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Is the Lisboa card worth it for tourists? My honest review
Thinking about buying the Lisboa Card for your trip to Lisbon? Before you do, it’s worth checking whether you’ll actually save money.
The card promises free public transport and discounted entry to many of Lisbon’s top attractions, making it sound like an easy way to cut costs.
As a budget traveller, I’ve used tourist city cards in several European countries.
I visited Lisbon for 4 days with my husband and baby as part of a 24-day Portugal trip.
The Lisboa Card would have been more expensive than paying for transport and attractions separately.
I skipped the Lisboa Card , chose a different one instead; but still saw many of Lisbon’s highlights.
That included famous viewpoints, historic neighbourhoods, iconic tram routes, beautiful churches, and popular attractions.
At no point did I feel like I was missing out.
For many visitors, especially those travelling on a budget or planning a slower-paced itinerary—it may not save as much money as you’d expect.
I’ll show you why the Lisboa tourist Card might not make sense for your trip.
You’ll also learn when it’s worth buying, the cheaper alternative I used, and what I spent during 4 days in Lisbon.
Quick Answer: Is the Lisboa Card Worth It?
Buy the Lisboa Card if:
Skip the Lisboa Card if:
For my 4-day Lisbon trip with my husband and baby, I fell firmly into the second category.
In fact, the Lisboa Card is not great value even for one day in Lisbon. While crafting one-day Lisbon itinerary for those who are in city for a short visit, I found that buying the 24-hour card would cost about €7 more than paying separately.
Looking at my actual spending on attractions, public transport, and a few Bolt rides, the Lisboa tourist card would have cost me €18.15 more than using a Navegante card and paying separately.
I’ve included the full cost breakdown later in this guide.
What is the Lisboa Card?
The Lisboa Card is Lisbon’s official tourist pass, available in 24-hour, 48-hour and 72-hour versions.
It includes unlimited public transport and free or discounted entry to selected attractions, museums, monuments, shops and restaurants in Lisbon, with some benefits extending to Sintra and Cascais.
What surprised me during my research was that the Lisboa Card doesn’t give free entry to every major attraction in Lisbon.
One of the places I really wanted to visit was Carmo Convent, the gorgeous church with no roof overhead, just arches reaching into the sky.
I visited it on my second day in Lisbon, and it ended up being one of my favourite attractions in the city.
While checking the Lisboa Card benefits, I noticed that Carmo Convent wasn’t fully included.
The card only gives a 15% discount on admission, reducing the price from €7 to €5. You still need to buy a ticket and pay part of the entrance fee yourself.
Why I said no to the Lisboa Card despite its popularity
The Lisboa Card doesn’t cover every attraction
Just because a Lisbon attraction is popular doesn’t mean it is fully covered by the Lisboa tourist card.
And that is one of the reasons I never bought the Lisboa Card.
Some famous places, such as São Jorge Castle and the always-crowded Jerónimos Monastery ( which I suggest not visiting), are included.
Several museums are included too, particularly those focused on Portuguese history, culture and art.
Another example is Oceanário de Lisboa, which my son absolutely loved. Despite being one of Lisbon’s most popular attractions, the Lisboa Card only provides a discount rather than free entry.
Similarly, Sé Cathedral wasn’t fully covered either, despite being Lisbon’s most famous cathedral and one of my favourite buildings in the city as an architect.
So, out of all the museums, the only place I genuinely wanted to visit that was included was the National Tile Museum.
The same was true for the experiences I wanted to book.
The tuk tuk tour isn’t included in card, and I highly recommend taking it in Lisbon.
However, attractions such as the Hippo Trip and several boat cruises only offer discounts, not free entry.
Check the official website to see which monuments and palaces offer free entry with the Lisboa Card, and which attractions and shops provide discounts.
Most of Lisbon’s highlights don’t require a ticket
When you plan your itinerary and make a rough list of the places you want to visit, you’ll quickly realise that many of Lisbon’s best attractions are completely free.
And I’m not just talking about wandering around beautiful streets.
Many of Lisbon’s highlights are free.
The famous miradouros (viewpoints) cost nothing to visit unless you pay to climb a tower.
São Domingos Church, a hauntingly beautiful church marked by blackened walls and burnt columns, is also free to enter.
A rainy Lisbon day led me there unexpectedly, and it quickly became one of my favourite places in Lisbon.
