Lisbon cruise port

Walk off into Alfama, ride tram 28, eat a custard tart in Belém.

Lisbon is the easiest big-city port in Europe: the Lisbon Cruise Terminal at Santa Apolónia and the Jardim do Tabaco quay beside it sit on the Tagus right below the Alfama district, so you walk off the ship and are in the oldest lanes of the city in 5 minutes and at the Praça do Comércio in 15. Only overflow and smaller ships use the Alcântara and Rocha Conde de Óbidos berths about 3 km west by the bridge. Most cruisers do the hills and tram 28 in the morning and Belém in the afternoon, or spend the day in the palaces of Sintra. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls here from every line, priced with taxes, fees and port expenses included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.

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DockedSanta Apolónia terminal, walk-off to Alfama; Alcântara for overflow ships
Eurocards everywhere; Portuguese, English spoken widely
Apr to Jun, Sep to Octupper 60s to upper 70s, sunny, lighter crowds
All inevery price includes taxes and fees
Start here

Three ways to do Lisbon

The old city on foot and by tram, Belém and the Age of Discovery, or a day in Sintra: pick your style and the buttons filter the list of sailings below.

Old city

Alfama, the castle and tram 28

  • Walk out of the terminal and straight uphill into Alfama: the Sé cathedral, the Santa Luzia and Portas do Sol viewpoints and São Jorge Castle (about €15 to €17, book online) for the view over your ship and the river
  • Ride the yellow tram 28 from Martim Moniz or Graça through the hills (about €3.30 on board or €1.90 with a Navegante card as of 2026); go early, it is pickpocket central at noon
  • Down to the Baixa grid, the Santa Justa elevator and the Praça do Comércio on the river, then lunch at the Time Out Market; a full 5 hours on foot with real hills

Best for: first-timers, walkers, photographers

Belém

Jerónimos, the Tower and the Pastéis de Belém

  • Tram 15 from Praça do Comércio or Cais do Sodré takes 25 to 30 minutes to Belém (about €3 on board), or an Uber from the terminal is about €8 to €12 and 15 minutes
  • The Jerónimos Monastery cloister is about €18 and timed (the church with Vasco da Gama’s tomb is free), the Monument to the Discoveries and the Belém Tower (about €8, check restoration hours) are a 15 minute walk along the river
  • Join the line at the Pastéis de Belém bakery for the original custard tart, about €1.50 each; 3 to 4 hours including the ride

Best for: history lovers, families, anyone with sore feet

Sintra

Pena Palace and the fairy-tale hills

  • Trains from Rossio station (a 20 minute walk or 3 metro stops from the terminal) reach Sintra in 40 minutes for about €2.50 each way; the 434 loop bus (about €13.50 hop-on) climbs to the Moorish Castle and Pena Palace
  • Pena Palace is timed entry, about €20 as of 2026, and sells out days ahead in summer; book before you sail and give the whole visit 2 hours
  • Ship excursions pair Sintra with Cascais and the coast for about $100 to $160 in 6 to 7 hours and are the safer bet on calls under 9 hours

Best for: repeat visitors, couples, castle fans

Live from the cruise lines

Lisbon cruises: SmartCruiser picks first

Every cruise that calls at Lisbon from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.

SmartCruiser picks

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Every cruise that calls at Lisbon

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Prices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.

In port

Things to do in Lisbon

You are docked in the middle of the city, so there is no transit to budget except to Belém and Sintra; here is where to spend the day.

