Lisbon with kids: all you need to know to plan a perfect stay (based on our own travels!)
Practical family guide to visiting Lisbon with kids: things to do in Lisbon with kids, best family hotels in Lisbon, practical travel tips by a mom.
When we booked our family holiday to Lisbon, I knew we would enjoy the city.
I knew we would love its relaxed vibe, its bright light and its beautiful architecture, crumbling yet grand, elegant yet welcoming.
I didn’t know, however, that we would find the city so child-friendly that it would become a favorite destination for our children too!
Enjoying Lisbon with children is easy. Lisbon historical center is a pleasure to explore for both kids and adults and the city has many kid friendly attractions.
Here is our selection of the top things to do with kids in Lisbon both kids and adults will love.
By the end of this travel guide, we are sure you will agree Lisbon is one of the best cities in Europe to visit with kids and one of the best cities to visit with family in the world!
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Why visit Lisbon with kids
There are many reasons why we love Lisbon as a family destination. Some of the most significant:
- Lisbon is a beautiful city, with many sightseeing opportunities and landmarks kids can also enoy
- The city is well organized and safe
- Lisbon is family friendly in vibes, attractions and the Portuguese has a wonderful kid-friendly attitude that makes you feel welcome everywhere
- Lisbon is budget friendly
- Lisbon has lovely parks and green areas for kids
- Lisbon is close to the beach and many beautiful small towns and castle that you can visit on a day trip and that are fun for kids
Why not visit Lisbon with kids
There is no reason to skip Lisbon on account of the children!
The only thing to be aware of is that parts of Lisbon are not stroller friendly and you will need a carrier.
This is only an issue in parts of the city (namely: Alfama) and easy to overcome if you pick a family hotel in different area and explore with a baby carrier.
How many days to spend in Lisbon with kids + 3 days Lisbon with kids sample itinerary
We find 3 days to a week to be a good amount of time to visit Lisbon with children. With three days, you can get a sense of Lisbon’s main landmarks and enjoy the city with ease; with a little longer, however, you can treat the kids to the many kid-friendly museums and attractions the city has in store for them.
Our quickest trip to Lisbon was over a weekend. A great itinerary for a weekend in Lisbon with kids, to me, looks like this
Day 1 -Arrival, settling into the hotel, lunch in Time out Market, city center Lisbon tour for kids with Little Lisbon. Dinner in Chiado (we LOVED Cervecaria Trinidade!)
Day 2 – tram 28 up to Aflama area, visit to the area, S. Jorge Castle and lunch in Alfama. Taxi / bus hop to Belem to see the tower and taste the delightful pastels
Day 3 – Visit to Lisbon’s famous Oceanarius and Parque das Nacoes, gathering of your stuff and departure
Lisbon booking resources
Lisbon ‘Explorer’ card – excellent if you want to use the extensive and efficient Lisbon public transport system. Use code MAMALOVESITALY to get a 5% discount on Tiqets
Lisbon City Pass, useful if planning on using the hop on hot off tour of the city and entering main attractions. Use code MAMALOVESITALY to get a 5% discount on Tiqets
Oceanarium Tickets, Available on Tiqets (Use code MAMALOVESITALY to get a 5% discount)
Little Lisbon kids’ tour of Lisbon
Top things to do in Lisbon with kids
These are our top things to do in Lisbon with kids!
Take a kids’ tour of the city center
Lisbon is not a difficult city to explore on your own but it has such as beautiful and long history and so many stories to tell, it really comes to life with a guide that can tell the kids about it!
To make the most of our stay, we trusted Little Lisbon and found them to be lovely, competent, ki-friednly and fun. Find them here
Take a rickety tram ride
My kids are fascinated by trams (we have them in Rome too, yet they never seem to get bored of them!) and the ones in Lisbon are exceptionally atmospheric.
Lisbon trams crisscross the city and the most famous of all is the n 28, now a popular tourist attraction.
It goes from the area of Baixa, in the city centre, up to the top of the Alfama, meandering its way up through beautiful street lined with shops and decorated with tiles.
