The Iconic Tram 28: A Complete Guide to Lisbon’s Famous Ride

💰 Click here to see Portugal Budget Breakdown

💰 Prices updated: August, 2026. Budget figures are estimates — always verify before travel.

Exchange Rate: $1 USD = €0.86

Daily Budget (per person)

Shoestring: €40.00 – €90.00 ($46.51 – $104.65)

Mid-range: €130.00 – €200.00 ($151.16 – $232.56)

Comfortable: €250.00 – €500.00 ($290.70 – $581.40)

Accommodation (per night)

Hostel/guesthouse: €15.00 – €45.00 ($17.44 – $52.33)

Mid-range hotel: €100.00 – €190.00 ($116.28 – $220.93)

Food (per meal)

Budget meal: €10.00 ($11.63)

Mid-range meal: €35.00 ($40.70)

Upscale meal: €100.00 ($116.28)

Transport

Single metro/bus trip: €2.00 ($2.33)

Monthly transport pass: €40.00 ($46.51)

Before You Queue for Tram 28, Read This

In 2026, Tram 28 is still one of the most searched experiences in Lisbon — and also one of the most complained about. Visitors wait 45 minutes in a crush of tourists at Martim Moniz, squeeze into a wooden carriage that was built before their grandparents were born, and spend the whole ride with someone’s backpack in their face. None of that has to be your experience. This guide covers the route stop by stop, the best times to ride, where to board smartly, and what to actually look at when you’re on it — so you get the iconic experience without the misery.

What Tram 28 Actually Is

Tram 28 is a working public transit line, not a tourist attraction. Carris, Lisbon’s transit authority, runs it using a fleet of vintage Remodelado trams — small, mustard-yellow wooden carriages introduced in the 1930s. They creak, they clatter, they lean at alarming angles around corners. That’s part of the appeal. The trams are narrow by necessity: the lanes in Alfama and Graça were built for donkeys and carts, not vehicles of any kind.

The full line stretches roughly 6 kilometres from Campo de Ourique in the west to Martim Moniz in the east, cutting through some of Lisbon’s oldest and most visually dense neighbourhoods. Riding the whole thing end to end takes around 40 minutes without delays — which, in honesty, is rare during the day. The tram climbs steep hills, squeezes through lanes that feel too narrow to be real, and rings its bell constantly at pedestrians who don’t move fast enough.

What makes it famous is the combination: the vintage rolling stock, the dramatic geography, and the neighbourhoods it passes through. No other transit line in Europe threads through medieval alleys, past Moorish castle walls, and alongside baroque churches in a single continuous journey.

The Full Route — Every Stop Explained

The tram runs in both directions. Westbound goes toward Campo de Ourique; eastbound goes toward Martim Moniz. Here’s the full stop list from west to east with what each area offers:

• Campo de Ourique (Prazeres) — A residential neighbourhood most tourists never see. Quiet, local, and genuinely Lisbon. The Prazeres Cemetery here is worth a short visit if you’re into monumental tombs.
• Estrela — The enormous white dome of the Basílica da Estrela dominates this stop. The adjacent Jardim da Estrela is one of the city’s best parks for a rest.
• Largo do Rato — Transition zone. Mostly used by commuters. Skip stopping here unless you’re connecting to other transit.



