Lisbon on your own fist, shore excursions and cruises from cruise planning

Lisbon on your own fist, shore excursions and cruises from cruise planning

Lisbon on your own

Here we have compiled information for shore excursions in Lisbon on your own. The capital of Portugal has a good 550,000 inhabitants and is the political and economic center of the country. Cruise ships sail, for example, in the context of Canary Islands cruises, in the wide mouth of the Tagus River. Once there, it’s time to go on deck or on the balcony. Better on deck, there you can look to both sides.

The cruise ship passes the port side Torre de Belem and a little later the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos with its magnificent, water-facing facade. On the port side you can see the 110 meter high statue of Christ on the south bank. And then the view inevitably goes up as the cruise ship slips under the Ponte 25 de Abril suspension bridge and finally lands in a city owned by its lovers – and there are many! – praised as one of the most beautiful in Europe. More information about the Lisbon cruise destination can be found on the website of the local tourist office. (As of June 2019)

The cruise port of Lisbon

Lisbon is a popular cruise port with many boat calls. About half a million come here every year on board cruise ships. Some cruises also start in the city on the Tagus.

In order to meet the increased passenger volume, a brand new cruise terminal was opened at the end of 2017. The elegant three-storey building has a floor space of 13,800 square meters and a quay of about 1,500 meters. Even the largest cruise ships can be handled here comfortably and with all comfort. You almost feel like you’re in an airport.

Called the Lisbon Cruise Terminal or Jardim do Tobaco Terminal, the new cruise terminal is well located in the historic district of Alfama. On the map above it is Terminal B. Right next to it and only a few hundred meters away is the traditional Santa Apolonia cruise terminal. There are four berths at the terminals and in between. At which the own cruise ship will fix, you can look a few weeks before the cruise on the website of the port (portodelisboa.pt). Here the berth is indicated by an abbreviation:

  • Jardim do Tobaco Terminal (JTab)
  • Santa Apolonia (TPSA)
  • Santa Apolonia Jusante (TPSAJ)
  • Santa Apolonia Montante (TPSAM).

In the past, the cruise ships docked right at the foot of the famous suspension bridge. The older cruise terminals have been used less and less recently. Good thing, because the terminal Alcantara (TPA) and the terminal da Rocha (TPR) are much less favorable for tourists who want to explore Lisbon on their own.

Mobile in Lisbon on your own

The issue of mobility is central to all crusaders who are planning their own cruise vacation in Lisbon. Ultimately, it is about the question of how to get from the port to the desired land destinations. For this we have compiled information here:

On foot

Almost all cruise ships – as described above – close to the center in the district of Alfama. The narrow streets of Lisbon’s oldest district wind uphill and past the Sé Patriarcal cathedral up to the Castelo de Sao Jorge high on the castle hill. Here you can walk well. However, there are some gradients to overcome.

The Praça do Comércio in the Baixa district is about 800 meters to 1.5 kilometers, depending on the mooring. The Barrio de la Baixa is flatter and is considered the heart of the city. After the 1755 earthquake, this part of Lisbon was completely rebuilt. With the historic Elevador de Santa Justa, pedestrians can be taken up to Chiada, where it is also possible to walk.

So you can explore Lisbon very well on foot. But the range increases, if you install public transport here and there.

Tuk-Tuk

At the harbor numerous tuk-tuks were on sale. The three-wheeled auto-rickshaws have become very widespread in Lisbon in recent years. Allegedly, there are already more than 400 vehicles of this type with 4 seats and 7 seats. The drivers usually have their proven tours with a duration of either 1 to 4 hours. Per hour, the four-seater costs about 50 to 60 euros and the seven-seater about 65 to 75 euros. If you want, you can also book sightseeing tours with a tuk-tuk in advance. For example at GetYourGuide or My Land excursions (both see below).

City tours

Of course, there are also city tours in Lisbon with the so-called hop on hop off buses. These drive on different routes through the city. Passengers can get off at any stop on the way and continue on one of the following buses. This is very convenient, especially since the buses always stop at the cruise terminals. However, this type of sightseeing is extremely time consuming. On foot and by metro you are often faster.

There are even three different city tour operators in Lisbon. Yellow Bus (yellowbustours.com) from local Carris, Grayline (grayline.com) or City Sightseeing (city-sightseeing.com), which is well known from many ports. Tickets are available in the harbor or in advance, e.g. at GetYourGuide (link below). At Yellow Bus, there is also a tour with an old tram (an alternative to the 28E), which starts at the Praça do Comércio, as well as boat rides on the Tagus.

Public transport

There is a well-developed and cheap network of public transport in Lisbon. These include mainly public buses, the metro and the tram. In addition, there are some special features, such as the historic passenger lifts (Elevadores), some cable cars or the also historic car tram line 28E. If you want, you can also count the ferries across the Tagus. Here is an overview of the public transport network.

