Is Belem Worth Visiting: 7+ Best Things to Do in Half a Day

Short on time, but still wondering what you can do in Lisbon? Find the best things you can do in Belem that are worth visiting!

For a more modern Portuguese area infused with some historical and cultural landmarks to explore–the Belem district is definitely worth visiting.

This lovely city is home to a number of fascinating landmarks, including the Jerónimos Monastery, the Tower of Belem, and the Monument of Discoveries, all of which are well worth exploring.

The best way to get to Belem from Lisbon is by using the Lisboa Card!

If you have time to take a day trip from Lisbon, you can easily see everything in this itinerary.

However, if you’re short on time then spending half a day in Belem can be an enlightening and rewarding experience as well, so be sure to add it to your list of Portuguese destinations to visit.

Is Belem Worth Visiting?

Short answer: Yes.

Belem is a district of Lisbon, so it’s not really that far from the city center. It’s about a 15-minute car ride or a 40-minute bus ride from the heart of Lisbon.

The attractions alone make Belem a popular tourist destination, and rightly so – spending half a day in the district of Belem was one of the highlights of our trip to Portugal.

Although we only spent half a day in Belem, we thoroughly enjoyed our time and felt that it didn’t take away from our Lisbon itinerary!

1. Monastery of Saint Jerome (Jerónimos Monastery)

When you arrive in Belem by public transportation (bus, tram), you’ll notice the Jerónimos Monastery right away as it’s right across the street from the bus stop.

Your first stop, the Jerónimos Monastery (aka Monastery of Saint Jerome also aka the Hieronymites monastery), is a beautiful 16th-century monastery that was ordered by and funded by King Manuel I.

He hand-selected the monks for the monastery and their job was to pray for the king’s eternal soul and the seafarers headed out to sea.

When the monastery replaced the church, it was dedicated to Santa Maria de Belém and soon become a great help to seafarers coming in from the Tagus River with their ships.

Today, the monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and features stunning architecture and ornate decor, known as Manueline which is a highly ornate style with carvings in limestone.

There is a fee to enter the monastery and you can purchase tickets to enter near the main entrance of the National Museum of Archaeology. Keep in mind that these lines can get quite long as the Jerónimos Monastery is a very popular place.

You can also enter the Jeronamos Monastery for free with the purchase of the Lisbon Card.

Once inside the monastery, you will see the impressive architecture, especially in the 2-story cloister, and the royal tombs.

If you would like to skip the long line and monastery altogether, you can head into the Santa Maria Church (through the doors on the right of the monastery) for free and view some of the amazing architectural structures.

• Jerónimos Monastery | Address: Praça do Império 1400-206 Lisboa, Portugal
• Opening Hours: Closed Mondays | Oct-Apr: 10am – 5:30pm | May-Sept 10am – 6:30pm
• Entrance Fee: 10€ (+ Belém Tower, 12€), Free with the Lisbon Card

>> Purchase Your Lisbon Card ahead of time! <<

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2. Tower of Belem (Torre de Belém)

The Tower of Belem is a 16th-century fortification located at the mouth of the Tagus River. The tower was built to defend the city of Lisbon from invaders and pirates, and it served as a lighthouse for ships entering the river. It was also designed similarly to the Jerónimos Monastery with the Manueline style.

The interior of the tower is also interesting. You’ll see windows with cannons and even where prisoners were held. There are 5 floors to the tower and you go up by climbing the narrow spiral staircase to the top with a roof terrace and views!

Fun fact: The rhinoceros you see was the first rhino to enter Portugal from India!

Today, the Tower of Belem is one of Lisbon’s most popular tourist attractions. You’ll most likely encounter a long line at the Belem Tower as well and there is no shade while waiting to enter.

I highly recommend purchasing your ticket to Belem Tower ahead of time so that you don’t have to wait in such a long line. If you purchased the Lisbon Card, then you’ll have free entrance into Belem Tower!

Is The Belem Tower worth visiting? We didn’t go in, but it was definitely worth it to take a picture of the tower. It was also amazing to see it standing at the mouth of the Tagus River, defending Portugal.

