One of the most popular tourist attractions in Lisbon is the Santa Justa Lift (Elevador de Santa Justa) which connects the lower streets of the Baixa area to the higher Bairro Alto neighbourhood. Whilst the lift features on many people’s must-do lists whilst in Lisbon, it is not worth the long wait as the line can often get incredibly long (often an hour or more) especially if you have limited time in the city. However the view across the city from the observation deck at the top is amazing and you can access this with no wait and without having to use the lift and you can also save money in the process!

A ticket for the Santa Justa Lift and the observation deck will cost €5.30. This ticket is included in the price of a Lisboa Card and the lift itself (but not access to the observation deck) is also included on a 24 hour Viva Viagem transportation ticket which are two of the reasons why the line is always so long as people want to take the lift to make sure they are getting their money’s worth from the cards they have bought.

The Santa Justa lift can only carry twenty people at a time and when I visited in December during the quiet season, the line was long and not moving so I hate to think what it is like in the busy summer months. It definitely is not worth the long wait for a fifteen second ride – it’s such a waste of time and you can walk quicker to the top and that is how to get a great view of Lisbon from the Santa Justa Lift without the wait!

To get to the observation deck on foot, after taking a photo of the Santa Justa Lift from street level (which you have to as it’s such an iconic photo), walk up the few steps past the long line of people behind the lift and turn left onto Rua do Carmo.

Once on Rua do Carmo, take the first right on to Rua Garrett and then an immediate right on to Calçada do Sacramento where there is a sign for Largo do Carmo. At the top of the small hill (it’s not steep and it’s an easy walk), take the path to the right of the Carmo Convent ruins. The walk from the bottom of the Santa Justa lift to here should take no more than five minutes.

If you need to access mobile data whilst visiting Portgual, you can purchase a travel E-Sim through Airalo. If you would like to use my referral code NIKKI8866 when signing up, you will receive £2.50 / US$3 off your first purchase.

At the end of the path is a restaurant called Bellalisa Elevador – you cannot miss it. Take the stairs to the side of the restaurant which lead to the bridge to get across to the top of the Santa Justa lift. The views of the city from the bridge are free (if you are on a tight budget) but if you want to get to the observation deck for an even better view, follow the sign for “Viewpoint Access” and you can pay just €1.50 and there is a small spiral staircase up to the platform.

Edit: As of October 2024 the staircases to the higher observation deck are currently closed for maintenance but you can still enjoy the view from the bridge and the area around the exit of the lift.

The view of Lisbon from the observation deck is beautiful. You can see the Carmo Convent ruins, São Jorge Castle, Rossio Square, Lisbon Cathedral, Rua Augusta Arch, Eduardo VII Park as well as across the Tagus River towards Cacilhas and beyond.

Whilst the Santa Justa Lift itself is a little bit of a tourist trap, the view from the top of Lisbon is definitely not. So my advice to everyone is to save both your time and your money and walk to the top of the Santa Justa Lift to enjoy the view – it’s definitely worth it!

Since this blog post was written back in 2020, some of the information may no longer be accurate or up to date. Be sure to do your own research and check official websites for the latest details before making any of your own travel plans.

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