Lisbon
Lisbon in 3 Days With the Lisboa Card
This Lisbon 3 day itinerary runs on one 72-hour Lisboa Card: Belém's great monuments on day one, the castle and downtown on day two, and Sintra's palaces by train on day three. The card includes the trains, trams and metro and every Lisbon entry in the plan but one, and takes money off the Sintra palaces.
The plan, added up
What the Lisboa Card 72h saves on this plan
- Day 1 · Belém
- €74.05
- Day 2 · Castle and Baixa
- €48.65
- Day 3 · Sintra
- €19.44
- Tickets and transport bought one by one
- €142.14
- Lisboa Card 72h
- €62
You save €80.14
Buy the Lisboa Card 72hAdult prices on Tiqets. We add up the entries the card includes, what its discounts take off and a day of public transport (the 24-hour ticket, with the train on day-trip days). Stops the card doesn't cover don't count: you pay for them either way. Prices updated 27 Oct
Day 1
Belém
The river district with Lisbon's two great monuments, plus three smaller visits the card also covers.
- Tram 15E, or the Cascais-line train from Cais do Sodré: both on the card.
- Jerónimos, Belém Tower and the Coach Museum close on Mondays.
-
Morning Jerónimos Monastery → Go at the time on your slot: the cloister first, then the church. €19.50 -
Late morning National Coach Museum → The royal carriages, a short walk east of the monastery. Included with the card. €15 -
Midday Monument to the Discoveries → On the waterfront across the road and the railway. On the way, stop at Pastéis de Belém for custard tarts, warm. €10 -
Afternoon Belém Tower → A walk west along the river. Arrive for your second booked time. €16.80 -
Late afternoon Pilar 7 Bridge Experience → Inside the 25 de Abril Bridge's pillar at Alcântara, on your way back into town. Stairs only for now; last entry 17:00. €5.50
The card saves you €74.05 today (€66.80 in entries · €7.25 in transport)
Add to this day
TipBook Jerónimos for the morning and the tower for mid-afternoon, a few hours apart. Lunch and the Coach Museum go in the gap.
Day 2
Castle and Baixa
Up to the castle, across the top of Alfama, then downhill to the cathedral and the riverside square.
- Tram 28 runs through Alfama towards the castle; metro, buses and trams are all on the card.
- The National Pantheon closes on Mondays.
-
Morning São Jorge Castle → Included with the card. Take bus 737 up; from here the whole day runs downhill to the river. €17 -
Late morning National Pantheon → The white dome at the eastern end of Alfama, where Portugal honours its great names. €10 -
Midday Lisbon Cathedral → On the way down through Alfama, 20% off with the card. €7 -
Afternoon Lisboa Story Centre → The city's history, the 1755 earthquake included, on Praça do Comércio. €8 -
Late afternoon Rua Augusta Arch → The arch's viewpoint, a few steps from the Story Centre, looks straight down Rua Augusta. Last entry 18:30. €5
The card saves you €48.65 today (€40 in entries · €1.40 in discounts · €7.25 in transport)
Add to this day
TipStart at the top and let gravity do the rest: bus 737 to the Castelo stop, two minutes from the gate, then everything else is downhill, ending by the river.
Day 3
Sintra
The palaces in the hills west of Lisbon. The card pays the train there and back and takes money off the palaces.
- Train from Rossio, included with the card. Up the hill, the 434 and 435 buses are a separate fare.
-
Morning Pena Palace → Take an early train. Entry is timed: book ahead at full price, or take the card's 10% at the desk, while slots last. €22.40 -
Midday Moorish Castle → On the same hill as Pena, so the pair fits one morning and early afternoon. 15% off with the card. €13.20 -
Lunch Sintra's old town Back down in the town centre, around the National Palace. -
Afternoon Sintra Myths and Legends → In town and included with the card: a good plan B when the hills are in cloud. €4
The card saves you €19.44 today (€4 in entries · €4.04 in discounts · €11.40 in transport)
Add to this day
TipTwo palaces fill the day. To see Quinta da Regaleira's well, swap it in for the Moorish Castle and buy its ticket: the card gives no discount there.
Mondays and the two Belém bookings
Jerónimos, Belém Tower, the Coach Museum and the Pantheon all close on Mondays. When a Monday falls in your three days, make it the Sintra day.
With the card, the two Belém monuments are the bookings to make. Entry is included, and you reserve a free time for each with the card’s number.
You only get that number once you swap the voucher for the card, so do the swap at the airport desk when you land and book the same day. Card holders share a limited number of places. How it works is on the Lisboa Card page.
Budgeting the Sintra day
The two Lisbon days run almost entirely on the card. In Sintra it pays the train both ways and takes money off the palaces: 10% off Pena and 15% off the Moorish Castle.
Quinta da Regaleira has no discount, though, and the 434 and 435 buses up the hill are a separate fare. So budget two palace tickets and the bus for each person.
Cascais instead, or a fourth day
The Cascais train from Cais do Sodré is included with the card too, and it runs past Belém on the way. Cascais itself has nothing on the card’s list, so that’s a day for the beach and the seafront.
With a fourth day, the card’s discounts cover the obvious extras: 15% off the Oceanarium and 20% off the Gulbenkian.
Card and combos
Lisboa Card options
Pick the one that fits your trip. Prices are per adult, and you choose your dates on the next page.
People also ask
Frequently asked questions
Is 3 days enough for Lisbon with a Sintra trip?
It is enough when each day stays in one area: Belém, then the castle and downtown, then Sintra. There is no room left for a slow day in Alfama or for the Oceanarium. Those need a fourth day.
When should I start the 72-hour card?
On the first ride of your first sightseeing morning, not on the evening you land. The 72 hours run from that first use, so a morning start on day one carries you through the Sintra train back on day three.
Does the plan work for families?
The card has a child price for ages 4 to 15. One catch: at the castle, the Monument to the Discoveries and several city museums, children aged 13 to 15 pay their own ticket even with the card.
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