To get to the Belem Tower from the monastery, you’ll walk south towards the water. When you come to the street, you can head west (right) and head towards the stairs that will take you up and over the bridge to Belem tower.

If you head east (left), you’ll come across stairs that take you into a tunnel under the street to the other side. When you exit, you’ll be in front of the Monument of Discoveries instead.

• Tower of Belem | Address: Av. Brasília, 1400-038 Lisboa, Portugal
• Opening Hours: Closed Mondays | Oct-Apr: 10am – 5:30pm | May-Sept 10am – 6:30pm
• Entrance Fee: 6€ (+ Jerónimos Monastery, 12€), Free with the Lisbon Card

>> Purchase your Lisbon Card ahead of time! <<

3. Monument of the Overseas Combatants

While you’re exploring the Belem Tower, you can walk a little further west and you’ll come across the Monument of the Overseas Combatants.

The Monument of the Overseas Combatants is a war memorial located in Belem, Portugal. It was inaugurated in 1994 to commemorate the soldiers who died in combat overseas during the colonial war.

The monument is shaped like a triangle and is made from granite and marble with soldiers’ names engraved on the stone.

• Monument of the Overseas Combatants | Address: Avenida Brasília, 1400-038 Lisboa, Portugal
• Opening Hours: 24/7

4. Monument of Discoveries (Padrão dos Descobrimentos)

Compared to the Jerónimos Monastery and the Tower of Belem, the Monument of Discoveries is fairly young (or is it new?). The monument was designed in 1939 by Portuguese architect José Ângelo Cottinelli Telmo and was soon destroyed.

It was then reconstructed in 1959 and is a 52-meter-tall monument built to commemorate the 500th death year of Prince Henry the Navigator.

The monument features a number of statues and reliefs of famous explorers, including Prince Henry the Navigator, Vasco da Gama, Pedro Álvares Cabral, Ferdinand Magellan, and many more!

The monument is free to view and photograph, but you can pay to go up to the observation deck.

To get to the Discoveries Monument from the Belem Tower, you’ll walk back east (follow the Tagus River away from the Atlantic Ocean).

There will be one aspect near the boat port that you’ll have to follow the sidewalk, but once you pass the boats, you’ll be able to walk on the street back towards the riverwalk.

Enjoy your walk as you approach the monument – it’s literally breathtaking!

• Monument of Discoveries | Address: Av. Brasília, 1400-038 Lisboa, Portugal
• Opening Hours: Closed Mondays | Oct-Feb 10am – 6pm | Mar-Sept: 10am – 7pm
• Entrance Fee: 6€

5. Add a Museum to your Half Day in Belem Visit

Honestly, the first three sites are enough to fill up your half-day in Belem. However, if you want to add a museum to your visit or you’re just interested in one of the museums below, go for it! You can easily spend 1-2 hours at any of these museums.

The Navy Museum (Museu de Marinha) is located near the Jerónimos Monastery and it chronicles the history of Portugal’s maritime exploration. The museum houses pretty big ships and seafaring tools. If you’re interested in maritime history or want to learn more about Portugal’s Age of Discovery, this is the museum for you!

• The Maritime Museum | Address: Praça do Império, 1400-206 Lisboa, Portugal
• Opening Hours: Closed Mondays | Oct-May: 10am – 5pm | June-Sept: 10am – 6pm
• Entrance Fee: 6.5€

The National Coach Museum (Museu dos Coches) is one of the coolest museums in the world and it’s located in Belem! The museum is housed in a former riding school and it has the largest collection of royal coaches in the world. The museum also has a few carriages that were used by Pope Clement XI.

• The Coach Museum | Address: Av. da Índia 136, 1300-300 Lisboa, Portugal
• Opening Hours: 10 am – 6 pm | Closed Mondays
• Entrance Fee: 4€, Free with Lisbon Card

The National Archaeology Museum (Museu Nacional de Arqueologia) is one of the best museums in Lisbon! The museum has a large collection of artifacts from the Paleolithic to the Middle ages by renowned archaeologist José Leite de Vasconcelos. You’ll also find Egyptian artifacts and precious stones here, too!

