Belém · Lisbon
Things to do in Lisbon
Beaches, viewpoints, museums, nightlife, free tours and secret places: Lisbon and the coast are easy to reach from Belém. Every place comes with directions from the hotel.
Why Belém is the best base
Belém sits between the city centre and the sea. It is on the Cascais train line and on the route of tram 15E, and it has its own ferry across the river. Spend the morning at the monuments on foot, the afternoon on the beach, the evening in Bairro Alto – and come back to sleep in a calm neighbourhood by the river.
- Belém’s monumentson foot, 5 to 15 minutes
- LX Factory and the Alcântara docksabout 10 minutes by tram 15E or train
- Cais do Sodré and Time Out Marketabout 10 minutes by train
- Baixa and Praça do Comércioabout 25 minutes on tram 15E, no change
- São Jorge Castleabout 45 minutes: tram 15E and a short climb
- Carcavelos beachabout 20 minutes by train, direct
- Cascaisabout 30 minutes by train, direct
- Costa da Caparicaabout an hour: ferry from Belém to Trafaria, then bus
- Sintraabout an hour and a quarter by public transport
41 ideas
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Hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus
The red double-decker bus links the city’s great sights; get on and off wherever you like, with commentary in several languages.
How to get there · 5 min on foot
There is a stop in Belém, next to the monastery. Ask us for the nearest one.
Red bus tickets We are partners of the hop-on hop-off bus: buy your tickets from us at reception.
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Free walking tours
Tip-based walking tours every day in the centre, in several languages: you pay what you think it was worth. Book online the day before.
How to get there · ≈ 25 min by tram
Tram 15E to Praça do Comércio (about 25 min); the meeting point is in your booking.
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LX Factory
A former factory under the bridge, now full of restaurants, bookshops, design shops and bars. Free to wander; lively on Sundays with its market.
How to get there · ≈ 10 min by tram
Tram 15E to the Calvário stop, then a 5-minute walk under the bridge.
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Santo Amaro docks
Old warehouses on a marina under the bridge, now restaurants and bars with terraces on the water. The nightlife closest to the hotel.
How to get there · ≈ 10 min by train
Train from Belém to Alcântara-Mar (1 stop), then 5 minutes on foot to the river.
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Pilar 7
Go up inside a pillar of the 25 de Abril Bridge to a glass-floored viewpoint, with the traffic just above you and the river below.
How to get there · ≈ 15 min by train
Train to Alcântara-Mar, then 10 minutes on foot to the foot of the bridge.
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National Museum of Ancient Art
Portugal’s great art museum, with Bosch’s Temptation of Saint Anthony and the Japanese Namban screens. Secret tip: its garden café looks over the river and the docks.
How to get there · ≈ 15 min by tram
Tram 15E towards the centre and a short walk uphill to Rua das Janelas Verdes (ask us for the stop).
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Time Out Market
The old Ribeira market hall, with stalls from many of the city’s best chefs under one roof. Go at lunchtime on a weekday to find a seat.
How to get there · ≈ 10 min by train
Train from Belém to Cais do Sodré (end of the line, about 7 min); the market is across the road.
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Pink Street and Cais do Sodré
The pink-painted street of bars that comes alive after midnight, surrounded by former sailors’ taverns turned music bars.
How to get there · ≈ 10 min by train
Train to Cais do Sodré; the street is 2 minutes from the station.
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Bairro Alto
Lisbon’s classic night out: dozens of small bars in narrow streets, drinks on the street, fado houses and, next door, the São Pedro de Alcântara and Santa Catarina viewpoints.
How to get there · ≈ 35 min by public transport
Train to Cais do Sodré, metro (green line) one stop to Baixa-Chiado, Chiado exit, then 10 minutes on foot uphill.
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São Pedro de Alcântara viewpoint
A garden terrace at the top of Bairro Alto, looking across the Baixa to the castle. Free and lovely at dusk.
How to get there · ≈ 35 min by public transport
As for Bairro Alto: metro to Baixa-Chiado (Chiado exit), then 10 minutes on foot uphill.
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Church of São Roque
Plain outside, astonishing inside: gilded chapels, including one built in Rome of precious stones and shipped to Lisbon. Free to enter.
How to get there · ≈ 35 min by public transport
Metro to Baixa-Chiado (Chiado exit) and 5 minutes on foot; it is next to the São Pedro de Alcântara viewpoint.
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São Jorge Castle
The Moorish castle on the hill above Alfama, with walls to walk on and views over the whole city and the river. Buy your ticket online to skip the queue.
