Jeronimos Monastery -This is one of Belem’s absolute highlights. You can’t miss it because there are always super long lines of people there – waiting to get in! The Jeronimos monastery is part of the UNESCO world heritage site. We were there and we can give you all the tips to skip the lines!

Jeronimos Monastery

The construction of this massive building started in 1501 and it took 100 years to finish it. This article is not about all of the monasteries history and what went on here – that is information you will have to google yourself. This article is about our visit there, what we thought of it. But it is also an article that will give you some tips and advice on how to get there and how you can skip the line and don’t wait for hours to get in there.

There are a few tricks on how you can avoid those lines and we have the answers for you. During our visit, it was raining and still, people were waiting with umbrellas. Waiting to get inside to see the Jeronimos monastery.

Our visit to the UNESCO world heritage site

There is a charm about this place. Since we were there when it was raining, we could hear the rain patter on the roof of the monastery. This place is huge and stretches over two floors. There is not that much information inside (I wish that the information was more spread out). Instead, they have two rooms that are filled with information. You have written information in English, Spanish and several other languages.

I wish that they had spread out the information along the monastery. A feeling I got was that it was way to much information all at once. I couldn’t take it all in and since there is always loads of people, it took forever to be here if you wished to read it all! However, one of the rooms is the place where you can get all the information about the monastery and its history. The other “information room” is an exhibition about Alexandre Herculano. He was a Portuguese novelist and historian.

The church of the Jeronimos Monastery

If you are inside the monastery, you will see the church and chapel from above. You will also get to see the choir stall where the orderers of the monks would spend up to seven hours a day – engaging in songs and prayers. This place got totally destroyed during the big Lisbon earthquake and was rebuilt in 1883.

The church is very impressive. For me, this was the most impressive part of the monastery and you can visit the church for free. If you walk past the long lines outside of the monastery, you will see the entrance to the church on your right side. So you can enjoy the beauty of the church without paying for it!

Skip the line – visit the Jeronimos Monastery

There are several ways to save time and not having to stand in line for hours to visit the monastery. You will have to stand in line but not for long if you…

• Come one hour before closing time. At this time most of the people have already visited and the lines are a lot shorter.
• Buy your tickets at other attractions. If you also want to visit the archeological museum – buy the ticket to that and to the monastery at once. If you have a valid ticket, you can pass the line and enter the monastery. There are several attractions that offer combination tickets so check if there is something else that you want to visit and get the tickets elsewhere. This option will also save you money since combination tickets are cheaper.
• Buy your ticket online. I can not give you the specific link because it is different for each country. But if you google “buy tickets online for the Jeronimo Monastery” you will get your options!

Get the most out of your visit to Belem

The Monastery is located close to several other attractions in Belem. Here are some other things that you might want to check out while visiting the area!

1. Belem Tower – Opening hours and days keep changing due to weather conditions so make sure that it is open before going there!
2. MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture, and Technology is well worth a visit.
3. Monument to the Discoveries – Here you will get an amazing view of Belem.
4. Coach Museum – This place is a must. If you are not into coaches – the building itself is a must to see!
5. The Marine Museum – This is housed in the same building as the monastery and is a great way to learn about the history of boats in Portugal.
6. The National Archaeology Museum – Also housed in the same building as the monastery. Here you can also get your ticket to the Jeronimo Monastery.
7. Pasteis de Belém – This is the one and only place to taste the Portuguese tart “pastel de nata”.

And there is a lot more to see and to explore in Belem, Lisbon!

Information about Jeronimos Monastery

Address: Praça do Império, 1400, Belém‎.
Opening hours: October – April: 10.00 – 17.30 daily except for Mondays when it’s closed. May – September: 10.00 – 18.30 daily except for Mondays when it’s closed.
Entrance fee: 10 euro per person. Jeronimos Monastery + Belém Tower, 12 euros.
Link to Lisbon.net