It’s proof that some of the city’s most beautiful attractions don’t cost a cent.
Even the Monument to the Discoveries, one of Lisbon’s most famous landmarks, can be admired for free from the outside.
Because I planned to spend three days in Sintra, visiting every museum and monument in Lisbon was never a priority.
Public transport was cheaper without the Lisboa Card
The next biggest selling point of the Lisboa Card is public transport, but there is a catch.
The Lisboa tourist card includes unlimited travel on Lisbon’s trams, buses, metro, funiculars, and certain trains to Sintra and Cascais.
However, I found I needed public transport less than expected.
Many attractions are close together, so I often took a tram or bus to a neighbourhood and then explored on foot for hours.
When it rained or the hills felt too steep, you will have to use Bol taxit, with many rides costing just €2–3 for two people.
On heavier travel days, a Navegante day pass covered all our transport needs for much less than the Lisboa Card.
My real cost comparison -Would the Lisboa Card have saved me money?
| Expense | Without Lisboa Card | With Lisboa Card |
| Oceanário de Lisboa | €25.00 | €21.25 |
| National Tile Museum | €15.00 | Free |
| Carmo Convent | €7.00 | €5.00 |
| Sé Cathedral | €7.00 | €5.00 |
| Estrela Basilica rooftop | €5.00 | €5.00 |
| Navegante card (2 days) | €18.00 | N/A |
| Lisboa Card (72 hours) | N/A | €58.90 |
| Bolt taxis (3 days) | €25.00 | €25.00 |
| Total | €102.00 | €120.15 |
Based on my actual 4-day Lisbon itinerary, the Lisboa Card would have cost me €18.15 more than using a Navegante card and paying separately for attractions.
Even if I had purchased the Lisboa Card, I would still have used Bolt for some journeys, so those costs wouldn’t have disappeared.
We also spent one day on a tuk-tuk tour, which isn’t covered by either the Lisboa Card or the Navegante card.
Which is the best travel card for tourists in Lisbon
Navegante card : Best alternative to the Lisboa Card
After comparing the costs and benefits, I genuinely think the Navegante
(Navigator) Occasional Card is the better option for most tourists visiting Lisbon.
Heads up : It was called “Viva Viagem” before. Don’t get confused if you see the name in some metro stations.
The Lisboa Card can still make sense if you plan to visit a large number of museums and monuments within a short period.
However, for many travellers, the savings are smaller than they first appear once you factor in the attractions you actually want to visit.
It gives you unlimited access to Lisbon’s public transport network without forcing you to plan your itinerary around included attractions.
Types of Navegente cards
Many travellers get confused because there are two types of Navegante cards.
The first is the yellow Navegante Occasional Card, which is designed for occasional users of public transport & hence perfect for tourists. This is the one we bought.
The second is the Navegante Personalised Card, which is black. This is aimed at residents and regular commuters. Applying for it involves forms, registration, and a longer setup process.
If you are visiting Lisbon for a few days, you almost certainly want the yellow Navegante Occasional Card.
Don’t confuse the Navegante yellow card with the Yellow Tours & Experience pass.
The Yellow Bus Tours & Experiences pass is mainly for sightseeing. We saw a few kiosks selling these passes in popular tourist areas around Baixa.
When I checked what was included, the pass covered hop-on hop-off buses and some boat tours.
However, you cannot use Lisbon’s metro, trams, or regular public buses with the Yellow tour pass.
I was confused at first too. I even saw a few travellers asking for a Navegante Occasional card at a Yellow Bus kiosk.
So don’t get confused just because both use the word “yellow”. They are completely different products and serve different purposes.
How the Navegante Occasional Card works
The card itself costs just €0.50.
Once you buy it, you cannot use it immediately. You first need to load it with either:
- A 24-hour transport pass
- Single tickets
- Zapping credit (stored money)
The card remains valid for one year, so you can continue topping it up whenever needed during that period.
For example, the card we bought on our second day expired after 24 hours, but we simply reloaded the same card with another 24-hour pass on our fourth day.
Why I chose the 24-hour pass on Navegente card
I chose the 24-hour pass instead of zapping credit because it worked out cheaper for my travel style and meant I didn’t have to worry about loading too much money onto the card.
Interestingly, a bus driver had suggested it to us the previous day.
