The statue of Christ the King stands on a high cliff above the Tejo River near Almada, overlooking the whole of Lisbon on the opposite bank.

The resemblance to the statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro is not accidental. The Brazilian iconic statue became the inspiration for a similar monument in Portugal after the visit of the Cardinal of Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro.

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Lisbon's Christ in numbers

The statue was erected on a 133-metre-high cliff above the mouth of the Tagus River into the sea in 1959. It is therefore more than 25 years younger than the Brazilian model.

The statue itself is 25 metres high, 3 metres shorter than Christ the Saviour in Rio. However, it stands on an 82-meter-high pedestal, making the whole structure more than twice as tall as the statue in Brazil.

Entrance fees and opening hours

On top of the pedestal, just below the statue, is a tourist viewpoint, one of the most popular in Lisbon. From here you can enjoy a literally divine view of the monumental Tagus River, the 24 April Bridge and the centre of Lisbon.

Access to the viewpoint under the pedestal at the shrine is free of charge. There is a charge for access to the pedestal. 8 eur during the summer and 7 eur during the winter. Payment can only be made in cash.

Open daily from 9:30am, closing time varies according to the season (6:45pm to 7:30pm).

Official website: cristorei.pt/en

How to get to the statue?

Set aside at least half a day to visit, it's quite far from the centre of Lisbon.

Ferry + bus

First use the ferry across the Tagus from Cais do Sodre to Cacilhas (timetable: ttsl.pt/horarios-cacilhas). The ticket costs 1,50 eur and you can also use an extended 24-hour ticket for the ferry, see the Transport section.

The Almadan bus line 3001 has a terminus right at the dock and takes you right up to the statue, where it has its second terminus (timetables on the website carrismetropolitana.pt).

Lisbon's 24-hour ticket does not apply for buses in Almada, but you can top up your one-off ticket on your Viva Viagem card, it costs 0,85 eur. Alternatively, you can buy a ticket from the driver for 1,25 eur.

Bus 753

There is a direct bus line 753 from the yellow metro station "Marques de Pombal" in central Lisbon to the Christ statue. The bus runs once every 30 minutes (timetable: carris.pt/753) and a basic 24-hour ticket for Lisbon is valid for the whole route.

Get off at the first stop after crossing the 25 April Bridge, which is called "Portagem-Cristo Rei". From the bus stop to the statue you will have to walk about 1,100 metres, see the route map on en.mapy.cz.