Public transport in Lisbon is mainly operated by two companies. The company Metropolitano de Lisboa (metrolisboa.pt) takes care of the metro. All other aboveground transport (buses, trams, cable cars and Elevadores) are under the control of Carris (carris.pt). The ferries across the Tagus are operated by TTSL Transtejo Soflusa (ttsl.pt).

The subway

The modern metro with its four color-coded lines is particularly interesting for land-scooters who want to explore Lisbon on their own. The two metro stations Santa Apolonia and Terreiro do Paço are within easy walking distance of the moorings of the cruise ships. Both are on the blue line and are marked by a red M on the map above.

Tickets are bought at counters or vending machines in the metro stations. When you buy a ticket for the first time, you buy a so-called Via Viagem Card (alternatively and equivalent: 7 Colinas Card) for 50 cents. This is a rechargeable card that can be charged with single tickets, zipping or day tickets.

  • Single Ticket Metro: 1,50 Euro
  • Day ticket Metro, buses Tram, Elevadores: 6,40 Euro
  • Day ticket as above plus ferries: 9.50 Euro
  • Day ticket as above plus CP Urbanos de Lisboa *: 10.55 Euro

* CP Urbanos de Lisboa (cp.pt) are suburban trains (S-Bahn), e.g. to Sintra or Cascais

In the metro, the valid ticket is checked on entering and leaving the platform on automatic access doors.

trams

Of the tram lines in particular the lines 28E (historic cars) and the line 15 (to Belem) are interesting for land recruits.

Eléctrico 28E

The historic tram 28E is a tourist magnet. Nevertheless, the tram line is still a normal part of public transport and thus under the direction of Carris. The historic train needs for 7 kilometers and 38 stops about 55 minutes, passing many interesting places for tourists.

But you can also buy a single ticket for the driver for 3 euros. But that’s better with a day ticket. Who wants to get a seat, should get on one of the two final stops Martim Moniz or Campo Ourique (Prazeres). Since you can not sit at a final stop, here is the chance of a seat on the largest. The small cars are often extremely crowded and you have to watch out for pickpockets. For these reasons, we can only recommend the trip to a limited extent.

Tram No. 15

The tram line 15 is a good way to get to Belem. It starts at Praça do Comércio, which can be reached on foot from the port. The single ticket costs 3 Euro at the tram ticket machines.

We would take the metro to Rossio. In the metro you can buy the day ticket for 6,40 Euro (see above). From the Rossio stop it is just a few meters to the tram stop at Praça da Figueira, where line 15 starts. So you have better chances for a seat. It is important that one is aware of the many pickpockets here too.

Taxis

There are taxi ranks at the cruise terminals. Even in the city there is no shortage of taxis and the fares are lower than in Germany. The Portuguese taxis are most black with a mint green roof. But there are also beige taxis since the 1990s. The color makes but no difference.

The fare is determined by the taximeter. A price overview we have deposited here. The valid tariff is on the taxi sign. There are too many taxi drivers and minor scams occur. We would not accept a fixed price and insist on the taximeter.

Lisboa Card

The Lisboa Card is the official sightseeing pass of the local tourist office. The 24-hour ticket costs 20 euros for adults and includes the free use of public transport (metro, buses, trams, Elevadores and local trains) and free or discounted entry to many attractions. You can buy the map on the website of the tourist office or at GetYourGuide.

Book shore excursions in Lisbon

Those who do not feel like bothering about holidays with timetables or taxi drivers can choose from a wide range of organized land excursions. Corresponding offers can be found aboard the cruise ship or at local tour operators. As an example, we are adding the land excursion program of MSC Cruises for Lisbon. Other shipping companies have a more or less similar program. For the shipping companies, these cruise excursions are an important business. Accordingly intensive is advertised.

Those who like it more individually or who are deterred by the high land prices on board should take a look at the offers of local tour operators. These can be conveniently and safely found and booked for example at GetYourGuide * (see above) or at rent-a-guide *. Most German speaking land excursions with harbor pickup from My shore excursions* is at the bottom of this page.

Highlights for shore excursions in Lisbon

“Whoever never saw Lisbon never saw anything good”. While this Portuguese proverb may not sound as dramatic as the famous “Naples see and die,” it does express the pride the Portuguese feel for their capitaland rightly so. The city is beautiful. However, one often wonders about crumbling buildings, even in the best locations. Here is a brochure of the tourist information. Lisbon can be divided into different districts (barrios).

Barrio de Alfama

Moorings for cruise ships are located in this neighborhood. So you could start a city tour here. The Alfama was in the Moorish era the city center of Lisbon. The catastrophic earthquake of 1755 barely damaged this part of the city. You stroll through narrow streets and over steep steps and marvel at bay windows, gables, balconies and embedded in the walls colorful tiles.

