recoverable at dedicated Ask Me Lisboa agencies. One of these agencies is located in the Lisbon arrivals hall, but you will find others directly in the city or in the surrounding suburbs.
How to activate the Lisboa Card?
Easy to use, the Lisboa Card will be activated after it is collected from a terminal during your visit to one of the places covered by the pass or on public transport, for the period of validity indicated at the time of purchase.
How to get around Lisbon?
Here, it’s better to forget the car! The city of Lisbon has the advantage of being very well served by a whole network of buses, metro, trams, trains, funiculars… extremely efficient, well organized and adapted to the topography of the city. It is therefore the best way to get around (the bike also remains an option for the bravest!)
Conclusion about the Lisbon city pass
I think I’ve told you everything about the Lisboa Card!
For me, it is a must for any first stay in Lisbon, given the savings made on site entrances, but also on public transport. And as during a first stay we generally tour the important sites, your budget will only be able to thank you!
There are many trips in this large, steep city, the use of transport is therefore essential and here too, the savings made thanks to the Lisbon pass are significant.
