Lisboa (port)

About Lisboa Port

The Port of Lisbon stretches 13 km along the north bank of the Tagus estuary, with the cruise operation focused on three terminals. The Santa Apolónia and Jardim do Tabaco terminals sit side by side at the eastern end of the historic centre, immediately downstream from Praça do Comércio and a short walk from Alfama. The Alcântara cruise terminal is 7 km further west, near the 25 de Abril Bridge and the Belém waterfront.

The port hosts around 540,000 cruise passengers a year, with itineraries split between Atlantic island routes to Madeira and the Azores, Mediterranean crossings, transatlantic repositioning and northern European loops. Major operators including MSC, Princess, Holland America, Royal Caribbean and Costa call regularly, often using Lisbon as a turnaround port for embarkation and disembarkation.

Getting from the cruise port to Lisbon

The Santa Apolónia and Jardim do Tabaco terminals are within walking distance of Alfama and the Baixa for travellers with light luggage. With multiple bags, a pre-booked private transfer to a hotel takes 10 to 20 minutes by road and avoids the steep cobbled lanes that complicate suitcase walks. The Metro Blue Line at Santa Apolónia station, immediately beside the cruise terminal, gives a fast public transport option for travellers without heavy luggage.

The Alcântara terminal is further from the centre, with a 15 to 25 minute drive to the Baixa, so private transfers are the standard choice for that pier.

Cruise terminals and pickup points

Pre-booked transfer pickups happen at the kerbside coach and car pickup area outside the terminal building. The driver confirms the specific terminal in advance based on your ship’s assigned berth, which the cruise line publishes a few days before arrival. At Santa Apolónia and Jardim do Tabaco, the pickup area is the broad kerbside outside the terminal exits. At Alcântara, the pickup area is beside the terminal hall.

For departures, drop-off is at the same kerbside areas, where porters typically handle bags into the check-in zones.

Common transfer routes from Lisboa Port

• Santa Apolónia cruise terminal to central Lisbon (Baixa): 2 km, 10 to 15 minutes
• Santa Apolónia cruise terminal to Lisbon Airport (LIS): 6 km, 12 to 20 minutes
• Jardim do Tabaco cruise terminal to Belém: 9 km, 15 to 25 minutes
• Alcântara cruise terminal to Lisbon Airport (LIS): 13 km, 20 to 30 minutes
• Cruise port to Sintra: 32 km, 40 to 55 minutes
• Cruise port to Cascais: 30 km, 35 to 50 minutes

Booking your Lisboa Port transfer

A pre-booked transfer from the cruise port gives a fixed price, a licensed local operator and a meet-and-greet driver with a name sign at the terminal kerbside. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pickup is useful if the ship’s call schedule changes. The 60 minute free wait covers normal disembarkation timing, and payment runs through Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Alipay, iDEAL, Wero or PayPal.