Lisbon is the perfect place for a family holiday. With beautifully warm weather, stretches of golden sand just a short train ride away and the quaint old fashioned trams used to navigate the steep city streets. Families will love exploring it together and can make this a little more budget friendly with the Lisboa Card.
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What Is The Lisbon Card?
The Lisbon card is a city card that gives free entry and unlimited free public transport in the city of Lisbon. You can buy the tourist cards in 24, 48 or 72 hour time limits. There is no longer time period, so if you are staying for longer it may be worthwhile visiting the free attractions via the Lisbon card in 3 days and then visit the ones not included on the other days you are staying.
Your Lisbon card will activate with your first use at an attraction or on public transport. After this you have the number of hours that you paid for (24, 48 or 72 hours).
Why Do People Buy The Lisboa Card?
The Lisboa Card makes it a lot simpler for entering attractions, no need to work out costs or waiting in ticket queues. You can just scan the card and enter. It also makes public transport easy, so you can simply scan the card on trams and ride them as much as you feel like when in the city. Unlimited travel is also a great way to get around when you have a child who loves trams and trains!
Where Can you Buy The Lisbon Card?
You can buy the Lisboa card online and then pick the physical card up at a variety of places. This includes the tourist information at Lisbon airport (directly ahead as you enter the arrivals area), at Lisboa Story Centre in Commercial Square and at various ’Ask Me’ Lisboa and Sintra locations (tourist office) throughout the two cities. You will need to bring your email voucher and valid ID to collect the cards.
Then it’s simple to use, scan on public transport (or the gates at the station) and show at the ticket desk of attractions for free or discounted entry.
Lisbon Card
Many of the main attractions in Lisbon are included on the Lisboa Card, whether they are free entry or discounted. There are so many different places to visit that I recommend working out a plan of which attractions you would like to visit and locations. There are a good number centre around the city centre, in the Belem district and in the Park of Nations. So perhaps consider spending a day or two exploring each of these areas!
Which Attractions Do You Get Free Entry With The Lisboa Card?
The main included attractions for families with free entry are listed below, although do note that Castelo de Sao Jorge does require 13-15 year olds to still pay a fee on top of the Lisboa card (all other ages get free access!). There are plenty more free attractions not listed below, but not all are necessarily as interesting to children.
The list of most important sights in Lisbon that Kids may enjoy:
- Castelo de São Jorge
- Royal Treasury Museum
- Jerónimos Monastery
- Belém Tower – Although it’s closed for refurbishment in 2025
- Santa Justa Elevator
- National Tile Museum
- National Pantheon
- National Coach Museum
- Lisboa Story Centre
- Pilar 7 Bridge Experience
- National Ancient Art Museum
- Mafra National Palace
- Sintra Myths and Legends Museum
- Maritime Museum
- Puppet Museum
Other Attractions With Discounted Entry
There are plenty of discounted attractions that are of interest to families too. Although if you don’t have the kids with you, there are even more places to visit that they may not be interested in, but you might want to explore! Some other key family attractions with discounted entry include;
- Oceanario
- Cable Cars
- Pavillion of Knowledge (Science centre)
- Carris Museum (Tram and buses museum)
- Navy Planetarium
- Sintra national Palace
- Natural History and Science Museum
- Hippotrip
- Tuk guide Portugal
Additional discounts include various tours tours and shops, listed on the Lisboa Card official website.
Free Unlimited Travel
This is certainly one of the best parts of the Lisbon card for us. Free unlimited travel throughout Lisbon and a little beyond via the trains too. Yes, you can buy the travel cards from the metro for metro and trams, or tickets for the train at the station. However, it is a bit of a faff working out which tickets you need and the cost can add up if you want to include all public transport. So for ease of use the Lisbon card wins! Unlimited access to public transport also saves a lot in cost, so these city cards work well if you intend to travel by tram, train or bus a lot!
So, Is The Lisbon Card Cost Worth It?
This really depends on what exactly you would like to see and do when in Lisbon. It’s a good idea to make a list of the places of interest that you would like to see and add up the cost of these and associated transport (trams, buses, metro and trains) to see which is more cost effective. I’ve put a list of attractions that we chose to visit below and the cost of transport without the Lisboa city card to compare it to the same cost with the Lisbon Card.
