It’s a question I’m asked all the time: where’s your favourite place you’ve visited? Never easy to narrow down but when it comes to cities, Lisbon always makes the top two – and with plenty of things to do in Lisbon with kids, it’s definitely one to keep on your family travel radar.
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With hilly cobbled streets, it’s best kept until after the baby years, but with some great attractions alongside the history, nearby beaches and even fun transport, the only question is what to do in Lisbon first?
I’ve taken my daughter several times over the years, so if you’re planning a Lisbon city break, here are some of my top things to do in Lisbon for kids.
Castelo de Sao Jorge
Conquer the castle! Castelo de São Jorge (or St George’s Castle) sits on the hilltop in the Alfama, a commanding Moorish castle high above the twisting narrow medieval streets.
It’s the perfect place to let imaginations run wild as you wander the castle walls and just as good for enjoying some spectacular views over the city.
You can also get a close up in the Black Chamber with the camera obscura, giving a 360 degree look at the city in real time, from the monuments to the people.
There are also archaeological finds from the site in a permanent exhibition, the remains of the royal palace which once stood here before being damaged in the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, plus family activities with knights and archers at certain times.
Keep an eye out for the peacocks too – get a taste with my short video of a visit to Lisbon’s castle.
There are often queues to get in so it’s worth buying skip-the-line tickets to Castelo Sao Jorge Lisbon – buy tickets with a guide here or you can also get e-tickets with optional audio guide.
Join a walking tour of Lisbon
One of the best ways to explore Lisbon is on foot, although with several different areas of the city to discover, it pays to start with a walking tour of Lisbon with kids to get your bearings.
There are some great family-friendly tours to choose from too. This private family tour of Lisbon from Withlocals is a great introduction, and you can tailor it to your interests and ages, or there’s a three-hour History, Stories & Lifestyle walking tour of Lisbon which is also suitable for families.
For a specific family tour, this private four-hour Essential Lisbon tour from Little Lisbon is perfect with younger kids too, or the three-hour Genuine Lisbon family tour. is another good place to start.
If you’ve got something specific in mind, you can even book a local guide and tailor your own tour. Or if you prefer to go at your own pace, try this self-guided tour of Bairro Alto and Bica, solving a series of riddles as you explore the city’s narrow streets and grand squares.
Take a sightseeing tour of Lisbon
Don’t fancy walking? There’s a fun 90-minute tuk tuk tour, plus this longer eco tuk tuk tour to cover more ground – both a lot more fun than your average city sightseeing tour.
If you’re visiting Lisbon with older kids, this Sitway tour of Belem (think a sit-down version of a Segway) introduces you to another side of the city – suitable for kids 135cm tall and over.
You’ll also find hop-on hop-off bus tours of Lisbon if those are a hit with your kids (also great for giving little legs a break). The Lisbon Sightseeing tour has 24h, 48h and 72h tickets, while Yellow Bus Tours has a one-day and a two-day option.
You can find some fun combined tickets too, such as this vintage tram, open-top bus and River Tagus sightseeing cruise deal, with 72h and 96h options. Or this hop-on hop-off boat tour includes a ticket for other public transportation, including the trams and lifts.
Enjoy a food tour
I always find food tours a great way to explore, as you learn about the city and its history and culture through the food – plus you get to sample all the specialities along the way, of course.
When you’re travelling with kids, it makes a big difference having your own private tour, especially when you can personalise it to suit everyone’s tastebuds (particularly for pickier little ones) as well as for younger children’s stamina levels on Lisbon’s hilly streets.
Withlocals has its own private food tour of Lisbon where you get to try 10 of the city’s best foods – led by a local expert, there are vegetarian options too.
Or Devour tours has a very tempting Lisbon Tastes and Traditions food tour that easily deserves to be on the list of most fun things to do in Lisbon with kids, with nine different tastings (and an alcohol-free version for children).