The rickety tram ride is fun and a great way to save your legs from Lisbon famous hills.
However, due to its popularity, you may find yourself queuing up for well over an hour just to get a seat.
Go early to avoid long lines or kill the time waiting like we did: tasting the sweets from the patisserie just in front of the tram terminal!
Visit Alfama Be king for the day in Castelo de Sao Jorge
Alfama is the most famous and scenic neighbourhood in Lisbon, climbing up the steel slopes of the city all the way up to St Jorge’s Castle
Alfama is wonderful and a must see with kids: you will need a bit of patience with the seep roads, the many steps and the feeling of being in a maze but if you allow yourself to get lost and take in its atmosphere, it’s a place that will capture your heart!
I love to visit the Alfama on foot: if you are visiting Lisbon with a toddlers you may way to get a bus or taxi up and walk down.
If you have older kids, you can tackle it either way!
At the top of the Alfama, the historical district of Lisbon, sits the Castelo de Sao Jorge, a imposing castle dating back to Moorish times and commanding amazing views over the city.
The castle has two main attractions for knights and princesses in the making: a large garden with binoculars to spy over the city and peacocks kids will love!
You can visit the castle in your own time with an audioguide, so the kids can set the pace.
As it is a very popular attraction in Lisbon, advance booking is a must. Find tickets and cost here.
Channel your inner Octonaut in Lisbon Oceanarium
Lisbon Oceanarium is one of the world’s most impressive aquariums and a firm favourite with families
The Oceanarium holds 5 million liters of salt water and has a permanent exhibition featuring terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
It recreates marine environments with temperate, tropical and cold water and is the home of plants, fish and super cute mammals (they have sea otters!).
The Oceanarium is easy to reach by metro and it’s also a great activity for rainy days in Lisbon.
Become a scientist in the Pavilhao de Conocimiento
An incredible museum for both adults and kids is the ‘Knowledge pavilion’, Lisbon’s science museum.
Located in Parque das Nações, in the former grounds of Expo 98, this is a large, interactive space where kids can explore and experience the wonders of the laws of physics and the chemical formulas that shape our planet.
The museum is organised in several areas where you are encouraged to learn by seeing, touching, experimenting and doing.
Explore Bairro Alto and Chiado
Chiado and the neighboring Bairro Alto are two of the most fascinating neighborhoods in central Lisbon.
Both these area are charming, easy to enjoy on foot and host some of the attractions we were most fond of such as impressive Elevador de Santa Justa and stunning Convento de Carmo.
At the top of Bairro Alto, we loved Miradouro Santa Caterina.
This is a small panoramic terrace with a small green space and sweeping views over the city.
You can take a seat at the small cafe here or, even better, take a break in outside terrace of the Pharmacy Museum.
This is a family friendly space serving juices and lovely cocktail/mocktails with pharmacy inspired names and presentations.
If little legs are tired, you can get up here by cable car, super fun and not only if you travel with kids!
Top tip! In this area, we had an amazing meal at Cervecaria Trinidade, recommended by a local friend and delicious as well as super family friendly (high chairs, kids’ menu etc)!
Take a break in Lisbon’s beautiful parks
Lisbon has some lovely parks that are a lifesaver especially when summer temperatures envelope the city.
A favourite with local families is Jadim de Estrela, where you find exotic plants and trees, a small pond (with ducks!), a children’s playground, and café.
Worth visiting are also Parque Eduardo VII and Jardim do Torel.
Spend a day in Belem
The district of Belem, just to the west of Lisbon city centre, makes for a lovely day out with kids.
Here is where you find the beautiful Belem tower, the monument to the discoveries, many museums and the stunning Jeronimos monastery, guaranteed to impress even the most jaded of architecture lovers.
Belem is also the place where you can taste great pasteis de nata, the local and delicious custard tarts.
The place for this is Pasteleria de Belem which is said to have elevated these simple pastries to legendary status.
The best way to discover Belem is to take the (long walk) from the tower to the pasteleria, stopping at the small playground along the way.
