What a Lisbon Boat Trip Costs – Fares, Boarding Taxes and Booking Conditions
9 min read
Lisbon’s river trips come in several formats, with different inclusions and booking conditions. The welcome-drink cruise starts at €19 per person, the sunset party cruise at €19 per person, and the swim-stop cruise at €35 per person. Compare those fares with the inclusions and separately payable charges before choosing a boat.
Check which charges apply per passenger and which apply only if you change your booking.
Three fares to compare
| Tour | From per person | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome-drink cruise | €19 | Sightseeing with one welcome drink and an app audio guide |
| Sunset party cruise | €19 | 90 minutes with a DJ and open bar; adults only |
| Swim-stop cruise | €35 | 3 hours with music, an open bar and a river-beach swimming stop, subject to the vessel change described below |
Two things worth reading out of that table. The sunset party cruise starts at €19 per person and has 4.5/5 from 14,374 reviews. Its fare includes 90 minutes with a DJ and an open bar; the boarding tax is payable separately.
For the Tagus cruise with welcome drink, the description says 1 hour 40 minutes while the duration header says 1.5 hours; confirm the timing of your selected departure.
The surcharges, named
A €1.30 boarding tax, per passenger, at check-in. Stern Wind Cruises charges it on the sunset party cruise and on the swim-stop cruise, and both listings say so in writing. It is not hidden, it is simply not in the price you compared. Check the accepted payment methods before arriving at the ticket booth.
€15 per ticket to move your booking late. For the sunset party cruise, changes through GetYourGuide are free up to 24 hours before the activity; after that, a €15 rebooking fee per ticket is payable at check-in.
Headphones, on the boats where the guide is an app. The Blue Cruises welcome-drink cruise uses an app audio guide and asks you to bring your own headphones. The sunset cruise with snacks and drink also offers a downloadable audio guide; bring headphones for it too. Download the audio guide and bring your own headphones if you want to use the commentary comfortably.
Food and drinks beyond the included allowance. On those same boats you may not bring food or drink aboard. The welcome-drink cruise includes one drink, with food and further drinks available to buy. The sunset snacks cruise includes one drink and regional snacks; additional food and drinks cost extra. Plan dinner separately: the sunset snacks cruise explicitly says its snacks are not a dinner.
The child who is free but still needs a ticket. On the 1 or 2-hour Tagus cruise, infants aged 0–3 travel free but must have a free infant ticket because they count towards the boat’s maximum occupancy. The child rate applies to ages 4–12. Children under 12 must wear a life jacket from leaving the dock until returning; check the fare for each passenger’s age when booking. Leave the toddler off the booking and the boat may be full when you arrive.
Nothing back for missing the boat. The sunset catamaran with a welcome drink states that no-shows and late arrivals receive no refund; rescheduling to another date is the only option in those cases. Allow time for ticket exchange and queues, and follow the arrival instructions for your particular cruise.
What an evening on the water really comes to
For two adults choosing between a party cruise and a sunset cruise with snacks, compare these items:
| Sunset party cruise | Sunset cruise with snacks and drink | |
|---|---|---|
| Tickets, two adults | 2 × from €19 | 2 × from €29.17 |
| Boarding tax | €1.30 per passenger, payable at check-in | Check any local charges for your selected booking |
| Headphones | — | Bring your own for the downloadable audio guide |
| Further drinks | Open bar: white wine, beer, sangria and soft drinks | Additional drinks available to purchase |
| Dinner afterwards | Plan separately | Plan separately; the included snacks are not dinner |
The party cruise lasts 90 minutes, with a DJ, an open bar, and under-18s listed by the operator as unsuitable. It is also unsuitable for pregnant guests, people with mobility impairments and wheelchair users. The sunset snacks cruise lasts 2 hours and is non-refundable. Its sundeck is limited to the first 52 guests. Choose between them by format, inclusions and cancellation terms.
Where the price stops meaning what you think
“From” is a floor, not a fare. Check the fare for your chosen date, departure, option and passenger ages before paying.
Free cancellation is worth money. The sunset party cruise and swim-stop cruise offer a full refund when you cancel at least 24 hours in advance. The 2-hour sunset cruise with snacks and drink, from €29.17 per person, is non-refundable. If your plans are firm you can live with that; if they are not, read that line before you click.
Minimum passenger numbers can change the trip. The Saildreams sunset sailing requires a minimum number of travellers. If that minimum is not met, the operator offers a different date or experience, or a full refund. From October to May, the swim-stop cruise may instead use speedboats along the Atlantic coast in the open sea if the minimum passenger number is not reached. The sunset catamaran with a welcome drink may also be rescheduled or cancelled if its minimum is not met or the weather is bad. The swim-stop cruise is not suitable for pregnant guests, people with mobility impairments, wheelchair users or people prone to seasickness or motion sickness. Confirm the vessel and itinerary before booking if the possible open-sea substitution would change your choice. You are paying for predictability as well as for a hull.
Compare private quotes on the same basis. Check whether a private quote is for the whole boat or per passenger, and what it includes. Compare the whole-boat quote with the per-person fares for everyone travelling, plus any taxes and extras; the arithmetic of a whole boat depends on those details.
Three ways to keep costs clear
- Compare the available departure times. Check the fare and inclusions for each option you would actually book.
- Take your own earphones and plan dinner separately. Bring headphones for an app audio guide, and remember that the sunset snacks cruise does not provide a dinner.
- Count the tax and the journey to the dock before comparing tickets. Check the departure location and allow for any transport costs.
Before you pick a price, pick a format
Cost is the last question, not the first. Which boat format is meant for whom is where this decision actually starts; compare the sailing boats and catamarans and check what the included drink covers.
If your evening is a sunset, check the durations and the boarding queue. If the weather is uncertain, check which cancellation clause you booked. And with children aboard, the ticket rules above are only half the story – the rest is in the age limits and on-board equipment.
Current prices are on our Lisbon boat tours page. Check the selected fare, separately payable taxes and fees, and child-ticket rules on the booking page before paying.
