Few European cities offer a more dramatic welcome to cruise passengers than Lisbon. Your arrival begins by gliding under the iconic Ponte 25 de Abril suspension bridge and along the historic waterfront, before docking right in the heart of the city. This prime location means you can step off your ship and be exploring the ancient streets of the Alfama district within minutes.

This immediate access to the city's historic core is what makes Lisbon such an exceptional cruise destination. With no time lost on lengthy transfers, you can immerse yourself in the atmosphere almost immediately. From the cruise terminal, the grand plazas of Baixa, the chic shopping of Chiado, and the city's famed viewpoints are all within easy reach, either on foot or by a short tram ride.

However, with only a limited time ashore, a well-structured plan is essential. Lisbon is a city of steep hills and distinct neighbourhoods, and without a clear route, it is easy to waste precious time backtracking or miss key sights that are just around the corner.

This guide has been created specifically for cruise ship passengers with a single day in Lisbon. It provides a detailed tour designed to maximise your time, cover the essential sights, and offer practical advice.
Related articles: Lisbon introduction – Top sights of Lisbon

The Alfama district leading down to the cruise terminal (the modern building to the right of the image)

Many cruise passengers default to booking the ship's organised shore excursions, but in Lisbon, this is often a mistake. Thanks to the cruise terminal's fantastic central location, the city is ideally suited for independent exploration. Opting to discover Lisbon on your own not only saves you a significant amount of money but also frees you from the rigid schedule of a large tour group, allowing you to explore at a pace that suits you.

Exploring independently also offers a more authentic way to experience the city and support its local economy. By choosing to spend your money at a traditional café, a family-run restaurant, or a small local shop, you ensure your spending directly benefits the people of Lisbon, rather than being absorbed by cruise line commissions.

For any first-time visitor, it is reassuring to know that Lisbon is a very safe and welcoming city. English is widely spoken in all tourist areas, and with a sensible approach to your belongings, you are unlikely to encounter any problems. The city's compact historic centre is best explored on foot, and you may find you have little need for taxis or public transport during your day ashore.

With just one day in port, it is impossible to see all of Lisbon's highlights. The key to a successful visit is to focus on the compact historic centre, where the city’s most iconic sights are clustered together and easily explored on foot directly from the cruise terminal.

Castelo de São Jorge - The ancient castle of Lisbon that stands high above the historic centre, and provides wonderful views over central Lisbon.

The Alfama district – The oldest and most characterful district of Lisbon, with a warren of narrow streets that climb uphill from the waterfront to the castle - Alfama guide

The number 28 tram – The delightful tram route that runs through the historic centre of Lisbon, with its traditional yellow trams – Number 28 tram guide.

Praça do Comércio – The magnificent plaza that opens out onto the Tejo Estuary, and was historically the trading and commercial centre of Lisbon.

Other popular sights for a cruise ship day trip include the Elevador de Santa Justa, Se cathedral and Rossio plaza.
Insight: Depending on the amount of time you have in Lisbon, you may want to include the Belem district. Belem is 7km to the west of the cruise terminal, and this pretty district is the location of the Torre de Belém, the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos and the Padrão dos Descobrimentos.

The following interactive map displays a suggested one day tour of central Lisbon.
The route begins from the Terminal de Cruzeiros de Lisboa (Lisbon cruise terminal), and covers 7.6km, which is around 5 hours of sightseeing. The yellow line displays a tour of Belem if you wish to include it in your day trip (Note: zoom out to see all of the points)

Key: 1) Cruise terminal 2) Alfama district 3) Praça do Comércio 4) Arco da Rua Augusta 5) Rua Augusta 6) Elevador de Santa Justa 7) Rossio 8) Praça dos Restauradores 9) Igreja de Santo António 10) Sé de Lisboa 11) Castelo de São Jorge 12) Igreja de São Vicente de Fora 13) Panteão Nacional
Belem: 14) Mosteiro dos Jerónimos 15) Padrão dos Descobrimentos 16) Torre de Belém 17) Pastéis de Belém 18) Museu Nacional dos Coches
Insight: If you have two days in Lisbon please see this guide – 48hours in Lisbon

Money-saving tip: There are many free walking tour companies operating around Lisbon. These tours often have enthusiastic and highly knowledgeable guides, as they earn their money via tips. The free tours leave from three locations - Praça do Comércio (3), Rossio plaza (7) or the Praça Luís de Camões - at a range of times between 10-11am and 1-2pm.

Accessibility: Lisbon is a hilly city, with many cobbled and narrow streets, but there is a pleasant flat route from the cruise terminal. Follow the waterfront from the cruise terminal (1) to the Praça do Comércio (3) and continue up the Rua Augusta (5) to Rossio plaza (7) and the Praça dos Restauradores (8). This area of Lisbon is flat and is mostly traffic-free, ideal if you have limited mobility.

