Things to Do in Alfama Lisbon: 6 Top Picks

The things to do in Alfama, Lisbon, are spread along a slope that climbs from the river up to the castle. This list goes from the top down, with the hours and the price of each stop.

Prices and hours below come from each sight's own website and from Carris, read on 21 October 2026. Check them for your travel date.

1. Portas do Sol, Santa Luzia and Graça viewpoints: start here for the view

Largo das Portas do Sol and the Miradouro de Santa Luzia sit side by side at the top of Alfama. Turismo de Lisboa describes Santa Luzia as a viewpoint with a garden, a pond and a café. You see the domes of Santa Engrácia and the towers of São Miguel church, with the Tagus behind. Its page lists no hours and no fee.

Trams stop here. Carris lists Largo das Portas do Sol on both line 12E and tram 28. Line 12E also stops at the Santa Luzia viewpoint itself. Both are public lines, so they fill up at busy times.

Graça is the next viewpoint up the hill. The city's tourist board calls the Miradouro da Graça one of the best views of Lisbon and recommends riding tram 28 to Graça. Carris lists Graça as a stop on tram 28 and on bus 734, which runs between Martim Moniz and Santa Apolónia station. The page gives no hours and no fee.

The Miradouro da Senhora do Monte is further along, on Rua da Senhora do Monte à Graça. It calls the spot one of the calmest places to look at the city. It publishes no line or stop for it, so ride to Graça first and go on from there.

Go early in the morning, when the light is soft and the squares are quiet.

Getting there is simple. The table lists the public lines that Carris and the Metro publish for Alfama.

2. São Jorge Castle: the highest point in the old town

The castle crowns the hill above Alfama. Its ticket page lists adults at €17, ages 13 to 25 at €8.50 and seniors at €14. Adult Lisboa Card holders go in free. The only authorised online seller is the city's ticket platform BOL, so buy there or at the castle's ticket office.

The schedule page says the castle is open 9:00 to 21:00 from 1 March to 31 October, with the last entry at 20:30. From 1 November the castle opens 9:00 to 18:00, with the last entry at 17:30. The castle closes on 1 January, 1 May and 24, 25 and 31 December. Its museum is closed for now, because the toilets are being upgraded.

Carris bus 737 is the direct way up. The line page lists it between Praça da Figueira and the castle, with the Sé on the way. The weekday winter timetable shows a bus about every 10 minutes between roughly 9:00 and 19:00.

Walking up is a climb. The electric bike tour of Alfama and Mouraria is from €21. Its page lists the castle, the National Pantheon and the Nossa Senhora do Monte viewpoint among the highlights, so the bike takes the hills for you. Reviewers rate it 4.8 across 3,881 reviews.

3. Lisbon Cathedral: a short walk down from the viewpoints

The Sé is the cathedral, and the tram and the bus both stop at it. The ticket page lists €7 for adults and €5 for Lisboa Card holders and for children aged 7 to 12. Children up to 6 go in free. The ticket includes the climb to the high choir, the balcony between the bell towers, the Treasury museum and a walk through the naves.

The opening hours page says Monday to Saturday, 9:30 to 19:00 from April to October and 10:00 to 18:00 from November to March, with the last entry 30 minutes before closing. Sundays and holy days are closed days. The page's contact section lists slightly different hours, so call or email the cathedral if your plan depends on it.

Buy the ticket only if you want the towers and the Treasury. The cathedral is a handy stop on the way down, so you can decide when you get there.

4. Fado Museum and live fado: the sound of Alfama

Fado is Lisbon's sung music, and the Museu do Fado tells its story at Largo do Chafariz de Dentro, near the river. Opening days are Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00, with the last admission at 17:30. The adult ticket is €5 and ages 13 to 25 pay €2.50. Adult Lisboa Card holders go in free. Mondays and 1 January, 1 May and 24, 25 and 31 December are closed days.

The museum's own page lists the way there. The Blue line stops at Santa Apolónia and at Terreiro do Paço, and buses 728, 735, 759 and 794 stop nearby. The Metro page for Santa Apolónia shows the station open from 06:30 to 01:00 and lists buses 728, 735, 759 and 794 there too.

Come on a Tuesday to Sunday during the day. Live fado is a separate evening.