How to get there · ≈ 45 min by public transport
Tram 15E to Praça da Figueira, then bus 737 up to the castle gate (or 15 minutes on foot, uphill).
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Alfama and fado
The oldest quarter: get lost in its alleys and stairways by day, and come back at night for fado in one of the small fado houses.
How to get there · ≈ 35 min by tram
Tram 15E to Praça do Comércio, then on foot past the cathedral (Sé) and up into Alfama, 10 to 15 minutes.
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Tram 28
The yellow tram through Graça, Alfama, Baixa and Estrela. Board at Martim Moniz early in the morning to get a seat, and keep an eye on your bag.
How to get there · ≈ 30 min by tram
Tram 15E to Praça da Figueira, then 3 minutes on foot to the tram 28 stop at Martim Moniz.
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Senhora do Monte viewpoint
The highest viewpoint in the old city, with the castle, the river and the bridge in one view. Quieter than the famous ones and perfect at sunset.
How to get there · ≈ 45 min by tram
Tram 15E to Praça da Figueira, tram 28 from Martim Moniz to Graça, then 5 minutes on foot.
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Torel Garden
A small hidden garden with a view over the city. Even many Lisboetas do not know it.
How to get there · ≈ 40 min by tram
Tram 15E to Praça da Figueira, on foot through Rossio to Restauradores, then 10 minutes up the steep streets on the east side.
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Feira da Ladra flea market
Lisbon’s flea market on Tuesday and Saturday mornings behind the National Pantheon: old tiles, records, books and curiosities. Free to stroll; haggling is part of the fun.
How to get there · ≈ 45 min by tram
Tram 15E to Praça da Figueira, tram 28 from Martim Moniz towards Graça to the São Vicente church, then 3 minutes on foot.
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A shot of ginjinha
Sour-cherry liqueur served in a tiny glass at the counter of A Ginjinha by Rossio, open since 1840. Ask for it “com elas” (with the cherries).
How to get there · ≈ 30 min by tram
Tram 15E to Praça da Figueira; A Ginjinha is on Largo de São Domingos, 2 minutes away.
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Gulbenkian Museum and garden
A world-class private collection, from Egyptian art to Lalique jewellery, in a modern garden with ponds and ducks. The garden is free and a calm escape.
How to get there · ≈ 40 min by public transport
Train to Cais do Sodré, metro green line to Baixa-Chiado, blue line to São Sebastião, then 5 minutes on foot.
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Lisbon Zoo
Lisbon’s zoo, in a large park with a cable car over the animals. A great day out with children.
How to get there · ≈ 45 min by public transport
Train to Cais do Sodré, metro green line to Baixa-Chiado, then blue line to Jardim Zoológico; the entrance is next to the station.
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National Tile Museum
Five centuries of Portuguese tiles in a former convent, with a long tiled view of Lisbon before the 1755 earthquake and a stunning gilded church.
How to get there · ≈ 45 min by public transport
Tram 15E to Praça do Comércio, then a bus along the river towards Xabregas or a short taxi ride (10 minutes).
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Lisbon Oceanarium
One of Europe’s largest aquariums, built around a huge central tank with sharks, rays and sunfish. Great with children or on a rainy day.
How to get there · ≈ 60 min by public transport
Train to Cais do Sodré, metro green line to Alameda, red line to Oriente, then 10 minutes on foot through Parque das Nações.
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Lux Frágil
Lisbon’s most famous club, by the river near Santa Apolónia, with a rooftop terrace for the sunrise. It starts late: the dance floor fills after 2 a.m.
How to get there · ≈ 20 min by taxi
By taxi or ride-hailing, about 20 minutes at night. By day: tram 15E to Praça do Comércio and 15 minutes on foot along the river.
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Fronteira Palace
A 17th-century palace with some of Lisbon’s most beautiful tile gardens, still lived in by the family. Visits are guided and small, so check times and book ahead.
How to get there · ≈ 45 min by public transport
Metro to Jardim Zoológico (as for the zoo), then 15 minutes on foot or a short taxi ride.
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Cristo Rei
The statue of Christ facing Lisbon from the south bank: the widest view of the city and the bridge.
How to get there · ≈ 50 min by public transport
Train to Cais do Sodré, ferry to Cacilhas (10 min), then a bus to Cristo Rei (about 10 min).
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Cacilhas and the Ginjal quay
A secret walk across the river: follow the old Ginjal quay past crumbling warehouses, with Lisbon’s best postcard view in front of you.
How to get there · ≈ 40 min by train and ferry
Train to Cais do Sodré, ferry to Cacilhas, then on foot along the river westwards, towards the bridge.
