Lisbon Shore Excursions
Portugal · 12 independent tours
What can catch you out in Lisbon
Relayed from official sources — not our verdict. We pass on what the authorities say, word for word, and leave the judgement to you.
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Street crime & distraction theft
Be alert to the risk of street crime — take care on public transport and at crowded bus and tram stops. Thieves use distraction techniques and often work in teams.
as reported by UK FCDO — travel advice for Portugal · 18 Jul 2026
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Trams & public transport
Keep an eye on your belongings and watch out for pickpockets on board — the city’s own transport operator flags it directly.
as reported by Carris — Lisbon public transport operator · 18 Jul 2026
On a cruise? Your ship’s port talk is the authority on the day — check that too.
Across Portugal — laws & safety
National rules and risks that apply anywhere in Portugal — relayed from official sources, not our verdict. We pass on what the authority says and leave the judgement to you.
Laws that catch visitors out
- Drinks served in bars are often stronger than in the UK.
- Illegal drugs, including cannabis, carry severe penalties — a long jail sentence and heavy fines for smuggling.
- Carry photo ID; it is mandatory when driving, and you must show photo ID if a police officer asks.
- Games of chance, including bingo, are illegal on unlicensed premises.
- Starting a fire — even accidentally — is illegal and can bring a fine or prison sentence.
- Region-specific (Albufeira, Algarve — NOT Lisbon/Funchal): a public Code of Conduct carries on-the-spot fines of €150–€1,800 for inappropriate behaviour.
Drones
Drone flying in Portugal follows the common EU rules (EASA — Regulation (EU) 2019/947, Open category). You must register as a drone operator before flying any drone that has a camera and is not a toy; a single registration is recognised across the EU/EEA. Label the drone with your operator ID, keep within the Open-category limits (subcategories A1/A2/A3), and check the national “geographical zones” that restrict or ban flying near airports, over crowds and at sensitive sites. Register and check the zone map through ANAC (Portugal’s civil aviation authority) before you travel.
via EASA — EU civil-drone rules (Regulation (EU) 2019/947), Open category · 24 Jun 2026
Scams to watch
Be alert to the risk of street crime — thieves use distraction techniques and often work in teams. Take care on public transport and at crowded bus and tram stops, and do not carry all your valuables in one place.
Relayed from UK FCDO travel advice — Portugal · checked 18 Jul 2026
Traffic drives on the right. Look left first when you cross the road.
Docking & terminals in Lisbon
Ships berth alongside the Tagus waterfront; Lisbon is not a tender port.
- Jardim do Tabaco — Closest quay to the city centre (Short distance to centre; part of the New Lisbon Cruise Terminal complex with Santa Apolónia)
- Santa Apolónia — In the city centre, about 1 km from the Alfama district (10–15 minute walk to Alfama; adjacent to Santa Apolónia rail station)
- Rocha Conde de Óbidos — About 3 km west of the centre (Taxi or transport required; used mostly in peak season)
- Alcântara — About 4 km west of the centre (Taxi or transport required)
Mobility & step-free access
Getting around between the pier and town:
- Walk — Central terminals (Santa Apolónia / Jardim do Tabaco) are about 10–15 minutes on foot from Alfama and the Baixa centre.
- Tram — Tram 28 runs through Alfama, Graça and Estrela; board at Praça Martim Moniz to avoid queues.
- Metro — Blue line serves Santa Apolónia station beside the main terminal and connects to the centre.
- Taxi — Ranks at the terminals; serve Belém and the hill districts.
Step-free options vary by pier and by the day — confirm the specifics with your operator and the ship’s guest-services desk before booking.
Heading back at the end of the day: Terminals are spread up to 4 km apart along the Tagus. Confirm your ship's assigned terminal before going ashore; returning to the wrong terminal at day's end is a significant detour.
Cruise lines don’t always tell you which pier you’re on, and it’s easy to forget once you’re ashore. As you leave the ship, note or photograph your pier’s name — then give your taxi that exact pier (or your ship’s name) for the trip back.
Your exact pier is assigned per sailing — confirm it on the ship’s daily programme or gangway signage before heading ashore.
Getting around & must-sees in Lisbon
Getting around
The central cruise terminals are a 10–15 minute walk from Alfama and the Baixa; tram, metro, taxis, and hop-on-hop-off buses also serve the port.
- Walk — Central terminals (Santa Apolónia / Jardim do Tabaco) are about 10–15 minutes on foot from Alfama and the Baixa centre.
- Tram — Tram 28 runs through Alfama, Graça and Estrela; board at Praça Martim Moniz to avoid queues.
- Metro — Blue line serves Santa Apolónia station beside the main terminal and connects to the centre.
- Taxi — Ranks at the terminals; serve Belém and the hill districts.
Must-see sights
- Jerónimos Monastery — Located in the Belém district.
- Belém Tower — Located in the Belém district.
- Alfama & São Jorge Castle — Historic Moorish quarter of lanes and viewpoints below the hilltop castle.
- Praça do Comércio & the Baixa — Grand riverside square and gridded town-centre district.
- Sintra — Inland day-trip destination known for historic palaces including Pena Palace.
Taxis & ride-hailing — Bolt work here (confirm in the app — you’ll need mobile data).
Getting back to the pier
Santa Apolónia Cruise Terminal is in Lisbon's historic centre; taxis, panoramic buses, metro, trains, and city buses are available on-site or at the adjacent station.
