Visiting the Museums and Monuments of Lisbon

Find out about the museums of Lisbon and how to make the most of them using discount tickets and vouchers...

There are a great many museums, monuments and places of historic interest to visit in the area. Here are just a few:

Museu Calouste Gulbenkian

The Calouste Gulbenkian collection contains over 6,000 pieces of art of which 1,000 are on permanent exhibition in the museum. The collection includes Egyptian art, Greco-roman art, Mesopotamian art, eastern Islamic art, Armenian art, Far eastern art, sculptures, decorative arts, paintings and works of René Lalique.

  • Museu Calouste Gulbenkian
    At: Avenida de Berna 45A, 1067-001 Lisbon
    Tel: 217 823 000
    Fax: 217 823 032
    Open: Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00-17:45

Museu do Chiado – Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea

This national museum of contemporary art has collections of sculptures, paintings and drawings by Portuguese artists from the 19th century onwards. It also has a room dedicated to the sculptors Rodin and Bourdelle.

  • Museu do Chiado
    At: Rua Serpa Pinto 4-6, 1200-444 Lisbon
    Tel: 213 432 148
    Fax: 213 432 151

Torre de Belém

Designed by Francisco Arruda, the tower of Belém was built to defend the estuary of the River Tagus in the 16th century. A starting point for the explorers who set out to establish the trade routes, this tower soon became a symbol of Portugal's era of expansion. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

  • Torre de BelĂ©m
    At: Avenida Brasilia, 1400-598 Lisbon
    Tel: 213 620 034
    email

Discount Card

The Lisboa Card is a pass that allows free access to public transport and discounts of up to 50 percent on entry into about 25 museums in the Portuguese capital. It also allows a number of reductions on other areas of interest to visitors.

The card is valid on all public transport, buses, trams (except tram line number 28), lifts, underground and trains to Sintra and Cascais and is available for periods of 24, 48 or 72 hours. The card may be bought at city Tourist Offices.

Useful Contacts

  • Lisbon Welcome Centre
    At    : Comércio Square, Lisbon
    Tel    : 210 312 810
    Open    : Every day from 09:00-18:00
  • Lisbon Tourist OfficeAt: Rua do Arsenal 15, 1100-038 Lisbon
    Tel: 210 312 700
    Fax: 210 312 899
    email
  • Sintra Tourist Office
    At    : Avenida da Republica 23, 2710-616 Sintra
    Tel: 219 231 157
    Fax: 219 235 176
    Open: Every day from 09:00-19:00 (20:00 in the summer)
  • Cascais Tourist Office
    At: Avenida dos Combatantes da Grande Guerra 25, 2750 Cascais
    Tel: 214 868 204
    Open: Monday to Friday from 09:00-20:00 and 10:00-18:00 at the weekend