Lisbon Hop-On Hop-Off Bus: Routes, Prices and Is It Worth It?

Lisbon’s hop-on hop-off buses give you open-top views, an audio guide and an easy ride between the centre, Belém and Parque das Nações without climbing the hills. Three companies run them in 2026. Here’s what each covers, what it costs and when a €7.25 transport pass does the job better.

Quick answer: the Yellow Bus costs €22 for 24 hours on one route and includes Carris’s regular trams. Gray Line starts at €28 and City Sightseeing at about €33. Buses usually come every 30 to 40 minutes. It’s worth it for limited mobility or a first-day overview; otherwise a €7.25 24-hour navegante pass and tram 15 to Belém are far cheaper.

Which companies run in 2026

Yellow Bus (Carristur)

Run by Carristur, part of the Carris group that runs the city’s trams. Two routes start at Restauradores, each about 1 hour 50 minutes:

• Belém Lisbon: Marquês de Pombal, Amoreiras, Estrela and LX Factory, then Jerónimos, Belém Tower, the Monument to the Discoveries and the MAAT.
• Modern Lisbon: Graça, the National Pantheon, Marvila and Parque das Nações. Its Tile Museum stop is less useful for now: the museum has been closed for restoration since November 2025.

Every ticket includes free rides on Carris’s regular trams while it’s valid, entry to the Carris Museum and an audio guide in 12 languages.

Gray Line (Cityrama)

The most routes, all from Marquês de Pombal: Belém, Oriente (Parque das Nações), Uptown (with live English commentary), Castle and a Cascais line along the coast, plus a loop around Cascais. Extras include a night tour from Restauradores at 8pm (April to October), the Lisboat river cruise, free Wi-Fi, a bus-tracking app and a children’s audio track on the Belém line. No hop-on hop-off route goes to Sintra; for that, see visiting Sintra.

City Sightseeing

Also from Marquês de Pombal. The Red route runs via Cais do Sodré to Belém, the Blue route to the Oceanário and Oriente, and the Green route to the castle and Graça. Tickets include two short guided walks.

Prices in 2026

Option	Adult price	What you get	Best for
Yellow Bus, 24h	€22	One route plus Carris trams	One area in a day
Yellow Bus, 48h	€28	Both routes plus Carris trams	Two easy days
Gray Line Basic, 24h	€28	Belém and Oriente lines	Belém and the Oceanário
Gray Line Classic, 24h	€32	Five lines plus the night tour	Adding Cascais
City Sightseeing, 24h	From about €33	Red and Blue routes	Belém and Oriente
navegante 24h pass	€7.25	Metro, buses and trams	Most visitors
Lisboa Card, 24h	€31	Transport plus free entry to many sights	Museum days

Official prices, checked October 2026; they can change. Yellow youth tickets (11 to 16) are €16.50, and under-4s ride free on a lap. Gray Line charges half price for ages 6 to 12; under-5s go free.

Combo tickets: bus, tram tour and river cruise

• Yellow Bus and Boat (48h): €38 for both routes and a 2-hour Tagus cruise from Terreiro do Paço. It stops at Belém only on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
• Yellow All-in-One (72 or 96h): €47 for both routes, two vintage tram tours and the boat.
• Yellow Hills Tramcar Tour (24h): €25 for a vintage tram on the tram 28 route from Praça do Comércio, every 40 minutes. The regular tram 28 is €3.30 on board. See the Lisbon trams guide.
• Gray Line Expert (48h): €47 for every line, the night tour and the boat; the 72-hour Epic is €51.
• City Sightseeing: 48 hours with a boat trip and night tour, from about €51.

Times and where to board

• Yellow Bus: the Belém route runs about 9am to 7pm and Modern Lisbon about 9:20am to 6pm, both every 40 minutes, daily except 25 December. Buy from the driver, or swap vouchers at the Yellow kiosk on Praça do Comércio.
• City Sightseeing: Red route about 9:30am to 5pm every 30 minutes; Blue route 10am to 6pm every 40 minutes.
• Gray Line: loops take 1.5 to 2 hours; check seasonal times in its app.

You can board at any stop. Big events change routes: on the marathon weekend of 10 and 11 October 2026, some lines skip stops or are suspended for the morning.

Is it worth it?

For most visitors, honestly, no. Two adults pay €44 for a day on one Yellow route, while two 24-hour navegante passes cost €14.50 (plus €0.50 per card). Tram 15 reaches Belém from Praça do Comércio in about 25 minutes, and the Cascais-line train from Cais do Sodré takes about 7 minutes (use zapping, as the €7.25 pass doesn’t cover trains). The metro red line goes to Oriente. With a bus only every 30 to 40 minutes, each hop-off can also mean a long wait. See Lisbon public transport.

The bus earns its price if you want the commentary, Belém and Parque das Nações in one easy day, or find hills and crowded trams hard. Yellow’s free tram rides, including trams 28 and 15, soften the cost.

Who it suits

• Limited mobility: Yellow says most of its buses have ramps, but not all, and its trams have three high steps. City Sightseeing’s Green route buses aren’t suitable for wheelchairs. See accessible travel in Portugal.
• First day: one loop with the audio guide shows you how the city fits together.
• Rainy days: the lower deck is usually covered, but the views suffer. A museum or the Oceanário is better value.
• Families: no carrying tired children up hills. See Lisbon with kids.

No bus enters Alfama’s lanes. Tuk-tuks get closer, but since April 2025 they’ve been banned from 337 narrow streets and the castle quarter. See Lisbon tuk-tuk tours.

Tips

• Top deck: board at the first stop for the best seats, with sun cream and a layer.
• Sit on the river side for the Belém stretch.
• Avoid the midday traffic: ride your first loop in the morning and hop off for lunch.
• Mondays: Jerónimos and Belém Tower are closed, and the tower needs a timed ticket (€15). See our Belém guide.
• No lifts: the Santa Justa lift and the Glória, Bica and Lavra funiculars have been closed since September 2025; the Graça funicular reopened in April 2026.

Book ahead: buying online saves queuing at a kiosk. Compare with the operator’s own price, and remember a €7.25 transport pass is far cheaper if you just want to get around. Compare Lisbon hop-on hop-off tickets.

FAQ

How much is the hop-on hop-off bus in Lisbon?

About €22 for 24 hours on one Yellow Bus route, €28 to €32 with Gray Line and from about €33 with City Sightseeing. 48-hour tickets start at €28.

Does the hop-on hop-off ticket include the trams?

Yellow Bus tickets include Carris’s regular trams while valid. Gray Line and City Sightseeing don’t list tram rides, so you’d need a navegante card.

Where does the hop-on hop-off bus start in Lisbon?

Yellow Bus starts at Restauradores; Gray Line and City Sightseeing at Marquês de Pombal. You can board at any stop.

Does the Lisboa Card include the hop-on hop-off bus?

No. The Lisboa Card (€31, €51 or €62) covers public transport and many sights, but sightseeing buses are discounted at most. See is the Lisboa Card worth it?

More: the best tours in Lisbon and Lisbon in one day.

See also: Porto’s hop-on hop-off buses, the Oceanário guide and a Cascais day trip.

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