Why go

Belém Tower is the image most people have of Lisbon before they arrive. It was built in the early 16th century on the orders of King Manuel I to defend the mouth of the Tagus and the monastery being built at Jerónimos, and it became the ceremonial gateway for ships setting out on, and returning from, the long voyages to Africa, India and Brazil.

The tower once stood on a rock in the river; the shoreline has since moved, and it now sits just off the bank, reached by a short wooden bridge. Its architecture mixes the Manueline style with touches from Morocco and Venice, from the rope motifs and armillary spheres to the watchtowers with ribbed domes. Look out for the carved rhinoceros head beneath one of the turrets, said to be the first depiction of the animal in European sculpture.

Together with the Jerónimos Monastery it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inside, the rooms are bare, but the climb rewards you with terraces and a balcony with wide views up and down the river.

What to see

  • The bastion. The lower gun platform, with its cannon ports facing the river and a small cloister-like courtyard.
  • The Virgin of Safe Homecoming. A statue of Our Lady with the Child faces the water, watching over sailors.
  • The Renaissance loggia. An arcaded balcony on the river side, one of the most photographed details of the tower.
  • The upper terrace. The top of the tower looks over Belém, the 25 de Abril Bridge and the open Atlantic beyond.
  • The rhinoceros. A small carved head on the western side, believed to recall the animal sent to King Manuel in 1515.

Plan your visit

Belém Tower is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9.30am to 5.30pm, with last entry at 5pm, and it is closed on Mondays, 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 13 June and 25 December. Because it stands in the river, it can also close when the weather is bad. An adult ticket costs €15 in 2026, half price for visitors aged 13 to 24 and over-65s, and free for children aged 12 and under.

Entry is by timed slot and numbers are tightly controlled: no more than 960 visitors a day and 60 inside at any time. There is no ticket office at the tower itself, so buy your ticket online or at the kiosk opposite the Jerónimos Monastery before you walk down to the river. The stairs are narrow and steep and there is no lift, so the upper floors are not accessible for wheelchair users.

Allow 45 minutes to an hour. From central Lisbon, take tram 15E or a Cascais line train from Cais do Sodré to Belém, then walk along the riverside.

Nearby

The Padrão dos Descobrimentos and MAAT are a short walk east along the promenade, and the Jerónimos Monastery is about 15 minutes away across the gardens. The Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, a striking modern building, stands on the river just to the west.