Lisbon is fairly easy to explore. You can effortlessly pull a DIY tour within the city. But if you want to gain more insights about or better appreciation of the places you want to visit, joining a guided tour is a great way to go around. Whether you want to roam around a specific district, focus on a certain theme or prefer a particular mode of transportation, there are tons of tour options in the Portuguese capital!
If you are planning to visit Lisbon in the future, here are some of the tours offered by travel agencies. We also included links in case you are interested to check and book the tours in advance online.
1. Lisbon Walking Tour
Lisbon is the second-oldest capital city in Europe, following Athens. Its map is peppered with antiquated streets and buildings with storied past. You can see the key historical sites on foot because the city is very walkable and the attractions are close to each other. You can do this on your own, just plan the itinerary and make sure you are connected to the internet for directions and maps.
You can also join FREE walking tours. The most common is simply called “Lisbon Tour” or “Downtown Tour”, which will lead you around the historic core of the city, including the Chiado, Baixa and Bairro Alto districts. But there are more options that can take you around Alfama and Belem. Note that while it is marketed as FREE, custom dictates that you tip the guide especially if you enjoyed their service.
There are organizations and tour agencies that also offer guided walking tours should you want to gain more information about the places. There are half-day tours for those who are pressed for time and full-day tours for those who have more time to spare. Half-day tours usually last three to four hours, while full-day tours normally take eight hours.
Both types of packages are available online. They also usually cover wine tasting, tapas, pastel de nata sampling, and a tram ride. Some tours also include transfers from one district to another. Some of the key tourist sites are Eduardo VII Park, São Pedro de Alcântara Viewpoint, Lisbon Se Cathedral, Jerónimos Monastery, Commerce Square, and Nations Park.
✅ BOOK LISBON HALF-DAY WALKING TOUR HERE!
✅ BOOK LISBON FULL-DAY WALKING TOUR HERE!
2. Tramcar Tour
Introduced in 1901, the trams have become one of the main modes of transportation in Lisbon. But apart from being traditional, this has also become one of the tourist attractions in the city. If you want to explore Lisbon’s cultural and historical attractions via tramcar, you might want to check offers from agencies for promos and discounts.
Options for tours include pairing the tram tour with a hop-on-hop-off bus tour and/or a hop-on-hop-off boat tour. The packages are also usually inclusive of Lisbon Funicular, Santa Justa Lift, and discount book for tickets to monuments, museums, and other activities.
3. Lisbon Food Tour
A gastronomic tour is a delightful way of experiencing the country’s culture, especially for the foodies. Discover the local dishes, the peculiar flavors, and Portuguese food traditions while you eat your way through the city, sampling various offerings.
This food tour package covers transportation between food places, a local guide, insurance, and a total of 14 food tasting/sampling from five food stops.
4. Bus Tour
If you don’t mind big groups, you can join a guided bus tour around Lisbon. This will take you to major historical sites without much worrying about your transportation and getting from one attraction to the next.
There are a half-day bus tour packages that will cover the roundtrip air-conditioned bus transfers, a local tour guide, and admission to Jeronimos’ Church, Coach Museum, or Ajuda National Palace.
The Lisbon Highlights Tour itinerary includes Marques do Pombal Square, Monument of Discoveries, Ajuda National Palace, National Coach Museum, Rossio Square, the old neighborhood of Alfama, and UNESCO World Heritage sites Jerónimos Monastery and Torre de Belém.
5. Hop-on Hop-off Bus
HOHO or Hop-On Hop-Off Bus provides unlimited rides for a specific period of time. If you want to explore at your own pace, you might want to look into HOHO buses. There will be audio guides, so you can still get information about the places and the stops, making this a good alternative to timed bus tours.
These three package options are available online:
- Modern Lisbon Tour
- Belem and Monumental Tour
- Combined Modern + Belem and Monumental Tour
The validity of the ticket is 1-2 days, depending on your plan. Other inclusions are Santa Justa Lift, Lisbon Funicular, and onboard WiFi.
6. Lisbon Mystery Tour
This is definitely a puzzling yet enjoyable way to discover the secrets and uncover the hidden wonders of Lisbon. If you like decoding and solving riddles and puzzles, this Lisbon Mystery Tour will satisfy your hunger for mysteries.
This is a self-guided discovery game that will take you from one historic landmark to the next, solving one riddle after another. Upon booking confirmation, you will be given a link to download the web app game. Enjoy playing while learning!
✅ BOOK THIS DISCOVERY GAME HERE!
7. Cemeteries Tour
If you are into dark and spooky tourism, you might enjoy this one. Stroll around Lisbon’s necropoleis and walk in between tombs and mausoleums as the multilingual guide regal you with ghost stories, urban legends, and stories of the dead.
The three-hour tour usually starts at 10 AM and has stops at Bairro Alto, Non-Catholic Cemeteries, and Prazeres Cemetery.
