Tram 28 Lisbon Guide from Martim Moniz to Alfama
Tram 28 Lisbon is one of the easiest ways to see how the city’s hills and older neighbourhoods connect, but it works best when you treat it as public transport rather than a sightseeing tour.
The official 28E route runs between Martim Moniz and Campo Ourique (Prazeres), passing Graça, Alfama, Baixa, Chiado and Estrela along the way.
For the route I use in my 4 Days in Lisbon Itinerary, I board at Martim Moniz and get off near Graça. From there, the rest of the day continues on foot towards the viewpoints, São Jorge Castle and Alfama. You can also stay on for a longer ride if the tram itself is your main reason for boarding.
The important part is not to build the entire morning around getting a seat. If the queue is already taking too much time, there are other ways to reach the same part of Lisbon.
Tram 28 Lisbon at a Glance
| Official route | 28E Martim Moniz to Campo Ourique (Prazeres) |
| Best boarding point for this guide | Martim Moniz |
| Best stop for this route | Graça |
| Key areas on the line | Graça, Alfama, Baixa, Chiado, Estrela and Campo Ourique |
| 2026 Carris/Metro ticket | €1.90 |
| 2026 zapping fare | €1.72 |
| 2026 onboard tram ticket | €3.30 |
| 2026 Carris/Metro 24-hour ticket | €7.25 |
| Official timetable | Check Carris for the date you plan to ride |
Official route and timetable: Carris 28E
Tram 28 and Tram 28E
You’ll see both names used. Carris calls the service 28E, while travellers usually refer to it simply as Tram 28. They’re the same route.
The current Carris route runs from Martim Moniz to Campo Ourique (Prazeres), passing Graça, Portas do Sol, Miradouro de Santa Luzia, Sé, Chiado, Praça Luís de Camões and Estrela along the way. The return journey follows the route in the opposite direction.
Roadworks, events and street closures can occasionally change part of the service. Carris sometimes replaces a section with buses or shortens the route, so check the official 28E page again on the day you plan to ride.
Where Tram 28 Goes
You don’t need to memorise every stop. A few are useful because they connect directly with places visitors are likely to explore on foot.
| Graça | Useful for Miradouro da Graça and the route I use before walking towards São Jorge Castle and Alfama. |
| Largo das Portas do Sol | A practical stop for the upper part of Alfama and the Portas do Sol viewpoint. |
| Miradouro de Santa Luzia | Useful for Santa Luzia and the surrounding Alfama streets. |
| Sé | The stop for Lisbon Cathedral and the lower edge of Alfama. |
| Chiado | Useful for central Chiado and the surrounding shopping and café streets. |
| Praça Luís de Camões | A practical stop for Chiado, Bairro Alto and connections towards Bica. |
| Estrela (Basílica) | Stops beside the basilica and Jardim da Estrela. |
| Campo Ourique (Prazeres) | The western terminus of the 28E route. |
If you only want the classic ride through the older central neighbourhoods, you don’t need to stay on to the end.
For the itinerary in this guide, Graça is the useful exit point because it puts you near the viewpoint and lets the rest of the sightseeing day continue downhill on foot.
Where to Board Tram 28
For this route, start at Martim Moniz. It’s one of the termini, so you’re trying to board before the tram has already collected passengers at several stops.
That doesn’t mean Martim Moniz will always be quick. Tram 28 is popular, and a queue can build at the terminus. Starting there improves your chance of boarding from the beginning of the route, but it isn’t worth giving up a large part of the morning just to wait for the tram.
If you’re staying elsewhere in central Lisbon, see my Lisbon Travel Guide for the broader transport and trip-planning information.
Boarding Later on the Route
You can board at any 28E stop, but later stops may be less predictable when the tram is already busy. If you’re using it as ordinary transport and a tram arrives with room, there’s no reason to travel back to Martim Moniz first.
If your goal is specifically to ride the route and you’d like to start at a terminus, Campo Ourique (Prazeres) is the other end of the line. For the Graça and Alfama sightseeing route, though, Martim Moniz is the more useful starting point.
Tram 28 Tickets and 2026 Fares
Tram 28 uses the normal Carris fare system. You don’t need a special sightseeing ticket to ride it.
| Ticket | 2026 price |
| Carris/Metro ticket | €1.90 |
| Zapping | €1.72 |
| Onboard tram ticket | €3.30 |
| Carris/Metro 24-hour ticket | €7.25 |
| Navegante occasional card | €0.50 for the reusable card |
If you already have a Navegante occasional card, you can load it with the ticket or zapping credit you plan to use. The card is sold at Metro ticket machines and ticket offices and can be reused during its validity period.
