Lisbon Cathedral Tickets

Lisbon Cathedral

Closed on Sundays, Holy Days, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.

Cloisters

Treasury

Closures for Religious Services 

Tourist visits are suspended during the weekly Mass services at Lisbon Cathedral, so it’s essential to plan your visit around these times. 

• Sundays at 10:00
• Wednesdays at 17:30 (in the Holy Sacrament Chapel)

Located in the heart of the historic Alfama district, Lisbon Cathedral is a central and well-connected landmark, making it easy to reach by various modes of transport. 

Tram 

Take tram 12 or 28 from Praça Martim Moniz and get off at the Sé stop. Tram 28 is a longer and more scenic route, popular with tourists. You may find it crowded and have longer wait times. This route takes about 10-20 minutes, depending on traffic and crowd levels.

Tram 12 is usually a faster and easier option for reaching the cathedral since it’s often less crowded and makes fewer stops on the way. This route can take up to 10 minutes, with the cathedral’s entrance being roughly a 1-2 minute walk away from the Sé stop. 

Metro

Head to your nearest metro station and board the Blue Line. Hop off at Terreiro do Paço, the closest metro station to the cathedral, and enjoy a pleasant 10-minute walk heading east and turning left onto Rua dos Arameiros. 

Travel time differs depending on where you leave from, but the fastest route would be from Baixa-Chiado, taking around 5-10 minutes. 

Bus 

If you want a quick and direct route to Lisbon Cathedral, take bus 737. It runs from Praça da Figueira past the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene, right to the Sé station, which is a 1-minute walk away from the cathedral. Just go east towards Rua das Cruzes da Sé. 

The journey is conveniently under 10 minutes, making this a great option for a busy itinerary.

On Foot

Walking through the winding and quaint streets of Lisbon is an enjoyable way of experiencing the city’s timeless charm while racking up your steps.

Travel time can vary, but the walk from Praça do Comércio, Praça da Figueira, Praça Dom Pedro IV, and Praça Martim Moniz typically takes 15 minutes or less. A useful tip is to follow the tram tracks towards the cathedral.

Since the building doesn’t have step-free access points, Lisbon Cathedral is currently not wheelchair-friendly or accessible to visitors with significant mobility challenges.

Lisbon Cathedral is an active place of worship, so it’s best to dress modestly out of respect and consideration for its religious nature. Aim for clothing that covers your knees and shoulders — bringing a scarf is a great option since you can easily remove it when you leave. 

Avoid clothing with vulgar content (foul language or explicit graphics) and remove hats when entering. Make sure to keep noise to a minimum, maintaining a respectful volume and turning your phone to silent. Food, drinks, and flash photography are not allowed in the cathedral.

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You may be surprised to see that this cathedral resembles a medieval fortress. Its fierce appearance is a result of restoration efforts that prioritised strength against earthquakes, and is also a relic from when the cathedral was possibly used as a base during the Reconquista.

The building has a rugged look, with thick stone walls and striking twin towers with crenellations (gaps used for shooting arrows and guns). The cathedral’s blend of architectural styles, some including Gothic, Baroque, and Romanesque, tells the story of its dynamic and evolving history.

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Ordered by King Dinis of Portugal, the cloisters represent classic Gothic style, with tall, vaulted ceilings, pointed arches, and geometric stonework. Its weathered appearance gives the cloisters a brooding look that creates a sense of mystery and eeriness, adding to its goth allure.

It’s like a time capsule beneath the cloisters, with remnants of a series of Roman street shops (and they aren’t replicas). Remains from the medieval and Visigothic periods were also excavated, as well as a portion of red walls showing traces of a mosque that once stood there.

Perched above the cathedral is the Treasury, a gem that showcases a collection of rooms that contain sacred items like the reliquaries of St. Vincent, manuscripts, and the Patriarchal Gold Monstrance, adorned with over 4,000 precious stones.

The cathedral is an age-old building that’s predominantly Romanesque, with barrel vaulting (a curved ceiling resembling a tunnel with a series of arches), stained-glass windows representing Saint Vincent and Saint Anthony, and fort-like characteristics like narrow windows.

The building is also in the shape of a Latin cross, with a transept (a part of the church that crosses at the main body, forming the arms of the cross).

Don’t miss heading up to the High Choir, built in 1952, and see the entire central nave from above. The choir is reinforced by concrete beams, and you get a fantastic view of the huge stained-glass rose window that portrays the twelve Apostles surrounding the figure of Jesus.

The Chancel was rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake, and it features Baroque-style elements that create a lavish and almost theatre-like interior. The Chancel is also home to the tombs of D. Afonso IV and D. Beatriz, his wife, both of which were rebuilt after the earthquake.