Lisbon is the vibrant, historic capital city with beaches on its doorstep. Here’s the lowdown on fun things to do on Lisbon family holidays. These are the top sights, best beaches and easy day trips from Lisbon to Cascais and Sintra. Plus tips on Lisbon with teenagers and some great hotels to discover. Updated 2023
Why choose a Lisbon family holiday?
- Powder-soft sandy beaches
- Year round sunshine
- A colourful historic city
- Day trips to fairytale castles and palaces
My friends Freya and Pete and their two sons have been spending family holidays in Lisbon pretty much every year since the children were born. So Freya has experienced Lisbon with babies, toddlers, pre-teens and teenagers. She has a lot of tips on the best things to do on Lisbon family holidays! Here is Freya’s top 10 things to do in Lisbon whether you’re with children, teens or on a multi-generational trip.
We’ve included two great day trips from Lisbon and an updated guide to best hotels and great places to eat out.
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Lisbon family holidays: fun things to do
What makes Lisbon special? Freya: It’s the perfect place to have a city break and a beach holiday at the same time. There are lots of things to keep children of every age amused: safe sandy bays, castles and palaces, walks and bike rides, vintage trams and funiculars that carry you up and down the hills around Lisbon, a zoo and oceanarium… The list goes on and on.
My father lives in Portugal so we visit often. For us the flight is an easy two and a half hours from London. Lisbon airport is close to the city centre so the transfer is very straightforward too.
What’s the weather like in Lisbon?
Freya: “Lots of blue sky! It’s pretty good all year round. We’ve had family holidays in Lisbon in Easter, summer and at Christmas time. One year we went in April when the weather isn’t guaranteed and we had some grey days but sunny ones too. In the summer it can be very hot although there’s often a cooling breeze on the coast. The weather can change over the course of a week or two. We’ve had mixed weather in October but we’ve also eaten outside on Boxing Day.” Check out the monthly weather averages for Lisbon.
Getting around Lisbon
Freya: “Lisbon is set on a range of hills. However it’s surprisingly easy to get around using the vintage trams, the iron funiculars and a Victorian elevator that lifts you up and down between districts. There’s also the Metro system which is modern and air conditioned.”
The Santa Justa elevator, below, was built in 1901 to link the Baixa neighbourhood by the river with the Bairro Alto district, 40 metres up the hill. It has great views from the top and is a popular tourist attraction so queues to use the lift can be long! But you can also reach the viewing platform from Largo do Carmo.
Family-Friendly Hotels in Lisbon
Martinhal Lisbon Chiado – a luxury hotel in the Old Town of Lisbon. Six minutes from the Cais do Sodré station for trains to the beaches of the Cascais coastline. The Martinhal Lisbon Chiado family suites are exceptional: the Deluxe apartment caters for 2 adults and 4 children with 2 bedrooms and bunk beds. It’s family-orientated with a Children’s Club and babysitting as an additional charge. Great reviews. Check here for reviews, availability and to book.
Altis Prime – another modern aparthotel with self-catering suites, a roof terrace and cafe. Centrally located near a shopping district. Check here for reviews, availability and to book.
BessaHotel Liberdade – contemporary hotel in the centre in walking distance of sights and shopping. It has triple and family rooms and an indoor swimming pool. Check here for reviews, availability and to book.
Pestana CR7 Lisboa – I had to include this simply because it’s a 4 star, football-themed hotel, resulting from a partnership between the Pestana group and Cristiano Ronaldo. It’s central, near castelo de Säo Jorge, St George’s castle. Free wi-fi-to-go too. I’ll leave it to you to decide if it’s your family’s dream getaway or not! Check here for reviews, availability and to book.
Tivoli Avenida Liberdade The Leading Hotels of the World – A 5 star classic luxury and family-friendly hotel for stylish family holidays in Lisbon! Enjoy a roof top terrace bar with panoramic views of Lisbon and a circular outdoor pool with a sun terrace surrounded by gardens. The concierge service gets great reviews. Check here for reviews, availability and to book.
Fun things to do on Lisbon family holidays
Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in Europe. Its colourful mix of grand squares, winding side streets, medieval neighbourhoods, picturesque corners and lots of views make it a fascinating city to explore. Here’s Freya’s round up of the best things to do on a Lisbon family vacation.
