Your boat leaves from one of four docks, and each one sits near a different part of the city. Plan your day around your dock, and a sunset sail in Lisbon becomes the last stop of a full day rather than a trip across town.
If you sail from Belém, the city's biggest monuments are a short walk from your boat. Start with the Jerónimos Monastery on Praça do Império. King Manuel I founded it in 1496, and Vasco da Gama and the poet Luís de Camões are buried in its church.
The monastery opens 9:30 to 17:30, with last entry at 17:00, and closes on Mondays. Together with Belém Tower it has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983. The tower keeps the same hours and the same closing day, and a ticket costs €15.
Between the two, on the riverbank, stands the Padrão dos Descobrimentos, with a viewing platform. MAAT, the art, architecture and technology museum, is further east along the water. It opens 10:00 to 19:00 and closes on Tuesdays, not Mondays.
These docks sit under the bridge, and the fastest way to fill the hours before your sail is to head west to Belém. Tram 15E stops at Estação Santo Amaro and at Alcântara, on Avenida 24 de Julho. Ride it west and you reach the MAAT stop, then Belém and the monastery.
From downtown, one operator tells you to take the train from Cais do Sodré to Alcântara and walk about five minutes. Tram 15E also leaves from Cais do Sodré, so you can come back into town the same way after dark.
If your boat leaves from downtown, spend the afternoon in Alfama, the oldest neighbourhood in Lisbon. Turismo de Lisboa's advice is to explore it on foot: its lanes are steep and cobbled. Start at the Sé, the cathedral, which dates from 1147.
Climb on to the Miradouro de Santa Luzia for a view over Alfama and the river. From there the road keeps going up to São Jorge Castle. Then walk back down to the waterfront for your boat, and see the same hill again from the river.
From the water you see Cristo Rei on the Almada bank, and you can visit it on land the next day. Ferries run from Cais do Sodré to Cacilhas, on the far bank, with Transtejo Soflusa.
The sanctuary stands above Cacilhas at Alto do Pragal. Its viewpoint opens 10:00 to 18:00 from October to March, and to 19:00 from April to September, with last entry 20 minutes before closing.
From April to September, a sunset sail brings you back after dark, so plan dinner for later. Alfama has many restaurants and fado houses that keep going after sunset. In winter the sun sets by about 17:15 to 18:15, so you are ashore in time for an early dinner.
If you sailed from Belém, tram 15E takes you back to Cais do Sodré and Praça do Comércio in one ride.
This plan works for a sunset sail from Belém on any day from Tuesday to Sunday:
| Sight | Nearest dock | Open |
|---|---|---|
| Jerónimos Monastery | Belém | Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30-17:30 (last entry 17:00) |
| Belém Tower | Belém | Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30-17:30 |
| MAAT | Belém | Wednesday to Monday, 10:00-19:00 |
| Cristo Rei | Across the river | 10:00-18:00 October to March; to 19:00 April to September |
| Alfama and the cathedral | Downtown | The streets are open at all hours |
Pick a boat from the dock nearest your plans, and time it to the sunset.
The opening hours come from each monument's own page or from Turismo de Lisboa, checked 29 September 2026. The tram stops are from Carris, and the ferry from Transtejo Soflusa. Hours change on public holidays, so check the day before.
Two hours at sunset on a sailboat for up to 12 from Doca de Belém, with one welcome drink, a toilet on board and a crew who give a live commentary on the city as you pass.
From $55 per person
Check Availability
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
Check Availability
Two hours on a classic sailboat from Alcântara with Portuguese wine and a board of local cheeses, the last 45 minutes given over to the sunset on the river.
From $34 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: see the landmarks from the river, find your dock, or compare every boat on Lisbon Sailing Tours.