Jerónimos Monastery Tickets

Church

Cloister

Notes:

• Closed: Mondays, January 1st, Easter Sunday, May 1st, June 13rd, December 25th.
• The ticket office closes at 16:30.

Best Times to Visit 

Schedule your trip between October and April, when Lisbon’s weather is cooler and tourism is slower. Alternatively, plan your visit between May and September for long sunny days and busier attractions.

Jerónimos Monastery is at its busiest from midday and on weekends, so be sure to arrive early on a Wednesday or Thursday morning to beat the rush.

Since this monastery is located in Belém, a popular area that’s packed with must-see attractions and landmarks, public transport is incredibly well-connected.

Train 

Hop on the Cascais Line from Cais do Sodré station and take in amazing views of the Tagus River on a quick seven-minute ride. Get off at Belém station and enjoy around 15 minutes of strolling along the serene waterfront to the monastery on your right.

Tram

Head to Cais do Sodré and get comfortable near a window on tram 15E. Settle in for about 30 minutes of passing by iconic landmarks like the Belém Tower, and get off at Mosteiro dos Jerónimos stop, where the monastery will be a two-minute walk straight ahead.

Bus 

Make your way to Cais do Sodré station and hop on bus 714 to see attractions like Lx Factory or the Ancient Art Museum. Or, board bus 728 to ride down the waterfront and pass one of Europe’s most emblematic squares, Praça do Comércio. 

Both bus rides are around 20 minutes, dropping you off at the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos stop. 

On Foot 

• Using Belém Tower as your starting point, go north and turn left onto Tv. da Saude
• Continue straight, then turn right onto R. Praia do Bom Sucesso
• Turn right again onto R. Bartolomeu Dias
• Follow the path to Praça do Império, turn left, and then right onto Praça do Império
• Jerónimos Monastery will be on your left

The walk from Belém Tower to the monastery is about 15-20 minutes if you travel at an average pace without stopping. 

Jerónimos Monastery is considered partially accessible for visitors who use wheelchairs. There’s designated parking, ramps, and elevators around the building, but some areas, such as those with steps, uneven floors, and narrow walkways, may be tricky to navigate.

Wheelchair rentals are available at the monastery’s entrance.

While there isn’t a strict dress code, Jerónimos Monastery is a religious site, so visitors are expected and encouraged to dress modestly. This includes covering your shoulders and knees and removing any hats before entering.

Inside, visitors are asked to keep their voices down and not touch any of the artifacts or sculptures. Flash photography is prohibited in certain parts of the monastery, and smoking, eating, and drinking within the premises isn’t allowed.

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This is the heart of the monastery, and be prepared for its size, because the main nave is about as high as an 8-story building. The church is a classic example of Manueline architecture (think Gothic with a seaside flair), with details like seashells carved into the supporting columns.

Built to commemorate the Age of Discovery and serve as a place of worship for sailors, the monastery is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the Church of Santa Maria housing the tombs of some of Portugal’s most esteemed historical figures.

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Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese explorer and the first European to get to India by sea, and Luís de Camões, a poet considered to be Portugal’s greatest, are two of the country’s biggest historical icons.

Their tombs can be found in the Church of Santa Maria’s lower choir. As you enter the church and continue straight, you’ll see da Gama’s tomb on your left and de Camões’s tomb on your right.

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Built as a sanctuary for the monks of the Order of Saint Jerome, the cloisters’ atmosphere remains untouched by time, as if the stillness of monastic life seeped into the walls and never left. Sunlight floods in through the arches, highlighting the cloisters’ stonework and openness.

In contrast to the lower cloisters’ blend of religious, botanical, royal, and maritime markings, the Renaissance-style upper level is more classically restrained, defined by clear-cut lines, unmistakable symmetry, and simple designs that emphasize harmony and balance.

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Standing at a whopping 32 meters high (105 feet), the South Portal is like an impossibly detailed shrine of around 40 carved limestone statues, including Archangel Michael, Henry the Navigator, and the twelve apostles.

The South Portal alone took two years to build, and it’s one of the most defining examples of Manueline architecture, as well as the immense wealth and exceptional craftsmanship of that time.

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This room is called The Chapter House because the monastery’s leaders would gather here, starting their meetings by reading a chapter from the Book of Rules before discussing important matters about the monastery and its community.

The Chapter House has a high ceiling with intersecting stone arches, giving the space an atmosphere of authority and reverence still today.

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The Refectory is the hall where the monks would gather to eat while someone read religious texts, simultaneously nourishing their bodies and spirits. The room has a low-vaulted ceiling and azulejo tiles (decorative, ceramic tiles) that depict Bible stories like the Feeding of the 5000.

The Refectory still feels intimate and communal with its low-vaulted ceiling and large windows, making it easy to picture the monks seated together at long tables listening to the readings while they ate.