In this guide
💡 The Short Version: With one day, go to Belém first: the Jerónimos Monastery (€18) opens at 9:30 and the Belém Tower (€15) is on the river, both closed on Mondays. Then take tram 15E back to Baixa, and climb through Alfama to São Jorge Castle (€17), open every day and, in summer, until 21:00. On a Monday, do the castle and the old town in the morning instead. Or book a tour: the Belém and Jerónimos Monastery tourad (from £58.94, 3 hours) and the Best of Lisbon walking tourad (from £18.79, 3 hours) each include a guide; on your own, the official tickets are cheaper.
What to book
Prices from each operator’s own page, 1 October 2026.
| Booking | Book | Price | Closed on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerónimos Monastery | Once your date is fixed; the operator says it often sells out and cannot be bought on the day | €18 | Mondays, 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 13 June, 25 December |
| Belém Tower | Once your date is fixed; timed slots since it reopened on 27 May 2026 | €15 | The same days as the Monastery |
| São Jorge Castle | Online or at the ticket office | €17 | 1 January, 1 May, 24, 25 and 31 December |
| Oceanário | Online or on the day | €25.50 to €29.90 by time slot | Open daily |
The Lisboa Card makes Belém and the castle free, but the Belém slots can be reserved only after you have collected the physical card in Lisbon, from a limited daily allocation; for one day, buy the Belém tickets from the operator (Visit Lisboa shop, 1 October 2026).
One day
Version A: Belém, then the old town
Use this on a Tuesday to Sunday. Belém is about 6 km west of the centre, and the tram or train takes you straight there; it has no Metro.
| Time | What |
|---|---|
| 9:00 | Tram 15E from Praça da Figueira or Cais do Sodré, or a CP train from Cais do Sodré, to Belém |
| 9:30 | The Jerónimos Monastery cloister opens; the church opens at 10:30 from Tuesday to Saturday and at 14:00 on Sundays |
| Late morning | Belém Tower, 1.2 km from the Monastery in a straight line, last entry 17:00 |
| Midday | Tram 15E back to Praça da Figueira, and lunch in Baixa |
| Afternoon | Bus 737 from Praça da Figueira, or tram 28E to Santa Luzia or Portas do Sol, to São Jorge Castle |
| Evening | Down through Alfama on foot, then fado |
Version B: the castle and the old town
Use this on a Monday, when Belém is closed, or if you would rather stay on one hill.
| Time | What |
|---|---|
| 9:00 | São Jorge Castle opens: the ticket includes a guided tour of up to an hour and a Camera Obscura tour of about 20 minutes |
| Late morning | Alfama on foot, downhill, past the Sé and the viewpoints at Santa Luzia and Portas do Sol |
| Afternoon | Baixa: Rua Augusta and Praça do Comércio |
| Late afternoon | A Tagus cruise or a tram ride |
| Evening | Fado |
The stops
Belém
Tuesday to Sunday · Monastery €18, Tower €15 · cloister and Tower open 9:30, last entry 17:00
Book both for the morning. The Tower reopened on 27 May 2026 after conservation works, with entry in timed slots, and the operator can close it when the weather makes it unsafe; the Monastery provides no audio guides (mosteirojeronimos.torrebelem.gov.pt, 1 October 2026). With a guide, the Belém and Jerónimos Monastery tourad (from £58.94, 4.9 stars from 1,276 reviews, 3 hours) adds an optional Tower or boat, and the e-bike tour by the river to Belémad is from £21.35 (4.8 stars from 606 reviews).
Belém Tower. Photo: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
São Jorge Castle
Open daily · €17 · 9:00 to 21:00 from 1 March to 31 October, to 18:00 from 1 November
The last admission is 20:30 in summer and 17:30 in winter, and the towers and wall-walks close earlier. Bus 737 runs from Praça da Figueira, and the castle puts the walk from Rossio Metro at 11 minutes, uphill. Buy online or at the office; Lisboa Card holders queue separately (castelodesaojorge.pt, 1 October 2026). The e-ticket with audio guidead is from £21.22 (4.3 stars from 2,644 reviews), more than the €17 official ticket.