She recommended getting a 24-hour pass on a Navegante card rather than loading money onto it.
Lisbon’s public transport works on a flat fare system.
Whether you’re taking a short tram ride from Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara to Rossio or travelling much further from Belém to Praça do Comércio for 8km, the fare is essentially the same.
Because of that, estimating exactly how many journeys you’ll make in a day can be difficult.
The 24-hour pass removes the guesswork and lets you use public transport as much as you like.
You can even use Navegente card to reach the airport
A Navegante card loaded with a pass or credit can also be used on Lisbon’s metro and buses, including journeys to and from both airport terminals of LIS
We took a taxi because we had luggage and needed to stop at a luggage locker near the airport before our flight to Madeira.
However, if you’re travelling light, the metro is an easy and affordable option.
How to buy Lisbon Navegante Occasional Card
You can buy the cards either online wbeforte going which is easier or at any underground metro stations like we did- we love collecting these transport cars from trip.
We bought ours at the Avenida metro station, which was the closest station to our hotel in Alegria.
The buying process can feel slightly confusing at first because some ticket machines only display Portuguese. Don’t worry.
All underground metro stations will have a station manager who can help you buy one if you struggle. We got help from one and apprecoted it much
How to use the card
Using the card is super easy even for the first times
On the metro, simply tap the card at the barrier and walk through once the gates open.
On buses and trams, tap the card on the validator when boarding. If you’re unsure, the driver will usually point you in the right direction.
We used buses, trams, and the metro throughout our trip and never had a single issue with the card.
Travelling with children
Children under 4 travel free on Lisbon’s public transport network.
Since our son was only 10 months old, we didn’t need to buy a separate card or ticket for him.
The bottom line: Is the Lisboa Card worth it?
Who should buy the Lisboa Card?
The Lisboa Card can be worth buying if your trip revolves around museums, monuments, and paid attractions.
It may suit you if you’re planning to visit several major attractions, such as São Jorge Castle, Jerónimos Monastery, the National Pantheon, the National Coach Museum, and the National Tile Museum.
It can also work well if you enjoy visiting multiple museums in a day and don’t mind travelling across the city to make the most of the included attractions.
In short, the Lisboa Card is best for travellers who want to pack as much sightseeing as possible into a short visit and are happy to build their itinerary around the attractions included in the pass.
Buy here on their official site to be sure you are buying a legit one.
Who should skip the Lisboa Card?
If you’re travelling like me on a budget, don’t plan to visit many museums or palaces, and prefer a slower style of sightseeing, you probably don’t need the Lisboa Card.
There are plenty of attractions you can enjoy for free in Lisbon.
Some famous monuments, such as Belém Tower, are just as impressive from the outside and didn’t cost me a cent to admire.
The same applies to Lisbon’s street art scene. If you’re interested in artists such as Bordalo II or O Gringo, many of their works can be seen for free while walking around the city rather than inside a museum.
I came across some fantastic pieces in Calçada da Glória, LX Factory, and Alfama.
For transport, I found the Navegante Occasional Card with a 24-hour pass to be a simple and affordable alternative.
It gives you access to Lisbon’s buses, trams, metro, funiculars, and public lifts without paying extra for museum and monument entries you may never use.
Would I buy the Lisboa Card on my next trip?
I wouldn’t buy the Lisboa Card.
If it worked like a truly all-inclusive pass that covered most attractions, monuments and public transport, my recommendation would probably be different.
You could simply visit what interested you without constantly checking what was included.
But that’s not how the card works.
Much like the Vienna City Card, the Lisboa Card can encourage travellers to build their itinerary around what’s included rather than what they genuinely want to see.
Before they know it, they’re rushing between attractions, trying to justify the cost of the pass instead of enjoying the city itself.
I never felt that pressure in Lisbon. With a simple public transport pass, I could visit what interested me and skip what didn’t.
The same applies to many of the shopping and restaurant discounts.
Personally, I enjoyed browsing local vendors at Lisbon’s Thieves’ Market far more than seeking out a shopping centre simply because it offered a small discount through the Lisboa Card.
For me, travel is about experiencing a city naturally rather than constantly trying to maximise a pass.
That’s why I preferred using the Navegante Occasional Card for transport and paying separately for the attractions I genuinely wanted to visit.
