Jerónimos Monastery
Lisbon, Portugal
Mosteiro dos Jerónimos
Lisbon's carved-stone monastery of the sea voyages, with Vasco da Gama's tomb, in Belém.
Checked 6 October 2026
The Jerónimos Monastery is the vast limestone monastery King Manuel I began in Belém around 1501, on the shore Vasco da Gama sailed from, and the finest example of Portugal's sea-themed Manueline style. The thing to know before you plan: the church is free and the two-storey cloister is paid (€18), they have separate queues and no door between them, and the cloister is sold in timed slots online that often sell out for the same day.
About Jerónimos Monastery
The Jerónimos Monastery runs along the Praça do Império in Belém, a long pale limestone front of pinnacles, statues and carved portals facing the Tagus. Behind it are two quite different visits: the soaring Church of Santa Maria de Belém, which is still a parish church and free to enter, and the monks' two-storey cloister, a 55-metre square of stone lace that most people come for.
It is the showpiece of the Manueline style, Portugal's own late Gothic, named after King Manuel I. Look closely and the stone is full of the sea: twisted ropes, knots, coral, armillary spheres, exotic plants and animals brought back by the voyages. The construction was paid for by a tax on the profits of the spice fleets to India, and the church's single ribbed vault spans 19 metres without a central support; it came through the 1755 earthquake with little damage.
The site was chosen for its story. Vasco da Gama and his crews spent the night before sailing for India, in July 1497, praying in the small chapel that stood here, and Pedro Álvares Cabral left from the same beach for Brazil in 1500. Manuel I gave the land to the Order of Saint Jerome, laid the first stone around 1501–1502, and made the monastery a royal pantheon. Da Gama and the poet Luís de Camões, who turned the voyages into Portugal's national epic, now lie in carved tombs just inside the church door.
After the religious orders were dissolved in 1833 the buildings became a school and orphanage, and the wings now house the Maritime Museum and the National Archaeology Museum. The monastery and Belém Tower became a UNESCO World Heritage Site together in 1983, Portugal signed its entry into the European Community in the cloister in 1985, and the Treaty of Lisbon was signed here in 2007.
What to see
The cloister
Two storeys of arcades around a square garden, every pillar and parapet carved with ropes, sea creatures, crowns and armillary spheres. Walk the ground floor first, then take the monumental staircase up for the view across the courtyard. This is the paid part (€18), entered at your timed slot.
Tombs of Vasco da Gama and Luís de Camões
Two 19th-century Neo-Manueline tombs on either side of the church entrance, under the gallery. They are in the free church, not in the cloister, so you need the church queue to see them.
The church of Santa Maria de Belém
A hall church whose six slender carved columns hold up one great ribbed vault, 25 metres high, with the royal tombs resting on marble elephants in the side chapels and the high chapel in Estremoz marble. It closes for Sunday morning mass and opens to visitors on Sundays only from 14:00.
South portal
The two-storey river-facing doorway by João de Castilho, crowded with carved saints and Manueline symbols, with the Madonna of Belém in the middle and scenes from the life of Saint Jerome above the door. Free to see from the square.
Upper choir
The monks' choir above the church entrance, with Renaissance carved wooden stalls by Diogo de Sarça to a design by Diogo de Torralva and a figure of Christ on the Cross carved by the Flemish sculptor Philippe de Vries in 1551. The official floor plan places it off the cloister's upper floor, where it looks down the length of the nave; ask staff if it is open on your visit.
Former refectory and Fernando Pessoa's tomb
The monks' dining hall, built in 1517–1518, has a low ribbed vault and walls lined with 18th-century blue-and-white tiles. In the north wing of the cloister lies the tomb of the poet Fernando Pessoa, carved with lines from his poems.
Chapter house
The room where the monks met, rebuilt in Neo-Manueline style in the 19th century to hold the tomb of the historian Alexandre Herculano. It is off the cloister's ground floor.
Jerónimos Monastery tickets: which to buy and where
Buy the timed cloister ticket from the official shop of Museus e Monumentos de Portugal: €18, shown as €19.11 online because of the booking fee, and half price for ages 13–24 and over 65. The church is free with no ticket, but it has its own queue and its own hours. The rule that catches people out: you do not go in before your time slot, and in busy periods you may still queue in the sun even with a ticket, so arrive about 15–30 minutes before your slot, not an hour.