Not only do you get to visit Lisbon’s oldest pastry shop, you can also discover some traditional dishes, why the Lisboetas are such big fans of salt cod, a taste of a bifana sandwich and the city’s famous pasteis de nata
For an alternative to a foodie tour, join a cooking workshop from Cooking Lisbon, starting with a market tour then whipping up your own three-course lunch – check out my review of the Lisbon cooking class with kids. Or learn to make Portugal’s traditional custard tarts at a Pastel de Nata pastry class (for age 6+).
Try to find time for a stop in the Mercado da Ribeira (also known as the Time Out Market) too. It’s a good option to grab lunch, as well as being fun to wander around, with a huge string of food stalls so there’ll be something the whole family will enjoy eating.
The Lisbon Story Centre
I’m often wary of cheesy historical recreations but the interactive Lisbon Story Centre was a hit with both my daughter and myself, transporting you through the history of the Portuguese capital as you learn Lisbon’s story.
Each section is divided like a chapter, from the city’s earliest days, with a 60-minute audioguide automatically narrating the section you’re looking at (usually, at least!) as you wander from room to room, wlking through the history of Lisbon, from the city’s origins up to modern times.
It’s also a great spot to learn more about the 1755 Lisbon earthquake which transformed the city, with a dramatic video to watch – some of the scenes may be a little distressing for younger kids, although there’s nothing too graphic.
A great introduction to the city if it’s your first time in Lisbon as well.
Book your ticket in advance to skip the lines, it’s also included with the Lisboa card.
Oceanario Lisbon
Dive into the aquarium! With more than 8,000 sea creatures and 500 different species, the Lisbon aquarium – or Oceanario Lisboa – is one of the most impressive and largest in Europe, and ideal if you are visiting Lisbon with toddlers or are looking for things to do in Lisbon in the rain (not that that happens often).
Read my full review of a day out at Oceanario with kids
Set in the Parque das Nacoes, also home to several other family friendly places to go in Lisbon, you can spot the only sea otters in Europe, along with sharks and coral reefs, in four marine habitats filled with a whopping five million litres of seawater, all set round a huge central tank.
Not to mention discovering a whole fascinating string of other marine life inside the vast Lisbon Oceanarium. Allow plenty of time to explore, this is easily one of the best aquariums in Europe, if not the world!
Buy skip-the-line tickets with free cancellation or you can also get a joint ticket with the hop on hop off Lisbon tour which lets you skip the line – it’s a great one to combine with a Telecabine cable car ride too.
Ride the trams
The trams make up part of the public transport system in the city, so you can easily use them to get around – buy a pass or ticket for each trip, such as for journeys from Lisbon to Belem, or to skip the hilly walk up to Alfama if you have young kids.
But the 28 tram Lisbon route is a little different, acting more like a tour route with the added style of those traditional little yellow trams.
Heading from Martim Moniz to Campo de Ourique, the tram line passes through the popular tourist districts of Graca, Alfama, Baixa and Estrela along the way and it’s a fantastic way to see Lisbon.
A few words of warning: because it’s so popular, expect to queue if you want a seat (or to be squished in standing if not). It’s also well known, unfortunately, as a haunt of pickpockets so keep an eye on your bags.
If you buy a ticket on board, it’ll also cost a lot more than picking it up in advance at a metro station – a day pass costs approximately double a single ticket bought on board, and you can use that for unlimited journeys during 24 hours.
If you are travelling with a mini tram fan, add in a stop at the tram museum – the Museu Carris is on several tram and bus routes, and costs 4.50 Euros, free for under sixes.
Check out my complete guide to Portugal with kids here
Use the elevator (and funiculars)
It’s not just trams which are a transport attraction in Lisbon – with so many steep hills, the city has had to get creative with its transportation, including little funiculars and lifts. All part of the main transport network, they’ll work with standard public transport passes and it’s a fun way to give little legs a break.
The Elevador da Glória takes you from Baixa to Bairro Alto or try the picturesque Ascensor da Bica (or Bica Funicular), which is the most photographed funicular in Lisbon – stretching for just a few hundred metres from Largo do Calhariz to Rua de São Paulo, the very steep slope makes a great photo (but is a lot less fun to walk up).
