Its yellow cars creaking up Lisbon’s steep grades and through lanes barely wider than the rails, Tram 28 (Carris 28E) is a moving grandstand — a way to take in the city itself. In a single continuous line it links the medieval maze of Alfama, the hill of Graça, the grid of Baixa, and Estrela. It is also said to be the most pickpocketed tram in the world, and the crowding is real. This guide covers the route and its highlights, how to ride while avoiding both the crowds and the thieves, tickets and journey times, and the alternative lines — all from a practical angle.
Quick reference
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Route | Martim Moniz to Campo de Ourique (cutting through Alfama, Graça, Baixa/Chiado and Estrela) |
| Typical cost | Single bought on board €3.30 / €1.72 per ride with zapping / Carris/Metro 1-hour ticket €1.90 / 24-hour ticket €7.25 |
| Journey time | About 40–60 minutes end to end (varies with traffic). First trams from around 5am, last around 23:00; roughly every 10–15 minutes during the day |
| Booking | Not needed. You cannot top up a Navegante card (€0.50 to issue) on board — load it in advance at a metro ticket machine |
| Best times and cautions | Early morning (before about 9 am) or from the evening onward is most comfortable. Board at the first stop for a seat. A notorious pickpocket line: hold bags in front, and never keep a wallet in a back pocket |
Information as of July 2026. Check official sources for anything that changes.
The Tram 28 route and its highlights
The 28 runs from Martim Moniz to Campo de Ourique, cutting straight through the heart of sightseeing Lisbon. Watching the retro wooden Remodelado cars work through alleys too narrow for two people to pass and up punishing gradients is an experience in itself.
- Alfama — the medieval maze below São Jorge Castle, the true home of fado
- Graça — hilltop viewpoints (miradouros) and their panoramas
- Baixa/Chiado — the gridded commercial quarter
- Estrela — the Estrela Basilica and its gardens
How to dodge the crowds and the pickpockets
Because tourists converge on the 28, midday cars are often too full to board or to find a seat, and this is a known pickpocketing line. A few adjustments make a large difference to both comfort and safety.
- Ride early (before about 9 am) or from the evening onward — skipping the midday peak
- Board at the Martim Moniz terminus (or at Campo de Ourique) — at mid-route stops you may not get on at all, let alone sit. From the first stop, a seat is likely
- Hold bags in front and keep your phone in your hand — the crush of boarding and alighting is when thieves strike. Never a wallet in a back pocket (details in our safety and scams guide)
- Do not ride end to end — take the tram for the key stretch (Graça, Alfama, Baixa) and walk the rest; it is enough
Tickets and fares (as of July 2026)
Fares were revised in January 2026. The following are the current official Carris prices (as of July 2026).
- Single bought on board: €3.30 — cash-based and overpriced. Load a Navegante card (formerly Viva Viagem; €0.50 to issue) and pay by zapping instead: €1.72 per ride, close to half price
- Carris/Metro 1-hour ticket: €1.90 (loaded onto the card; valid 60 minutes across trams, buses and the metro)
- 24-hour ticket (Carris/Metro): €7.25 — unlimited trams, metro, buses and the funiculars and lifts. It pays for itself from about four rides a day; in a city this hilly, a strong option
- Cards cannot be topped up on board, so load them in advance at a metro-station ticket machine and boarding stays smooth
The full run (Martim Moniz to Campo de Ourique) takes about 40–60 minutes, swinging widely with cars parked on the rails and general traffic. Service on weekdays runs roughly from the first tram in the 5 am hour to the last around 23:00, at 10–15 minute intervals during the day (fewer trams on weekends and holidays; check the Carris official site for current times).
Alternative lines and other ways to enjoy it
- Tram 12 — loops around the Alfama area; often less crowded than the 28
- Tram 24 — a revived line, heading toward Príncipe Real
- Tourist trams (Hills Tramcar and others) — if you decide the crowd-dodging is worth paying for
- Mix in walking — Graça and Alfama reward you most on foot. Use the tram only for the uphill stretches and walk the descents and flats, and you sidestep the crush
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City tours that include a tram ride, walking tours of Alfama and more — including guided ways to see it all while skipping the crowds.
See experiences →Where to put tram 28 in the itinerary — make the ride itself the point
Tram 28 is a means of transport and a sight at the same time. Ride it to get somewhere and the crowds and the unpredictable timings will push you around. The trick is to put the ride itself down as a plan of its own.
- First thing in the morning is the only winning line: through the day it is packed and a hotspot for pickpockets. Close to the first departure you get a seat and can photograph out of the window
- Bundle it with the hilltop sights: along the 28 route sit São Jorge Castle and the lanes of Alfama, within walking distance of Baixa. Ride up and walk down and you beat the hills with no waiting
- Keep Belém for another day: Belém is about 6km west of the centre, roughly 25 minutes on tram 15E. It lies the opposite way from the 28 route, so cramming both into one morning burns the morning on travel alone
- An alternative when it is too full: the Santa Justa Lift climbs the same slope and is the way out on a day you could not board the 28
- Pickpocket defence is decided before you board: the classic is having your bag opened in a crowded car, so hold valuables in front of you and swing the backpack round to your chest before getting on. The very act of rearranging your luggage inside the car is what gets targeted
- Where you stay changes how usable it is: sleep on the line and the empty early services are easy to catch; from a riverside hotel you have to climb the hill before you can even board. If the 28 is what you came for, it starts mattering at the choose-your-area stage
- Decide where you get off before you get on: rather than riding to the terminus, getting off at the top of the hill and walking down keeps the time spent standing in the crush short
- Avoid it on days with big luggage: the car fills with people standing, so boarding with a suitcase is not realistic. Give it to a light day, not your arrival or transfer day
For building the day see the 3-day Lisbon model itinerary, and for how the sights line up see the 15 best places in Portugal.
In the end, the 28 gives most satisfaction when you ride it early and only for a short stretch. If being rocked to the terminus is the point, fine — but built into sightseeing, miss the peak and get off at the top of the hill to walk down, and the window views, the walking and your stamina all line up. Lisbon’s hills change difficulty enormously depending on where you switch between riding and walking.
Where to go from here
- Lisbon 3-Day Itinerary — a city plan built around Tram 28
- Lisbon Fado Guide — a night of real fado in Alfama
- Where to Stay in Lisbon — the neighborhoods compared
- Portugal Travel Guide — the gateway to all our Portugal coverage