The walk is flat and easy and if you are travelling with a baby or toddler you will be happy to hear it is buggy and stroller friendly.
Most Lisbon itineraries devote a full day to Belem but if you are short on time, even just few hours are enough to enjoy this area. A quick a fun way to reach it is to take a moto-rickshaw, worth especially for numerous families – our took up to 6 people and came with a good commentary from the driver.
Sample Portuguese food in Mercado da Ribeira
One of our favourite things to do in Lisbon with kids and not just for food is strolling around Mercado da Ribeira, aka the Time Out market.
This is a location you simply must visit on your trip to Lisbon and the easiest child friendly meal you will get in the city.
This is a fantastic space with food stalls to suit everyone, from traditional Portuguese fair to a Asian street food, via pizza and burgers!
Outside, there is a small playground with a coffee kiosk and a resident flock of pigeons offering endless chasing opportunities.
Inside, you have table with both tall stools and normal chairs and basic but adequate baby changing facilities.
Strollers are welcome but can be challenging at busy times.
Visit Lisbon with a fun tuk tuk tour
Very few things excite my kids more than a ride on an unusual vehicle and, in Lisbon, unusual means tuk tuk!
While a Lisbon tuk tuk tour is a quintessential tourist activity, this is a great thing to do with kids, when you want to cover a lot of grounds or have something to do but they are refusing to walk.
You can have a look at prices and specs here
Go to the beach
Lisbon’s body of water is the river Tejo, rather than the Ocean, but the city is close to many glorious beaches where you can take long walks in the sand, sunbathe, swim and of curse make sandcastles!
Our favorite beach is the one in Cascais, a small locality on the Atlantic coast connected to Lisbon by regular train (the journey costs less than 5 euro and takes about 30 minutes).
Cascais is an elegant seaside town with a lovely, family friendly beach just opposite the main square.
Where to stay in Lisbon with kids: best family hotels in Lisbon
Where to stay in Lisbon with kids depends on the age of your children.
If you are visiting Lisbon with toddlers and a stroller, then staying in the flat part of Lisbon, is paramount Hotel Santa Just a below or any of the big hotels along Avenida da Libertade work well.
If you don’t have to worry about wheels, then we had a wonderful time in the Chiado area.
Family hotels in Lisbon we like are:
Martinhal Chiado – a luxury, 5 star hotel with stunning family apartments and a lots of special attention for kids, including a kids club (this is unique!). We stayed here in April and LOVED it. Find our full review here.
Lisbon Charming apartments, Chiado – at a different price point, we also stayed here with the kids and loved the location and the simple yet clean and pretty apartment. If traveling with a stroller, just be aware that there are flights of stairs to get to those on the upper floors.
Hotel Santa Justa – lovely hotel near the scenic list by the same name. A covenant and family hotel in a great location in Lisbon city center.
How to get around Lisbon with kids
Moving around Lisbon with kids is easy thanks to a good trams, metro lines and elevators network.
Lisbon metro is fast, clean and easy to use. We always felt safe on the trains and the stations are well kept, well lit and with good info panels that help find your way around.
Lisbon trams are equally easy to use. They criss cross the city and some like the 28 are historical and tourist attractions while others are a standard means of transport where you find locals and tourists.
Lisbon elevators: Lisbon develops on 7 hills and since they are often very steep, there are elevators (cable cars) to help you up and down.
The elevators are part of the Lisbon public transport system and you access them with the same tickets as the other means of transport.
Good to know: The company operating Lisbon overland transport options Carris offers an integrated ticket system that covers trams and elevators. Standard tickets do not allow to transfer onto the metro but the Lisbon Card does: we found it a life saver with kids! Find info and prices here.
Using strollers in Lisbon
Lisbon is a city on hills and this means how easy or hard it is to use a stroller depends on where you are.
In lower part of the city, so in areas such as Baixa, the large modern Lisbon avenues or Belem, strollers are not a problem as Lisbon has good sidewalks and reasonably flat and well kept walking surfaces.
The situation is very different once you go to hilly neighbourhoods such as Aflama and Chiado. Aflame in particular is full of steps and uneven terrain and is, in large parts, impossible with a stroller.
