Orient Museum (Museu do Oriente)

Discover the historical encounters between East and West in the various rooms of the Orient Museum, one of the largest and most popular museums in Lisbon. See the impact of Portuguese colonies on the East, the domination of Portugal along the spice routes, the remnants of Catholic Asia in the form of crucifixes and ornaments, as well as rare maps and charts.

Hop-on hop-off tours in Lisbon generally include a stop at the Orient Museum along with other top attractions such as the Jeronimos Monastery (Mosteiro dos Jeronimos) and Lisbon Cathedral (Igreja de Santa Maria Maior de Lisboa, aka the Sé).

• The Orient Museum is ideal for history buffs and those interested in Euro-Asian influences.

• Visitors generally spend about three hours exploring the exhibits.

• Admission is free on Fridays between 6pm and 10pm.

• Guided tours are available at the museum for a small fee.

• The restaurant on the top floor of the museum serves Asian fare along with stunning views of the Tagus River.

• The museum is accessible to wheelchair users.

Lisbon’s Orient Museum is located on the Alcantara dock. Take the Cascais train line from Cais do Sodre to the Alcantara-Mar station, located in front of the museum. The station features an underground crossing with an exit next to the museum. Alternatively, the 15E and 18E trams and city buses 714 and 728 stop at the museum.

The museum is open from 10am to 6pm Tuesday to Sunday, with extended hours to 10pm on Friday. Arrive just after opening for the most crowd-free experience.

A majority of the pieces in the Orient Museum—approximately 10,000 of them—were donated by Mr. Kwok On in 1971. The Gods of Asia collection features masks, costumes, and accessories spanning from Turkey to Japan, while the Shadows of Asia exhibit has a plethora of Cantonese shadow puppets and other performing arts objects.