The answer is yes, Portugal is just as amazing as you’ve heard. I waited years to check this beautiful country off of my bucket list and now I am waiting for my chance to go back. Check out my tips on how to see Lisbon with kids, including recommendations on what to see, where to eat and where to stay!

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This beautiful country is nestled alongside Spain and offers some of the most amazing beaches along the Atlantic coast. Although it has become a more popular travel destination in recent years, much of Portugal still has that old world charm and untouched beauty that you hope to experience when visiting a country like this.

Anytime you travel with children, the task can seem a bit daunting, especially when you are traveling outside of your home country. Luckily, Portugal is one of the many European countries where the locals are genuinely happy to see families with little children and tend to be very accommodating.

While it may take a little extra planning, don’t shy away from some of these amazing destinations! Keep reading for some of the best things to do as a family in Lisbon as well as my recommendation for a great hotel!

Check out my post 20 Tips for Traveling on Flights with Kids!

Check out my post What to Pack in Your Kids Travel Backpack!

The Best Family Activities in Lisbon

1. Oceanario de Lisboa

The entire aquarium is centered around a 1.3 million gallon tank that is divided into four sections – Tropical Indian Coral Reefs, Temperate Pacific Kelp Forests, Antarctic Coastal Line and the North Atlantic Rocky Coast.

Block out an entire morning or afternoon for this experience. There really is so much to see and explore here! We spent hours mesmerized by all of the tanks filled with amazing creatures; we could have stayed here all day!

The gift shop at this aquarium is also worth mentioning. It is huge and is filled with high quality items that made for great souvenirs or gifts for others.

For more information, including the most up to date hours and ticket prices, click here.

The aquarium is open daily from 10am – 8pm (last entrance is at 7pm).

Tickets

Seniors (65+) – 13 euros (about $15)

Adults (13-64) – 19 euros (about $22)

Children (4-12) – 10 euros (about $12)

Children (0-3) – Free

2. Ride a Funicular

Take a ride in one of the three famous funiculars that operate in Lisbon. These Elevadors were constucted to assist people making their way up some of the steep, long hills that Lisbon is built on. Each ride will cost you about 2.90 euros or about $3.40.

The Elevador do Lavra is the city’s oldest (1884) but you can also ride Lisbons most popular, Elevador da Gloria, and get some amazing views of the city. The picturesque Elevador da Bica never fails to impress either.

Even if you don’t decide to take a ride, these funiculars are iconic in Lisbon and are great for photo ops.

3. Visit the Time Out Market

You MUST visit this market during your stay in Lisbon. We stopped in every single day of our trip whether it be to get dinner, a snack, dessert or things to bring home. This cool indoor market location also offers cooking classes and live concerts!

Make sure to visit on an empty stomach; you will have a hard time choosing what to eat! Traditional Portuguese, seafood, burgers, sushi, pizza, pastries, ice cream are just a few of the offerings.

Don’t leave the market without picking up a prego (traditional steak sandwich) and a pasteis de nata (custard pastry). A trip to Portugal wouldn’t be the same without them.

You’ll also find the perfect wine, cocktail or beer to go with whatever food you decide on.

For a map of all the restaurants, bars and shops, click here.

Address

Mercado da Ribeira

Avenida 24 de Julho

1200-479 Lisboa, Portugal

Hours

Sunday – Thursday 10am – 12am

Friday & Saturday – 10am – 1am

4. Check out the Art & Shopping at the LX Factory

This industrial area in the city was a fabric production plant in 1846 but, after the company decided to move and other businesses came and went, this prime piece of real estate was abandoned and left in ruins. Then, in 2008, some investors decided to breath a little life into the space and turn it into what it is today.

Now, this area is filled with more than 200 cute shops, restaurants and art galleries.

We had a great time walking through all the fun and creative shops, seeing all of the art throughout the streets and grabbing some delicious food.

We found so many unique souvenirs here!

Address

LX Factory

Rodrigues de Faria 103

1300 Lisboa, Portugal

Hours

6am-2am daily

5. Ride the Telecabine Lisboa

Once we were done exploring the aquarium, we took a ride on the telecabine lisboa to find a restaurant for lunch. The south entrance is located right behind the aquarium (and you can even add the cost of the ride onto your aquarium ticket)!

The cabins fit 8 people and each way takes about 10 minutes. The short ride gives you gorgeous views of both the Tagus river and the city.

Tickets

Adult – 8 euros roundtrip

Child (4-12) – 5.50 euroes roundtrip

Child (0-3) – Free

The hours vary throughout the year but typically range from 11am – 7pm.

6. Pick up Some Souvenirs at The Fantastic World of Portuguese Sardines or The Lisbon Duck Store

Even if you aren’t looking to buy a can of sardines emblazoned with facts from your year of birth, The Fantastic World of Portuguese Sardines is still worth a visit. This bright & quirky shop celebrates all things sardines (reminds me of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs!). You can even sit in the great sardine throne for a fun photo op.

