2 days in Lisbon with children and grandparents: our exact itinerary

Lisbon yellow funicular

Detailed itinerary to see the best of Lisbon in 2 days with children and grandparents in tow: what to see, where to eat, how to make the most of a weekend in Lisbon, Portugal.

Lisbon is a wonderful destination for a city break.

Beautiful, welcoming and full of attractions, Lisbon has something for everyone but is still compact enough to be easily explored even with limited time.

We have been to Lisbon several times and found three days to be a good amount of time to see the city.

However, sometimes two days is all you can get and I am happy to report that even with this limited amount of time, it is possibly to truly enjoy the city with kids!

During our last trip to Lisbon, we had two days in the city and one day that we spent visiting Sintra and Cascais. This is our exact itinerary.

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How to see Lisbon in 2 days: practical tips

2 days are not enough to see all Lisbon has to offer. However, there are a few Lisbon travel tips you can follow do to maximize your time in the city.

Choose accommodation in the city center.

During this trip, we stayed in Martinhal Chiado (luxury family suites) with the kids while my parents preferred and apartment up the road from us: Lisbon Charming apartments Chiado (budget/mid range).

They were both perfect! The location places us right in the center, it meant we had plenty of places we could reach on foot but also access to trams, metro and lifts, which make up the excellent public transport network of the city of Lisbon.

Chiado is quite hilly so it is best if you don’t have mobility issues. If you want to consider other options, you can find here >>> some of the best neighborhoods to stay in Lisbon are here and there are plenty of hotels and rentals to choose from, to suit all budgets and travel styles

Invest in the Lisbon card. The Lisbon Card gives you access to the city’s extensive public transport network and offers free or discounted access to many tourist attractions in the city.

You can collect it at the Visit Lisbon kiosk at the airport and start using it straight away.

We found with kids and grandparents, being able to hop on and off any public vehicle and the lifts was invaluable: Lisbon is very hilly so sometimes even a short distance can prove intense and a quick ride makes a difference!

View over Convento de Carmo Lisbon Portugal with overlay text Lisbon in 2 days city itinerary'

2 days in Lisbon with kids Itinerary: day 1

Morning

We started our first full day in Lisbon Lisbon from the area around Praça do Comércio.

This is one of the most famous and iconic squares in Lisbon and it is beautiful, grand and a handy place for first time visitors as it has the Lisbon tourist office (Visit Lisbon).

We got in there first thing and we got kitted out with the Lisbon card, maps and recommendations on how to get to visit Sintra and Cascais, something that saved us plenty of time and research

In the Praça do Comércio area you can visit the square itself and also see one of the most peculiar sights in the whole of Lisbon, the Elevador de Santa Justa.

This is a one of the top attractions in Lisbon and truly, it is special: the elevador is unique and its beauty is only matched by the views from its top. Absolutely worth the ride up, despite the touristy price!

The kids and us loved this area: the whole neighborhood is breezy, bright and buzzing, there is a great family friendly atmosphere and there is a grand yet welcome feel about the place that is a great first encounter with the city

View of central Lisbon from Chiado

Lunch

Not far from this area stands Mercado da Ribeira (also known as the Time Out market), one of the most famous food locations in Lisbon.

detail of the Time Out market in Lisbon, with the big time out sign towering over the tables
Detail of the Mercado da Ribeira ceiling: the iron structure and lamps give an industrial feel to the place while the black and white time out branding, consistent across the whole space, make the food hall feel modern and trendy

It opened in 1892 and for many years operated as the main food market in the city. In 2014 is was taken over by Time Out magazine and turned into an amazing food hall with a traditional yet hip feel to it.

The main architectural style of the market is modern industrial, and the result is airy and sleet yet welcoming.

Food stalls are arranged around the main area and you can find traditional Portuguese food, pizza, ramen and anything in between!

This was absolutely fabulous for us with the kids as the market is very family friendly, relaxed and has many food options, suitable for different tasted and desires!

my kids and husband having lunch in Lisbon market

Afternoon – Bairro Alto walk

Bairro Alto, as the name suggests (‘alto’ means ‘high’) towers above Mercado da Ribeira.

When looking up from the bottom, the steep road is scary but Lisbon has a clever way to help the wanderer: lifts!

Lisbon has 7 hills and the ‘ascensores’ (cable cars or lifts) help negotiate this peculiar geography.

