Walking Tours

Lisbon Alfama Self-Guided Audio Walk: Sé Cathedral, Viewpoints, Panteão and Fado Museum

Walk Lisbon's old quarter from the Sé up to the castle's gate, then down through Alfama's lanes to the river end of the hill.
See the Sé, Santa Luzia and Portas do Sol, São Vicente de Fora, the Panteão's dome and the Fado Museum's square.
Follow lanes the 1755 earthquake left in place, in a parish where a study of priests' lists found more than half the homes gone in a year.
Stand above the roofs at Santo Estêvão and hear what the priests counted, with the old beach below you.
12 stops over 2.9 km, about 90 minutes, with English audio you start whenever you like.

Self-guided audio tour in English: 12 stops, 2.9 km, 1.5 hours
Stops at Sé, Santa Luzia and Portas do Sol, São Vicente de Fora
GPS map and walking directions in your phone browser, no app needed
Lifetime access: start any day, at any hour, and replay it

Live guide
Fixed start time
Museum and monument tickets

You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

Alfama is often said to have come through Lisbon's 1755 earthquake untouched. A study of priests' lists from one parish says otherwise: more than half the homes gone in a year, with no fire and hardly any flood. The lanes stayed where they were. Very little here is as old as it looks. Start at the Sé, whose battlements came in the early twentieth century, and climb past Santo António and the Roman theatre's painted hoarding to the castle's gate, dated 1846. Take in the Santa Luzia and Portas do Sol viewpoints, São Vicente de Fora and the Panteão's dome, 284 years in the building. Then go down through lanes on the priests' own list to Largo de São Miguel and the Fado Museum's square, where the district's name turns out to mean hot spring. Twelve stops, about 2.9 km and 90 minutes, at your own pace, in English. Uphill first, then downhill with stairs, including 77 steps; no step-free version. Admission to the Sé, the castle, São Vicente, the Panteão and the museums is not included.

What to bring

Phone and audio: Bring a charged phone and earphones to listen to the self-guided audio tour.

Connectivity: Use mobile data, or open the tour on Wi-Fi before you set off if you do not have data.

Accessibility

Step-free access: There is no step-free version of this walk, so you will encounter slopes and steps along the way.

Additional information

Best time to go: Plan your walk from Tuesday to Saturday, starting in the morning for the best experience.

Monday closures: The Panteão, Fado Museum, Teatro Romano, and Santo António Museum are closed on Mondays.

Sunday and holy days: Sé Cathedral is closed on Sundays and holy days.

Feira da Ladra market: Feira da Ladra fills Campo de Santa Clara on Tuesday and Saturday daytimes.

Reaching the start: From Terreiro do Paço Metro on the Blue Line, walk uphill a few minutes to Largo da Sé.

Nearby station: Santa Apolónia train station is about 550 meters along the river in a straight line.

Pickpocket caution: Pickpockets operate at tram stops, on tram 28E, and on the crowded terraces at Santa Luzia and Portas do Sol.

Bag safety: Keep your bag closed and in front of you in crowded areas throughout the walk.

Noise etiquette: Keep your voice down and avoid doorways and courtyards around Beco dos Lóios, Largo Dona Rosa, Beco do Carneiro, and Largo de São Miguel.

Street surface: Take care on rainy days, as Lisbon's limestone paving becomes slippery when wet.

Please check your final voucher for the redemption details and specific instructions.

Your voucher will be emailed to you shortly.

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