• Príncipe Real (Camões) — Upscale neighbourhood with excellent independent restaurants, antique shops, and a Saturday organic market. One of Lisbon’s best neighbourhoods to explore on foot.
• Calhariz / Bica — This is where you’ll spot the famous Elevador da Bica funicular descending toward the riverfront. The streets around here are steep and photogenic.
• Chiado / Largo do Chiado — The cultural and commercial heart of central Lisbon. Book shops, theatres, coffee houses, and the A Brasileira café. This is also where many people wisely board the tram.
• São Bento — Close to the parliament building and a cluster of antique dealers along Rua de São Bento.
• Misericórdia — A transitional stop between Chiado and Alfama. Good access to Bairro Alto’s bar streets on foot.
• Portas do Sol — One of the most dramatic stops on the entire route. The tram emerges briefly into open air above the Tagus River with a panoramic view before diving back into the alleys. Get off here for the Museu do Azulejo connection or the São Vicente de Fora church.
• Santa Luzia — Tiny belvedere viewpoint overlooking the river and rooftops. Always busy but genuinely beautiful.
• Sé (Cathedral) — Lisbon’s Romanesque cathedral, dating to the 12th century. The tram passes within metres of its towers — one of the most photographed moments on the line.
• Graça — A working-class neighbourhood that’s gentrifying slowly. The Miradouro da Graça is one of the least crowded viewpoints in Lisbon.
• Martim Moniz — Eastern terminus. A multicultural square with food stalls and market containers. This is where most tourists queue, and where you should avoid boarding during peak hours.

Best Stops to Board and Exit

The single best piece of advice for riding Tram 28: board at Campo de Ourique or Estrela, not Martim Moniz. At those western stops, the tram starts the journey with empty seats. By the time it reaches Chiado or Alfama, every seat is taken and people are standing three deep. If you board at the beginning, you ride in comfort for the entire route.

For sightseeing specifically, these are the most rewarding stops to exit:

1. Estrela — for the basilica and gardens
2. Chiado — for lunch, coffee, and Bairro Alto access
3. Portas do Sol — for the river view and Alfama exploration
4. Graça — for a quiet miradouro away from tourist crowds

If you’re doing a one-way ride for the scenery, ride east from Estrela to Graça. That direction gives you the city’s most dramatic geography — climbing into Alfama, skirting the castle walls, and dropping into the old city — in about 25 minutes of pure visual reward.

How to Ride Without the Nightmare — Timing and Tickets

The worst time to ride Tram 28 is between 10:00 and 17:00 on any day from April through October. During those hours, the queue at Martim Moniz routinely stretches back 40 minutes, and even boarding mid-route at Chiado often means standing and being jolted through every curve.

The best times are:

• Before 9:00 — Early morning, the tram moves fast and has seats. The light on the Alfama rooftops at this hour is extraordinary.
• After 18:30 — Tourist pressure drops significantly. The evening light in summer makes the ride even more atmospheric.
• Weekday mornings in November through February — Near-empty carriages, cool air, and a completely different Lisbon.

For tickets, the easiest approach in 2026 is loading credit onto a Viva Viagem card, which you can buy at any Metro station for €0.50 and top up with stored value. A single tram journey costs €3.00 when paid by card on board, or €1.85 when paid via stored value on the Viva Viagem card. The difference adds up fast if you’re riding multiple times.

The 24-hour Carris/Metro pass costs €6.80 and covers unlimited tram, bus, and metro travel. If you’re spending a full day in the city and riding the tram more than twice, this is the better deal. Day passes are available at Metro ticket machines and at the Carris office on Praça da Figueira.

One rule that confuses many visitors: you cannot buy tram tickets from the driver in cash. The cash-only option was removed across Carris network in 2024. You need either a Viva Viagem card, the Viva app (which allows mobile ticketing), or a contactless bank card.

What You’ll Actually See From the Windows

No photograph communicates what the interior of a Remodelado tram feels like. The wooden benches have a specific polish from decades of use — smooth in a way that modern transport never is. The windows open manually, and when the tram tilts around a tight uphill corner, you can feel the whole carriage flexing slightly, the way old wood does.

Heading east from Chiado, the tram drops into narrow lanes where the buildings come so close on both sides that residents on upper floors could theoretically shake hands across the gap. Laundry hangs between windows. Azulejo tiles reflect afternoon light. The bell rings every 30 seconds through this section because pedestrians genuinely don’t hear the tram coming until it’s almost on them.

