Tram 28 in Lisbon: A Rider’s Guide

Tram 28 is Lisbon’s famous yellow heritage tram, a rattling 1930s Remodelado carriage that climbs from Martim Moniz through Graca, Alfama, Baixa and Chiado to Campo de Ourique. The full ride takes about 45 minutes and costs a few euros. It is a genuine city journey, not a tourist gimmick, and with a little planning it is one of the best things you can do in Lisbon.

The catch is that everyone knows this, so the tram can be packed and pickpockets work the crush. This guide covers the route stop by stop, the 2026 fares, exactly where to board for a seat, how to ride safely, and the quieter trams most visitors miss.

Is Tram 28 worth it?

Yes, if you ride it right. Tram 28 threads the oldest, steepest, most photogenic parts of Lisbon on tracks that a modern tram could never follow, past viewpoints, churches and washing-strung lanes you would otherwise walk for hours to reach. The wooden carriage itself is part of the experience.

Ridden at the wrong time, though, it is a slow, sweaty scrum where you see elbows rather than the city. The difference between a highlight and a disappointment is entirely down to when you board and where you get on, which is what the rest of this guide fixes.

The Tram 28 route, stop by stop

Tram 28 (line 28E) runs between Martim Moniz and Campo de Ourique, a route of around 7 kilometres and roughly 34 stops. You do not need to ride the whole thing. The stretch through Alfama is the scenic heart, and most visitors hop on and off. Here is where to get off for what.

Tram 28 tickets and fares in 2026

How you pay makes a big difference to the price. Buying a single ticket from the driver is the most expensive way; a rechargeable Navegante card or a day pass is far cheaper. All fares are set by Carris, the city transport operator, so check the current figures there before you travel.

If you plan to hop on and off or ride other trams and lifts, the 24-hour pass pays for itself in three or four journeys. For a longer stay taking in the monuments too, weigh up the Lisboa Card, which folds transport and entry fees together.

How to get a seat and beat the crowds

The single most useful trick is to board at a terminus. If you get on partway along the route, the tram is usually already full and you will stand the whole way, seeing little. Start at the end of the line and you will get a window seat for the good part.

Pickpockets on Tram 28

Tram 28 is repeatedly named the pickpocket capital of Lisbon, and the warning is worth taking seriously. Thieves work the boarding crush and the moments when a packed carriage lurches and everyone grabs a rail. It is opportunistic theft, not danger, but it can ruin a trip.

Public Tram 28 versus the tourist tram

Do not confuse the two yellow trams you will see. The real Tram 28 (line 28E) is public transport: it takes normal Carris tickets, the Navegante card and the Lisboa Card, and locals use it to get to work. The bright red “Hills Tramcar” is a separate hop-on tourist circuit sold as a tour, with its own higher ticket, and it is not covered by your transport pass or the Lisboa Card.

For most visitors the public 28E is the better ride: cheaper, more authentic and on the same historic carriages. Alfama, the quarter it climbs through, is covered in our guide to Alfama, and the neighbourhood is also the home of fado.

Quieter alternatives: trams 12, 24 and 25

If Tram 28 is heaving, Lisbon runs the same vintage carriages on other lines that almost no one queues for.

• Tram 12E: a short loop from Praca da Figueira around the castle hill, a mini version of the 28 through Alfama’s edge.
• Tram 24E: Camoes up to Campolide, past the Principe Real gardens, revived after years out of service and still gloriously empty.
• Tram 25E: Rua da Alfandega out to Campo de Ourique via Estrela and Lapa, with river glimpses and space to breathe.

See Lisbon from the water

The tram shows you Lisbon’s hills from the inside. To see the whole city the other way, from the river it was built to face, spend an evening on the Tagus. Our full guide to things to do in Lisbon sets out where a boat fits alongside the trams and viewpoints.

Our private vintage sailboat leaves from the Doca de Alcantara, and the sunset slot times the light on the 25 de Abril bridge and the red rooftops you rode past all day. It is the calm, uncrowded counterpoint to a morning fighting for a seat on the 28.

Frequently Asked Questions

The right way to ride the 28

Tram 28 earns its fame: no other ride strings together so much of old Lisbon in 45 rattling minutes. Board at a terminus, go early or late, guard your pockets, and it is a joy; ride it at noon in August and it is a scrum. Do it well, then trade the hills for the river and see the same city from a sailboat on the Tagus with Sea and See Tours.