my wife and i are consistent travellers in Europe. We have followed Rick’s book advice for years. Generally we do a recommended walking tour of historical centres and hop on hop off buses for more extended areas..
Recently we have noticed a lot of Tuk Tuk tours offered. We are going to Lisbon this fall and intend to try one. We understand Lisbon is very hilly and as seniors, we think this might be a good alternative.. we have noted the tours range from 1-4 hours in length but have little luck in suggestions as to what length is enough. I understand that the longer no doubt covers more area but 4 hours seems a bit much.. does anyone have some suggestions or recommendations.. thanks deryk
Posted by
Cascais, Portugal
2040 posts
I agree four hours is a bit long - just to be riding in the bumpy tuk-tuk. I’m guessing one that long would include Belem, as I’m not certain it would take that long to cover the main sites in Lisbon. I’ve taken one when I had a guest visiting for just one day and found it a great way to see a lot in a short amount of time. It also, obviously, saves climbing the hills. If you plan to book ahead, the ad should tell you what they cover in the differing time frames.
The one I took in Lisbon, I just used one of the ones on the street.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
16045 posts
I did a tuktuk tour in another country and it was all in the vehicle with continuous recorded audio commentary. I don't think I'd enjoy something like that for 3-4 hours in Lisbon (or much of anywhere). But if it is with a live tour guide and makes stops, I'd think you wouldn't spend all that much time riding. I took one tuktuk ride in Sintra and the value was how the driver passed a lot of stalled traffic. That would be a definite plus in Lisbon where city traffic can be awful. I took the bus to Belem and spent several hours seeing the monastery and visiting the next-door naval museum, and getting pastels de nata at the bakery recommended in the RS guide book. All level walking.
A good bit of central Lisbon is pretty level. I did one walking tour and had to walk up one flight of stairs and a couple of easy inclines. Nothing at all strenuous. For the especially hilly Alfama neighborhood, I took a tram to the top, wandered downhill slowly and then took another tram back to near my hotel.
Posted by
Reston VA
548 posts
We understand Lisbon is very hilly and as seniors, we think this might be a good alternative.
Not sure where the cut-off for seniors begins - 65? 70? 75? - but I generally look more at whether folks are regularly active and agile vs an age limit for things like a walking tour.
We were just in Lisbon a couple weeks ago and used a "free" guide for a 2.5-3 hour walking tour that was done at a generally easy pace. We started over at the Praça Luís de Camões (statue/small square) and eventually wound our way up and over to Miradouro das Portas do Sol where there was a viewpoint of the city/river.
There were some gradual climbs around the castle and cathedral as well as scattered through the walk, but nothing that a guide would take at too quick a speed, and there were a few longer stops (bathroom, snacks, coffee) along the way. I also think our guide specifically avoided some of the steeper (shorter) options to navigate us through our tour route.
What would I worry about most would be not the walking/pacing, but more about sure-footedness as the assortment and quality of sidewalks, streets, and curbs can be a bit tricky - ESPECIALLY in wet conditions. I caught my toe a few times on missing cobbles or random things while walking, so if a person is feeling less agile or balanced, Lisbon (or other cobbled cities) may present a problem.
Regarding tuktuks (and trolleys), options are plentiful in the area around the big Praça do Comércio. Probably would be pretty straightforward finding a tuktuk option that fits your needs while first checking out the area around the square. We picked up the bus to the Jeronimos Monastery/Belem from there too. The square is a good place to radiate out from - walking or via tuktuk, trolley, bus.