Why go

The National Coach Museum is one of Lisbon’s most surprising sights, and one of its most visited museums. It holds an exceptional collection of ceremonial and travelling vehicles from the late 16th to the 19th century, most of them used by the Portuguese royal household, and it is often described as the finest of its kind in the world.

The museum was founded in 1905 by Queen Amélia in the old Royal Riding School of the Belém Palace. Since 2015 the collection has been shown in a new building across the road, designed by the Brazilian architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha, winner of the Pritzker Prize, with the Portuguese architect Ricardo Bak Gordon. It is a long, raised white hall in which about 70 vehicles stand in rows, from sedan chairs and children’s carriages to enormous gilded state coaches.

Even visitors with no special interest in transport tend to be won over by the craftsmanship: carved and gilded figures, painted panels, velvet interiors and wheels taller than a person.

What to see

  • The coaches of the Embassy to Pope Clement XI. Three huge Baroque coaches made in Rome in 1716, covered in gilded allegorical sculpture.
  • The oldest coach. A travelling coach from around 1600, believed to have belonged to King Philip II of Spain.
  • The Ocean Coach. Part of the embassy group, with carved figures of the Atlantic and Indian oceans shaking hands.
  • Berlins, chaises and litters. Smaller vehicles show how royals and nobles travelled day to day.
  • Harness and liveries. Saddles, uniforms and accessories for the horses and footmen.

Plan your visit

The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm, with last entry at 5.30pm. It is closed on Mondays and on 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 13 June and 25 December. An adult ticket costs €15 in 2026, and visitors aged 13 to 24, over-65s and families pay €7.50. Children under 12 and Lisboa Card holders go free.

Allow an hour to an hour and a half. The building is accessible, with lifts between levels, and the upper walkways give a good view down onto the coaches’ roofs. The museum’s old home in the Royal Riding School is closed, so head for the modern building on Avenida da Índia.

Tram 15E, Cascais line trains and several buses serve Belém, and the museum is a few minutes’ walk from Belém station. There is visitor parking on Avenida da Índia.

Labels are in Portuguese and English, and the museum runs guided visits and activities for families and schools. Children usually enjoy the small carriages made for young princes and the elaborate sedan chairs. In summer the museum is a cool break between Belém’s outdoor monuments, and on a wet day it is one of the best indoor options in the district.

Nearby

The pink Belém Palace, the official residence of the President, is across the road. Pastéis de Belém and the Jerónimos Monastery are about five minutes’ walk west, and MAAT is on the river just to the south.