Lisbon Card
The Lisbon Card (or Lisboa Card) is the only official all-inclusive tourist pass for the Portuguese capital.
If you are planning a trip through the narrow streets of Alfama and the monuments of Belém, this card is designed to offer you three advantages in one: unlimited transport, free admission, and time savings.
Unlike other European capitals that offer different pass options, Lisbon has a single official comprehensive product.
The other solutions available (such as Viva Viagem) are exclusively for public transport and do not include admission to museums and tourist attractions.
We will also see how to use it to reach Sintra or travel from the airport, covering every aspect of urban transport.
INDEX
- What to see in Lisbon: attractions and admission fees
- What is the Lisbon Card?
- How does it work?
- Lisbon Card: what does it include?
- Lisbon Card Prices
- How much can you save with the Lisbon Card?
- Where to buy the Lisbon Card
- How to use the card?
- Validity and refunds
- Alternatives: Lisbon Card vs Viva Viagem
- Frequently asked questions about the Lisbon Card (FAQ)
- Complete your visit to Lisbon: other attractions and tours
What to see in Lisbon: attractions and admission fees
Lisbon is a city that invites you to come in and explore. However, many of its main attractions require an entrance ticket.
If you want to visit the city's iconic attractions during your trip, here are the average costs you will incur without a pass:
- Jerónimos Monastery: approx. €12–€15
- Belém Tower: approximately €9–€12
- Santa Justa Elevator: €5.30 (round trip)
- National Azulejo Museum: approximately €8
- Carriage Museum: approximately €10
- Rua Augusta Arch: approx. €4.50
Adding up only these main attractions, the total quickly exceeds €50, not counting the cost of public transport (at least €7 per day).
This is precisely where the Lisbon Card becomes an indispensable tool for those who want to experience the city without budget constraints.
What is the Lisbon Card?
The Lisbon Card (or Lisboa Card in Portuguese) is the official pass for tourists, allowing them to explore the city in a practical and economical way.
With this all-inclusive card, within its validity, you will be able to:
- ✅ Use unlimited public transport (metro, tram, bus, funicular and elevador de Santa Justa).
- ✅ Get free access to over 50 attractions, including the Belém Tower, the Jerónimos Monastery the iconic Santa Justa Elevator.
- ✅ Get exclusive discounts on museums, tours and activities.
How does it work?
The validity of the card is flexible: you can choose between 24 hours (1 day), 48 hours (2 days) or 72 hours (3 days), depending on the length of your stay and the itinerary you have planned.
There is the convenience of having everything in one card, with an already defined cost, without spending any more money on sightseeing.
And if well taken advantage of, it also allows you to save a lot of money.
Lisbon Card: what does it include?
The Lisbon Card includes unlimited public transport,free admission to more than 50 attractions and discounts ranging from 5 percent to 50 percent on additional museums, tours, restaurants and stores.
Major attractions included
Among the most prominent included attractions are:
- Jerónimos Monastery
- Torre de Belém
- Interpretive Center Myths and Legends of Sintra
- Santa Justa Elevator
- National Carriage Museum - fast track
- National Museum of Ancient Art - fast track
- Pilar 7-Bridge Experience
- Lisbon History Center
- National Palace of Mafra
- National Pantheon
Tip: The Carriage Museum and the Azulejo Museum are often overlooked, but with the card you can skip the line and they are definitely worth a visit.
In addition to these, the card includes admission to numerous other museums, monuments, and attractions, both in the city center and in the surrounding area.
You can check the list of attractions included on the pass provider's page by clicking on the "Description" box on the page.
Other discounts and benefits
- Discounts on guided tours, hop-on hop-off tour buses, Tagus cruises and other experiences.
- Facilities in restaurants, stores and malls.
- Reductions on tickets to other attractions not included in the pass.
transport included in the Lisbon Card
🚇 Lisbon Metro
🚋 All trams, including the famous Tram 28
🚌 City buses
🔼 City elevators and lifts (including the Elevador de Santa Justa)
🚆 CP trains to Sintra and Cascais: Travel for free to Sintra (departing from Rossio station) and to Cascais (from Cais do Sodré). This saving alone is worth around €5 per person for each trip out of town.
🚆 Fertagus trains to cross the Tagus
This total transport coverage allows you to travel unlimited and at no extra cost, making the card even more cost-effective.
