Tram 28 in Lisbon: route, stops, fares and how to skip the queue

Tram 28 (the 28E) is a working city tram that happens to climb through the most beautiful parts of Lisbon: Graça, Alfama, the Baixa, Chiado and Estrela. That makes it hugely popular with visitors, so it gets crowded. Here is the route, where to get on and off, what it costs and how to ride it without spending your morning in a queue.

The route, and where to get off

Carris's timetable gives about an hour from end to end. From Martim Moniz, it takes about 12 minutes to Graça, another 13 to the cathedral and another 13 to Chiado. Stops worth knowing, in order from Martim Moniz:

• Graça: for the Graça viewpoint and the quieter streets at the top of the hill.
• Lg. Portas Sol and Miradouro Sta. Luzia: two viewpoints side by side, looking over the roofs of Alfama to the river.
• Sé: Lisbon's cathedral.
• Chiado and Pç. Luis Camões (B. Alto): the cafés of Chiado, and the edge of the Bairro Alto.
• Estrela (Basílica): the domed Estrela Basilica, with the Estrela garden across the road.
• Campo Ourique (Prazeres): the end of the line, in the residential Campo de Ourique district.

Tickets and fares

• With a navegante card: a Carris/Metro ticket costs €1.90 and is valid for 60 minutes on all Carris trams and buses and the Metro, so a stop for a viewpoint and a second tram can fit in one ticket. With zapping credit, a Carris ride costs €1.72.
• A 24-hour ticket (€7.25, Carris and Metro) is worth it if you will also ride the Metro and other trams that day.
• On board: €3.30 per ride, paid to the driver.

Validate your card on the reader when you get on. How the card works, and what to load on it: the navegante card.

When it runs

On Carris's weekend timetable for October 2026, trams ran from 5:45 to 22:30: about every 10 minutes from 7:00 to 20:00, and about every 20 minutes late in the evening. Weekday times can differ, so check the 28E page on carris.pt for your day.

Riding it without the queue

• Avoid the start: the queue at Martim Moniz is the longest on the line. Ride early in the morning, or start at the Campo de Ourique (Prazeres) end and ride towards Martim Moniz.
• Stand or sit, it's busy: the old trams are small and fill up fast. Keep your bag in front of you and your phone in your hand or pocket.
• It is a city tram, not a tour: people use it to get to work and to the shops, so let them on and off.
• Strikes: a Carris strike can stop the trams. Check our strike list before a big day out.

The 12E, a shorter alternative

The 12E runs from Martim Moniz up through Alfama to the Portas do Sol and Santa Luzia viewpoints, past the cathedral and on to Chiado and Praça Luís de Camões, and back through Graça. It runs much less often: on the October 2026 weekend timetable, about every 37 minutes from 9:00 to 20:15. For a walking day through the same streets, see our day plans from the cruise terminal.