How to Get to Belém Tower from Central Lisbon
The scenic tram 15E, the faster Cascais-line train, the riverside walk, and how to fold the tower into a half-day taking in Jerónimos and the Pastéis de Belém.
Belém Tower sits about six kilometres west of central Lisbon, on the Tagus waterfront in the Belém district, and getting there is part of the pleasure of the visit. The district is a cluster of monuments — the tower, the Jerónimos Monastery, the Padrão dos Descobrimentos and the original Pastéis de Belém custard-tart bakery all within a short walk of each other — so most visitors come for a half-day rather than the tower alone. There are three easy ways out from the centre: the historic tram that trundles along the river, a quick suburban train, and several bus routes, plus the option to walk or cycle the flat riverside path. This guide compares them on time, scenery and cost, and suggests how to sequence the Belém sights so the tower fits neatly into your day.
The scenic option: tram 15E
The classic way to reach Belém is the 15E tram, which runs along the riverfront from Praça da Figueira and Praça do Comércio in the city centre out to Belém in roughly 25 minutes. Unlike Lisbon's tiny vintage trams, the 15E uses long modern articulated cars, so it has more capacity, though it still fills with tourists in summer. The route hugs the Tagus for much of the way, giving glimpses of the river and the 25 de Abril Bridge, and it drops you a short walk from both the Jerónimos Monastery and the tower. A single fare is inexpensive, and the tram is covered by the rechargeable Viva Viagem / Navegante card used across Lisbon transport.
Board at Praça da Figueira for the best chance of a seat, since the tram is busiest by the time it reaches Praça do Comércio. Tap your Viva Viagem card on boarding; a single ride costs a little over three euros if bought as a single, and far less per trip if you load a day pass. Hold onto bags on crowded summer departures, as the 15E is a known spot for pickpockets working the tourist crush. Get off at the Largo da Princesa or Belém stops; the tower is then a five-to-ten-minute walk west along the waterfront, past the Padrão dos Descobrimentos monument.
The fast option: the Cascais-line train
If you want speed over scenery, the suburban train on the Cascais line is the quickest route. Trains leave from Cais do Sodré station — itself on the green metro line and the riverside — and reach Belém station in about seven minutes. From Belém station it is a flat ten-minute walk south and west to the tower, crossing under the coast road via the pedestrian access to the waterfront. Trains run frequently throughout the day, and the same Viva Viagem / Navegante card works here too, making this the most reliable option when the trams are jammed in peak season.
The train is also the better choice if you are continuing west afterwards — to Estoril or Cascais for the afternoon — since Belém is simply a stop on that line. The one thing to watch is that Belém station puts you on the inland side of the railway and the coast road, so follow the signs to the riverside underpass rather than trying to cross the tracks. Once through, the Padrão dos Descobrimentos is straight ahead and the tower is a short stroll to the west, so you arrive among the monuments rather than in the back streets.
Buses, walking and cycling
Several Carris bus routes serve Avenida da Índia and Avenida Brasília in Belém and stop close to the monuments; they are useful if your hotel is not near the tram or train, but they are slower and less scenic than the rail options. For the energetic, the entire route from the centre can be walked or cycled along the flat, car-free riverside path that now runs much of the way from Cais do Sodré to Belém. The walk takes around an hour and a quarter at an easy pace; on a bike or e-scooter it is twenty to thirty minutes, and Lisbon's dock-based bike-share and rental scooters make this genuinely practical in good weather.
Driving is the option to avoid. Parking in Belém is limited, the waterfront car parks fill early on peak-season mornings, and the one-way system around the monuments is awkward. If you do drive, arrive before 10:00 or expect to circle. For almost every visitor, the tram out and the train back — or vice versa — is the most efficient combination: you get the scenic riverside ride one way and a fast return when you are tired after the climb and the walking around the Belém sights.
How to fit the tower into a half-day in Belém
Belém rewards a half-day rather than a quick tick. A well-paced plan starts early at the Jerónimos Monastery, which opens to long queues later in the morning, then moves to Belém Tower for a late-morning or early-afternoon timed slot, with the Padrão dos Descobrimentos and its lift-top viewpoint in between. Fold in a stop at the original Pastéis de Belém bakery — the birthplace of Lisbon's famous custard tarts since 1837 — ideally outside the lunchtime rush. The monuments sit within a ten-to-fifteen-minute walk of one another along the waterfront and the Praça do Império gardens.
Booking a timed-entry ticket for the tower in advance is what makes this itinerary work, because it removes the unpredictable ticket-office queue and lets you plan the rest of the day around a fixed entry time. If you only have a couple of hours, prioritise the tower and the monastery — the two halves of the same UNESCO World Heritage Site — and admire the Padrão dos Descobrimentos from the outside. Bring water and a hat in summer; the walk between sights is exposed, and there is little shade on the tower's terrace or along the riverside promenade.
Frequently asked
What is the easiest way to get to Belém Tower?
The tram 15E from Praça da Figueira or Praça do Comércio is the classic, scenic route, taking about 25 minutes along the riverfront. For speed, the Cascais-line train from Cais do Sodré reaches Belém station in about 7 minutes, then a 10-minute walk. Both use the Viva Viagem / Navegante travel card.
How far is Belém Tower from central Lisbon?
About 6 kilometres west, on the Tagus waterfront. It is roughly 25 minutes by tram 15E, 7 minutes plus a short walk by train, around an hour and a quarter on foot along the riverside path, or 20–30 minutes by bike or e-scooter.
Should I drive to Belém Tower?
It is best avoided. Parking in Belém is limited and the waterfront car parks fill early on peak-season mornings. Public transport — the tram out and the train back is a popular combination — is faster and removes the parking problem entirely.