Free Bike Tours Lisbon · Santa Apolónia
A local guide leads up to 16 riders from Santa Apolónia along the river to Belém and back, stopping at Praça do Comércio, the 25 de Abril bridge, the Padrão and Belém Tower. Pick it for the most ground covered for the least money: the riverside route is flat, and you pay the guide what you think the day was worth.
This runs on the free-tour model, and it helps to get it straight before you book. The $18 on Viator pays for the bike and helmet hire. The guide isn't paid out of that: they work for tips at the end. One rider put it plainly in August 2026: "You pay a smaller fee for the bike rental for the 4 hour ride and tour and then tip your guide!" Budget the tip into your day and it's still cheap for 4 to 5 hours with a guide.
The route starts by Santa Apolónia station and follows the Tagus west: Praça do Comércio, Time Out Market (20 minutes), the 25 de Abril bridge, MAAT, the Padrão dos Descobrimentos and Belém Tower, with Lisbon's pink street on the way back. One guest counted 22 km of smooth and bumpy riding. It's mostly flat, but you share busy cycle paths and some roads, and reviewers say you need basic confidence on a bike. Several riders upgraded to an e-bike on the day.
At the tower you get 10 minutes outside: photos from the shore, a few lines of history, no ticket. That's enough for most riders. If the inside matters, book a EUR 15 slot on the official shop for another time. In 2025 riders found the tower wrapped for restoration; it reopened in May 2026.
Rua dos Caminhos de Ferro 62. Facing the station, it's the street on its left, about 100 m away. Metro: Santa Apolónia.
Ten minutes on Praça do Comércio, then a 20-minute break at Time Out Market.
Along the docks to the 25 de Abril bridge, then 10 minutes at MAAT.
Ten minutes at the Padrão dos Descobrimentos and ten outside Belém Tower. Jerónimos goes by without a stop.
A short lunch or pastel stop. One group had 30 minutes to find food.
East along the river, with five minutes on Lisbon's pink street, to the start.
★★★★★I thought the route would be challenging because of the hills in Lisbon, but it was all flat (except a little hill) and straightforward. We saw so much of Lisbon. The guide was excellent too
★★★★★Wow what a deal - a five hour tour with the wonderful, patient, knowledgeable (& quickest bike walker ever) Silvia! We saw SO much of the city over 22km of smooth and bumpy rides.
★★★★★Covers a lot of ground along the Tagus and takes you to all the highlights between Lisbon and Belém. Be aware you will not stop too long in any one place, but you will have the perfect blueprint to return to favorites and spend more time.
★★★★★Very nice and accommodating tour. Small group, very flexible on stops and a great tour lead (Sylvia). The eBike upgrade was worth it.
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Not quite. The $18 on Viator pays for the bike and helmet. The guide works for tips, so add what you think the tour was worth. It's the free walking tour model applied to bikes.
4 to 5 hours and about 22 km there and back, by one guest's count. The route follows the river and is mostly flat, with one short hill and some bumpy stretches. You need to be comfortable on busy cycle paths and roads.
No. The tower is a 10-minute stop outside, and monument tickets are excluded. Entry costs EUR 15 on the official shop, or nothing with the Lisboa Card.
Viator prices riders in age bands from 3 upwards, and the listing says most travellers can take part. For a young child, ask the operator about child seats or small bikes before you book.
Ready to book
Four to five flat hours by bike from downtown to Belém and back. You pay for the bike and tip the guide what the day was worth.
Riverside E-Bike Tour to BelémOutside stop: a flat e-bike ride to Belém with a tart and coffee, but only 3 minutes at the tower, and some groups miss it.★ 4.8 · 2.5 hours · from $25
Private Belém Tuk-Tuk TourPrivate, with hotel pickup: two hours in your own tuk-tuk, four Belém stops and 10 minutes outside the tower.★ 5.0 · 2 hours · from $57
Belém Hop-On Hop-Off Bus, 24 HoursA bus stop at the tower and 24 hours of Lisbon trams included, but a 3.0 rating built on long waits and dead headphones.★ 3.0 · 24 hours · from $25