8. Bike Tour
If you want to maximize your time, you can book a guided bike tour that suits your interest. Packages vary according to the time of the day and the routes. You have the choice to go in the morning or in the afternoon.
The four routes are:
- Up the Hill Tour
- Follow the River Tour
- Delicious (Food) Tour
- Into the Woods Tour
All of the packages are inclusive of the electric bikes, helmet, multilingual guide, insurance, and a bottle of water.
9. Boat Tour
View Lisbon’s popular landmarks from a different perspective. Lisbon is a coastal city situated in the area where River Tagus meets the Atlantic Ocean. Ferries and boats are other modes of transportation in the city.
For those who want to go sightseeing while on a boat, you can take the Hop-On Hop-Off boats too! Like the HOHO buses, this also grants you unlimited ride for a period of time. Some packages also pair it with bus tours and/or tramcar tours. The inclusions are Lisbon Funicular, Santa Justa Lift, and discount book for tickets to monuments, museums, and other activities.
10. Tuktuk Tour
This is a novel way to get around Lisbon and see popular sites and attractions. The autorickshaw or tuktuk is the classic mode of transportation in many, if not all, Asian countries. It’s gradually gaining popularity in Lisbon as it makes navigating the city’s medieval cobblestone streets easier.
You can book your tuktuk tour in advance online! The itinerary depends on which package you choose. The five packages below are route-centric:
- Lisbon Hills
- Lisbon Old Town
- Lisbon by the River
- Chiado and Bairro Alto
- Lisbon World Fair Expo 98
Each package is inclusive of a multilingual driver who is also your guide.
11. Gardens Tour
Lisbon’s urban landscape accommodates not only historical and modern infrastructures but also green spaces. In fact, the western portion of Lisbon is dominated by Parque Florestal de Monsanto (Monsanto Forest Park).
Did you know that Lisbon also has garden tour packages? You can check guided walking tours online. These tours will take you to the city’s gardens and park, including the hidden ones that people fail to notice. Tour guides will tell you stories about each spot and will lead you to discover the different garden styles — Manueline, Roccoco, Renaissance, and Gothic.
12. Churches Tour
Portugal has a rich and long religious history. Lisbon, as its capital, is studded by churches.
If you want to visit both iconic and under-the-radar churches in Lisbon, you might want to check out Klook’s Lisbon Secret Churches guided tour. Learn the history of each church and know the reasons why some churches are off-limits and not open to the public. See important religious artifacts and hidden consecrated places.
The package is inclusive of entrance fees, a multilingual guide, and insurance. The duration of the tour is about three hours.
13. Music Scene Tour
Music lovers will find Lisbon entertaining especially at night when bars and pubs keep the city abuzz, especially around the nightlife districts.
Lisbon’s music scene is greatly influenced by African and Brazilian music. But what really put Lisbon in the music map is Fado, Portugal’s signature music that traces its origin to Lisbon in the 1820s. The singing is distinctly melancholic. It is performed by a solo singer (wearing a black outfit) with the accompaniment of the classical Portuguese guitar.
This tour offered online includes a three-hour music scene tour that covers not only Fado-related spots but also other music genres. You will be strolling around the city’s popular music venues and mini-amphitheaters.
14. Street Art Tour
Lisbon is sprinkled with colorful street art paintings and installations. Murals dress up buildings and walls, turning them into photo walls.
If you want to see the best of the best and artworks by illustrious street artists of Portugal, you can save time by booking a tour with a knowledgeable guide. Street Art Tour packages typically cover the history of Lisbon’s art installations, graffiti, carving, stenciling, and others. The tour takes about three hours.
15. LGBT Night Tour
The LGBT community in Lisbon is alive and kicking! There’s an annual Lisbon Gay & Lesbian Film Festival too! The Queer Lisboa is usually held in September.
If you want to sashay deeper into Lisbon’s gay scene but have no idea where to go, you can join a small group guided tour to check out the best LGBT bars and night clubs. Here’s a tour that covers Bairro Alto and Principe Real neighborhoods in the itinerary. This is inclusive of welcome drinks, an LGBT city map, a professional guide, and insurance.
Top Lisbon Hotels & Apartments
Here are some of the best-rated properties in Lisbon’s city center, as ranked by Agoda customers.
- Destino Lisboa Apartments. Check Rates & Availability! ✅
- Lisbon Downtown Inn. Check Rates & Availability! ✅
- Urbano FLH Hotels Lisboa. Check Rates & Availability! ✅
- Lisbon Rentals Chiado. Check Rates & Availability! ✅
- 1869 Principe Real. Check Rates & Availability! ✅
- Tempo FLH Hotels Lisboa. Check Rates & Availability! ✅
Search for more Lisbon Hotels!
*Edited by Asta Alvarez
2020 • 12 • 23
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