Lisbon Hop On Hop Off Bus – Guide and Tickets
Lisbon Bus Tours: Routes, Stops and Travel Tips
The Lisbon Hop On Hop Off bus is one of the easiest and most flexible ways to explore the city’s main attractions. You can ride the full route for an overview or hop off whenever you want to explore a neighbourhood at your own pace.
It’s especially handy for first-time visitors who want to see a lot without worrying about Lisbon’s steep hills or public transport connections.
Lisbon Hop on Hop Off Bus Overview
Taking a Lisbon City Bus tour is one of the most relaxing ways to see the city’s top landmarks without worrying about steep hills or public transport connections. The routes pass through many of Lisbon’s highlights, including Belém Tower, the Jerónimos Monastery, Avenida da Liberdade, Rossio Square and the Park of Nations.
There are two main Lisbon sightseeing bus companies, Yellow Bus and City Sightseeing Lisbon. Both offer unlimited rides for 24 or 48 hours, with audio commentary available in several languages and open-top decks for the best views.
The main routes operate daily from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM, with the full circuit taking about 1 hour and 50 minutes depending on traffic. You can hop on and off as many times as you like during your ticket’s validity period.
After comparing both, we would recommend the Yellow Bus, mainly for its better route coverage, frequent departures (around every 20 minutes), and combination ticket that includes a Tagus River boat tour. It also tends to receive more positive reviews for customer service and value.
Lisbon Hop on Hop off Stops
The Yellow Bus in Lisbon has a total of 3 stops spread across 3 routes (including 3 that form part of a boat tour). Here’s the list of all the routes and stops:
| Belem Route | Modern Lisbon Route | Boat Tour |
|---|---|---|
| 1 – Praça da Figueira | 1 – Praça da Figueira | 1 – Terreiro do Paço (Sul e Sueste Terminal) |
| 2 – Restauradores | 2 – Restauradores | 2 – Belém MAAT |
| 3 – Marquês de Pombal | 3 – Avenida da Liberdade | 3 – Terreiro do Paço (Sul e Sueste Terminal) |
| 4 – El Corte Inglés | 4 – Lisbon Cruise Terminal | |
| 5 – Parque Eduardo VII | 5 – Museu do Azulejo | |
| 6 – Amoreiras Shopping | 6 – Oceanarium | |
| 7 – Basílica da Estrela | 7 – Vasco da Gama shopping | |
| 8 – Pilar 7 | 8 – FIL | |
| 9 – Belém & Museu dos Coches | 9 – Vasco da Gama Tower/ Hotel Myriad | |
| 10 – Mosteiro dos Jerónimos | 10 – Praça da Figueira | |
| 11 – Torre de Belém | ||
| 12 – Padrão dos Descobrimentos | ||
| 13 – MAAT | ||
| 14 – Docas Cruise Terminal | ||
| 15 – Jardim da Estrela | ||
| 16 – Avenida da Liberdade | ||
| 17 – Praça da Figueira |
How does the Hop on Hop off Bus Work?
A hop on hop off bus basically loops around Lisbon, depending on which route it is assigned, and does this on repeat multiple times in a day.
They have multiple buses doing this, so you’ll never need to wait more than 20/25 minutes for a bus to come along. The have a list of timings and schedules so it’s very simple to plan your day
When you come to a stop you want to get off and explore, you just jump off and spend as much time as you want, before retuning to the stop to get the bus to the next location. You can get off as many times as your want.
When you first get on the bus, you’ll be given a small headset. Admittedly the quality of the headset is quite poor, but it does the job, and I’ve never had any issues. You keep this headset for the entirety of the day, and use it to access on-board commentary.
To enter the bus at each stop, you simply scan your ticket with the driver – a really simple process.
Benefits of the Lisbon Hop On Hop Off Bus
The hop on hop off bus is a great way to explore Lisbon, getting an overview of the city, checking out the main attractions, and saving on transport costs. If you’re short on time, there is no better way than sight-seeing bus to make sure you catch everything.
The Lisbon Hop on Hop off bus covers all of the major attractions, and the bus stops are stationed conveniently to walk literally a few minutes from sights such as Sao Jorge Castle, Belem Tower, and the Jeronimos Monastery. You’ll also go through some of Lisbon’s most famous neighbourhoods such as Belem.
It’s a great way to save money on public transport, meaning you don’t have to splash out on taxis, the metro, or the tram, to get around. You also get to avoid the faff of picking up a transport card to enter the metro and pay for tickets.
As some of the main attractions in Lisbon are fairly spaced apart, it’s not really possible to walk to all of them from the centre.
For example, walking to Belem from the city centre is a long way, meaning transport is essential. The Hop on Hop off bus solves this problem is the most stress-free way.
A lot of hotels are also stationed very close to the bus tops, meaning you can easily jump straight into sightseeing in the morning, and get dropped off in the evening after a busy day exploring!
Purchasing Tickets to the Lisbon Hop on Hop off Bus
The Lisbon Hop on Hop off bus has a few different options when it comes to purchasing tickets.
As long as there is availability (it rarely sells out, but be careful with weekends and bank holidays) tickets can be purchased from staff stationed at each of the bus stops.
You may also see stands and kiosks selling tickets outside some of Lisbon’s main attractions and in the city centre. Just make sure you double check prices, and make sure you don’t pay a premium purchasing from elsewhere.
A great option is to purchase tickets through GetYourGuide and book online in advance. Here are the available options as of 2024:
Lisbon Hop-on Hop-off Bus Buying Tickets |
24-Hour One Route (Belem or Modern City) Ticket24 hour hop on hop off bus access. Tickets start from €22 (Check Availability and Book Online)
48-Hour Two Route (Belem and Modern City) TicketOffers 48 hours access to the bus, as well as additional extras. Tickets start from €28 (Check Availability and Book Online)
48-Hour Bus and Boat TicketIncludes 48 hours access to the Yellow bus, both routes, as well as access to the boat tour. Tickets start from €38 (Check Availability and Book Online)
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