The official ticket site
Museus e Monumentos de Portugal, E.P.E. (MMP)
The official online shop is mmp.bymeoblueticket.pt, run for MMP by the Portuguese ticketing company BOL/Blueticket and linked from the monument's own site, mosteirojeronimos.torrebelem.gov.pt. Physical tickets are also sold at a kiosk in the square in front of the monastery, which closes at 16:30.
Cloister ticket (Mosteiro dos Jerónimos – Claustro)
€18 adult (€19.11 online with fee); €9 ages 13–24 and over 65; 12 and under free
Official ticketsSkips some lines
- Includes
- The two-storey cloister with the refectory and chapter house (the official plan also shows the upper choir off the upper floor), at a fixed entry time. Does not include the church, which is free and entered separately.
- Best for
- Most visitors
Official site · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)Church of Santa Maria de Belém
Free
Official ticketsDoes not skip lines
- Includes
- The church, the tombs of Vasco da Gama and Camões and the royal tombs. No ticket and no booking; its own queue on the right of the entrance.
- Best for
- Everyone, ticket or not; short visits
No ticket needed · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)Cloister slot with the Lisboa Card
€0 with the card (Lisboa Card €62 for 72 hours, adult, on the official Visit Lisboa shop)
Official ticketsSkips some lines
- Includes
- A timed cloister ticket booked on the official shop with your physical Lisboa Card number. Entry depends on the daily capacity set aside for card holders, and you cannot book before collecting the physical card.
- Best for
- Visitors using the card for transport and several museums
Official site · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)Belém Tower (separate ticket)
€15 adult (€15.92 online with fee); same discounts as Jerónimos
Official ticketsSkips some lines
- Includes
- The tower, which the monument announced would reopen to visitors on 27 May 2026 after restoration, with timed entry slots. The official pages disagree: the English Visit page still says it is temporarily closed, while the news page and the ticket shop show it open, so check the shop for slots. There is no joint Jerónimos and tower ticket on the official shop; buy two.
- Best for
- Combining the two World Heritage monuments in one morning
Official site · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)Jerónimos Monastery Entrance Ticket
from €18
ResellerSkips some lines
- Includes
- A timed cloister ticket, no guide. Non-refundable. Check the listing's notes against the official rules: some reseller pages still describe the old free-Sunday rules.
- Best for
- When the official shop will not take your card or you already use the platform
GetYourGuide · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)
How to buy
- Open the official shop at mmp.bymeoblueticket.pt (switch to English at the top), choose Mosteiro dos Jerónimos – Claustro, pick a date and a time slot, and pay. Morning slots between 9:30 and 10:30 go first.
- Keep the e-ticket on your phone; there is no need to exchange it for paper at the kiosk.
- On the day, join the cloister line (on the left as you face the entrance) about 15–30 minutes before your slot. The church line, on the right, is a different queue.
- If you have the Lisboa Card, collect the physical card first, then book a free slot on the separate Lisboa Card event page by entering your card number at payment.
- Under-12s are free; ages 13–24 and over 65 get 50% off, and a family ticket (one adult and one child or more, 50% off) is sold only at the kiosk in front of the monastery, which closes at 16:30.
Look-alike sites
The only official online seller is mmp.bymeoblueticket.pt, and the monument's own site is mosteirojeronimos.torrebelem.gov.pt (a .gov.pt address). Many sites with Jerónimos, Belém or Lisbon tickets in their name resell the same €18 cloister ticket with a mark-up, as a non-refundable ticket, or bundled with a short 'tour' that is just the free church. Some also still print old rules, such as free Sundays for residents. Check the domain before paying, and remember that no ticket is needed for the church.
We can never guarantee a ticket seller, tour company or deal. Prices, opening hours and what is included change, often without notice: check the details on the seller’s own page before you pay, and book through the official site where you can. How to avoid ticket scams · Disclaimer.
