Guide to Visiting the Belém Tower in Lisbon, Portugal

Article updated July 2025. This post includes affiliate links.

The picturesque Belém Tower – one of the most popular attractions in Lisbon and a symbol of Europe’s Age of Discovery. Should you visit or miss it? Read on to learn everything about this hot tourist spot.

Table of Contents hide

1. What is the Belém Tower?

2. Why should you visit the Belém Tower?

3. How to get to the Belém Tower?

4. What is the cost of the Belém Tower?

5. How long do you need to visit the Belém Tower?

6. Is visiting the Belém Tower worth it?

7. Book hotels, rent a car, purchase travel insurance & more!

What is the Belém Tower?

The Belém Tower, known in Portuguese as Torre de Belém, is a monument built on the shores of the Tagus river between 1515 and 1521. Its main purpose was to act as a defence against attacks, mostly to protect the Jeronimos Monastery, since the river was often used as the first point of invasion.

Why should you visit the Belém Tower?

This attraction is situated in the most wonderful area, right by the river and around lush greenery. It’s definitely one of the prettiest sights you will find in Lisbon.

The whole building is beautifully decorated with arched windows, balconies, renaissance-style loggia and engraved stone walls. The tower is 35m tall and you have full access to all three terraces through a spiral staircase to see the view. Each floor has something different to offer – The Governor’s Hall, The Kings’ Hall, the Audience Hall, the Chapel, and the Roof terrace.

One thing worth mentioning is that a talented violinist is usually stationed right outside of the Belém Tower. This makes it for an amazing atmosphere to just sit on the steps, listen to the music and relax.

How to get to the Belém Tower?

Belém Tower is located in the Belém area of Lisbon. This neighbourhood is only a pleasant bus/tram trip away from the major transit stations.

The easiest way to get to the Belém Tower is to hop on route 15 from Praça do Comércio, or from any stops along the way. Some of the buses/trams will only take you as far as the Jeronimos Monastery. From there, there is only a 15 minute walk to the tower.

Alternatively, you can get on another bus right in front of the monastery to take you to Largo da Princessa stop, which is only a 6 minute walk from the tower. The walk will take you through one street and an overhead passage above the highway.

The whole trip should take about 25-40 minutes depending on your starting destination.

What is the cost of the Belém Tower?

An admission to the Belém Tower costs 15 Euro. Children below the age of 12 receive free entry.

There is free admission with the purchase of the Lisboa Card. When you arrive to the Belém Tower, you need to go to the kiosk located in front of the tower to scan your card, then proceed to the line. You can purchase the card online through all major ticket sellers, such as Tiqets or Get Your Guide.

The Belém Tower is open from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Keep in mind that this attraction is closed on Mondays.

Purchase through: Tiqets | Get Your Guide

How long do you need to visit the Belém Tower?

I recommend allocating about 1 hour to visit the tower. That should be more than enough time to explore the outside and inside of the building, as well as climb the steps for the view.

Belém Tower is one of the most popular attractions in Lisbon, so prepare for a big crowd. I found Belém area to be generally the busiest destination in the whole city, even when arriving in the morning. Definitely make sure to plan extra time for waiting in line.

Is visiting the Belém Tower worth it?

The Belém Tower is definitely a beautiful place to visit, however I didn’t find it as impressive as other sights in Lisbon. If your admission is included in the purchase of the Lisboa Card then I would 100% make a stop here, but if you’re on a budget or you don’t care about the views, then I would stick to seeing the outside of the tower and exploring the surrounding area instead.

As mentioned previously, I found this area to be the busiest out of all destinations in Lisbon. Additionally, the merchants right outside of the tower are very aggressive which definitely took away from the whole experience. Some sellers would keep following and harassing after firmly saying “no, thank you”. During my whole trip I only had this experience in Belém Tower area.

My best advice is to make a full day out of Belém and explore all attractions in this area, starting with the tower early in the morning. I find that most of the people would start their visit with the monastery since it’s the first stop on route 15 tram/bus, which makes it for a huge line up. By the time you’re done visiting the tower, the worst line at the monastery will be over.