Several fado restaurants in Alfama appear on the city's tourist board list. Parreirinha de Alfama, on Beco do Espírito Santo, opens Tuesday to Sunday from 20:00 to 01:00 and is closed on Mondays. Páteo de Alfama, on Rua São João da Praça, opens daily from 19:30 to 23:30. Both list a price range of €20 to €50, and Turismo de Lisboa gives the same range for São Miguel d'Alfama and Tininha de Alfama. Its list also names Sr. Vinho, Casa de Fado Marquês da Sé, O Faia, Clube de Fado and Fama de Alfama.

No venue page says what the €20 to €50 includes, and none publishes a minimum spend for a drinks-only seat. Ask when you book, and book ahead because the listings do not say whether a table is guaranteed. We cover shows, tickets and etiquette on our page for fado shows in Lisbon.

5. National Pantheon and the flea market: two stops on the east side

The National Pantheon is the former church of Santa Engrácia, and it holds the tombs of well-known Portuguese figures. The Museus e Monumentos de Portugal page lists a €10 adult ticket and opening Tuesday to Sunday. From October to March the hours are 10:00 to 17:00, and from April to September they are 10:00 to 18:00. The Pantheon closes on Mondays, on 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 13 June and 25 December.

Outside, in Campo de Santa Clara, the Feira da Ladra flea market runs on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Turismo de Lisboa says the market is open from 9:00 to 18:00, behind the monastery of São Vicente de Fora. Expect second-hand goods and antiques.

Pick a Tuesday or a Saturday and you get both in one visit. The Pantheon is closed on Monday, so a Monday needs a different plan.

Alfama is best seen slowly, on foot, with no fixed route.

6. A guided walk or tram ride: when you want the lanes explained

Alfama's lanes twist and have few signs. A guide fills in what you would otherwise walk past.

The Best of Lisbon walking tour is from €22 and lasts 3 hours. It covers Rossio, Chiado and Alfama, and the price includes a custard tart and a wine tasting. Entry fees to sights are not included. It starts at the statue of Pedro IV on Praça Dom Pedro IV, which is the Rossio square. The tour is rated 4.9 from 3,403 reviews, and the page offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

The tram 28 and Alfama walk is from €34 and takes 2.5 to 3 hours. You ride the tram for about 25 minutes, the page says, to the hilltop and then walk mostly downhill, past the viewpoints and the cathedral. Seats on tram 28 are not guaranteed, and the page says it is not suitable for people with mobility impairments. Reviewers rate it 4.9 across 185 reviews.

Here is what each pick's page says about where you start, the group and what you still pay for.

Book the morning slot if you want the viewpoints before the crowds arrive.

How to choose things to do in Alfama, Lisbon

Pick by the day and by how much you want to climb. The table puts the hours and the price of each stop side by side.

Key Takeaway On a Monday only the castle, the cathedral and the viewpoints are open, because the Fado Museum and the Pantheon close on Mondays and the cathedral closes on Sundays.

A guided tour is not always the better choice. If you want to go inside the castle or the cathedral, remember that the Best of Lisbon walking tour does not include entry fees, so you pay the ticket prices above on top. On your own you spend only the tickets you want, and the public lines cost less than a tour.

Things to Do in Lisbon's count of GetYourGuide listings in October 2026 found 14 listings with Alfama in the title, from €1.50 to €224, with a middle price of €34. All 14 can be cancelled for free. That makes the €22 walking tour a cheap way in, and the €34 tram walk a middle pick.

Pro Tip Start at the Portas do Sol viewpoint around 10:00, see the castle first and walk down. Bus 737 or tram 12E gets you up, so you only walk downhill.

Take care on the trams and in the crowded lanes. The UK government's travel advice says to take care on public transport and at crowded stops, because thieves use distraction techniques and often work in teams. Keep your bag closed and in front of you.

For more guided ways to see the old town, see our guided walking and tram tours of Lisbon's old town.

Alfama is one of several old districts that sit close together. Baixa, Chiado and Bairro Alto lie downhill and to the west, and they have their own sights, which this list does not cover. Our Lisbon tour map guide routes Baixa, then Alfama, then Chiado and Bairro Alto in one walk.

Where to stay in Alfama

Sleeping inside Alfama puts you at the top of the hill before the day trippers arrive. The Memmo Alfama is a design hotel on Travessa das Merceeiras, close to the cathedral and the Santa Luzia viewpoint. The Pousada Alfama is on Rua de São Tomé, about 100 metres from the Portas do Sol viewpoint. Booking.com shows both with scores of 9.3 and 9.2 as of 21 October 2026.