Guided tours of Jerónimos Monastery
The monastery has no audio guide of its own (the official site says it provides none), and the signs are brief, so a guide makes a real difference here: the carvings are a code of voyages, kings and saints that is easy to walk past. A good guided visit adds the free church with the tombs and someone who knows the queues. If you only want to see it, the €18 ticket and an hour of your own time is enough.
Small-group guided walking tour with entry
Lisbon: Belém & Jerónimos Monastery Tour
Portugal, Me & YouGuided cloister visit with ticket, the church and Vasco da Gama's tomb, a pastel de nata at Pastéis de Belém and the Monument to the Discoveries; Belém Tower and a Tagus sailboat are extras. Meets at the Maritime Museum café on Praça do Império. Seven languages. On Sundays the church part is only after 14:00.
Private guided tour with entry
Belém and Jerónimos Monastery Private Walking Tour & Ticket
Cooltour LisbonA Lisbon tour company's private version: cloister ticket and guided visit, the church, then the riverside to the Monument to the Discoveries and Belém Tower (outsides only). English, Portuguese, French or Spanish. Meets at the monastery entrance, ends at Pastéis de Belém.
from €170 per person (less per head for bigger groups)
See this tour → (opens in a new tab)Themed guided visit by the monument's staff
Official guided visits (occasional)
Mosteiro dos Jerónimos / Museus e Monumentos de Portugal
A few dates a year, usually at 10:30 and 14:30, mostly in Portuguese, up to 25 people, booked by email; in September 2026 there were visits on the monastery's 19th-century history and for the Heritage Days. Check the Agenda page.
Free on special days (e.g. European Heritage Days); otherwise normal entry
See this tour → (opens in a new tab)
We can never guarantee a ticket seller, tour company or deal. Prices, opening hours and what is included change, often without notice: check the details on the seller’s own page before you pay, and book through the official site where you can. How to avoid ticket scams · Disclaimer.
Jerónimos Monastery deals and discounts
The official ticket is the best buy, and the church is free for everyone. The real savings are the half-price ticket for ages 13–24 and over 65, free entry for 12 and under, and the Lisboa Card if you also use it for transport and other museums. There is no joint ticket with Belém Tower on the official shop.
The church is free
Santa Maria de Belém, with the tombs of Vasco da Gama and Camões, needs no ticket. On a tight budget or a tight day, see the church and the south portal and skip the cloister.
Free for 12 and under, half price for 13–24 and over 65
Children up to and including 12 go free. Young people aged 13 to 24 and adults over 65 pay half (€9). A family ticket at 50% off (at least one adult and one child) is sold only at the kiosk in front of the monastery.
Acesso 52: free for residents of Portugal
Portuguese citizens and residents of Portugal get 52 free entries a year to state museums and monuments, on any day of the week; since August 2024 this has replaced free Sundays and holidays. Show your citizen card or residence document. The free tickets are issued at the kiosk. The official sources differ on online issue: the monument announced in August 2026 that they can now also be had online, but the online shop page still says kiosk only, so ask at the kiosk if the online shop will not issue one. The scheme may change: in July 2026 the culture minister said it would be revised, partly because the European Commission opened an infringement case in December 2024 over free entry that applies to residents of Portugal but not to visitors from other EU countries (Observador, 21 July 2026).
Lisboa Card
The city card includes the cloister, Belém Tower, the Coach Museum and unlimited metro, buses, trams and the Cascais train to Belém. The official Visit Lisboa shop lists the 72-hour adult card at €62; a Lisboa Card sales site lists €31 for 24 hours and €51 for 48 (children 4–15 €21/€28/€35). It pays off if you add a couple of other museums. You still need a free timed slot, booked with the physical card's number, subject to the daily capacity for card holders.
Free with a disability of 60% or more, plus a companion
Visitors with a certified disability of 60% or more and one companion enter free on showing a valid document at the entrance. Unemployed EU residents with proof also go free.
Best time to visit Jerónimos Monastery
Time of day: the first slots after 9:30 are the most popular, so a line builds before opening; the late slots from about 15:00 to 17:00 are usually calmer. If you take an early slot, arrive close to it: you will not be let in before your time.
Days: closed every Monday. Weekdays are calmer than weekends. On Sundays and religious holidays the church is open to visitors only from 14:00, after mass.
