Getting Around Lisbon in 3 Days: Public Transport Without the Guesswork

Lisbon looks small on a map, which is why many first-time visitors try to walk everything. The city is built on hills, though, and the sights of a three-day trip are spread across three very different areas. A little planning about when to ride and when to walk saves more energy than any ticket does.

This guide is about that decision. It follows the structure of the ThreeDaysIn Lisbon guide, which groups the days as the old centre and castle, Chiado and the museums, and Belém, and shows where public transport is worth using. We do not quote fares: they change, and the official pages are the place to check them. Where a detail comes from an official source, we say so.

The short answer

• Use transport to go up, and walk back down. In the old centre, riding to a high point and strolling downhill is easier than climbing on foot.
• Pay with the simplest option that works for your stay. The Metro states that you can pay for a Metro trip with a contactless bank card at the gate validators, or use a rechargeable card.
• Plan Belém as its own outing. It is further west than the rest of the sights, so treat it as a half-day with a planned ride, not a detour.
• Check service notices before relying on a funicular or tram. Carris publishes them on its website.

Day by day: where to walk and where to ride

Day 1: Castle, Alfama and the waterfront

The guide's first day starts at the Castelo de São Jorge, moves through Alfama and the Cathedral (Sé), and finishes at Praça do Comércio on the river. This is the steepest day, and it only works well in one direction. Get yourself up to the castle area by transport, then let gravity take you through Alfama and down to the river. Doing it the other way round means climbing the steepest streets first.

Once you are in Alfama, walking is the right choice. The lanes are narrow, and the sights are close together. Use the Carris journey planner to find a route to the top, rather than guessing.

Day 2: Chiado, Bairro Alto and the museums

Day two is a mixed day. Chiado, Bairro Alto and the Carmo ruins are all within walking distance of one another, so there is no reason to ride between them. The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum is further north, which is where the Metro helps: use it to reach the museum, then walk back along Avenida da Liberdade, a long, wide avenue that gently leads you toward the centre, ending the day on foot with views and shops on the way.

Day 3: Belém and LX Factory

Belém has the Jerónimos Monastery, the Belém Tower and the Monument to the Discoveries (Padrão dos Descobrimentos), and the guide adds LX Factory later in the day. The sights are close together on foot once you arrive, but getting there is the longest journey of the trip. Plan the ride in advance on the Carris planner, and give yourself time at both ends rather than squeezing it between other plans.

Choosing how to pay

The official Metro de Lisboa page describes several ways to pay. These are the ones that matter for a short visit, and what each one means for you:

• Contactless bank card at the Metro gates. The Metro says this lets you pay for a trip directly on the access gate validators. It is the simplest option if your card supports it, but check with your bank about foreign transaction charges.
• The occasional navegante card. The Metro describes it as a card for occasional journeys, valid for one year and for one user per journey. It is a good fit if you want to load tickets and keep a physical card.
• 24-hour tickets. The Metro's fare table lists several 24-hour options, including a Carris and Metro ticket and a wider ticket that also covers the CP trains to places such as Sintra and Cascais. These make sense on a day when you ride several times, such as the Belém day. Compare them against single journeys using the current prices on the official page.
• The Lisboa Card. Visit Lisboa describes it as including free transport in Lisbon and free entry to 51 museums and monuments, plus fast-track access at 12 sites. Its listing includes the Castelo de São Jorge, the Jerónimos Monastery and the Belém Tower. It only pays off if you plan to visit several paid sights, so list what you actually want to see before buying. The page we checked does not state prices or validity periods, so confirm those on the official shop.

Funiculars, trams and the hills

Carris lists funiculars in its fleet (Glória, Bica, Lavra and Graça) alongside trams and buses. They are short, practical ways up some of Lisbon's steepest streets, and part of the Lisbon experience. They can also close for maintenance: Carris posts notices on its website, so check before building a plan around one. A good habit is to have an alternative route in mind, such as a walk or a bus, in case the one you want is out of service.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Walking uphill when you could ride. Save your legs for the downhill and flat parts of each day.
• Buying a day ticket without counting your rides. A 24-hour pass only helps if you ride enough to justify it.
• Buying the Lisboa Card for transport alone. It is primarily useful if you visit several included sights.
• Leaving Belém to the end of a long day. It needs time and energy of its own.
• Relying on a single route. Check service notices and keep a backup.

Where to stay, with transport in mind

If you want to walk to most of the sights on days one and two, staying in or near the centre, such as around Chiado, saves the most time. If you prefer a calmer base, choose a location close to a Metro station so that the day starts with an easy ride. In either case, check the walk between the accommodation and the nearest stop, since many streets here are steep.

FAQ

Can I use a contactless bank card on the Lisbon Metro?

According to the Metro de Lisboa website, yes: a contactless bank card can be used to pay for a Metro trip directly on the access gate validators. We could not confirm from the official Carris page whether the same applies on its vehicles, so check before relying on it for buses and trams.

Is public transport enough for three days in Lisbon?

Yes. Most of the sights in the ThreeDaysIn guide are reachable on foot within each day, and public transport covers the rest. You do not need a car.

Is the Lisboa Card worth it?

It depends on how many of the included sights you plan to visit. Add up the entries you actually want, compare the total with the card's current price on the official shop, and decide from there.

Build your Lisbon plan

Use the ThreeDaysIn Lisbon guide to see each day on a map, then adjust the order and the pace to your own trip.