Quick Answer: Is the Lisbon Card Worth It?

The Lisbon Card is great value if your itinerary includes a visit to multiple attractions, such as Jerónimos Monastery, Belém Tower and São Jorge Castle, and if you plan to use public transport to get around the city. 

The cost of entry to Lisbon’s most popular attractions and the use of trams and buses to get between them can add up quickly. 

Here’s a simple example:

• Jerónimos Monastery €18
• Belém Tower €15
• São Jorge Castle €17
• 24-Hour public transport ticket €7.25

Total without Lisbon Card: €57.25

These are all included in the 24 Hour Lisbon Card which costs €31

Potential savings = €26.25

And that’s based on just 3 attractions. The Lisbon Card also includes free entry to more than 50 museums and monuments. While you won’t have time to visit them all in a day, you can also purchase a 48 hour or 72 hour pass.

Already know the Lisbon Card is right for your trip?

Keep reading below to find my suggested itineraries when using the Lisbon Card and a further breakdown on the possible savings.

What Is the Lisbon Card?

The Lisbon Card (Officially named the Lisboa Card) is a tourist pass that combines unlimited public transport with free or discounted entry to the top attractions in Lisbon.  

You can choose the duration that best suits your Lisbon itinerary by purchasing a pass for 24 hours, 48 hours or 72 hours. 

Depending on your itinerary, the savings can add up quickly compared to buying individual attraction tickets and public transport separately.

Key Information

While the Lisbon Card includes free entry to many of the top attractions, that doesn’t automatically mean it’s worth buying. In the next sections, I’ll explain exactly what’s included and help you decide whether it’ll actually save you money.

What’s Included?

The Lisbon Card includes free or discounted entry to attractions, monuments and museums as well as free unlimited public transport.

Free Lisbon Card Attractions

The Lisbon Card includes free entry to over 50 attractions, museums and monuments.

You can view the full list on the official Lisbon Card website. 

Some of the most popular attractions included free with the Lisbon Card:

• Jerónimos Monastery (€18) 
• Belém Tower (€15)
• Monument to the Discoveries (€10)
• São Jorge Castle (€17)
• Rua Augusta Arch (€5)
• Lisboa Story Centre (€7.50)

For most first time visitors, the biggest savings come from visiting Jerónimos Monastery, Belém Tower and São Jorge Castle, as these have some of the highest admission prices in Lisbon. If these are already on your itinerary, the Lisbon Card can quickly pay for itself. 

If you enjoy visiting museums, the Lisbon Card offers even better value, with free entry to more than 20 museums and discounts at many more.

Unlimited Public Transport

While your pass is valid, you have unlimited access to the entire public transport network for free. This includes the metro, buses and trams. It also includes some suburban services (CP – Comboios de Portugal) outside of the Lisbon city centre to Sintra and Cascais.

A single tram ride would usually cost €3.30 or a 24-Hour public transport ticket is €7.25. 

Lisbon has a lot of hills and many of the top attractions are spread across different neighbourhoods in the city. Even if you enjoy walking, you’ll probably still find yourself jumping on trams or buses several times a day. Having unlimited public transport included makes it much easier to explore without having to worry about buying individual tickets.

Discounts

The Lisbon Card also provides discounts at over 80 locations, including museums, tours and activities. The discounts range from 5% to 50% off. 

Some of the most popular Lisbon Card discounts include:

• Lisbon Cathedral 20% discount 
• Lisbon Zoo 15% discount
• Navy Planetarium 20% discount
• Lisbon Oceanarium 15% discount
• Tram Museum 30% discount
• Museum of Illusions 20% discount

What the Lisbon Card Doesn’t Include

While highlighting what the Lisbon Card includes, I think it’s also worth considering what it doesn’t include.

The Lisbon Card doesn’t guarantee you entry to attractions. During peak periods, some attractions may reach capacity or require you to queue for a while, it isn’t a ‘skip the line’ pass. 

Some attractions also require reservations, even if free entry is included with the Lisbon Card. These reservations for Lisbon Card holders can be limited and do book out during busy periods. 

It’s also worth remembering that not every attraction in Lisbon is included. While many are free with the Lisbon Card, others offer discounted admission instead.

How Much Does the Lisbon Card Cost?

The Lisbon Card is available in 24 hours, 48 hours or 72 hours versions for both adults and children.

Child passes are available for ages 4-15 years. Anyone aged 16 or over will need an adult pass. Children aged 3 and under don’t require a Lisbon Card.

Adult Lisbon Card

Child Lisbon Card

How to Decide If the Lisbon Card Is Worth Buying

Don’t assume the Lisbon Card will automatically save you money. The easiest way to decide if it’s worth buying is to compare what’s included against your planned itinerary.