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Carcavelos beach
A long sandy beach with waves, surf schools and beach bars. The easiest real beach from the hotel.
How to get there · ≈ 20 min by train
From Belém station, a train to Cascais (not the ones ending in Oeiras); get off at Carcavelos and walk 10 minutes down to the sea.
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Santo Amaro de Oeiras beach
A sheltered, calmer beach that locals love, good for families, with a seafront promenade.
How to get there · ≈ 15 min by train
Train from Belém towards Oeiras or Cascais; get off at Santo Amaro and walk 5 minutes.
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Cascais and its beaches
Former fishing village turned seaside town, with small sandy beaches, a marina and a pretty old centre. Walk the coast road to Boca do Inferno, where the sea crashes into the cliffs.
How to get there · ≈ 30 min by train
From Belém station, a train to Cascais, to the end of the line (about 30 min); the beaches are next to the station.
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Guincho beach
Wild Atlantic beach below the Sintra hills, loved by kitesurfers. Often windy with strong waves: more for walking, surfing and sunsets than for swimming.
How to get there · ≈ 55 min by public transport
Train to Cascais, then a bus to Guincho (about 20 min); also by bike on the coastal cycle path.
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Costa da Caparica
Kilometres of sandy beaches on the south bank, with beach bars all along the coast. A route most tourists never know: the ferry from Belém.
How to get there · ≈ 60 min by ferry and bus
Ferry from the Belém river station to Trafaria (about 20 min), then a bus to Costa da Caparica (about 15 min).
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Fonte da Telha
The quiet southern end of the Caparica coast, below a fossil cliff, with simple fish restaurants on the sand.
How to get there · ≈ 80 min by ferry and bus
As for Costa da Caparica; in summer continue on the little beach train along the dunes, the rest of the year by bus.
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Sintra
Fairy-tale palaces in a forest on the hills: Pena Palace, the Moorish Castle and Quinta da Regaleira with its initiation well. Go early, buy tickets online and plan a full day.
How to get there · ≈ 75 min by public transport
Tram 15E to Praça da Figueira, 2 minutes on foot to Rossio station, then the train to Sintra (about 40 min).
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Cabo da Roca, where the land ends
The westernmost point of mainland Europe, “where the land ends and the sea begins” in the words of the poet Camões: wild cliffs, a lighthouse and the open Atlantic.
How to get there · ≈ 90 min by public transport
Train to Cascais or to Sintra, then the bus to Cabo da Roca (not frequent: check the times).
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Airport
The airport is about 15 km away: 25 to 30 minutes by taxi or ride-hailing outside rush hour. We are happy to call you a taxi.
How to get there · ≈ 30 min by taxi
Public transport (about 1 hour): train or tram 15E to Cais do Sodré, then the Aerobus or the metro (green line to Alameda, red line to Aeroporto).
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Public transport tickets
A 24-hour ticket covers buses, trams and the metro; another one adds the trains to Cascais and Sintra. Load it onto a navegante card, or top up credit and pay per trip.
How to get there
Cards and top-ups at the machines in metro and train stations.
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Lisboa Card
The city’s official card: public transport included, plus free or discounted entry to many museums and monuments. Worth it if you plan several visits a day.
How to get there
Sold at the Ask Me Lisboa tourist offices and online.
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Money and exchange
Usually the cheapest way is a Multibanco cash machine with your own card. If a machine or shop offers to charge you in your home currency, choose euros. Exchange offices in the Baixa and at the airport often have worse rates.
How to get there
There are cash machines in Belém, near the monastery and the station.
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Car hire
You do not need a car in Lisbon itself, but it helps for Sintra, the coast and Arrábida. All the big companies are at the airport and several have offices in the city. Talk to us: we help you book.
How to get there
At the airport, the rental desks are in the arrivals area.
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Shopping centres and shopping
Colombo (metro Colégio Militar/Luz), one of the largest in Iberia; Amoreiras, with a viewpoint at the top of its tower; El Corte Inglés (metro São Sebastião); Vasco da Gama, next to the Oceanarium (metro Oriente). For street shopping: Chiado and Rua Augusta.
How to get there
All by metro from Cais do Sodré (train from Belém).
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Pharmacies and health
Pharmacies have a green cross. At night one pharmacy per area stays open (“farmácia de serviço”): the list is on every pharmacy door. In an emergency, call 112.
How to get there
Ask us for the nearest pharmacy.
Times are approximate, from the hotel. Please check opening days, hours and prices before you go.