💡 A useful tip for climbing hills: Lisbon is built on steep hills. The Elevador de Santa Justa is the iconic historic elevator that connects the lower part (Baixa) to the upper part (Chiado). A single ride costs more than €5, but with the Lisbon Card, you can use it for free and without limits. It's the perfect trick to avoid hundreds of steps on foot, saving money while enjoying the panoramic view.
What is NOT included?
❌ The Palacio Nacional da Pena in Sintra is not included in the pass, but the card only offers a 10% discount.
💡 Solution: choose the Lisbon Card + Pena Palace package
If your itinerary includes a visit to Sintra (and it should!), this package is the smartest solution for three key reasons:
- All in one click: Get the Lisbon Card (72 hours) and admission to the Pena Palace in a single transaction.
- Time Slot Reservation: The Pena Palace has limited capacity. This package allows you to reserve your guaranteed time slot, avoiding the risk of arriving in Sintra and being turned away.
- Transport savings: The train to Sintra is already included. You arrive, get off the train, and everything is already set up on your smartphone.
Lisbon Card Prices
The cost of the Lisbon Card depends on the duration of validity you choose. You can purchase the pass for 24, 48 or 72 hours, depending on your travel needs.
| Card validity | Adult | Child (4-15 years old) |
|---|---|---|
| 24 hours | € 31 | € 21 |
| 48 hours | € 51 | € 28 |
| 72 hours | € 62 | € 35 |
It is not available for children under the age of 4, as they would still get in free at almost all of the included attractions, negating the convenience.
Check Lisbon Card pricesHow much can you save with the Lisbon Card?
The convenience of the Lisbon Card depends on the type of trip you have in mind and the attractions you want to visit.
If your itinerary includes the main tourist attractions, the savings are significant.
A concrete example of savings
To better understand the cost-benefit ratio, let's do a quick calculation:
- Admission to the Jerónimos Monastery: €18
- Entrance to the Torre de Belém: 15€
- National Carriage Museum:15€
- public transport for 2 days: about 14€
💰 Total: €62 (without card)
🆕 Lisbon Card 48 hours: €51
✅ Net savings: over €11 per person
With these three attractions and public transport alone, the cost of the Lisbon Card for 48 hours pays for itself, and already offers 11€ savings per person!
If you then add more visits or use more transport, the savings grow even more.
Verdict: if your itinerary includes visiting at least two museums per day and using public transport at least three times, the Lisbon Card is mathematically the most economical choice.
Convenience and extra benefits
In addition to financial savings, the Lisbon Card offers other practical benefits:
- Entrance without going through the ticket office: for many attractions, you won't have to waste time in line to buy a ticket.
- Skip the line at some museums: priority access at places like the National Azulejo Museum and the Carriage Museum.
- Unlimited transport: getting around the city becomes easier and hassle-free.
What to know about queues at attractions
During peak season, popular attractions such as the Belém Tower and the Jerónimos Monastery have long lines.
🔹 Belém Tower: With the Lisboa Card, you can skip the line at the ticket office, but you may still encounter a line at the entrance due to limited capacity. It’s best to go early in the morning.
🔹 Jerónimos Monastery: even if you buy your ticket online, you can’t select an entry time. It’s the same with the card: you’ll skip the ticket counter, but you’ll still have to wait in line to get in. It’s best to arrive right after opening.
Beware of closed days
Many museums and monuments in Lisbon are closed on Mondays.
If you are visiting the city on a long weekend (e.g., Saturday-Monday), it is best to activate the Lisbon Card for the first two days only, so you can make the most of it.
When the Lisbon Card doesn't pay off
Let's look at the main situations where this card might not offer its full value:
- Students and Under 25s: Many attractions already offer discounts for EU students, making the pass less cost-effective for them.
- Slow itineraries: If you prefer to stroll through historic neighborhoods without visiting museums, the card loses its value.
- First Sunday of the month: On this day, some national museums offer free admission, reducing the actual savings of the pass.
- Professionals: If you are a journalist or ICOM member, you are often already entitled to free admission.
Conclusion: is the Lisbon Card worth the price?
