Is the Lisboa Card Worth It? 2026 Prices and What's Included

The Lisboa Card bundles free public transport with free or discounted entry to dozens of Lisbon’s museums and monuments. But is it actually worth it? It depends entirely on how you like to travel, so here’s how to work it out.

Quick answer: it’s worth it if you’ll visit two or three paid sights a day (especially Belém) and use public transport, including the train to Sintra or Cascais. If you prefer wandering, viewpoints and cafés, you’ll save money with a navegante card instead.

What the Lisboa Card is

It’s the official city pass sold by the Lisbon tourist board. You get one card that works as a transport ticket and an entry pass. You tap it on the metro gates, buses and trams like a normal travel card, and show it at museum desks. It suits short, busy trips. It doesn’t suit slow travel, because the clock keeps running whether you use it or not.

Lisboa Card prices (2026)

Card	Adult	Child (4–15)
24 hours	€31	€21
48 hours	€51	€28
72 hours	€62	€35

Prices from the official card, checked October 2026; the official shop lists them as valid until 31 March 2027. Buying on the official website has come with a 5% online discount. You get a voucher by email, which you swap for the physical card at an Ask Me Lisboa tourist desk (there is one in the airport arrivals hall) within six months. The clock starts the first time you use it, and runs for 24, 48 or 72 hours in a row (not calendar days).

What’s included

• Unlimited public transport: metro (including the metro from the airport), Carris buses and trams, including tram 28. The Glória, Bica and Lavra funiculars and the Santa Justa lift have been closed since the September 2025 accident, so you can’t use the card on them for now.
• Trains to Sintra and Cascais on the CP suburban lines, which makes the longer cards good value on a day trip. The official seller also lists Fertagus trains to Setúbal.
• Free entry to many state-run sights, including the Jerónimos Monastery, Belém Tower, the National Coach Museum, the National Pantheon, the Ajuda Palace and the Palácio de Mafra. Some included museums are closed for restoration in 2026, such as the National Museum of Ancient Art and the National Tile Museum.
• São Jorge Castle and the Rua Augusta Arch: free for adult card holders. At the castle, use the “Lisboa Card/Residents” queue; 13 to 15-year-olds still need a ticket.
• Discounts on other attractions, tours, river cruises, fado shows and shops.

The list of included sights changes from time to time, and some popular monuments now need a timed entry slot even with the card. Belém Tower, for example, lets in a limited number of visitors every half hour since it reopened in May 2026. For both Jerónimos and Belém Tower, you book a date and time using your card number, so collect the card first. Check the official list and book slots before you go.

Not included (people often assume they are)

• Sintra’s palaces, like Pena, Regaleira and the Moorish Castle. The card only gets you there by train, sometimes with a small discount. Pena tickets are for a set date and time, so book Pena tickets separately. A combined card and Pena ticket has also been sold.
• The Oceanarium and most private attractions, though discounts may apply.
• Airport transfers by taxi or Uber.
• Day tours and river cruises, which are discounted at best.

Any Sintra discount is given at the palace ticket office, where you show the card and pay the difference; it can’t be used for online bookings. If you want a guaranteed Pena slot in summer, booking online at full price is the safer choice.

Does it pay for itself? A quick example

A typical first day in Belém and the old town might include Jerónimos, Belém Tower, a museum and four or five metro and tram rides. At 2026 prices, the Jerónimos cloister is €18, the tower is €15 and the Coach Museum is €15. That’s €48 before transport, well over the €31 24-hour card. A slow day of wandering Alfama, viewpoints and lunch won’t come close.

Add a second day with the castle (€17), the Rua Augusta Arch (€5) and a return train to Sintra, and the 48-hour card at €51 usually comes out ahead too.

Rule of thumb: add up the entry prices of the paid sights you actually plan to visit, plus about €7 a day for transport (the price of a 24-hour transport pass). If that comes to more than the card, buy it.

Which length to choose

• 24 hours: best for one big Belém and museum day. Start it in the morning.
• 48 hours: good for a Belém day plus a train day to Sintra or Cascais.
• 72 hours: only worth it if every day is full of paid sights. Most people do better with a 24 or 48-hour card and a navegante card for the other days.

Tips for getting your money’s worth

• Activate it in the morning and plan your museum-heavy days around it.
• Do Belém on a card day. Jerónimos and Belém Tower alone make a big dent in the price.
• Use the 48 or 72-hour card to cover your Sintra train day as well.
• Check opening days. Many museums close on Mondays, including Jerónimos and Belém Tower, so don’t start a 24-hour card on a Monday. National museums and monuments also close on public holidays, 25 December and 1 January.
• Keep the card with you and tap in on every journey, even though it’s free to ride.

Lisboa Card vs navegante card

	Lisboa Card	navegante + zapping
Best for	Busy sightseeing days	Relaxed trips, few paid sights
Transport	Unlimited, incl. Sintra and Cascais trains	Pay per trip (€1.72) or €7.25 per day
Museums	Free entry to many	Pay as you go

The navegante card itself costs €0.50. Load it with “zapping” credit and each metro, bus or tram ride costs €1.72 in 2026. A 24-hour Carris and Metro pass is €7.25, and a version that adds CP trains to Sintra and Cascais is about €11.40. For more on fares, see our Lisbon on a budget guide and free things to do in Lisbon.

FAQ

Does the Lisboa Card include Sintra?

It covers the train from Rossio to Sintra, but not entry to the palaces. At most you get a discount at the palace ticket offices.

Is São Jorge Castle included in the Lisboa Card?

Yes. Adult card holders get in free through the “Lisboa Card/Residents” queue, but 13 to 15-year-olds need a ticket.

Do I need to book Jerónimos and Belém Tower with the card?

Yes. Both need a date and time slot booked with your card number, and card-holder places are limited each day.

Planning your days? See our 3-day Lisbon itinerary, or browse Lisbon tickets and tours.

See also: Belém Tower, Lisbon’s hop-on hop-off buses, the National Pantheon and the Monument to the Discoveries.

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