Lisbon: Sightseeing Tours

Lisbon has it all — delectable dishes, stunning buildings, wonderful wines and relatively low costs all combine to establish the city as one of Europe’s favorite destinations.

Lisbon has always been a melting pot with several different cultures making it their home throughout history.

From Celtic to Phoenician, Roman to Carthaginian, Ostro-Gothic to Moorish — civilizations have come and gone with each adding a unique strand to the city’s rich tapestry of history.

Today, this interwoven heritage is reflected in the sights, sounds and smells that you’ll discover while exploring the city on one of the many Lisbon sightseeing tours.

Walking Tours

The city’s iconic cobblestone streets cry out to be explored on foot, and a Lisbon walking tour is one of the best ways to do so.

Don’t worry about getting lost in the labyrinth of back alleys, your guide will be by your side, literally, every step of the way. Together, you'll discover the hidden history, tales and tidbits that Portugal’s capital has to offer.

A typical walking tour will visit most of Lisbon’s iconic landmarks, as well as some of its most famous neighborhoods and districts.

One of these is the Alfama District — widely considered to be one of Lisbon’s most culturally important and oldest neighborhoods, as well as a popular sightseeing destination.

It was one of the few areas that were largely unaffected by the 1755 earthquake and as such it offers great examples of Moorish architecture.

This historic neighborhood is also the birthplace of the fado music style — hauntingly beautiful folk music that deals with love, loss and the cruel twists of fate — as well as the best place to enjoy a fado performance.

Another area that should not be missed is Belém — the fulcrum of Portugal’s golden age and the point of embarkation for adventurers looking for fame and fortune in faraway lands.

Today, the deeds of these explorers are commemorated with the imposing Monument of the Discoveries.

You’ll find the iconic Belém Tower just a stone's throw away on the banks of the Tagus River, its intricate design concealing its true purpose — that of a defensive bulwark.

This solitary tower served as the first and last landmark that travel-weary sailors would see on their way to and from their voyages. You can also choose to visit Jeronimo’s Monastery, where you’ll find the final resting place of one such sailor — the famed explorer Vasco de Gama.

Going on a walking tour at the very start of your trip to Lisbon will help you get the lay of the land and make you more comfortable during subsequent expeditions.

There are also a couple of free walking tours of Lisbon available, meaning travelers on any budget can explore this grand old city.

Hop on Hop off bus tours

If scouring Lisbon’s streets on foot isn’t your idea of fun, you could opt for a hop-on hop-off bus tour. This is arguably one of the best sightseeing opportunities if you are on a tight budget, both financially and time-wise.

There are two main bus tour options in Lisbon — yellow bus tours and gray line bus tours. Between these two options, travelers can explore the city for anywhere between 24 and 96 hours.

The routes are clearly marked out on the website, making the booking process super easy to follow.

Aboard, you’ll enjoy an audio guide that’s available in 12 or 16 different languages, depending on the route you choose. When it comes to the type of experience you want, the choice is truly up to you — with some bus routes traveling as far as the coastal town of Cascais.

Hop-on hop-off Lisbon bus tours also offer exclusive discounts — with visitors enjoying special prices at the Santa Justa Lift and the famous Lisbon Funiculars.

Finally, these tickets can be combined so that they provide access to hop-on hop-off tram tours and some boat tours.

City Tours

City tours in Lisbon incorporate a number of attractions into one tour to create a seamless sightseeing experience — focusing on everything from history and art to culture and architecture.

With the help of your expert guide, you’ll discover how a small fishing town established by the Phoenicians grew into the glorious city it’s today.

You’ll see traces of its previous inhabitants almost everywhere you go in Lisbon, as you explore the streets — with Moorish, Roman and even Carthaginian influences on display.

You’ll decide how to tour this stunning city with a number of options available. If you prefer the no-fuss straightforward approach, you should opt for a standard tour, which focuses on the attractions, rather than the experience.

For the more idealistically inclined, there are a number of tuk-tuk tours — which will see you zip through Lisbon’s busy streets.

Lisbon Card

A Lisbon Card is the gateway to an entire host of sightseeing opportunities, with the city card providing discounts and free entrance at numerous attractions.