• The National Archaeology Museum | Address: Praça do Império 1400-206 Lisboa, Portugal
• Opening Hours: 10 am – 6 pm | Closed Mondays
• Entrance Fee: 5€, Free with Lisbon Card

The Berardo Museum of Art (Museu Coleção Berardo) is Lisbon’s modern art museum displaying art from the 20th century to the present day. The museum has a large collection of contemporary art, including works by Andy Warhol, Marcel Duchamp Pablo Picasso, and more.

• The Berardo Museum of Modern Art | Address: Praça do Império 1449-003 Lisboa, Portugal
• Opening Hours: 10 am – 7 pm
• Entrance Fee: 5€ | 30% off with Lisbon Card | Free admission on Saturday

>> Purchase your Lisbon Card ahead of time! <<

6. Have a Pastéis de Belém (or Two!)

You can’t visit Belem without having a pastéis de belém! This Portuguese egg tart is one of the most popular snacks in Portugal and it originated from Belem!

The monks from the monastery next door came up with the original recipe! They were out of laundry detergent, so the monks and the nuns started using egg whites to starch their linens.

With the leftover egg yolks not wanting to go to waste, they created the pastéis! The tarts are flaky, creamy, and absolutely delicious. You can have one (or two!) for a snack or for dessert.

Wanderful fact: We absolutely LOVED our Pasteis de Belem. They were not as sweet as the ones we tried in Lisbon (so we could eat more without feeling guilty!).

• Pastéis de Belém | Address: Rua de Belém 84-92 1300-085 Lisboa, Portugal
• Opening Hours: 8 am – 9 pm
• Price: 1€ per tart

7. Have a Sit-Down Lunch or Dinner at Pao Pao Queijo Queijo

If you’re looking for a sit-down meal, there are plenty of restaurants to choose from in Belem (don’t go to McDonald’s!), but Pao Pao Queijo Queijo was hands down our favorite restaurant in Belem.

They serve baguettes, wraps, salads, plates, and shawarmas. Our favorite was the Super Bifana (pork sandwich) and the Prego XL (beef steak). They also have a special garlic mayonnaise sauce that they slather on the baguette after the meat is finished cooking (with your permission, of course).

For the Super Bifana, ask for mustard as that’s a usual condiment for pork sandwiches in Portugal anyway. You can then add different toppings such as lettuce, eggs, and even more! You can also add fries to your order and dipping them in the garlic mayonnaise is something else!

Pao Pao Queijo Queijo is located right on the corner near the bus stops where you got off in Belem (across the street from McDonald’s).

• Pao Pao Queijo Queijo | Address: Rua de Belém 124/126, Lisboa, Portugal
• Opening Hours: 10 am – 12 am (midnight)

8. Time Out Market in Cais do Sodre

If you would rather leave Belem and head back towards Lisbon, you can make a stop at the Time Out Market at Cais do Sodre.

The Time Out Market is a food hall located farther west of Lisbon, meaning it’s on the way back to the heart of Lisbon from Belem.

The market has a variety of restaurants and food stalls, so you can find something for everyone. There’s everything from seafood to prego sandwiches to desserts!

The market is open every day from 10 am to midnight, but the best time to go is in the evening when all the stalls and restaurants are open. It’s a little weird because the stalls look out into the seating area.

I would recommend taking a lap around once to see if anything looks appealing to you (a lot of it will be!) and keeping an eye on open tables at the same time. If you have a large group, you can then send some people to sit and save chairs while others go buy, then switch.

To get here, you can take tram 15 from the Belem stop to the Time Out Market on the Cais do Sodre stop. It should take you around 7 minutes to arrive.

• Time Out Market Lisbon | Address: Av. 24 de Julho 49, 1200-479 Lisboa, Portugal
• Opening Hours: 10 am – 12 am (midnight)

Map of Things to do in Belem

Key: Blue – Things to Do | Green – Where to Eat

As stated before, Belem is about 6 miles west of Lisbon making it about a 40-minute bus or tram ride from Lisbon.

• To get to Belem, you can take tram #15 from the Praca da Figueira (or Figueira Square) all the way to Belem, which is the Jardim de Alges tram stop.