There’s even a new addition – the Graca funicular opened in March 2024, connecting Graca to Rua dos Lagares in Mouraria, with some fantastic views during the 90 second trip. Free to start with (and for Navegante Pass holders), there’s due to be a charge from May.
Probably the best-known is the Elevador de Santa Justa, or Santa Justa lift, which connects Rua do Ouro to Largo do Carmo. A short walk from Rossio Square, it’s one of the most central, and there are fantastic views from the top. Yes it’s touristy and you could just walk up the hill, but there’s something very fun about hopping into the decorative 19th century lift.
Head there early or late to avoid the worst queues as it is a popular tourist attraction – waiting for the lift can actually take longer than just walking up. Alternatively, it’s usually quieter coming down if you start from Largo do Carmo.
The 24h public transport ticket includes the lift too (although not the upper viewing platform) and costs a lot less than buying a single from the ticket office. Travel and the viewing platform are also included in the Lisboa card.
The upper viewing platform is currently closed, although you can still see the views from the small viewing platform as you exit the lift.
Lisbon’s cable car
Soar over the Tagus river in the Lisbon cable car, or Telecabine Lisboa, which was built for the World Expo in the 90s and runs for around a mile along the river at Parque das Nações.
You can pick it up near the Oceanario aquarium and there are some great views of the Vasco Da Gama bridge as you cruise along for the 10 minute journey.
Kids aged two and under travel free, otherwise from 5,50 Euros (adults from 7,50 Euros), while a round trip will set you back 6,50/9,50 Euros. There is a discount for Lisboa card holders. The cable car doesn’t really take you anywhere (except the other end of the Park of Nations) but it’s still worth doing for the unique view of Lisbon.
You can also buy joint tickets for the Telecabine and Oceánario de Lisboa.
Get a taste with this short video of a round trip in Lisbon’s cable car
Visit Belem
This is my own personal must do in Lisbon – and not just because it’s the spot where the original pasteis de nata custard tarts were made (and are still made, so do stop by and grab a box).
It’s also packed with historical sites, including the Monument to the Discoveries (Padrão dos Descobrimentos) paying tribute to 33 of Portugal’s most important explorers, which you see as you wander along the waterfront.
A little further along is the Torre de Belem, designed to defend the coast although the Belem Tower always looks more like a rather intricate giant chess piece to me. Look out for the remains of the carved stone rhino, along with gargoyles and the dungeons inside – you can climb to the top of this Unesco World Heritage site too.
The area is also home to the astonishingly intricate Jerónimos Monastery: if you have a Lisboa card, Lisbon’s city pass, you can get in for free or you can buy tickets to skip the line for the monastery, as well as for the Belém Tower.
With younger kids, save some time to head to the shade of the gardens by the river and escape the heat, or you can also see Belem from the water with a Hippotrip tour. Older kids will enjoy modern art at Museu Berardo Coleção and a chance to look inside the old Tejo Power Station: once called the Electricity Museum, you can take tours and get hands on as you discover how renewable energy is replacing electricity.
It’s a tram ride from the centre, on route 15 – there’s a mix of the smaller traditional trams (fun but they can get crowded) and more modern trams. Expect long lines to board them during the summer months in particular, so it’s worth looking at alternatives – bus 728 is less photogenic but also usually less busy.
For ideas of more things to do in Belem with kids, check out my top picks
Enjoy a Hippotrip tour
If you’ve come across Duck tours before, you’ll already have an idea of what Lisbon’s Hippotrip amphibious vehicle entails – after a tour on land in the city centre, you trundle out to Belem and drive straight into the River Tagus.
The tours last around 90 minutes and about a third of that is cruising along the water, checking out some of the sights around Belem from the river.
Along the way you’ll see some of the city’s key areas including Praca do Comercio and Avenida da Liberdade, as well as the Belem Tower and Monument to the Discoveries.
Check out my Hippotrip review and buy your ticket in advance here.