During my recent trip, I decided not to buy a Lisbon Card because I only had limited time in the city and knew I wouldn’t have the chance to visit enough attractions to make it worthwhile. Especially because I visited Belém on a Monday, when both Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower are closed.

Here’s the exact process I used to determine if the Lisbon Card is worth buying:

Step 1: List the attractions you genuinely want to visit

Start by writing down the attractions you genuinely want to visit, don’t just write down every attraction that’s included with the card and try to tick them off. 

It’s also worth checking opening days or for closure. For example, some attractions are closed on Mondays. 

If you’re still planning your itinerary and looking for ideas, check out my guide on Things to Do in Lisbon.

Step 2: Add up the normal ticket prices

Look up what the standard admission price is for each attraction and add up the total. 

This will give you a baseline to compare against the cost of the Lisbon Card.

Step 3: Estimate your transport costs

Think about how often you’ll use public transport. If you’re planning to use the metro, buses, or trams then the savings can add up quickly. 

However, if you mostly plan to walk or get Ubers then the transport benefits may be less valuable.

Step 4: Compare the total with the cost of the Lisbon Card

Compare the combined cost of your attractions and transport against the price of the Lisbon Card.

If the card costs less than the total, then it’s going to be a worthwhile purchase.

Step 5: Make sure your itinerary is realistic (Don’t miss this step)

This is the step that people tend to overlook before deciding to buy a Lisbon Card. 

The Lisbon Card is available to purchase as a 24 hour, 48 hour or 72 hour pass, make sure you’re buying the pass that best fits your itinerary. You can see some sample itineraries below. 

While a 72 hour pass offers more flexibility, it isn’t automatically better value if you’ll only visit a handful of attractions. 

You should remember that it isn’t a ‘skip the line’ pass and you’ll need to spend time queuing at some attractions. 

There are also some attractions including Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower where you need to reserve a timed entry slot in advance.During peak season, these slots can book out quickly, so plan ahead and allow some flexibility in your itinerary. 

Ask yourself:

• Do I actually have enough time to visit these attractions? 
• Can I fit them into the number of days my pass is valid? 
• Will opening hours or queues limit what I can realistically see?

If you don’t plan effectively or try to squeeze in too many attractions just to “get your money’s worth”, you’ll find yourself rushing from one attraction to the next instead of enjoying your trip.

Example Itineraries: Is the Lisbon Card Worth It?

The key to getting the best value from the Lisbon Card is planning your itinerary in advance. Decide which attractions you’ll visit and how you’re getting around Lisbon before choosing your pass. 

To help you estimate the potential savings, I’ve created sample 24-hour, 48-hour and 72-hour itineraries below. 

Even if you’re spending three or more days in Lisbon, you don’t necessarily need the 72-hour Lisbon Card. If your paid attractions can be planned over one or two busy sightseeing days, you may save by buying a 24 or 48 hour pass and using a standard public transport pass instead on the remaining days. 

Here is a sample 3 day itinerary and how much you could save with the Lisbon Card:

Day 1 (24 Hour Lisbon Card Example Itinerary)

Day 1 costs without Lisbon Card: €49.60
24 Hour Lisbon Card: €31
Potential Saving: €18.60

Day 2 (48 Hour Lisbon Card Example Itinerary)

Day 1 costs without Lisbon Card: €49.60
Day 2 total without Lisbon Card: €26.70
48 Hour Lisbon Card: €51
Potential Saving: €25.30

Day 3 (72 Hour Lisbon Card Example Itinerary)

*As the day 3 itinerary involves several public transport journeys, I’ve compared it with the cost of a 24-hour Navegante pass (€7.25) rather than individual €3.30 fares.

Day 1 costs without Lisbon Card: €49.60
Day 2 costs without Lisbon Card: €26.70
Day 3 costs without Lisbon Card: €24.25
72 Hour Lisbon Card: €62
Potential Saving: €38.55

Reasons to Buy vs Reasons to Skip

The Lisbon Card is worth buying if you’re planning to visit several paid attractions, use public transport to get around and you’ve got a flexible itinerary to make the most of it. However, if your itinerary focuses on visiting free attractions and you expect to walk most places you likely won’t get the value.

Where to Buy the Lisbon Card?

If you’ve decided that the Lisbon Card is worth it for your trip, you have two main options: buy it online before you travel or purchase it when you arrive in Lisbon. 

Buying online is the easiest option if you like to have everything organised before your trip. You’ll receive a confirmation voucher, which you will exchange for a physical Lisbon Card once you arrive in the city. As there’s no mobile ticket option, you’ll need the physical card to use public transport and gain entry to attractions.

If you’ve found this guide helpful, you can purchase your Lisbon Card using the link above and I’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps to support the blog and allows me to continue creating free travel guides like this one!

How to Use the Lisbon Card

Once you’ve purchased your Lisbon Card, using it is easy. Here’s everything you need to know, from collecting your card to visiting your first attraction.