Season: queues are worst in summer, when the line stands in full sun and can pass an hour; the operator warns that at the busiest times it can exceed two hours. Closed 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 13 June (Lisbon's St Anthony holiday) and 25 December, and it can close at short notice for state ceremonies.
Tips and tricks
Gathered from travel forums, locals and the sight’s own advice, rewritten in our own words. What worked for others, not a guarantee.
Know which line you are in
Two queues form at the main door: the cloister (ticketed, on the left) and the church (free, on the right). People regularly stand in the wrong one. There is no internal door from the cloister to the church, so if you want both you queue twice.
From Independent visitor guides and platform reviews, 2026
Do the church first, or after 14:00 on Sundays
The church line usually moves steadily, so it is easy to see the tombs while you wait for your cloister slot. On Sundays and religious holidays it opens to visitors only from 14:00.
From Official visiting hours and visitor reviews, 2026
Don't arrive an hour early
Ticket holders enter by slot, so arriving long before your time just means more time in the queue. Recent visitors report 45 minutes to an hour in line on busy summer days even with a timed ticket; 15–30 minutes before your slot is about right.
From GetYourGuide visitor reviews, September–October 2026
Go up to the upper floor
Many visitors walk the lower cloister and leave. Take the staircase up: the upper gallery gives the classic view over the courtyard, and the official floor plan shows the upper choir, which looks down the church nave, off this floor.
From Monastery plan on the official site, 2026
Bring water and a hat in summer
The cloister queue on Praça do Império has no shade. There are no lockers at the monastery, so travel light.
From Tour operator notes and visitor reviews, 2026
Use the takeaway counter at Pastéis de Belém
The famous custard-tart bakery a few minutes east has two lines: one for tables and one for takeaway. The takeaway line looks long but moves fast; eat them in the Jardim de Belém across the road.
From Independent Lisbon travel guide, 2026
The train is faster than the 15E
The 15E tram is scenic but slow and crowded, and can take up to an hour from Praça da Figueira in traffic. The Cascais-line train from Cais do Sodré reaches Belém in about seven minutes.
From Viator visitor reviews, 2024; Lisbon transport guide, 2026
Book the tower in the same sitting
Belém Tower reopened in May 2026 with timed slots too (the official Visit page has not caught up and still says closed; the ticket shop sells slots). Book the monastery for an early slot and the tower for an hour and a half later; the walk between them is about 15–20 minutes along the river.
From Official Jerónimos and Belém Tower site and ticket shop, 2026
How to get to Jerónimos Monastery
- Tram 15E runs from Praça da Figueira past Praça do Comércio and Cais do Sodré along the river to the Mosteiro Jerónimos stop, right in front of the monastery. Allow 30 minutes, and longer at busy times; the Lisboa Card covers it.
- Train: Cascais-line trains leave Cais do Sodré about every 20 minutes and reach Belém station in about 7 minutes. From the station, cross the tracks and the main road by the underpass and walk up through the Jardim de Belém, about 10–15 minutes.
- Bus: lines 728 and 714 run from Cais do Sodré and Praça do Comércio to Belém (stop Mosteiro Jerónimos), and 727 comes from Marquês de Pombal. They are no faster than the tram but usually less crowded.
- By car: parking along Avenida da Índia and Avenida Brasília by the river is limited and busy; public transport is easier.
Scams and problems to watch for
Look-alike ticket sites
Sites with Jerónimos or Belém in their name sell the €18 cloister ticket at a mark-up, sometimes as a 'skip-the-line' or 'tour' product that is just an ordinary timed ticket. The tell-tale sign: the official shop is mmp.bymeoblueticket.pt, linked from mosteirojeronimos.torrebelem.gov.pt.
Paying for the church
The church is free. Any offer of a paid 'church ticket' or 'church skip-the-line' is selling you nothing; check whether a tour's price actually includes the cloister entry.
"Skip-the-line" that still queues
A timed ticket only skips buying a ticket on the day; you still wait in the slot queue and the security check, and there is no shortcut for the church side. Guided groups enter at their own time but also queue on busy days.
