Visiting the Jeronimos Monastery in Belem

The Jerónimos Monastery in Belém is Lisbon’s greatest monument, a masterpiece of the ornate Manueline style built with the riches of the Age of Discovery. Here’s how to visit, what to see and how to beat the famously long queues.

Quick answer: the church is free to enter. The cloister needs a ticket, so buy it online or arrive at opening. The monastery is closed on Mondays. Allow 1 to 1.5 hours, then walk to the Belém Tower and Pastéis de Belém. See Jerónimos tickets and tours.

About the monastery

King Manuel I commissioned the monastery in the early 1500s, funded by the spice trade, near where Vasco da Gama set sail for India. It took about a century to complete and survived the 1755 earthquake. Together with the Belém Tower, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site.

What to see

• The south portal: an elaborately carved stone entrance facing the river.
• The church (Santa Maria de Belém): soaring palm-tree columns and the tombs of Vasco da Gama and the poet Luís de Camões.
• The cloister: two storeys of carved stone arcades, among the most beautiful in the world.
• The refectory with its tiles.

Beating the queues

• Buy tickets online or as part of a tour.
• Arrive at opening or late in the afternoon.
• Visit the church first if the cloister queue is long; it has a separate entrance.
• Avoid weekends and Tuesdays (the day after the Monday closure), which are the busiest days.

Nearby

• Pastéis de Belém: the original custard tarts, a few minutes’ walk away. See the best pastel de nata.
• The Belém Tower and the Monument to the Discoveries on the river.
• The Maritime Museum and the Archaeology Museum in the monastery’s west wing.
• MAAT and the riverside walk.

See the Belém guide and Belém tours.

Getting there

Take tram 15 from Praça da Figueira or Praça do Comércio, or the train from Cais do Sodré to Belém. See Lisbon public transport.

More: Lisbon’s churches, Lisbon museums and UNESCO sites in Portugal.

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