Three days in Lisbon work best by area: Alfama and the castle on day one, Belém on day two and Sintra on day three. At official adult prices, the main tickets on this route cost €62, or €60 if you use a 24-hour Lisboa Card on the Belém day. Belém is closed on Mondays, so don’t put day two on a Monday.
Prices were checked on 18–19 October 2026. Each stop shows the official price first, then the cheapest tour or ticket option we found.
Day 1: Alfama, the castle and fado
Start early. Lisbon’s old quarter is steep, and the castle and viewpoints are much quieter before 10:00.
Morning
São Jorge Castle
Be at the gate when it opens at 9:00. The castle stands at the top of Alfama, and the walls give the best view over the river and the Baixa. To get there, take bus 737 from Praça da Figueira, or tram 28E to Santa Luzia and walk up. Children up to 12 go in free, and young people aged 13–25 pay €8.50.
Late morning
Miradouro de Santa Luzia and Portas do Sol
Walk down from the castle to two free viewpoints over the Alfama rooftops and the Tagus. They are a few minutes apart, so you can see both on the way down to the old streets around the cathedral.
Afternoon
Lisbon food and wine walking tour
A small-group food and wine tour is an easy way to try the classics, including pastéis de nata, ginjinha and cured meats, without guessing where to go. The tours we found take about three hours. If you’d rather explore on your own, the Museu do Fado in Alfama costs €5 and opens Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–18:00.
Evening
Fado show in Lisbon
Fado in Chiado is a 50-minute show at €23, held Monday to Saturday at 19:00, with an extra 17:30 show from April to October. It works well before dinner. If you’d rather make a night of it, a fado show with dinner costs more and lasts about two and a half hours.
Tram 28E: a single ticket costs €3.30 on board, or €1.90 on a rechargeable card, and a 24-hour Carris/Metro ticket is €7.25. From 13 April 2026, the line runs as a bus between Camões and Campo de Ourique, and we could not find an end date for this. The Santa Justa Lift has been closed since September 2025, so walk up to the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara for the classic view instead.
Day 2: Belém
Belém is a short tram or train ride west of the centre. Its two big monuments are a five-minute walk apart and both close on Mondays.
Morning
Jerónimos Monastery
The cloister ticket costs €18, and the church is free. The official site warns that tickets often sell out and can’t be bought on the day, so book your slot online. The cloister opens Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30–17:30.
Midday
Belém Tower
The tower costs €15 and uses timed slots that also sell out. Visitors over 65 and young people aged 13–24 get 50% off at the box office. For lunch, the famous custard tart bakery is a short walk away.
Sunset
Tagus river cruise
End the day on the water. The cheapest sunset cruise we found was a 1.5-hour Lisboat trip with a drink, and a two-hour sailing tour leaves from Belém itself. You’ll see the 25 de Abril Bridge and the monuments from the river.
Lisboa Card on this day: the 24-hour card costs €31 and includes both monuments (€33 together) and public transport to Belém and back. Check how to reserve a time slot with the card, because the monuments still use slots. The full maths is in our guide Is the Lisboa Card worth it?
Day 3: Sintra
Full day
Sintra day trip from Lisbon (Pena Palace)
Take the train from Lisbon to Sintra, which takes under an hour, and book the Pena Palace time slot first. The Pena Park ticket costs €12, and palace visits start at €20. Small-group tours that add Cabo da Roca and Cascais start from about €49. Read what each tour includes, because the cheapest ones usually leave out entry tickets. Our Sintra day trip guide compares the options.
Rainy day swap: the Oceanário de Lisboa is the best indoor option. Adult tickets are cheapest for the 16:00–18:30 slot at €25.50, and the visit takes about 1.5–2 hours. Take the metro to Oriente.
What this itinerary costs
What this trip costs
| São Jorge CastleAdult | €17.00 |
| Jerónimos MonasteryMonastery cloister | €18.00 · Lisboa Card |
| Belém TowerStandard ticket | €15.00 · Lisboa Card |
| Sintra day trip from Lisbon (Pena Palace)Pena – Visit to the Park | €12.00 |
| Total at official prices | €62.00 |
|---|---|
| With Lisboa Card | €60.00 |
Entry tickets at official adult prices, checked 18 October 2026. Transport, food and tours are extra.
The total covers entry tickets only. Add transport, food, the fado show and any tours you pick. In Sintra, the €12 is the park ticket. The palace interior costs more.
Tips for the 3 days
- Book ahead: Jerónimos and Belém Tower slots, and the Pena Palace slot in Sintra. The castle sells online through its official seller, and its site gives no sell-out warning.
- Mondays: Belém’s monuments are closed, so use Monday for Alfama or Sintra.
- Shoes: Lisbon is hilly and its cobbles get slippery. Wear shoes with grip.
- Free things: the viewpoints (Santa Luzia, Portas do Sol, Senhora do Monte), the Jerónimos church and the riverside walk in Belém.
Planning more of Portugal? See all Lisbon guides and Porto.
Frequently asked questions
Is 3 days enough for Lisbon?
Three days covers the main sights if you group them by area. Spend one day in Alfama and the centre, one in Belém and one on a day trip to Sintra. You will need more time if you also want Porto, Cascais or the beaches.
How much do the main sights in Lisbon cost?
At official adult prices checked in October 2026, São Jorge Castle costs €17, the Jerónimos Monastery cloister €18, Belém Tower €15 and the Pena Park ticket in Sintra €12. The cost table in this guide adds them up.
Is the Lisboa Card worth it for 3 days?
A 24-hour Lisboa Card costs €31 and includes the Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower, which cost €33 together. Use it on your Belém day. According to secondary sources, the card does not include Sintra's palaces.
Which sights are closed on Mondays in Lisbon?
Belém Tower and the Jerónimos Monastery are closed on Mondays. Plan the Belém day for Tuesday to Sunday.
Is the Santa Justa Lift open?
Our research found that the Santa Justa Lift has been closed since September 2025, and the Glória funicular is not expected back before 2029. Walk up to the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara instead.
Sources
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