Lisbon's Funiculars and the Santa Justa Lift in 2026: What's Running, and How to See Them Anyway
Lisbon is a city of hills, and for a long time getting up them meant walking. In the 1880s the city started building funiculars, and they never stopped. The three that survive are national monuments, run by Carris, the city transport company, and for well over a century they were used by residents on their way home as much as by visitors with a camera.
Are they running? The situation in 2026
Status, last checked 1 November 2026
| Lift | Status |
|---|---|
| Glória funicular | Closed. A new, modernised funicular is planned, expected around 2029 |
| Bica funicular | Closed, no reopening date |
| Lavra funicular | Closed, no reopening date |
| Santa Justa Lift | Closed, no reopening date |
| Graça funicular | Open since 30 April 2026 |
On 3 September 2025 the Glória funicular derailed, a tragedy that cost many lives and that Lisbon has not forgotten. Since then the city’s historic lifts have been closed while independent engineers inspect them. The Santa Justa’s assessment is the furthest along, while reports in September 2026 suggested the Bica and the Lavra may not run again before 2030. The only one carrying passengers today is the modern Graça funicular, linking the Mouraria to the Graça hilltop.
The streets, the viewpoints and the stories are all still there, and every one of them can be reached on foot. Here is what each lift is, and how to reach the view it was built for while it rests. Check Carris before you go, as the situation is evolving.
Gloria Funicular (Elevador da Glória): is it open?
The famous one. It links Praça dos Restauradores, down in the centre, to the edge of Bairro Alto, right beside the São Pedro de Alcântara viewpoint. It opened in 1885 and climbed the same short, steep street for 140 years, its yellow car usually covered in graffiti the city had more or less made peace with. At the top waits one of the best free views in Lisbon, across the valley to the castle.
While it is closed: walk up the Calçada da Glória itself. It is short and steep, a few minutes at an easy pace, and you arrive at the same viewpoint. At dusk, the view across the valley to the castle is as good as it ever was.
Bica Funicular (Elevador da Bica)
The photogenic one. It runs from near Cais do Sodré up to the Bica quarter and Largo do Calhariz, through a street so steep the tracks look almost vertical. If you have seen a photo of a yellow funicular car framed by tiled houses and drying laundry, it was probably taken here.
While it is closed: the Rua da Bica de Duarte Belo is still the photograph. Walk it from the bottom in the quiet mid-morning light, with the river behind you, and the tracks and the laundry are all there.
Lavra Funicular (Elevador do Lavra)
The oldest, and the one almost nobody rode. It opened in 1884 and climbs from Largo da Anunciada toward Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, in a part of town with no postcard stands. It was always the one we pointed people to when they wanted the funicular for what it is, a short creaking ride up a hill among locals, rather than an attraction.
While it is closed: the climb from Largo da Anunciada is a short, steep walk through a part of town that sees few visitors, which was always the point.
The Santa Justa Lift (Carmo Lift)
Strictly, this one is not a funicular. It is a vertical iron elevator that carries you from Rua de Santa Justa, in the Baixa, up to the level of Largo do Carmo and the roofless Carmo Convent. It opened in 1902, the work of Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard, an engineer trained in the same iron-and-rivets tradition as Eiffel, which is why people always bring Eiffel up here. The ironwork is beautiful, and the platform on top was one of the city’s great vantage points. It is also known as the Carmo Lift (Elevador do Carmo), after the Largo do Carmo it reaches at the top.
While it is closed: walk up through the Chiado to Largo do Carmo, one of the loveliest small squares in the city, and look at the ironwork from the Carmo side. The tower is just as beautiful seen from below, from Rua de Santa Justa in the Baixa.
A day of viewpoints instead
For the full picture, see our guide to Lisbon’s viewpoints and how to reach them, and if you are still deciding how long to stay, how many days to give Lisbon.
The lifts were only ever a way up to the views, and the views have not gone anywhere. The modern Graça funicular will lift you to the Graça hilltop and its miradouro; from there it is a short walk on to Senhora do Monte, the highest viewpoint in the old city. São Pedro de Alcântara is a few steep minutes above Restauradores, and Santa Catarina sits just above the Bica, looking straight down the river.
When we plan a day in Lisbon, we build it around the light rather than the transport: the Bica street in the quiet of the morning, the Graça hilltop in the afternoon, São Pedro de Alcântara as the sun goes down, and a driver waiting for the moments when you would rather not climb. Our half-day private tour of Lisbon works the same way, with the hills left to the car. If a Lisbon holiday shaped like that appeals, see Lisbon in 3 days or how we design tailor-made holidays in Portugal, or start a conversation.
Questions we are asked about Lisbon’s funiculars
Which funicular is open in Lisbon?
Only the modern Graça funicular, which links the Mouraria to the Graça hilltop and reopened on 30 April 2026. The historic Glória, Bica and Lavra funiculars and the Santa Justa Lift remain closed.
When will the Santa Justa Lift reopen?
There is no date yet. Of the historic lifts, the Santa Justa is the one whose technical assessment is furthest along, but as of November 2026 Carris has not announced a reopening. Until it does, walk up through the Chiado to Largo do Carmo for the same view.
Are Lisbon’s funiculars running in 2026?
Not the historic ones. The Glória, Bica and Lavra funiculars and the Santa Justa Lift have been closed since the Glória derailment in September 2025, while independent safety inspections continue. The modern Graça funicular reopened at the end of April 2026. Check Carris for the latest before you go.
When will the Glória funicular reopen?
The city plans to replace it with a new, modernised Glória funicular, with operation currently expected around 2029. There is no confirmed reopening date for the Bica, Lavra or Santa Justa.
How many funiculars are there in Lisbon?
Three historic funiculars (Glória, Bica and Lavra), plus the Santa Justa Lift, which is a vertical elevator rather than a funicular, and the modern Graça funicular, which links the Mouraria to the Graça hilltop.
How do I get up to Bairro Alto without the Glória funicular?
On foot, up the same street the funicular climbs, the Calçada da Glória. It is short and steep, a few minutes at an easy pace, and it ends at the São Pedro de Alcântara viewpoint. A taxi or a private driver will take you round by road if you would rather arrive fresh.