For those who want to visit multiple attractions and move around often by public transport, the Lisbon Card is a practical and economical solution. It saves you money, time and stress, especially on busy days. However, if you prefer to explore the city without too many entrance fees or are a student with access to discounts, it may not be the best choice.
Where to buy the Lisbon Card
The Lisbon Card can be purchased online (through the Tiqets website) or at official sales points throughout the city.
The easiest way to get the card is to buy it online.
You can do this through Tiqets, a secure and reliable website that lets you purchase the pass in just a few clicks and receive instant confirmation.
When you purchase online, you will receive a digital voucher within minutes: simply show it (even on your smartphone) at Ask Me Lisboa points to immediately receive your physical card, avoiding having to explain or handle cash payments on site.
Buy Lisbon CardWhen you purchase on Tiqets, you have (included in the price) a free cancellation and refund policy within 24 hours prior to the indicated date of use.
Although one always hopes for no travel impediments, this is a great protection that is worth taking advantage of.
If you prefer, you can purchase this pass directly from the Lisbon Tourist Office website, but you will lose the free cancellation benefit offered by Tiqets.
Where to pick up the Lisbon Card?
Once purchased online, the Lisbon Card must then be physically picked up at one of the "Ask me Lisboa" tourism offices.
- Lisbon Airport – the most convenient location. The "Ask Me Lisboa" office in Arrivals is usually open from 7:00 a.m. to midnight, which is also ideal for those arriving on evening flights.
- Tourist offices in the city - scattered in major tourist areas.
- Sintra - useful if you plan to visit the city without passing through Lisbon first.
Here you can find the wholelist of Ask me Lisboa points, with updated opening hours.
How to use the card?
The operation of the Lisbon Card is very simple.
You purchase the card, once you arrive in Lisbon you pick it up by presenting the QR code that comes to you via email, and you're ready to discover the Portuguese capital.
Many choose to pick it up as soon as they arrive at the airport, so they can start using it for the ride to their hotel as well.
To start using it, you will simply place it on the subway turnstiles to use the means, or show it to the attendant staff to enter the various attractions.
Validity and refunds
The Lisboa Card is automatically activated the first time it is used, either on public transport or when entering an attraction.
Once activated, the validity is consecutive, so it is important to choose the time of first use carefully to make the most of it.
For example, if you use it for the first time at 3 p.m., it will be valid until the same time as the corresponding expiration day.
If you purchase the Lisbon Card online at Tiqets, you are entitled to:
🔹 Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the selected date of use.
🔹 Full refund, no penalties or additional costs.
Alternatives: Lisbon Card vs Viva Viagem
The Lisbon Card is the only tourist card offered by the Portuguese capital's Tourist Office.
If you are not interested in entrance fees to museums and monuments, but just want a card to take advantage of unlimited transport, there is the VIVA VIAGEM CARD.
VIVA VIAGEM CARD: the pass for transport only
VIVA VIAGEM CARD is the Lisbon transport card.
It is a reloadable card for travel on Lisbon's subways, trams, buses, funiculars and elevators.
It is purchased at any metro station at a cost of €0.50 for issuance.
You can load single tickets or day passes according to your needs.
🎟️ Recommended day pass for tourists:
💳 24-hour pass (1 day): €7.25
✅ Valid on all Carris lines (buses and trams) and the Metro
If you are making some comparisons with respect to the Lisbon Card, consider that at a cost of €7 you have the basic ticket. If you also want CP train lines, for example to go to Sintra, you have to spend more than €10 (in Lisboa Card they are already included instead).
On the official Lisbon transport website you will find all the updated prices and ticket variants available.
Frequently asked questions about the Lisbon Card (FAQ)
Complete your visit to Lisbon: other attractions and tours
A tourist pass is often the best choice, but sometimes you might want to add an experience not included or prefer a single entry. For maximum flexibility, here is an overview of popular tickets and tours in Lisbon to enrich your itinerary.
See tickets for all major attractions in Lisbon
I hope you found this analysis useful. Figuring out whether and which pass to buy for Lisbon seems complicated, but with the calculations at hand, you can make the right choice (even if that means not buying one!).
I'm Lory, Senior Travel Analyst and founder of PassTuristici.com.
I combine analysis of prices and conditions of passes with my direct experience in the field: objective data and personal advice to optimize your budget and enjoy your vacation.
Simply put, your guarantee of savings ✅.
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