The moment at Portas do Sol — when the lane suddenly opens to a full view of the Tagus River glittering below, the terracotta rooftops cascading down the hill, and the opposite bank of the Setúbal Peninsula visible 30 kilometres away — is genuinely one of those travel moments that lands differently in person than in any picture.

Climbing toward Graça, the tram passes directly alongside the walls of the Castelo de São Jorge. The stone is ancient and pocked and enormous. The tram is tiny beside it. The contrast is quietly absurd and completely wonderful.

Walking the Route vs. Riding It

This is a question worth taking seriously. Parts of the Tram 28 route are genuinely better experienced on foot, and doing both gives you a richer visit than riding the whole thing in one go.

The section between Chiado and Alfama — roughly from Largo do Chiado to Portas do Sol — takes about 25 minutes on foot via Rua do Alecrim and through the lower Alfama lanes. Walking this stretch lets you stop at tiled doorways, look into open courtyards, and photograph the Sé cathedral from angles the tram doesn’t offer.

On the other hand, the section from Estrela to Chiado is steep and long on foot. Few visitors want to walk it, and the tram covers it faster and more scenically. Ride that stretch, then walk from Chiado east if you have the energy.

A good full-day plan: ride the tram from Campo de Ourique to Chiado (seated, in comfort, early morning). Spend two hours in Chiado and Bairro Alto. Walk down through Alfama at your own pace to Portas do Sol. Take the tram one stop from Portas do Sol to Graça for the miradouro. Walk back downhill to the riverfront.

Eating and Drinking Along the Tram 28 Route

The route passes through some of Lisbon’s best eating areas. These are specific, close-to-the-line options worth building your day around:

Campo de Ourique / Estrela end

The Mercado de Campo de Ourique is a covered food market about 400 metres from the Prazeres stop. Open daily, it has a mix of fresh produce stalls and prepared food counters — one of the more honest market experiences in the city, with far fewer tourists than Mercado da Ribeira. Good for breakfast or an early lunch before you board.

Chiado / Príncipe Real

Exit at Chiado and walk five minutes uphill into Príncipe Real for independent restaurants along Rua da Escola Politécnica and Rua Dom Pedro V. This area has Lisbon’s best concentration of small, serious restaurants without the tourist markup of central Baixa. Lunch menus here typically run €12–€18 including a drink.

Alfama and Graça

The lanes immediately around the Santa Luzia stop have several small tasca-style spots with outdoor tables against tiled walls. Avoid anything with a laminated photo menu — those are tourist traps. Walk one block off the main drag and the quality improves immediately. In Graça, the small square near the miradouro has a handful of genuinely local cafés where a coffee and a pastel de nata costs under €2.50.

Mistakes Most Tourists Make on Tram 28

Queuing at Martim Moniz. This is the most crowded boarding point on the line. There is no logical reason to start your ride here unless you live nearby. Board from the west.

Not watching their belongings. Tram 28 has a documented pickpocket problem and always has. In the crush of peak hours, wallets and phones are lifted with regularity. Keep your phone in a front pocket or zipped bag. Don’t have anything valuable in a back pocket. This isn’t fear-mongering — it’s a consistent issue that the Lisbon tourist police flag every year.

Riding in the wrong direction. The tram runs both ways. Make sure you’re on the eastbound service if you want Alfama, or the westbound if you’re heading to Estrela. Check the destination board at the front of the tram — it clearly says either Martim Moniz or Campo de Ourique / Prazeres.

Expecting it to be on time. Tram 28 operates on a schedule, but delays of 10–20 minutes are routine. Budget extra time around any tram journey if you have a restaurant reservation or tour booking to reach.

Skipping it entirely because of the crowds. It’s worth doing once, properly. Board early, sit on the right side heading east for the best views, and give it the time it deserves. People who dismiss it usually had a bad experience because of poor timing, not the tram itself.