Visit the Maritime Museum
If the explorers on the Monument to the Discoveries have whetted your appetite, make sure you visit the Museu de Marinha, or Maritime Museum, also in Belem, to meet some of Lisbon’s seafarers.
Following Portugal’s seafaring history from the Age of Discoveries in the 1500s through to the present, you can see items belonging to Vasco Da Gama himself, as well as royal barges and whole armadas of model boats among around 2,500 items in the permanent exhibition.
Set in a wing of the Jeronimos Monastery in Belem, you’ll need a separate ticket to the main monastery entry to get in.
Lisbon Planetarium
See stars in Lisbon’s Planetarium – the Marine Planetarium, or Planetario da Marinha also known as the Navy Planetarium – is also located in Belem, next to the Maritime Museum.
Designed to project more than 9,000 stars onto its dome during shows taking you through the universe, rhere are performances in English and it’s ideal if you’re visiting Lisbon with children aged four or older.
It’s also another great option for a rainy day in Lisbon if you’re visiting outside peak season (or are seriously unlucky with the weather).
You can buy tickets for the Planetarium alone, or combined tickets for the Maritime Museum and Planetarium.
Lisbon Science Museum
Expand your knowledge at The Pavilion of Knowledge (or Pavilhao do Conhecimento), as Lisbon’s science museum is known. Far from a dry dusty museum, it’s home to the Circus of Science Experience with experiments and games, including how high you can climb up a sticky frog tongue.
There’s also the chance to programme a robot, among other interactive fun, from building to dancing to exhibitions designed to inspire exploration – perfect for a day out with kids in Lisbon, especially if you find yourself visiting Lisbon in the rain.
The Pavilhao do Conhecimento is not far from the Oceanario aquarium in the Parque das Nacoes, so it’s easy to combine the two.
Lisbon zoo
Go gorilla spotting! Getting the chance to see animals is sure to be a hit for kids in Lisbon, especially with rare white tigers and majestic mountain gorillas at the Jardim Zoologico.
Part of a global conservation project, the Lisbon Zoo is a perfect way to see the world via its animals, from the rainforest to the African Savannah, lemurs from Madagascar, South American birdlife and dolphins, as well as smaller farm animals – great if you’re visiting Lisbon with a baby.
There are usually shows throughout the day plus a cable car through the forest canopy and zoo train which takes you past the reptile house.
Get a discount on tickets to Lisbon Zoo if you buy using my link and code MUMMYTRAVELS6
Hit the beach
Less than half an hour away from the city, you can find some of the best beaches near Lisbon to add a twist to your city break.
Both Cascais and Estoril are an easy journey so work well for day trips, just take the short train ride along the seafront – the former is home to Gelados Santini, one of the most famous places to buy ice cream in Portugal.
My daughter’s favourite combo is chocolate and mango when we visit, and she can usually even manage to eat most of the massive scoops before they melt – there’s also a branch in Lisbon itself, not far from Rossio Square, so you don’t have to miss out if you stay in the city either!
There are quieter sections of sand and surf along the coast, so you won’t be short of beautiful beaches to tempt you out of the city. If you’ve got a long weekend, it’s very tempting to make the most of the sun and spend one of your three days in Lisbon lounging by the seafront.
For more places to enjoy the sand near the city, check out One Tiny Leap’s guide to the best beaches in Lisbon.
Go dolphin spotting on a boat tour
A boat trip to spot dolphins might not be the first thing you’d associate with a European city break, but Lisbon’s position on the River Tagus means you can easily head out onto the water to try your luck.
This dolphin-spotting tour from Belem promises a 95% chance of seeing wild dolphins and are suitable for age 6+, while this three-hour boat tour is fine for all ages, taking you on a sightseeing tour along the coast, with a marine biologist on board as well for any dolphin sightings.
There is also a swim stop built in, but unless you’re travelling in peak summer or a mini heatwave, bear in mind the Atlantic can get pretty chilly!
If you’re after a more relaxing experience, there’s also this two-hour sunset cruise on the River Tagus (plus a daytime option) as well as a boat cruise on the River Tagus with brunch – you might not get to see dolphins unless you’re lucky, but you do get to enjoy views of the city from the water.