Alfama and São Jorge CastleStraight up the hill from the terminal: the oldest district in Lisbon, a maze of lanes, fado houses and the Santa Luzia and Portas do Sol miradouros, with the Moorish castle on top (about €15 to €17 as of 2026, online timed ticket). Two to 3 hours, all free apart from the castle, and your ship is in every photo.
BelémThe Age of Discovery in one riverside mile 7 km west: the Jerónimos Monastery cloister (about €18, church free), the Monument to the Discoveries, the Belém Tower (about €8, check restoration hours) and the Pastéis de Belém bakery. Tram 15 in 25 to 30 minutes or an Uber for about €10; allow 3 to 4 hours.
Tram 28The 1930s yellow tram grinds from Martim Moniz through Graça, Alfama, Baixa and Chiado to Estrela: about €3.30 cash on board or €1.90 with a Navegante card. Board at the Graça end early in the morning for a seat, and keep your wallet in front.
Baixa, Chiado and the Santa Justa elevatorThe flat grid rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake, a 15 minute walk from the terminal: the Praça do Comércio and its arch, Rua Augusta, the wrought-iron Santa Justa lift (about €6 for the ride and viewpoint) and the cafés and bookshops of Chiado above it. Free wandering; lunch about €15 to €25.
SintraThe UNESCO hill town of palaces 40 minutes by train from Rossio (about €2.50 each way). Pena Palace (about €20, timed, book ahead) is the one to see, with the Moorish Castle walls and Quinta da Regaleira’s initiation well next in line. A full day; ship tours add Cascais for about $100 to $160.
Time Out Market and LX FactoryLisbon’s food hall at Cais do Sodré (a 25 minute walk or 2 metro stops) with 40 stalls from the city’s best chefs for about €15 a plate; or the LX Factory creative quarter under the 25 de Abril bridge near Alcântara, with a famous bookshop and rooftop bars.
Fado and the GulbenkianIf the ship overnights, book a fado dinner in Alfama (about €40 to €60 with food). By day the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum (about €14) is a world-class private collection from Egypt to Lalique in a garden, 20 minutes by metro.
Cascais and the coastThe seaside town 40 minutes by train from Cais do Sodré (about €2.50): a sandy bay, a walkable old center and the Boca do Inferno cliffs. Good on your own on a long call, or as the second half of a Sintra excursion.
Pick your style

Which lines call at Lisbon?

Lisbon is a stop on Mediterranean, Iberian, Canaries and transatlantic itineraries from nearly every line; these are the ones with the most sailings.

Royal CaribbeanLiberty and Odyssey of the Seas on Southampton and Barcelona itineraries and the spring and fall transatlanticsSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit Norwegian Cruise LineNorwegian Dawn and Star on 10 to 14 night Spain and Portugal sailings and repositionings via LisbonSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit Celebrity CruisesCelebrity Xcel and Apex on Barcelona to Lisbon runs and fall transatlantics to Fort LauderdaleSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit Holland America LineVolendam and Nieuw Statendam on long Mediterranean and Atlantic coast voyages, often with an overnightSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit CunardQueen Anne and Queen Victoria from Southampton on Iberia and Canaries cruises through the winterSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit MSC and CostaMSC Virtuosa and Costa Diadema, Favolosa and Fascinosa on Iberian and Canaries loops from Genoa and BarcelonaSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit Oceania, Regent and SilverseaInsignia, Sirena, Seven Seas Navigator and the Silver Muse, Dawn, Nova, Ray and Spirit on luxury Iberian itineraries that start, end or overnight in LisbonSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit Windstar, Seabourn and AzamaraWind Surf, Wind Star and Wind Spirit turn around in Lisbon in the shoulder seasons; Seabourn Quest and Azamara Onward call on Spain and Portugal voyagesSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit VikingViking Neptune and fleetmates on 8 to 15 night Iberian and Mediterranean itineraries with an overnight in LisbonLive prices
Timing

When to go

Lisbon is sunny two days out of three and mild year round, with hot dry summers and a rainy stretch from November to February; spring and fall are the sweet spot and ships call every month.