The word Miradouro in the city map refers to a viewpoint. And there are a few here. From Miradouro the Portas do Sol you can take very nice pictures of the ship. Sights of this neighborhood include the Castelo de São Jorge, Se Cathedral, São Vicente de Fora Church and Monastery, and Casa dos Bicos. Castelo Sao Jorge, the castle built in the 9th century and restored in its original style from 1938 to 1940, towers high above Lisbon.

Places to visit on the map above: 1-Praça do Comércio, 2-Arch of Arco da Rua Augusta (beautiful view from the roof!), 3-Lisboa Story Center, 4-Casa dos Bicos, 5-Cathedral Se, 6 -Fadomuseum (here are the cruise ships, 7-Castelo de Sao Jorge, 8-Rossio (square), 9-Elevador de Santa Justa, 10-Elevador da Gloria, 11-Elevador da Bica, 12-Igreja de Santa Engrácia (National Pantheon) Without number: Mercado da Ribeira (Time Out Market) with delicious food

Barrio de la Baixa

The Baixa district (lower town), unlike the other Barrios, is flat and not built on a hill. The district was completely destroyed in 1755 by the famous earthquake and rebuilt under the direction of Marquês de Pombal. There are many magnificent buildings from the 18th century, beautiful squares and wide boulevards. But amazingly, here and there, too, decay.

Already from the cruise ship, one sees shortly before the dock Praça do Comércio, a large square which opens to the south towards the Tagus and on the other three sides is bordered by beautiful arcaded buildings from the second half of the 18th century becomes. From here several parallel streets with elegant shops lead to the Praça de Dom Pedro IV. This square, commonly known as Rossio, was Lisbon’s main square until the earthquake. On the north side is the Teatro National de Dona Maria II, the Portuguese National Theater. From the Rossio, the Avenida da Liberdade, with 90 meters one of the widest and most imposing boulevards in Europe, stretches to the north-west, after one and a half kilometers at the Praça de Pombal with a monument to the minister who destroyed the city after the earthquake of 1755 rebuilt, ends.

A special experience is a ride on the lift Elevador de Santa Justa, which has been connecting the Baixa with a higher Chiada district for more than a hundred years. This area was also completely rebuilt after the earthquake and is now an elegant shopping district with many beautiful streets and squares. Many shops can be found around Rua Garrett and Rua do Carmo.

Barrio Alto

Here are the typical, stylishly furnished Fado restaurants, in which the Lisbon nightlife takes place. These are restaurants and wine taverns that perform the traditional songs of Fado, usually a woman dressed in black and wearing a kind of mantilla accompanied by a guitar and viola. She sings of the beauties of her homeland, but of course – how could it be otherwise – of unhappy love and broken promises. Land excursionists are usually back on board and at sea in the evening.

Belem

The Belem (German: Bethlehem) is located, seen from the city center, behind the large suspension bridge directly on the Tagus. By the end of the 19th century Belem was an independent municipality. The earthquake of 1755 has caused few damage here and many older sights have been preserved. These include the famous Torre de Belem, the monastery Mosteiro dos Jerónimos or the Monument of the Discoveries (Padrão dos Descobrimentos). A famous culinary specialty from Belem are the Pastel de Belém, small puff pastry tartlets with pudding.

The main attractions on the map above: 1-Torre de Belem, 2-Padrão dos Descobrimentos, 3-Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

The surroundings

Popular shore excursions in Lisbon lead to Sintra, Cascais and Estoril.

Sintra is located about 30 kilometers west of Lisbon in the mountains and was once the summer residence of the Portuguese kings. In the city center stands the castle with its characteristic conical chimneys. The interior is very worth seeing. This also applies to the four kilometers away Palácio Nacional da Pena, which was built from 1840 to 1850 on the site of an old monastery as a royal summer residence. You can reach Sintra with a regional train that starts at Rossio station.

South of Sintra lies Cascais, a sophisticated seaside resort at the mouth of the Tejo, which was formerly visited by the Lisbon upper class, as can be seen in many mansions. There is a beautiful old town and beautiful little beaches. Today, Cacais is a popular holiday destination, which is usually fully booked in summer. From Lisbon there is a regional train from Cais do Sodre station. The train station can be reached from the ship by metro. The neighboring town of Estoril is also a well-known seaside resort on the Portuguese Riviera with its thermal baths and parks.

Further cruise trips by local providers

Land excursions with harbor pickup, punctual-back-to-ship-guarantee and German-speaking tour guides (with most tours) are available at My Land excursions *.

The links marked with an asterisk (*) are so-called affiliate / advertising links.

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