Because of this, I recommend you bring both carrier and stroller, making a conscious choice to pick a very lightweight one you can easily fold and carry when needed.
If you have the option to get back to the hotel in the middle of the day, I would leave the stroller at your accommodation when visiting Alfama.
The best time to visit Lisbon with kids
We visited Lisbon in all seasons and we found spring the best time to be in Lisbon with kids.
In spring (April / May) , the weather is dry and sunny, you can stay in short sleeves and light sweaters but you are not battling cold not scorching heat.
Lisbon is a good year round destination but some seasons are without a doubt more pleasant than others.
Lisbon average temperatures in spring
| Month | Low/High temp | Rainy days |
| March | 11C/52F – 18C/66F | 13 |
| April | 12C/53F – 20C/68F | 12 |
| May | 14C/5 – 22C/72F | 8 |
Spring is pleasant in Lisbon and a good time for sightseeing however, rain is possible.
The weather was warm enough to wear t-shirts and the kids even wore shorts and you only needed a light cardigan or possibly a light jacket in the evening.
You might get rain this time of the year, like everywhere in Europe in spring, so it is wise to still bring closed shoes and an outer layer and to keep an eye on the weather forecast for the specific days of your visit.
If visiting Lisbon with toddlers in the spring, make sure you avoid the busy Easter week or book accommodation in advance: it gets very busy, very fast!
Lisbon in summer
| Month | Temperature Low/High | Rainy days |
| June | 17C/70F – 21C/78F | 5 |
| July | 18C/65F – 28C/82 | 2 |
| August | 19C/65F – 28C/83F | 2 |
Lisbon in summer is bright and sunny, with temperatures that will go from pleasant to hot depending on the time of the day.
If visiting Lisbon with toddler in summer, make sure you are equipped for the sun (sun cream, sun hats, lots of water etc) and consider day trips to the beach or possibly even a base on the coast for day trips into the city.
The main thing I notice in Lisbon in summer is the blinding light! Beautiful but potentially tiring for adults and toddlers, make sure you equip your whole family with good sunglasses and get an extra-large canopy for your stroller: you will need it!
Lisbon in Autumn
| Month | Temperature Low/High | Rainy Days |
| September | 18C/64F – 26C/80F | 6 |
| October | 15C/59F – 23C/73F | 11 |
| November | 12C/53F – 18C/65F | 14 |
The autumn is a time of transition in Lisbon: on average, you can expect September to feel rather summery, while October and November tend to get more rain and lower temperatures.
This is a good time to visit Lisbon if you are on a budget as this is when crowds are lowest however, you may have to budget for days at the museum to escape the rain.
We love Lisbon in the fall, we actually find it one of the nicest in European cities to visit with kids in the fall!
Lisbon in winter
| Month | Temperature Low/High | Rainy Days |
| December | 9C/49F – 15C/60F | 14 |
| January | 8C/47F – 15C/60F | 15 |
| February | 9C/49F – 16C/61F | 15 |
Lisbon gets reasonably mild winters but it is not a year-round sun destination.
In winter, you have frequent grey sky and rain and you need to wrap up but is it a great time if you want to visit museums or get lover prices.
What to pack for Lisbon with kids
We found three things to be crucial to have in Lisbon:
A carrier if you have a baby or a toddler
Great walking shoes (runners)
Sunglasses! Lisbon has wonderful light but so bright, we found sunglasses to be a must here and for kids!
In spring / autumn you want light layers that you can easily take on and off. Jeans / chinos / tracksuits bottoms, t-shirts, hoodies and light jacket is usually enough to keep you comfortable.
In winter you usually don’t need very heavy coats but since the city is quite exposed we found useful to have puffer jackets and scarves.
In summer, we found the wind tends to keep Lisbon cooler than other European cities yet the sun can get very strong: shorts, t-shrts, sandals, sunhat and sunglasses are a must.
Family guide to visiting Lisbon with kids – pin this!
This post was originally written in 2017 and has now been fully updated.