2026 Updates — What’s Changed on the Line

Several things are different on Tram 28 in 2026 compared to a few years ago:

• Mobile ticketing is now fully functional. The Viva app updated in late 2025 to allow QR code validation on trams and buses. You can now buy and validate a ticket entirely from your phone without a physical card.
• Carris introduced two dedicated “heritage tram” departure slots per day from Campo de Ourique — at 08:30 and 09:15 on weekdays — where one tram is reserved at 50% capacity for advance-booked passengers. These cost €8.00 per person and can be booked via the Carris website or the Visit Lisboa app. This is worth it if you’re visiting in July or August.
• The section near the Sé Cathedral has had cobblestone restoration work completed. The track bed was relaid in 2025 after several years of complaints about rough riding and tram noise. The ride through this section is noticeably smoother than it was in 2023–2024.
• Contactless bank card payment is now accepted directly on board via new validators installed in early 2026. Tap your Visa or Mastercard and the fare is charged at the stored-value rate of €1.85, not the higher single-ticket price.

Budget Breakdown — What Tram 28 Costs in 2026

The tram itself is cheap. The costs around it vary considerably depending on how you structure your day.

• Single tram journey (contactless card or Viva card stored value): €1.85
• Single tram journey (mobile QR via Viva app): €1.85
• Single journey (no card, emergency paper ticket at station): €3.00
• 24-hour unlimited Carris/Metro pass: €6.80
• Heritage tram reserved seat (advance booking): €8.00
• Viva Viagem card (one-time purchase): €0.50

For a day built around the Tram 28 route:

• Budget traveller: €25–€35 total — tram pass, market lunch at Campo de Ourique, coffee stops, a miradouro or two (free), and an inexpensive dinner near Graça.
• Mid-range: €55–€75 — 24-hour transit pass, sit-down lunch in Príncipe Real, entrance to one paid attraction (the Castelo de São Jorge is €15 in 2026), afternoon drinks with a river view, dinner in Alfama.
• Comfortable: €100–€140 — heritage tram booking, Castelo entry, lunch at a proper restaurant in Chiado, afternoon at a rooftop bar, dinner at a reservations-required spot near Bairro Alto.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Tram 28 free with the Lisbon Card?

Yes. The Lisboa Card includes unlimited travel on Carris trams, buses, and the Metro. In 2026, the 24-hour Lisboa Card costs €22.00 for adults. If you’re planning to visit paid attractions like the Castelo de São Jorge or the Jerónimos Monastery alongside riding the tram, the card usually pays for itself within two or three stops.

How long does the full Tram 28 ride take from end to end?

The full journey from Campo de Ourique (Prazeres) to Martim Moniz, or vice versa, takes approximately 35 to 45 minutes without significant delays. During peak tourist hours in summer, delays can push this closer to an hour. Early morning rides in off-peak months run closer to the 35-minute mark.

Is Tram 28 safe for children and elderly passengers?

The trams have no air conditioning and limited handholds in standing areas. For young children and elderly passengers, a seat is essential — meaning you should board from the western terminus where seats are available. The tram’s movement is jerky and the floor is uneven. Anyone with significant mobility issues may find the ride uncomfortable, particularly through the Alfama section.

Can I take a large suitcase or pushchair on Tram 28?

No. The Remodelado carriages are extremely narrow with almost no storage space beyond the overhead rack for small bags. Large wheeled suitcases, pushchairs, and bulky backpacks are not practical on this tram. Carris’s official guidance suggests avoiding Tram 28 with luggage entirely and using the Metro or a taxi instead.

What is the best time of year to ride Tram 28?

November through February offers the lightest crowds and coolest temperatures. March, April, and October are the sweet spot: pleasant weather, manageable tourist numbers, and the ride is still enjoyable at reasonable hours. July and August are the hardest months — peak crowds, 35°C heat inside a wooden carriage with no air conditioning, and queues that can genuinely ruin a morning if you’re not strategic about timing.

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📷 Featured image by Alice Kotlyarenko on Unsplash.