The Ponte 25 de Abril suspension bridge

One of the best ways to discover Lisbon and meet fellow travellers is to join a guided tour. We have worked with Getyourguide.com for the last six years, and some of their best tours of Lisbon include:

Lisbon cruise terminal is situated within the city, and is only a short walk (less than 100m) to the Alfama district.

The Terminal de Cruzeiros de Lisboa is a modern facility designed to handle multiple cruise ships per day, situated to the south-eastern side of Lisbon (GPS: 38.7100, -9.1262). Opposite the terminal is the Alfama district, with its many restaurants, cafes and small shops. For larger shops and supermarkets (such as Pingo Doce), head to the Baixa district.

If you are joining a cruise at Lisbon, it is very easy to travel from the airport to the cruise terminal by public transport. Take the red metro line from the airport, change to the blue line at São Sebastião and exit the metro at Santa Apolónia metro station.

The Terminal de Cruzeiros de Lisboa was opened in 2019 and now handles most cruise ships. Outdated guides may refer to the old terminal in Alcantara, but this is incorrect.

Note: It is possible that some cruises may still dock at the old terminal in Alcantara when all berths in the modern facility are taken. Your cruise ship will inform you.

Insight: For information on which cruise ships are moored at Lisbon's harbours, please see the Administração do Porto de Lisboa (APL) website: https://www.portodelisboa.pt/en/navios-em-porto

The modern cruise terminal building

Belem is one of the prettiest districts of Lisbon. It sits along the banks of the Tejo Estuary and contains some of the most iconic monuments of Lisbon, including the Torre de Belém.

The Belem district is 7km from the cruise terminal and can be reached by taking the E15 tram (that departs from the Praça do Comércio) or taxi (7€). It is too much to include both a tour of the centre of Lisbon (the Baixa and Alfama districts shown in the previous map) and Belem in a single day of sightseeing.

You may prefer to visit Belem instead of Baixa and Alfama, but we would recommend exploring the centre of Lisbon if this is your first visit.
Related articles: Guide to Belem

The delightful Torre de Belém once guarded the Tejo Estuary against sea-bound attack

Any tourist literature of Lisbon will include images of the stunning Palácio Nacional da Pena, which is located in the town of Sintra.

The beautiful Palácio Nacional da Pena

Sintra can be visited as a day trip from Lisbon, but if this is your first trip to the city, it is recommended to just stay within the historic centre of Lisbon.

If you do wish to visit Sintra independently, you can catch a direct train from Rossio train station, which takes 40 minutes.

A recommend day trip to Sintra would include the historic town centre, as well as either the Quinta da Regaleira or the Palácio Nacional de Sintra. For the second part of the day, catch the number 434 tourist bus up into the hills to see the Palácio Nacional da Pena. If you have time, you may also want to include the Castelo dos Mouros. The whole day trip will take around six hours.
Related articles: Guide to Sintra

Warning: Sintra gets extremely busy with tourists during the summer months - there will be long queues for everything, and the main sights will be crowded.
Insight: Tour guides will generally try to push tours of Sintra and Cascais, instead of Lisbon, as these tours cost more and make them more money. If it is your first time in Lisbon, it is advisable just to just stick with Lisbon.

Lisbon is an amazing city, but you must use the same common sense as you would back at home. There are opportunistic pickpockets who will target careless tourists, especially on the packed trams.

Most payments can be made with a bank card, but it is useful to have some cash with you. In addition, nowhere will accept a 50€ note. If you are travelling with a more specialist card (such as American Express), confirm a restaurant, bar, or café will accept it before ordering.

Taxis, by law, must use their meters - a fixed price journey will always be more expensive. There are also ride-hailing apps (such as Uber and Bolt), but the prices for travelling around the city centre are similar to taxis. A gimmicky mode of transport, such as a rickshaw, tuk-tuk or tourist buggy, will always cost a lot more than a taxi.

Food in Lisbon can be surprisingly cheap. A chaotic and bustling Tasca (a traditional Portuguese restaurant) will often serve better food than an expensive restaurant, and there are many Tascas within the Alfama district. A tourist-focused restaurant, with a waiter standing at the front, will generally cost 20% more for food and 40% for drinks. The Portuguese do not have a tipping culture, but if the service is good, add 10% to the bill.

The 24-hour public transport ticket provides exceptional value for money, and includes the Elevador da Glória, the Elevador de Santa Justa, and the number 28 tram. This ticket is purchased from any metro station and costs €7.00.

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