• The city buses #28, 714, 727, 729, and 751 will also take you to the same stop that Tram 15 ends at. Single trips for public transportation are usually 2€.

• You can also hire a taxi or an Uber to save a little more time on transportation which can cost you anywhere from 8-24€.

• If you purchased the Lisbon Card (or Lisboa Card), you’ll have free and unlimited rides on Lisbon’s public transportation, including rides to and from Belem.

The Lisbon Card starts at $22 for 24 hours. If you use it for 2 bus/tram rides, the monastery, the Tower of Belem, and 2 museums in Belem, you’ll have saved $2 (and a headache from finding enough euros to give to the bus driver – just saying).

Include that with more transportation in the heart of Lisbon, as well as any other museum or monument you visit, you’ll definitely be adding to your savings.

Ready to purchase your Lisbon Card? Click Here!

Once you arrive in Belem, the best way to get around Belem is by foot as most of the sights are located within walking distance of each other.

• Wear comfortable shoes as you’ll be doing a lot of walking. These Skechers are my top recommendations for all the miles you’ll be walking in Belem!

Need some comfortable walking shoes today? These Skechers are my favorite!

• Belem can get quite crowded, especially on the weekends and during the summer months. If you want to avoid crowds, it’s best to visit during the weekdays.

• If you’re visiting Belem in the summer, make sure to bring sunscreen and a hat as there’s not a lot of shade in Belem. You’ll also want to bring a bottle of water with you as it can get quite hot.

Read Next: Are Fanny Packs Good for Travel in Europe?

• Choose to spend your time in Belem towards the end of the day. The crowds are thinner and the weather is a little cooler. If you decide to stick around Belem until 7 or 8 pm, you might be able to capture the Belem Tower in the golden hour – it’s a beautiful silhouette!

• When you’re walking from the Belem Tower to the Monument of Discoveries, you might find some bougie outhouses along the way. If you need to use the restroom, you’ll have to pay 50 cents (in Euros) to use the toilets.

• How long should you spend sightseeing in Belem, you ask? You can easily spend 5 hours in Belem, and even more, if you are intrigued by the Jerónimos Monastery and Belem Tower.

If you’re REALLY tight on time and would rather look into tours to skip the lines and make sure you can see all that you want to see, then a tour might be the right decision for you!

• 4-Hour Private Tour: This tour includes a personal driver to all the highlights in Belem with commentary. However, entrance fees for the sites are not included and will need to be purchased separately.

• Small-Group Walking Tour of Belem: This 3-hour walking tour is with a certified local guide with commentary as you stroll and take in the history of Belem. The group is kept to 6 people for individualized attention. However, you will not be entering the sites with this tour.

• Belem Electric Bike Tour: If you want a scenic way of seeing Belem, consider this electric bike tour. You’ll get a tour around the historic sites in Belem and get some commentary as you ride along as well.

Belem is further out from the historic city center of Lisbon. Personally, I would recommend visiting Belem for a half-day or full-day trip if you have more time in your itinerary rather than staying in the district.

With that said, Belem is quieter than Lisbon and does offer much more to see than what’s listed in this post. If you want to spend some time exploring the district of Belem, it’s not a bad idea to stay here and be within walking distance of all the sites!

If you do choose to stay in Belem, check out these places!

Lisbon Belem Guesthouse (Mid-Range Option)

For a mid-range stay, consider Lisbon Belem Guesthouse. It’s about a 2-minute walk from the Jeronimos Monastery and even less than that from the delicious Pasteis de Belem!

This is very close to all the public transport as well. You will need to stay a minimum of 2 nights here.

>> Check availability for the Lisbon Belem Guesthouse! <<

Famous Crows Lisbon (Budget Option)

For a budget stay, consider this Famous Crows Lisbon for a traditional hotel stay. It’s in a similar location and will be within even closer walking distance to everything you’d want to see in Belem.

>> Check availability for Famous Crows Lisbon! <<

If you’re looking for an enlightening and rewarding experience, spending half a day in Belem is definitely worth your time.

We found our favorite meal and Pasteis here in Belem. I also loved the architecture and would go back again!

Ready to get started on your trip to Portugal? Check out these resources!

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