- Taxi — Available on-site at the terminal
- Bus — Panoramic buses on-site; Carris city buses also serve the terminal
- Metro — Blue Line at Santa Apolónia station
- Train — Northern Line at Santa Apolónia railway station
Key facts only — confirm times, fares and seasonal openings locally.
Operator policies we’ve checked in Lisbon
Before a tour earns its trust pills, we read the operator’s own site — their terms, cancellation and accessibility pages — and relay what they state. These are the operators’ own terms, not our verdicts; confirm when booking.
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buendía
- Free cancellation — verified with conditions: Free cancellation with a full refund of the booking price if requested in writing more than 24 hours before the tour starts; cancellations within 24 hours of the start time, or failure to show up at the meeting point, are non-refundable.
- Group size — No general cap stated; T&Cs flag free-tour bookings of more than six people as cancellable by the operator
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Inside Lisbon Tours
- Free cancellation — verified with conditions: Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance; inside 24 hours or no-show incurs a 100% penalty fee (operator's policy).
- Accessibility — Operator's own statement (explicit negative): "Not suitable for: People with reduced mobility, People with heart problems, Wheelchair users."
- Group size — Marketing tagline "Small Groups for a Personal Touch," no numeric cap stated; separate Private Tours option offered
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Lx4 Tours
- Group size — "2 per quad" / "2 per buggy" standard tours; custom group/corporate option up to 64 participants
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Portugallium - Food & Wine Experiences
- Group size — Consistently stated as "PRIVATE TOURS ONLY," "Minimum 2 People," across multiple experience pages; no stated maximum found
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Stas Tours
- Group size — Private tours sold as fixed 2/4/6/8-pax tiers; a group-tour option exists with no stated max/min
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Vision Tours Portugal
- Group size — Not stated
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Wild Walkers Lisbon Tours
- Accessibility — Operator's own statement: only a generic non-specific note — "If you have any specific concerns or accessibility requirements, we recommend contacting Wild Walkers Tours in advance" — no wheelchair/step-free specifics.
- Group size — The guide needs at least 3 people to start the activity; groups are no bigger than 10 (counting the guide)
Eating & shopping in Lisbon
Dining concentrates in the Baixa district around Praça do Comércio and in the historic Alfama quarter; both are within walking distance of the cruise terminals.
Where to eat
- Baixa (Praça do Comércio) — Central district by the River Tagus, within walking distance of the cruise terminals.
- Alfama — Historic Fado quarter adjacent to the Santa Apolónia and Jardim do Tabaco cruise terminals.
- Time Out Market (Mercado da Ribeira) — Food hall featuring fish and seafood stalls.
Local specialities
- Pastel de nata — Custard tart; locally associated with cinnamon.
- Bacalhau — Salt cod, a traditional Portuguese staple.
- Grilled sardines — A local seafood speciality.
- Salgados — Savoury snacks including pastéis de bacalhau (codfish cakes), rissóis de camarão (shrimp turnovers), and croquetes.
Areas and specialities as described by the source — not our recommendations; confirm openings and prices locally.
Local know-hows in Lisbon
Money
- Currency
- Euro
- Cards
- Visa, American Express, Diners Club, Europay/MasterCard, JCB and Maestro are commonly accepted. Money can also be exchanged at banks and bureaux de change.
- ATMs
- Two ATM networks operate in Portugal: a national network (MB/Multibanco) and an international network (ATM), both available 24 hours a day.
- Tipping
- Service is included in restaurant bills, though leaving an additional 5–10% is customary. Taxi drivers typically receive 5–10%, or the fare rounded up to the nearest euro.
Practicalities
- Language
- Portuguese.
- Tap water
- Tap water is safe to drink. EPAL, Lisbon's public water utility, controls water quality all the way to the consumer's tap in line with the legal standard for water for human consumption (Decree-Law 306/2007), with the stated aim of protecting consumer health.
- Plugs
- 230/400V, 50Hz; sockets comply with European standards. An adaptor and 230-volt transformer are required for American-style flat-prong plugs.
Key facts to know before you step off — confirm anything time-sensitive locally.
Port busyness in Lisbon
Moderately busy
A large capital city of roughly 545,000 residents that absorbs cruise visitors broadly, but a handful of honeypot sites — Alfama, Tram 28, and the Belém monuments — concentrate crowds noticeably on busy days.
Peak pattern: Late morning through afternoon when tour groups and independent visitors converge on Alfama, Tram 28, and Belém; multiple ships can call on a single day at alongside berths with no tendering delays.
Quieter: Early morning before passengers come ashore; shoulder seasons outside the main cruise peak are also calmer at the honeypot sites.
- Large capital city spreads visitors widely
- Narrow Alfama lanes funnel cruise crowds
- Tram 28 route becomes congested on busy days
- Belém monuments create queues (Jerónimos, Tower)
This shows a typical day for the time of year — actual crowds vary on your date, and it isn’t a guarantee.
What we’ve checked in Lisbon — and when
We last checked the facts on this page between 10 Jun 2026 and 18 Jul 2026. Live travel advisories refresh automatically from the official sources.
- Docking & getting ashore
- Verified by The Excursion Edit against official sources · 10 Jun 2026
- Getting around
- Verified by The Excursion Edit against official sources · 10 Jun 2026
- How busy it gets
- Verified by The Excursion Edit against official sources · 10 Jun 2026
- What can catch you out
- Verified by The Excursion Edit against official sources · 18 Jul 2026
- Operator policies
- From each operator’s own site and terms
- Travel advisories
- FCDO (GOV.UK) & US State Department · refreshed automatically