The Ascensor da Bica is the one climbing the bairro alto hill and operates as a funicular and climbs up its very steep hill.

The rickety ride doesn’t take more than a few minutes and is great fun. The ride is included in your Lisbon card of you can buy a ticket at the lift entrance.

ascensor da bica Lisbon

At the top, you find a lovely local area with two worthy stops:the Miradouro Santa Caterina, a nice terrace with lovely views over Lisbon and the Pharmacy museum, which has a lovely cafe/bar view views over the city.

Chiado Lisbon
Our first night in Lisbon allowed us to discover some beautiful corners of the city, including this road with the characteristic cobbled stairs, climbing plants and red tiled roofs

A little farther down the road you enter the area of Chiado, where you have one of the most beautiful sights in the whole of Lisbon: Covento de Carmo.

Convento do Carmo dates back to 1389 and is now listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It is a stunning piece of Gothic architecture and now hosts an archaeological museum but neither of these elements alone is what makes this place unique.

What stands out about Convento do Carmo is that you walk along its nave with the sky above you.

The convent was heavily damaged by the huge earthquake that destroyed a large part of Lisbon in 1755 and it a powerful (yet beautiful) reminder of this scarring part of Lisbon history.

Not far from the Convento you can have dinner in Cervecaria Trinidade, a large yet welcoming restaurant serving authentic Portuguese food.

2 days in Lisbon: day 2

Morning in Alfama

I recommend to spend the second day in Lisbon visiting two more areas: Alfama and Belem.

The Alfama is the oldest district of Lisbon and it is perched on a hill overlooking Praca do Comercio and Chiado.

Up to the 13th century, this district was outside the city walls and used to be the homes of Lisbon’s poorest inhabitants, especially sailors and fishermen.

Nowadays, it is all but poor. 

Alfama has changed to become a vibrant and trendy neighborhood where old charm mixes with a young vibe.

The Alfama is known for many landmarks including San Jorge’s Castle (Castelo de São Jorge), Lisbon cathedral and St Anthony’s’ church but what is truly special about it are its meandering streets.

Arriving to the top of the hills is half the fun: to get up you can get a taxi, walk or get the famous tram 28, which is touristy but offers a fun rickety ride in streets that meander up like agile snakes!

my daughter on tram 28 in Lisbon

The tram leaves you on a belvedere just below the castle and the view from there is stunning.

The sky, the diffused light, that incredible Tagus and a sea of red-tiled roofs and whitewashed walls embodies all we had imagined Lisbon to be and more.

Alfama is a mobility nightmare, made of cobbled streets, steep roads and steps climbing it flanks but makes up for it with it indisputable charm.

If you intend of visiting the castle, it is worth getting skip the line tickets in advance as the line can be long.

Lunch

The best way to discover it is on foot: allow yourself to get lost and reward your efforts in one of the many restaurants and bars in this area such as Petisqueria Conqvistador.

small child in Lisbon aflame

Afternoon in Belem

Belem is a lovely district of Lisbon with a nice residential feel and some of the city’s most recognizable landmarks.

It is far from the Alfama but can get there but tram, bus or tuk-tuk, all of them good options to see addition parts of the city.

The tuk tuk is a touristy way to get there however, we took it and found it worth it.

Our driver gave us a very good commentary about what were seeing so for the cost of the ride we got not just transport but also a decent guided tour!

The ride to Belem brings you along the river Tagus, so you can see the 25 de Abril Bridge and I recommend you get them to drop you off at the Belem tower.

The impressive building and gardens of Jeronimos Monastery in Belem, Lisbon
The impressive building and gardens of Jeronimos Monastery in Belem, Lisbon. Make sure you make time to visit at least the Jeronimos chapel. Truly impressive and a style of architecture not usually found outside of Portugal.

From here, you can walk along the river to see the main Belem attractions the Belém Tower, the monuments to discoveries (Padrão dos Descobrimentos) and the the Jerónimos Monastery (stunning) and you can also venture to the famous Pastéis de Belém pastry shop.

If you so, you can taste the famous pastéis de nata, Portuguese’s traditional custard tarts just before indulging in a last dinner in Lisbon either in Belem itself or back in the city center (we went back to the Time Out Market, we liked it so much!).

I hope you found this 2 day Lisbon itinerary useful. Safe travels!

One thought on “2 days in Lisbon with children and grandparents: our exact itinerary

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