Tram 28 and the Lisboa Card

Tram 28 is the most famous ride in Lisbon, and for good reason: it is a working public transport line that happens to be a sightseeing tour. The little yellow remodelado trams, wooden-panelled and with brass fittings, date in their design to the 1930s, and they are the only vehicles small and nimble enough to squeal around the hairpin bends and squeeze through the medieval lanes of the hill neighbourhoods. The route runs from Martim Moniz, below the castle, up through Graça with its viewpoints, around the edge of Alfama past the Portas do Sol lookout and the cathedral, down into the Baixa, up again through Chiado past the old cafés and the Basílica da Estrela, and out to the leafy residential district of Campo de Ourique and the Prazeres cemetery. In places the tram passes so close to doorways you could touch the walls. The catch is its popularity: in high season the trams are crowded from mid-morning, queues at the Martim Moniz terminus can be long, and the crush makes tram 28 notorious for pickpockets. The secret is timing and fare strategy. Ride early in the morning or in the evening, board at either end of the line, keep valuables zipped away, and pay with a rechargeable navegante card, a 24-hour transport ticket or the Lisboa Card rather than buying a single ticket from the driver, which costs noticeably more. The Lisboa Card, sold in 24, 48 and 72-hour versions, covers unlimited buses, trams and metro, the trains to Sintra and Cascais, and free entry to dozens of museums and monuments including the Jerónimos cloister and Belém Tower.

A status note before you plan around Lisbon's other historic hill transport. On 3 September 2025 the Glória funicular, which climbed from Restauradores to Bairro Alto, derailed and crashed, killing sixteen people. It remains closed, and the operator Carris plans to replace it with a completely new installation, with a return mooted for later in the decade. The Bica and Lavra funiculars and the Santa Justa lift in the Baixa have also been closed since then pending safety assessments, with no confirmed reopening dates as of late 2026. The newer Graça funicular reopened in April 2026. In practice that makes tram 28, the other historic tram lines, the metro and your own legs the way to tackle the hills, and it is worth checking the Carris website for the latest before you rely on any of the lifts.

How to ride it well: start at Martim Moniz early in the morning and ride the whole line west, or start at Campo de Ourique and ride east, so that you get a seat on the right-hand side for the views. Hop off where you like; the best stops for exploring are Graça for the viewpoints, Largo das Portas do Sol for Alfama and the castle, the cathedral, Chiado for cafés and shopping, and Estrela for the basílica and the gardens opposite. If the 28 is packed, the tram 12 circle covers part of the same ground around the castle hill with fewer passengers. Tourist trams run on similar routes in a red livery, at a premium, if you would rather sightsee without the commuters.

Is the Lisboa Card worth it? It pays off if you plan a dense day or two of sightseeing: a 24-hour card used for the tram, the train to Belém or Sintra, the Jerónimos cloister, Belém Tower and one or two museums usually saves money. Remember that you still need to reserve timed slots for Jerónimos and Belém Tower after redeeming the card, and that river ferries across the Tagus are not included. If you plan a slower trip, a navegante card loaded with credit, or a 24-hour Carris and metro ticket, is the simpler option. Contactless bank cards work on the metro and many Carris vehicles, but pay a higher per-ride fare than a loaded navegante card.