This is the cost for 1 adult and 2 children:
- Castelo de Sao Jorge (free with Lisboa Card, 15 Euros without)
- National Tile Museum (free with Lisboa Card, 10 Euros without)
- Lisbon Story Centre (free with Lisboa Card, 14.50 Euros without)
- Monument of Discoveries (free with Lisboa Card, 10 Euros without)
- Santa justa Elevator (free with Lisboa Card, 18.30 Euros without)
- Carris museum (30%) – 6.65 after discount (9.50 before)
- Oceanario (15%) – 50.15 after discount (59.00 before)
- Pavillion of Knowledge (15%) – 29.75 after discount (35.00 before)
- Hippotrip (15%) – 56.10 after discount (66.00 before)
- Unlimited use of public transport for 72 hours (free with Lisboa card, 96 Euros without for 3×24 hour navegante tickets for 3 people)
The cost of these without a Lisbon Card is £333.30 and with a 72 hour Lisbon Card they cost £171.28. A lot of this cost is actually the unlimited transport, so I highly recommend you make the most of the transport throughout the city. Hop on a tram for fun, visit free sites nearby or walk to a different tram route and take another tram. The old fashioned trams are great fun to go on, even if you don’t have an actual destination in mind!
Suggested 3 Day Itinerary – Lisbon With Kids
Day 1 Lisbon
Start the day by taking the metro to Park of Nations, simply scan your Lisbon Card at the metro gates to enter. You need to exit the metro at Oriente, then walk a short distance to the attractions. Head to the Pavillion of Knowledge for opening and scan your Lisbon card to get a discount on the entry cost. Enjoy a morning exploring all the exhibits at this excellent interactive attraction.
Either have lunch at the science centre cafe, or explore nearby streets for a good family friendly meal.
After lunch walk around the Oceanario, Lisbon aquarium. Again scan your Lisbon card for discounted entry. Enjoy the many exhibits of sealife, ranging from a huge tank filled with sharks, rays and fish. To smaller exhibits with sea otters or jellyfish.
Next take a short walk over to the cable cars, where you can get excellent views across the Park of Nations and Tagus rivers. You get a discount with the Lisbon card too. Make it a return journey, but get off to explore halfway at the tower.
Finally spend the late afternoon exploring the water gardens, with waterfalls, erupting volcanos and stepping stones. Head back into the city centre via the metro for dinner.
Day 2 Lisbon
On your second day you will spend the day within the city centre, exploring by tram. First take a tram up to the castle for the morning opening time (scan each card on the tram and you get free entry at the castle with Lisboa card). Make sure you ask for a free guided tour at the castle, you’ll get a sticker and tour around the castle with a local guide. Take time to explore more of the castle after your tour, including a visit to the camera obscura. Opt for lunch at the castle restaurant with views over the city.
After lunch take the tram back down to Commercial Square. Here you can head over to the Lisbon Story Centre, free entry for Lisbon card holders. The museum tells the history of the city and is an excellent introduction to the 1755 quake and tsunami that devastated the city. You can also visit the Ruma Augusta Arch to get elevated views over the square.
If you still have time, take a bus trip out to The National Tile Museum, and learn about the famous Portuguese tiles. You can also book workshops to paint your own tiles too.
Day 3 Lisbon
Your final day in the city and you’ll spend most of it in the Belem district of Lisbon. It’s a quick journey via the number 15 tram from the city centre. Jump off the tram to visit the Carris museum (discount with the Lisbon card) and marvel at how trams have developed over the years. Then back on the tram, or walk, to Jeronimos monastery (mosteiro dos jerónimos) to explore this spectacular building (there can be long lines, so check the best time in advance). nearby is the monument of Discoveries which you can enter and climb to the top for excellent views over the river (both free entrance with a Lisboa Card).
Have lunch in the park area, there are numerous cafes to choose from and do pick up the traditional portuguese custard tarts (Pastel de Nata) at a bakery too. Torre de Belém is also free admission with the Lisbon card, however it’s closed for 2025. After lunch take the amphibious Hippotrip tour (book in advance, discount for Lisbon card holders), which finishes with a tour by the river.
Additional Days
If you are staying for a few more days I’d also suggest a day trip to the beach in Cascais (train journey is free with Lisboa Card). Or a day trip to Sintra where you can visit Myths and Legends museum for free, plus discounts on other Sintra attractions.
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