April to JuneHighs from the upper 60s to the upper 70s, jacaranda trees in bloom in May and June and the Santo António sardine festival around June 12. Crowds are moderate and the Sintra palaces still bookable a few days out.
July to AugustLow to mid 80s, dry and bright, with the Atlantic breeze keeping it bearable on the river. Tram 28 and Pena Palace are packed; book Sintra weeks ahead and do Belém in the morning.
September to OctoberUpper 70s easing to the low 70s, the sea still warm at Cascais and the transatlantic ships coming through. October brings the first rain but most days are fine. Our favorite season.
November to MarchHighs in the upper 50s to mid 60s with about 4 inches of rain a month; between showers the light on the river is beautiful and the museums and fado houses are empty. Cunard, MSC and Costa keep calling; bring a rain jacket and shoes with grip for the wet cobbles.
Good to know

Lisbon questions we answer every day

Where do cruise ships dock in Lisbon, and how far is the city?

Most ships dock at the Lisbon Cruise Terminal at Santa Apolónia, opened in 2017, or at the Jardim do Tabaco quay right beside it: both are on the river at the foot of Alfama, with the Santa Apolónia metro and rail station across the road, the cathedral a 10 minute walk and the Praça do Comércio 15 to 20 minutes. When several ships are in, smaller or overflow ships use Alcântara or Rocha Conde de Óbidos about 3 km west near the 25 de Abril bridge; from there take tram 15, a €8 to €10 taxi or the cruise-line shuttle rather than the 45 minute walk. There is no tendering.

How do I get around Lisbon, and what do the trams cost?

Walk the center and ride the rest. The reusable Navegante card (formerly Viva Viagem, €0.50 at any metro machine) loads single trips at €1.90 on the metro, trams and buses as of 2026, or buy a 24 hour pass for about €7.25. A tram 28 ticket from the driver is €3.30 cash; tram 15 to Belém about €3 on board. Taxis are cream-colored and metered, Uber and Bolt are cheap and everywhere (about €8 to €12 to Belém), and tuk-tuks need a price agreed before you climb in. Expect hills: Lisbon has seven of them.

What money do I use, and will my phone work?

Portugal uses the euro and cards and tap-to-pay work almost everywhere, including the ticket machines; carry a few coins for the tram driver and the pastry counter. Portuguese is the language and English is spoken widely, especially by younger Lisboetas. Lisbon is on Western European Time, one hour behind Spain and five hours ahead of New York. Most US carriers sell a daily international pass of about $10 to $12, or buy an eSIM before you sail.

Is Lisbon safe for cruise passengers?

Yes. Lisbon is one of the safest capitals in Europe and the cruise lines and the U.S. State Department flag only pickpockets, especially on tram 28, in the Santa Apolónia and Rossio stations and around the Baixa. Keep your bag in front, leave the passport in the cabin safe with a photo on your phone, say no to the men selling sunglasses and hashish on Rua Augusta (it is a scam, not a danger), and wear shoes with grip: the polished cobbles are slick, especially after rain.

What is the best excursion, and should I book it through the ship?

Lisbon itself needs no excursion: Alfama, the castle, tram 28 and Belém are all easy and cheap on your own from a terminal in the middle of town. Book through the ship for Sintra if your call is under 9 hours or you could not get a Pena Palace timed ticket, because the train, the 434 bus line and the palace queue eat time and the guaranteed return matters. Fado dinners are for overnight calls, which many lines offer here.

Do I need a passport for a cruise that calls at Lisbon?

Yes. Every European cruise needs a passport valid for at least three months beyond your return (we recommend six), and there is no closed-loop exception as there is for round trips from US ports. Portugal is in the Schengen area: the EU’s new entry-exit system records your arrival at the first Schengen port, and the ETIAS travel authorization is being phased in; check the EU’s official site before you fly. Our specialists keep a current checklist for every sailing, including transatlantic crossings that start in Florida.

Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?

Yes. Every price on this page includes the cruise fare, government taxes, fees and port expenses, so the number you see is the number you pay for the cruise. Flights, hotels, shore excursions and onboard gratuities are extra, and SmartCruiser adds bonus onboard credit on the picks at the top that you cannot get booking direct.

Talk to a Lisbon and Portugal cruise specialist

Tell us your dates and whether you want an overnight in Lisbon or a transatlantic that starts there and we will find the sailing with the most SmartCruiser value, then book it for you. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.

1-800-444-1560