A 24-hour Carris/Metro ticket can make sense if Tram 28 is only one of several tram, bus or Metro journeys that day. If you’re taking only one ride, compare that with the single-ticket and zapping fares instead of buying a day ticket automatically.
Buying the onboard tram ticket is the most expensive of these standard options in 2026, so loading your transport card beforehand is usually simpler if you’re already using Lisbon’s public transport.
Current fare information: Carris 2026 prices and Navegante occasional card information
Validate Your Ticket When You Board
Carris requires passengers to validate their transport ticket when entering the vehicle. Hold the card to the validator and check for the green confirmation light.
This still applies when you’re using a valid pass or day ticket, so don’t assume you can skip the validator because you’ve already paid for the fare.
Using Tram 28 with Graça and Alfama
In my Lisbon itinerary, Tram 28 works well as the uphill part of the day before continuing on foot.
Board at Martim Moniz and get off near Graça. From there, walk towards Miradouro da Graça, São Jorge Castle and Alfama rather than relying on the tram for every stop.
This keeps the route more practical and avoids repeated waits for another carriage. You can then continue downhill through Alfama towards Baixa and Chiado.
When the Queue at Martim Moniz Is Long
Don’t let the queue decide the rest of your morning. If you arrive at Martim Moniz and the wait is already longer than you want to spend, switch plans.
For the route in this guide, the easiest adjustment is to travel uphill by bus, taxi or rideshare and start in Graça. You’ll miss the tram ride, but you can still follow the same sightseeing route from the viewpoint onwards.
This is more useful than waiting indefinitely simply because Tram 28 appeared on the original plan. The viewpoints, castle and Alfama don’t depend on arriving by tram.
Tram 12E as an Alternative for Part of the Route
Tram 12E can be useful if your main interest is the eastern and central part of the historic tram network rather than the full 28E route.
Carris currently runs 12E between Martim Moniz and Praça Luís de Camões. It serves stops including Portas do Sol, Miradouro de Santa Luzia, Sé and Chiado, so it overlaps with some of the places travellers associate with Tram 28.
It isn’t a replacement for the entire 28E route because it doesn’t continue through Estrela to Campo Ourique. Check the 12E timetable before relying on it, as its departure pattern is different from 28E.
Official 12E route: Carris 12E
Riding the Full Tram 28 Route
If the tram ride itself is one of your priorities, stay on beyond Graça and follow the route through Alfama, Baixa, Chiado and Estrela to Campo Ourique (Prazeres).
I wouldn’t combine a full end-to-end ride with the same detailed walking route I use for Graça and Alfama unless you’ve left enough time for both. Street traffic affects the tram, and the full ride takes longer than simply using 28E to reach one sightseeing area.
Campo Ourique can also be a useful place to finish if you already plan to spend time in that part of Lisbon. If not, there’s no requirement to ride all the way to the terminus just to say you completed the line.
On Board Tram 28
The older trams have a narrow interior, so boarding and leaving can feel cramped when the carriage is busy. Keep bags zipped and in front of you, especially while people are moving through the doors and aisle.
Give local passengers room to board and leave, move away from the doorway when you can and use the ride as public transport rather than treating the carriage like a private tour vehicle.
Carris also asks passengers not to eat or drink inside its vehicles. If you’ve picked up coffee or a pastry before boarding, finish it first rather than bringing it onto the tram.
Check for Tram 28 Service Changes
The 28E runs on streets that can be affected by roadworks, events and temporary traffic restrictions. Carris sometimes shortens the line or replaces one section with a bus when trams can’t pass through part of the route.
The official Carris route page is the best place to check the normal stops and date-specific timetable. Before leaving your accommodation, also check the service-changes page for 28E so you know if the route has been altered that day.
Use Tram 28 for the Part of Lisbon You Want to See
You don’t need to ride Tram 28 from one terminus to the other for it to be useful. For my first-time Lisbon route, I use it to reach Graça and then continue on foot. That keeps the tram connected to the rest of the day instead of making the schedule depend on a single ride.
If the queue is manageable, take the tram. If it isn’t, go uphill another way and keep the sightseeing plan. And if you want the full tram experience, give the route its own time rather than squeezing it between other stops.
For more places to add around the city, see my Things to Do in Lisbon guide.
I love exploring new places and sharing the travel tips, food finds, and experiences that help you plan your next adventure.