Luz Stadium Tour
Visiting Lisbon with a small football fan? The city is home to two of Portugal’s biggest clubs – Benfica and Sporting Lisbon – and you can visit Estadio da Luz, the city’s stadium of light during your visit.
Home to Benfica, you can discover the club’s history in its museum, as well as looking around the site of the 2014 Champions League Final as well as getting a peek inside the locker room. For obvious reasons, you can’t visit the stadium on match days.
I’ll admit it wasn’t high on mine or my daughter’s wishlist, but if your kids love football, it’s a fun and easy option to fit into a trip – the stadium is not far from Lisbon Zoo, on the blue metro line from the city centre.
Lisbon’s parks
Discover a slice of green Lisbon. If you’re looking for outdoor activities in Lisbon, it’s hard to beat the Jardim da Estrela, one of Lisbon’s biggest parks in front of the Basilica da Estrela. As well as a playground and duck ponds, there’s a café – hosting child-friendly activities during the summer – and you’ll often find live music or other events taking place.
Or head to the Estufa Fria, Lisbon’s Greenhouse in Edward VII Park, around a 10-minute walk from the Marques de Pombal metro and the biggest park in central Lisbon.
It’s also just over 10 minutes’ walk from Lisbon’s 3D Fun Art Museum
The garden is divided up into a cold house, tropical plants in the hothouse and the cacti and succulents of the ‘sweet house’, the park is a lovely green space as well as a great option on a rainy day in Lisbon. There is a small entrance charge.
You can also explore Lisbon’s official Botanical Garden, the Jardim Botanico, by the Natural History Museum and not far from Avenida da Liberdade – the previous butterfly garden has been replaced by the new garden of the senses.
Lisbon Adventure Park
Have an adventure at the city’s Adventure park. If Lisbon’s hills haven’t burned off all your children’s energy, here’s another fun way to try in Lisbon for families. The Adventure Park at the Jamor National Sports Centre, just beyond Belem, features an obstacle route in the trees designed for kids.
Clamber along rope bridges, whizz down a 200m slide and crawl through tunnels as you find your way between wooden platforms in the treetops.
You can also find a playground for younger children and mini golf nearby if you’re looking for something a little less adrenaline-fuelled.
Experience an earthquake at Quake
Lisbon has several quirky little museums to consider during your visit, especially if it’s not your first time in the Portuguese capital. And while Quake: Lisbon Earthquake Centre won’t appeal to everyone, it’s a unique way to be transported back to the disastrous 1755 earthquake.
As well as information on the science behind earthquakes, there are a string of interactive exhibits to help you to imagine what the medieval city must have been like and how the earthquake transformed the face of Lisbon.
Along with 10 themed rooms and 4D immersive experience, the most memorable part is the two earthquake simulators.
Unsurprisingly it’s not suitable for kids under the age of 6 – children aged 4-5 can enter but can’t go on the earthquake simulators, but as it’s a 90-minute experience that you follow from start to finish (there’s no way to leave early), it’s not the best one for younger kids.
Puppet Museum
Another of Lisbon’s unusual little museums, we’d visited a similar puppet museum during our family city break in Porto and it was a big hit. The Museu da Marioneta in Lisbon focuses on the history of puppets and puppet theatre from across the world, but particularly Portugal.
There’s a big collection of puppets and masks from Africa and South East Asia as well, plus displays of puppets from Peru, as well as a chance to learn how they were used – everything from travelling fairs to city theatres.
While you can’t get hands on with everything (understandably), there are some puppets for kids to play with as well as videos of them in action. It’s a little way outside the centre (around 10 minutes away from the Time Out Market on the tram) so it’s best combined with something else in the area – expect to spend less than an hour.
Day out from Lisbon: Visit Sintra
While it might seem odd to suggest things to do outside the city, you shouldn’t miss this day trip from Lisbon with kids. Sintra is just over an hour away by train – catch it at the station near Rossio Square, the Estação de Rossio – and home to some of the most wonderfully extravagant, ornate and downright unusual palaces I’ve ever seen.