Step 1: Collect Your Lisbon Card

If you’ve purchased your Lisbon Card online, you’ll need to exchange the confirmation voucher for a physical Lisboa Card from one of the official collection points, including the Ask Me Tourist Offices in the city or from Lisbon Airport. 

If you buy your card in person, you’ll receive it immediately.

Step 2: Activate Your Card

You don’t need to do anything special to activate your card, it will automatically be activated the first time you use it. Whether that’s on public transport or at an included attraction.

From the first use, it will be valid for its 24, 48 or 72 hour duration, depending on the pass you’ve purchased. 

To get the best value, think carefully about when you activate your pass. For example, you wouldn’t want to activate the pass to use public transport leaving the airport in the morning, then not visit any attractions until late afternoon, you’ll lose valuable time on your pass.

Step 3: Use It on Public Transport

Using the Lisbon Card on public transport is easy, you simply tap your card when boarding or entering the station. Public transport includes:

• Trams
• Buses
• Metro 
• Funiculars
• Elevators
• CP Trains to Sintra and Cascais

There’s no need to buy separate public transport tickets while your card is valid. 

Step 4: Show it at Included Attractions

Present your Lisbon Card at included attractions to receive free or discounted entry. 

Remember the card doesn’t guarantee entry and some attractions will have long queues during peak season. 

Some attractions, including Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower, also require advance reservations via the Lisboa Card website. 

You can only make these reservations once you’ve physically collected your Lisbon Card, as you need to enter the code that appears on the card. I would recommend making these reservations as soon as you collect the card as they book out quickly. 

Making these online reservations does not activate the pass. Your pass will still only start once you physically use the card on public transport or present it in person at an attraction.

Step 5: Keep an Eye on the Time

The Lisbon Card is valid for consecutive hours from the moment it’s activated, rather than calendar days. 

For example, if you first use a 24 hour card on public transport at 9.00am on a Friday, it will remain valid until 9.00am on Saturday.  

To get the best value, it’s important to plan your itinerary in advance and decide on the attractions you most want to visit.

It’s also worth checking for closures and confirming opening days, as some of Lisbon’s most popular attractions are closed on Mondays.

Lisbon Card FAQs

Is it worth getting a Lisbon Card?

The Lisbon Card is worth it if you’re planning to visit several paid attractions in Lisbon and use public transport as your main way of getting around the city. You can take a look at my example itineraries above to see how quickly the savings can add up when using a Lisbon Card.

Does the Lisbon Card include Sintra?

The Lisbon Card includes the suburban train service (CP – Comboios de Portugal) to Sintra but it doesn’t include the local Sintra circuit bus, you’ll need to purchase a separate ticket for that. It also doesn’t include free entry to attractions in Sintra, such as Pena Palace but you can purchase tickets for a 10% discount. 

If you’re visiting during peak season, I wouldn’t recommend waiting to purchase your Sintra attraction tickets from their booking offices as they do sell out. 

If you’re planning to visit Sintra, you can check out my guide: Day Trip to Sintra for planning tips and the best way to visit.

Is Tram 28 included?

Yes, the iconic tram 28 is included with the Lisbon Card, alongside other public transport in the city including other trams, buses and the metro.

What does the Lisbon Card include?

The Lisbon Card includes free and discounted entry to over 100 attractions in Lisbon as well as free public transport for the duration of the pass. You can purchase passes for a duration of 24, 48 or 72 hours.

Is the Lisbon Card activated when purchased or first used?

The Lisbon Card is activated the first time you use it, either via tapping it on public transport or presenting it at an attraction.

Can I visit the same attraction twice?

No, you can’t use the Lisbon Card to visit the same attraction twice as it only includes one entrance. If you want to revisit you’ll need to buy a regular admission ticket.

Is the Lisbon Card worth buying for one day?

The Lisbon Card is definitely worth buying for one day, you can see an example itinerary above on how to use a 24 hour pass. You can plan to visit several attractions during the day and use public transport to get between them for the best value.

Can I buy the Lisbon Card online?

You can buy the Lisbon Card online here. Then once you arrive in Lisbon you can exchange your confirmation voucher for the physical Lisboa Card.

Final Verdict: Is the Lisbon Card Worth It?

Whether the Lisbon Card is worth buying or not depends on how you plan to spend your time in Lisbon. 

If your itinerary includes several of the city’s paid attractions and you’ll be using public transport to get around, the savings can quickly add up. 

However, if you’re planning a trip focused on exploring Lisbon’s neighbourhoods, viewpoints or admiring attractions without going inside, you’re probably better off buying individual attraction tickets and public transport passes rather than purchasing the Lisbon Card. 

Before you buy, take some time to compare the price of your planned attractions against the cost of the Lisbon Card. A little planning will help you choose the option that offers the best value for your trip.