Tram 28

Elétrico 28E

Yellow wooden trams from the 1930s climb seven hills from Graça through Alfama to Estrela. It is Lisbon's most classic city experience.

Tram 28E has run since 1914. It still uses the 1930s Remodelado wooden trams, because the old city's streets are too narrow and steep, with corners too tight, for modern trams. The full route is about 7 km and takes 40–60 minutes. It starts at Martim Moniz square in the east, climbs the Graça hill, passes the Portas do Sol and Miradouro de Santa Luzia viewpoints below São Jorge Castle, and squeezes through the narrow lanes of Alfama, where the houses are so close you can touch both sides. It then passes the Sé Cathedral, the Conceição street in the Baixa, Camões Square in Chiado, the Rua de São Bento in Campo de Ourique (home of the parliament building), and finally ends at the Campo de Ourique terminus in front of Estrela Basilica in the west.

The tram is part of Lisbon's public transport network. A single ticket bought on board costs 3 euros, a Viva Viagem card with Zapping costs about 1.6 euros per ride, and a 24-hour pass allows unlimited rides. Practical tips: the queues at the Martim Moniz starting station are very long in peak season. You can board from the Campo de Ourique terminus instead, or join the second half of the route at the midway stops at Graça or Portas do Sol. The trams are crowded, and this is the city's busiest area for pickpockets, so wear your backpack on your front and keep your phone put away. To get a window seat, board at 7–8 a.m., when the light is also best for photographing the tram winding through Alfama's lanes. The parallel 12E loop line and the red Hills Tramcar Tour from Praça do Comércio (about 25 euros) are alternatives if the queues are long. You don't have to ride at all: you can simply wait at the Portas do Sol viewpoint and photograph the tram as it passes. The coordinates above mark the classic photo spots in Alfama.

Tram 28

Opening hours

Nearby sights

Places to eat nearby