If you’ve only got one day in Sintra with kids during your family holiday, you can still fit plenty in although families will struggle to see everything in one day – if you can, make time for my top three.
The Pena Palace is the biggest attraction in Sintra, and this fairytale palace is unmissable with its colourful towers and intricate decoration.
One of my own favourites is the Castelo dos Mouros, the ruined Moorish Castle which once defended the area and still clings to the hillside – perfect for sparking the imagination.
The same goes for Quinta da Regaleira: built at the start of the 20th century, its gardens are full of grottos, caves, ruins and twisting paths, not to mention the famous Initiation Well. But you could also visit the Palacio Nacional among other sights – check out my tips for everything you need to now about visiting Sintra with kids.
Plan your city break in Lisbon with kids
Guidebooks for Lisbon
If you’re looking for a guidebook, Lonely Planet guides are always my favourite starting point when it comes to travel tips – as well as the Lonely Planet Guide to Portugal, there are also smaller Pocket guides including Pocket Lisbon.
Or Experience Portugal is another great option from the Lonely Planet range, a guide book with a difference, focused on the experiences to have in the country rather than a checklist of places to visit.
While there are no guide books to Portugal for kids specifically, if they want to learn more, this book of 60 Facts about Portugal is an easy place to start.
When to visit Lisbon with kids
Spring and autumn are definitely the best times to visit Lisbon with kids – in peak summer, the city can get swelteringly hot and exploring is definitely less fun.
If you visit in winter, you’ll find some tours have limited times and there’s a much higher chance of bad weather – although there is a Christmas market in Lisbon if you fancy a rather different festive city break.
We’ve visited in February before now, which has been warm enough to explore with just a jacket or hoody and without the crowds. While we had some glorious sun, you do risk a higher chance of bad weather.
April/May/early June and September/October are definitely the best times to choose if you can plan your Lisbon city break then.
Getting around Lisbon
While much of Lisbon is very walkable, the city is spread out, full of hills and you’re likely to want to visit Belem and the Parque das Nações at some point, so you’ll need to take public transport. If you’re visiting lots of attractions, the Lisboa Card is one of the easiest options as transport is included.
Otherwise, check out the different options from Carris which runs the transport network. You can just buy single tickets on board buses and trams (or from metro machines), but that does work out more expensive. The easiest option is to load tickets onto a Navegante Card (previously called a Viva Viagem card), which you can get from the machines at metro stations as well as at Lisbon airport.
Tourists will need a Navegante Occasional card, which you can load with credit or with specific tickets (although not both at the same time) – it costs 0,50 Euros to buy one (the cards are valid for a year, but you can transfer any balance to another one if you just can’t keep away from Lisbon).
These can be used for travel on buses, trams, metro, funiculars and lifts, as well as suburban rail journeys to Estoril, Cascais and Sintra. Single tickets are valid for an hour from validation – for the metro, you you can as many journeys as you want within the time but can’t leave the metro system, or you could take a bus then a tram for example.
One-day tickets last for 24 hours from validation – you need a specific type to cover the train rides. Or add credit: known as Zapping, that then deducts the cost of each journey as you go at a slightly cheaper rate than buying single fares. You can’t get a refund on unused credit though.
If you’re taking the metro, it’s now an option to use contactless bank cards – just tap those as you would a normal ticket and it’ll deduct the fare (currently slightly higher than the standard rate). There is a direct metro line from Lisbon airport to the city centre which is very quick, so this is an easy option if you want to validate your Lisboa card later or work out transport tickets after you’ve settled in.
Looking for the best places to stay in Lisbon with kids? Check out my Plum Guide review of our great self-catering apartment near Praca do Comercio and the Arco da Rua Augusta
*first published 2019, updated 2024*
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Castle/Alfama street/girl at aquarium/fish at aquarium/Santa Justa lift/cable car/Belem Tower/beach/girl at Parque das Nacoes/tram copyright MummyTravels, all other images courtesy Depositphotos
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