Or, stop in the Lisbon Duck Store to pick up any type of rubber duck you could possibly imagine. From Santa ducks to Statue of Liberty ducks and everything in between, kids love checking this shop out for a new bath toy.

7. Santa Justa Lift

I never thought I would ever find myself calling an elevator pretty, but here we are. This lift was built to connect the lower Baixa with the much higher Largo do Carmo. It has since become a popular tourist attraction.

We walked past one evening and decided to skip out on taking a ride as the line was quite long! Either way, this elevator is really neat and is the perfect mix of old world charm and modern convenience.

8. Pena Palace of Sintra

Pena Palace is most known for being a beautiful example of Romanticist architecture. It sits high up within the Sintra mountains and can even be seen from Lisbon on a clear day. To this day, the palace is still used for state occasions by the President of the Portuguese Republic!

Because we were traveling with two small children, we booked a private car to take us to Pena Palace. It cost us about 30 euros to get there but the convenience made the cost well worth it. If you choose this option, keep in mind that the traffic can be a disaster during busy times due to very narrow streets. Your driver may not be able to take you the entire way to the entrance.

Visiting Pena Palace is certainly one of those times that you are going to want to make sure that you purchase your tickets ahead of time (if possible). Although we arrived before they opened for that day, there were already hundreds of people in line waiting to enter/purchase tickets.

Luckily, a lady that worked there noticed we had two small children and directed us to a separate line (for those that are handicap or with small children). Doing this allowed us to bypass nearly the entire line – saving us hours of waiting!

The palace is stunning and has amazing views of both Sintra and Lisbon. The gardens on the surrounding grounds were perfect for a walk to get the kids energy out.

9. Enjoy the Architecture of the Jeronimos Monistary and Belem Tower

The massive Jeronimos Monistary was built to commemorate the safe return of Vasco de Gama and his men. For those into architecture, this building is one of Portugal’s most treasured examples of late gothic architecture.

Nearby is the Belem Tower which served as the point of embarkation and disembarkation for many Portuguese explorers. It also served as a fort, protecting Lisbon from raids by way of water.

10. Boca do Inferno (Hell’s Mouth)

We took a car service to Cascais for an afternoon following our visit to Pena Palace. This stretch of coast line has stunning views of the Atlantic and is the perfect place to watch the waves crash against the jagged rocks.

While in this area, we also had a fantastic lunch at Mar do Inferno (see below) and relaxed on the beach for a while.

Where to Eat

1300 Taberna

This restaurant is located within the LX Factory and is filled with fun, quirky décor. The caldo verde potato soup, beef croquettes, grilled octopus and braised beef were all delicious.

Fares

We made a quick stop in Fares for a couple of appetizers and cocktails after walking around one evening. As with many of the small restaurants in this area, it turns into more of a bar scene the later it gets in the evening. If you are with small children, visit earlier in the day and you won’t regret it!

We had the falafel, kefta and a couple of their hummus options. Everything was delicious as were the cocktails!

Vicente

This restaurant is just a short walk from the hotel that we stayed at. It’s picture perfect on the inside, straight out of a movie. The outside is just as beautiful when the adjacent staircase is transformed into a romantic meeting place with pillows and candles placed on the stairs.

Both the food and cocktails here were delicious and the ambiance was even better!

This romantic restaurant is perfect for a date night!

Mar do Inferno

This restaurant is located along the coastline, just a short walk from Boca do Inferno. We stopped in here for lunch before heading to check out the cliffs and beach. Even midafternoon, this restaurant was packed with diners enjoying the freshest seafood and crisp wine.

We enjoyed the Platter of the Sea with sea bass, prawns, mussels and vegetables, the rib eye steak and a perfect dessert of chocolate cake with strawberry ice cream.

Amorino Chiado

We loved this gelato shop so much that we went back for more…twice.

You choose your gelato flavors which will be artfully scooped to look like the petals of a flower. You can even top your ice cream off with one of their many flavors of macarons.

D’Bacalhau

After getting the telecabine Lisboa, we made the short walk to this restaurant, D’Bacalhau. Our waitress was amazing and did everything she could to keeps our kids entertained. We sat outside and dined on fish croquettes, garlic prawns, fresh grilled fish and a Portuguese stew of potatoes and beef.

Taberna Dos Ferreiros

This restaurant is the exact type of place I hope to find when visiting a different country. A little restaurant on a beautiful side street filled with people enjoying life and good food.

We enjoyed the burrata with jam and honey mustard sauce, olives with bread, the grilled sirloin steak, the vegetable minnows and a few other dishes. We washed it all down with a couple cold beers and a few glasses of sangria.

Where to Stay