Alfama and Baixa
On foot · 3 hours with a guide
The old streets below the castle are steep. Tuk-tuks have been banned from 337 streets of the old town since 1 April 2025 (Lisboa para Pessoas). The Best of Lisbon walking tour: Rossio, Chiado and Alfamaad (from £18.79, 4.9 stars from 3,353 reviews, 3 hours) and the Alfama and Mouraria e-bike tourad (from £21.35, 4.8 stars from 3,849 reviews) both cover them.
Praça do Comércio, on the Tagus. Photo: Berthold Werner, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Fado and the river
Evening · 50 minutes to 1½ hours
The fado show with winead is from £16.35 (4.8 stars from 7,138 reviews, 50 minutes), the Tagus river cruisead from £12.82 (4.3 stars from 6,349 reviews, 1½ hours), and the sailboat sunset tourad from £29.04 (4.9 stars from 1,634 reviews).
From a cruise ship
Lisbon has two terminals for ships, and each suits one half of the day (portodelisboa.pt, 1 October 2026).
- The Lisbon and Santa Apolónia terminal is east of Alfama, beside Santa Apolónia station, which is the terminus of the Metro Blue Line. Do Version B, the castle and the old town, and walk or take the Blue Line to Terreiro do Paço and Baixa-Chiado.
- The Rocha Conde de Óbidos terminal is in the west, below Lapa and Santos. Santos station is on the Cascais Line, with trains to Cais do Sodré, Belém and Cascais, and trams 15E and 25E stop at Santos. Do Version A, Belém first by train or tram 15E, and allow time to get back to the ship.
On a Monday at either terminal, Belém is closed, so do Version B. Lisbon cruise port to the city centre has the Metro, the buses and the walk from each terminal.
A cruise ship moored beyond Alfama’s roofs. Photo: Matti Blume, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
If you have more time
With more, 3 days in Lisbon adds a day for Belém and a day in Sintra at Pena Palace, with the bookings and closing days for each, and day trips from Lisbon compares the other trips out. The Oceanário in Parque das Nações, a Red Line ride to Oriente, is open daily 10:00 to 20:00, €29.90 in the morning slot and €25.50 in the late-afternoon one (oceanario.pt, 1 October 2026). With a few hours between flights, Lisbon airport to the city centre has the Metro and the taxi voucher, and Lisbon public transport has the day tickets: the 24-hour Carris/Metro ticket is €7.25. The funiculars and the Santa Justa Lift are shut, so the climb from Baixa to Chiado is on foot or by tram. For meals, see where to eat in Lisbon; for an evening, Lisbon food tours and fado evenings compares them. To sleep, see where to stay in Lisbon and hotels near Belém, and for every booking and closing day, what to book before you go in Lisbon.
Common questions
Can you see Lisbon in one day?
You can see the main two halves: Belém, with the Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower, in the morning, and Baixa, Alfama and São Jorge Castle in the afternoon. On a Monday Belém is closed, so spend the day in the castle and the old town instead.
What should I book for one day in Lisbon?
The Jerónimos Monastery (€18) and Belém Tower (€15) if you go to Belém: the operator says tickets often sell out and cannot be bought on the day. São Jorge Castle (€17) can be bought online or at the office.
How do I see Lisbon in a day from a cruise ship?
At the Lisbon and Santa Apolónia terminal, beside Santa Apolónia station, Alfama and the castle are the nearest. At the Rocha Conde de Óbidos terminal, Santos station has trains on the Cascais Line to Belém, and trams 15E and 25E stop there.
Which sights are closed on a Monday in Lisbon?
The Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower. São Jorge Castle is open every day except 1 January, 1 May, 24, 25 and 31 December, and the Oceanário is open daily.