Pickpockets on tram 15E
The 15 tram between Cais do Sodré and Belém is known for pickpockets, who usually work in pairs and strike in the crush to board or among standing passengers, passing the wallet on at once. Keep phones and wallets in front pockets or a zipped bag, and take extra care boarding at Praça do Comércio and Cais do Sodré.
Out-of-date free-entry rules
Some reseller pages and older guides still say entry is free on Sundays and holidays or on the first Sunday of the month. Since August 2024 free entry for residents of Portugal works through Acesso 52 instead, and there is no free day for other visitors.
Accessibility
The church and the ground floor of the cloister are fully accessible to wheelchair users; the cloister's upper floor and the upper choir are reached by stairs and are not. The monument lends wheelchairs and folding stools, and has an adapted toilet on the ground floor of the cloister. Visitors with a certified disability of 60% or more and one companion go free on showing a valid document. The cloister queue is outside on the square with no seating. At Belém Tower, access for reduced mobility is limited to the ground floor of the bastion.
Combine it with
Pastéis de Belém
The bakery that has made pastéis de Belém since 1837 from a recipe said to come from the monastery's monks, open every day a few minutes' walk east on Rua de Belém. Use the takeaway line, or sit in the back rooms if you have time.
Belém Tower
Manuel I's riverside fort, part of the same World Heritage Site, reopened on 27 May 2026 after restoration (the official Visit page still says closed, but the shop sells slots). Timed tickets €15 from the same official shop; about 15–20 minutes' walk west along the river.
Monument to the Discoveries
The ship's-prow monument to Portugal's navigators on the riverfront across the road from the monastery, with a viewpoint over the Tagus. Open daily 10:00–18:00 from October to February and to 19:00 from March to September.
National Coach Museum
A collection of gilded royal coaches from the 16th to 19th centuries in a modern building on Avenida da Índia, 10 minutes east. €15, Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–18:00, included in the Lisboa Card.
MAAT
The Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology, a wave-shaped riverside building with a walkable roof, about 20 minutes' walk east along the water. Open 10:00–19:00, closed Tuesdays.
Questions people ask about visiting Jerónimos Monastery
Is the Jerónimos Monastery free?
The church of Santa Maria de Belém, with Vasco da Gama's and Camões's tombs, is free and needs no ticket. The cloister is paid: €18 for adults (€19.11 online with the fee), €9 for ages 13–24 and over 65, free for 12 and under (October 2026).
How do I buy Jerónimos Monastery tickets?
Online at mmp.bymeoblueticket.pt, the official shop of Museus e Monumentos de Portugal, where you choose a timed slot; or at the kiosk in front of the monastery until 16:30. Tickets often sell out for the same day in busy periods, so book a few days ahead.
Can you skip the line at Jerónimos Monastery?
Partly. A timed ticket means you don't queue to buy one, but you still wait in the cloister line for your slot, often 30–60 minutes in summer. Arrive 15–30 minutes before your time, or choose a late-afternoon slot when lines are shorter. The church has its own free queue that nothing skips.
Does the cloister ticket include the church?
No. The church is free and has a separate entrance and queue; there is no door from the cloister into the church. The official plan shows the upper choir, which looks down into the church, off the cloister's upper floor, but to see the tombs you join the church line.
What are the Jerónimos Monastery opening hours?
The cloister is open Tuesday to Sunday 9:30–17:30, last entry 17:00. The church is open to visitors Tuesday to Saturday 10:30–17:00 and on Sundays and religious holidays 14:00–17:00. Closed Mondays, 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 13 June and 25 December (October 2026).
Is the Lisboa Card worth it for Jerónimos?
It includes the cloister (€18), Belém Tower (€15), the Coach Museum (€15) and all transport, so a full Belém day can cover the card on its own (€62 for 72 hours on the official shop; a sales site lists €31 for 24 hours). You must still book a free timed slot with the physical card's number, and entry depends on the daily capacity for card holders (2026).
How long do you need at the Jerónimos Monastery?
About an hour for the cloister and 20–30 minutes for the church, plus queueing. With Belém Tower, the Monument to the Discoveries and a pastel de nata, plan half a day.
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Before you go
The things that apply at every big sight: booking ahead, what skip-the-line really means, and the scams that follow tourists everywhere.