Evora on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Yes: Évora is one of the easier Portuguese towns to visit on a budget, with cheap lunches and several free sights. A realistic minimum is about €60 a day per person sharing a room — around €30 for a bed, €20 for food, €8 for sights and €3 for transport.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | €30 | €60 | €130 |
| Food & drink | €20 | €35 | €65 |
| Sights & tickets | €8 | €20 | €40 |
| Local transport | €3 | €20 | €35 |
| Per person, per day | €61 | €135 | €270 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Evora day-cost table.
Free things to do
- The Roman Temple, open at all hours
- Praça do Giraldo and its marble fountain
- The Água de Prata aqueduct and the houses built into its arches on Rua do Cano
- Walking the town walls and the lanes of the old centre
- The Almendres Cromlech, free and unfenced (you need transport)
- The public garden (Jardim Público) near the Church of São Francisco
Cheap eats
- Lunch menu in a tasca — about €12–16
- Açorda alentejana (bread soup) — usually one of the cheaper dishes
- Bica coffee and a pastry — about €2–3
- Migas with pork — often about €12–16
- Picnic of local cheese, bread and fruit from the market — under €10
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in simple guesthouses inside the walls, on the west side, at about €55–90 a night for a double, or in hostels where available. Rooms outside the walls near the station cost about €70–120 and make parking easy.
Getting around cheaply
Walk the old town; everything is within about 10–15 minutes. Take the train from Lisbon (about 1.5 hours, roughly €12–15) or the Rede Expressos bus. For the countryside, share a hire car or join a local half-day tour.
A sample budget day
- Morning: coffee and pastry (about €2), then the free Roman Temple and the cathedral roof (about €5–8)
- Lunch: menu do dia in a tasca (about €13)
- Afternoon: free aqueduct and Rua do Cano walk
- Evening: simple dinner or picnic (about €8)
- Total: about €60 including a shared room (about €30)
More ways to save
- Visit in spring or late autumn for comfortable walking and lower rates.
- Eat your main meal at lunch, when menus are cheaper.
- Buy picnic supplies at the market and supermarkets.
- Choose two paid sights — the cathedral and the Chapel of Bones — and enjoy the rest for free.
- Fill a water bottle from the tap; the water is safe.
- Book the train from Lisbon online in advance; fares are fixed but seats sell out at weekends.
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Common questions
Can you visit Évora on a budget?
Yes. Lunch menus cost about €12–16 and several sights are free. Plan on about €60 a day.
How do I get from Lisbon to Évora cheaply?
Take the train, about 1.5 hours for roughly €12–15, or the Rede Expressos bus from Sete Rios.
Can I see the Almendres Cromlech without a car?
Yes, with a local half-day megalith tour from the centre. There is no regular bus.