Choosing a Lisbon Sunset Sail: Sailboat, Wine Sail or Cruise

There is no gate and no ticket for the river, so choosing one of the Lisbon boat trips on the Tagus means choosing a boat and an evening. Pick the kind of boat first, then the dock, and the right trip is usually obvious.

Which Lisbon sailing tour should you book?

Every boat here makes one of three kinds of trip. Each can leave at sunset, and each asks something different of you.

Fares are per person and move with the date. The rest of this guide takes you through the questions that decide between them, and ends with every boat in one table.

Sailboat, catamaran or traditional boat?

A sailboat is narrow and quiet. You sit close to the water and close to the crew, and when the wind allows the boat heels and moves under its sails. Most take ten guests; the yachts from Doca de Belém take up to 14.

A catamaran is wide and flat, with nets at the bow and room to walk about. The sunset catamaran from Santo Amaro runs 90 minutes with a bar, and the sailing catamaran from Alcântara takes up to 18. The traditional boat from the Sul e Sueste station downtown is a traditional Lisbon river boat that carries up to 47.

If you want the feeling of sailing, choose a sailboat. If you want space, a bar and company, choose a catamaran or the traditional boat: those are the Lisbon sunset cruises.

Do the sails go up?

On a sailboat, when the wind allows. One crew hoists the sails at the start of its day and sunset sails from Alcântara when the wind allows, and a couple of sailboats let you help. On a calm or very windy evening, any skipper may motor instead.

The cruises promise no sailing at all. If the canvas is the point of your evening, book the day-or-sunset sail from Alcântara, whose crew hoist the sails when the wind allows, and read the post on whether the sails go up before you choose a date.

One drink, two drinks or wine all evening?

Most sailboat fares pour one welcome drink: a glass of wine, a beer or a soft drink. The Lisbon By Boat yachts pour two, with snacks at sunset and a cheese appetiser by day.

The wine sails put wine in the fare: white wine or port, white wine and beer, or Portuguese wine with a cheese board. On the cruises the catamaran sells drinks at its bar, the open-bar yacht pours wine, beer and soft drinks for two hours, and the traditional boat serves white wine freely. The Lisbon sunset and wine sailing tours are gathered on one page.

How many people share the boat?

Ten on most sailboats, 12 on the small-group sunset sail from Belém, and 14 on the Lisbon By Boat yachts. The sunset sail from Doca do Bom Sucesso takes up to 30, the sailing catamaran 18, and the traditional boat 47. A few listings state no maximum.

Fewer people means a seat by the rail and a conversation with the skipper. More people means a livelier deck, and a queue at the bar.

Skipper, guide or just a crew?

On most sailboats the skipper or a host explains the landmarks as you pass: Belém Tower, the Padrão dos Descobrimentos, the bridge, and Cristo Rei on the far bank. The Lisbon By Boat yachts carry a skipper-guide and a host, with commentary in four languages.

A few list no guide. The 90-minute catamaran excludes a tour guide, the one-hour sail says its crew are not official guides, and the red-flag-van sunset sail excludes guide service. Book one of them for the view, and read our page on the landmarks you pass before you go.

Which dock suits where you are staying?

The boats leave from four docks spread along about 6 km of riverfront. From west to east: Belém, Santo Amaro directly under the 25 de Abril Bridge, Alcântara, and the downtown station beside the riverside square.

• Staying in Belém or out west: the yachts and the small-group sail from Doca de Belém, or the vans at Bom Sucesso.
• Staying near the bridge: the catamaran, the open-bar yacht and the wine-and-history sail at Doca de Santo Amaro.
• Staying in the centre: the traditional boat downtown, or the Alcântara sailboats, a short train ride from Cais do Sodré.

The map of the four docks shows each gate, van and café, and the visitors guide has the transport.

Sunset or daytime?

Sunset is what most people book, and the slot moves with the season: about 17:15 in early December and about 21:05 in early July. The clocks change on the last Sunday in March and the last Sunday in October, so a late-October sunset sail leaves an hour earlier than the week before.

A daytime sail is warmer and brighter, and leaves the evening free for dinner. The daytime yacht sail from Belém runs in the morning or afternoon, and the day-or-sunset sail from Alcântara runs morning, afternoon and sunset slots. The best time to sail compares the months.

Is a private boat worth it?

For a group, often. The whole sailboat for up to six costs $289 per group (up to 6) for one to two hours, about $48 each if six of you go. That sits inside the range of the shared two-hour sails.

For a couple it is a splurge: the same boat costs $144 each for two. Wine by the bottle, a tapas board and bringing your own drinks all cost extra on that boat.

Which boat suits a couple, a family or friends?

A couple usually wants a small sailboat at sunset, with a skipper's commentary and a quiet deck. The sunset yacht sail from Belém is the one most couples pick; a wine sail costs less.

A family with small children is usually happier on the catamaran, which is stable and flat, or on the sailing catamaran, which lists infant seats. The post on sailing with children goes through each boat's age rules.

A group of friends suits a wine sail or a cruise. A group of six suits the whole sailboat, at roughly the price of six shared seats.

What should you check before you pay?

Once you have a boat in mind, read its booking page for six things. Each one shapes your evening on the river.

• The gate and the landmark: your dock has several gates, and your meeting point may be a van or a café rather than the boat.
• The start time: on some boats only the last departure of the day is timed to the sunset.
• What the fare pours: one drink, two, wine in the fare, or a bar you pay at.
• Who talks: a skipper-guide, a host, or no guide at all.
• How many share the deck: ten, 14, or dozens.
• The arrival time: most ask for 15 minutes, some for 20 or 30, and a late arrival can cost you the whole fare.

The boats side by side

Pick the row that sounds like your evening, then read its card below or on the homepage.

Every fare above is per person unless it says per group, and every boat cancels free up to 24 hours ahead. The guide to what each fare buys sets the prices against the hours, and the first-timer's guide covers comfort on board.

Frequently asked questions

Boats for each kind of evening

Lisbon Sunset Sailing Tour on Luxury Sailing Yacht with 2 Drinks

Two hours at sunset on a 50- to 58-foot sailing yacht from Doca de Belém, with two drinks, snacks and a skipper and host who explain the city as you pass. Up to 14 aboard; book for two or more.

From $69 per person (minimum 2)

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Lisbon: Day and Sunset Tour on the Tagus River

Two hours on a ten-guest sailboat from Alcântara in the morning, the afternoon or at sunset. The crew hoist the sails at the start when the wind allows; blankets and a toilet on board.

From $34 per person

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Lisbon Sunset Boat Tour on a Catamaran with 1 Welcome Drink

Ninety minutes on a catamaran from Santo Amaro, timed to the sunset, with one welcome drink, a bar for the rest, music and two toilets. A social evening rather than a guided one.

From $31 per person

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