In a city so packed with museums, famous sites and landmarks it translates into one thing — saving a bunch of ka-ching.

This unimposing little piece of plastic will grant you free access to 35 attractions, including the Belém Tower, Jeronimo’s Monastery and the National Ancient Art Museum.

As an added bonus, the card allows you to use most of Lisbon’s public transport free of charge, including trains, trams, busses and ferries.

If a site isn’t free of charge, you can rest assured that it will almost certainly be discounted. The card is available for different lengths of duration, with 24, 48 and 72 hours all available.

To get the most out of your Lisbon Card, you should consider using it in conjunction with a hop-on hop-off bus tour.

Street art tours

Recent years have seen Lisbon develop an undeniable underlying trendiness to it — a fact that’s present in all walks of city life, from hip cafes and bars to a vibrant music scene and reimagined cuisine.

It’s little wonder then that the city has come to accept and even celebrate urban art — a form of expression that was once viewed with scorn and disdain.

Today, you can explore this new side of Lisbon with a street art tour, during which your graffiti-guru guide will illuminate this captivating world.

This novel sightseeing tour will allow you to explore some of the best street art Lisbon and Portugal offer — and you’ll also get to see the works of famous international artists like Obey Giant, Utopia, Vhils and Nomen to name but a few.

For those travelers who want to feed their bodies, as well as their souls there are a couple of street food tour combos available.

Segway tours

While on the subject of hip and modern, what can be more a la mode than zipping your way through Lisbon’s iconic streets on a segway?

Segway tours in Lisbon enable you to get up close and personal with the capital’s landmarks in a way that no other sightseeing tour allows. But let's face it, the main reason why visitors love gliding down Lisbon’s streets like some futuristic law enforcement officer is that it’s fun.

A Lisbon segway tour usually starts at the city’s center and makes its way through the Alfama and Belém neighborhoods, before exploring the shores of the Tagus River.

It’s especially on the banks of the famous river that a segway tour comes into its own — with the many plains and monuments easily navigable on the nimble vehicles.

Some of the places visited on such tours are the São Jorge Castle, the Monument to the Discoveries and the Belém Tower.

Tram 28

Lisbon’s famous Tram 28 doesn’t only present a journey through the city, but also a journey through time. Follow the route as it makes its way into the hills of Lisbon toward the place where Oddyseus founded the city — according to ancient legend at least.

During your sightseeing session, you’ll make use of tuk-tuks, your feet, and of course the iconic tram.

Along the way, you’ll get to explore some of Lisbon’s most characteristic neighborhoods and sample some delicious delicacies — while exploring lesser-known sites like the Jardim de Estrela.

Escape rooms

If you enjoy putting your cognitive abilities through their paces while on a sightseeing excursion, then Lisbon’s escape rooms are just the thing for you.

The rooms come in a variety of themes and difficulties, ensuring that everyone will find something to tickle their fancy.

It’s said that Ian Flemming dreamed up the character for James Bond while working as a spy on Portugal’s southwest coast — a fact that is celebrated in a number of clandestine-themed rooms that will leave you shaken and stirred.

Others focus on Dan Brown-inspired secret societies or the loot of famous explorers that have gone missing. Finally, there are even a couple of city-wide escape rooms that turn the entire Lisbon into your playground.

Scavenger games

Scavenger games in Lisbon present a great opportunity for people traveling solo, as a couple or as a small group of friends.

Scavenger tours, as they are also sometimes referred to, combine elements of storytelling, exploration and puzzle-solving to create an enthralling sightseeing experience.

Apart from being super fun, it’s also one of the most affordable ways to explore Lisbon while learning more about the city’s rich history.

One download can accommodate a group of 5 people and you’ll have access to the scavenger game for as long as you have the app.

Beetle tours

The scenic coast that surrounds Lisbon provides many opportunities for sightseeing in a beetle tour. What could be better than driving along this stunning shoreline, the wind in your hair as you sit back and relax in a convertible beetle?

Your guide knows the most scenic places to grab that quick selfie, as well as the best sights in and around the city.

Scooter tours are also available for those travelers that are a bit more adventurous. Always remember that you’ll need all the relevant documentation to operate a vehicle in Portugal.