Explore the Belem neighbourhood
Belém used to be Lisbon’s docks and shipbuilding neighbourhood and is now home to some of the city’s most important monuments celebrating its history of seagoing and exploration. Although Belém lies 6 miles south west of central Lisbon, it has lots of interesting things to see and its flat wide open spaces are a break from the steep, crowded streets of the centre. You could easily treat it like a mini day trip and spend half a day here.
Take a tram from central Lisbon to Belem
As an added incentive for families, one of the best ways to get to Belém is by tram from central Lisbon from Praca da Figueira or Praca do Comercio. The tram ride takes about 20 minutes. Alternatively you can catch a suburban train from Cais do Sodre which stops at Belém station. From here it’s a 10 minute walk to the monastery and another 10 minutes to Belém Tower.
Explore Belem Tower
Freya says: The Belém waterfront is a great place to do some family sightseeing. The medieval tower, Torre de Belém, is one of the city’s most important historical monuments. It was built as a fortress to guard the estuary so is surrounded by water on three sides. Many Portuguese explorers, including Vasco da Gama and Christopher Columbus, will have passed by the tower during the Golden Age of Portuguese exploration.
The tower is a stunning mini fortress with dungeons, cannon and steep spiral stairs. The balcony has a great view of the river as does the viewing platform at the top. You can also have fun spotting the exotic beasts carved into the limestone turrets – look out for the rhinoceros!”
Get here early if you want to go inside Belém Tower as the queues get very long. If you know you’d like to explore inside then it is worth booking: fast track entrance tickets to Belem Tower to skip the line here.
See the Monument to the Discoveries
Just a short walk away, along the waterfront, the enormous Monument to the Discoveries juts out towards the estuary. It was erected in 1940 to celebrate the achievements of the explorers and represents a ship about to set sail carrying 33 figures from Lisbon’s seafaring past. You can take an elevator to the top for a 360° view of Lisbon, the mighty 25 de Abril suspension bridge and the Cristo Rei on the opposite bank.
It also gives you a bird’s eye view of the intricate compass rose at the foot of the monument. This decorative world map set into the walkway shows the places that were visited by the Portuguese explorers.
Visit the Jeronimos Monastery
Just across the street from the Monument to the Discoveries, beyond the compass rose, is the fabulously ornate Jeronimos monastery.
The Jeronimos monastery was funded by the wealth brought to Portugal by the explorers in the 1500s. Fittingly Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese navigator who discovered a route by sea from Europe to India in 1498, is buried here.
In fact the monastery was built on the site of a chapel where da Gama and his crew prayed before they set out on their epic journey to the East.
Freya says: Children might not want an extensive tour but the cloisters are fun and easy to access for a quick look – that’s a cannon in the corner of the photo! 
Taste the famous Pastéis de Belém
No family holiday in Lisbon is complete without buying some of the famous Pastéis de Belém, baked at a little cafe close to the monastery. Although the creamy custard tarts called pasteis de nata are served in cafes all over Lisbon, these are special.
The cafe holds a famously secret recipe for the traditional version of the tarts once baked at the monastery. There’s always a queue for takeaways but they are so special it’s worth the wait. We take them to the little park alongside where children can have a run around. Pastéis de Belém, 84 to 92 Rua de Belém.
Visit the Zoo and Oceanarium
Freya says: Lisbon Zoo is right in the centre of Lisbon and can be viewed by foot, from a little train or – the best way! – by cable car for a bird’s eye view.
The zoo is divided into themed habitats such as rainforest and savannah and is very focused on conservation of endangered species. your
The Oceanarium , Oceanário de Lisboa, is one of the largest in the world. It’s centred around a huge tank that makes you feel like a deep sea diver. There are sharks – lots of sharks!
Lisbon’s aquarium stands in the Parque das Naçōes or Park of the Nations, north east of central Lisbon. Over a million visitors a year flock here to see hundreds of marine species in four marine habitat zones and spanning two floors. You can reach it easily by train, metro or bus. Click here for Oceanarium tickets.
Cross the bridge to Cristo Rei
Cristo Rei is the huge statue of Christ built by the Portuguese in the 1940s in homage to Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer. It stands on the south bank of the Tagus river.
Freya says: Our children loved the ferry ride over to the south bank of the Tagus to see Cristo Rei, the 28m statue on a hillside in Almada. Two bridges span the river or you can catch a ferry across.
The journey only takes about 10 minutes and the ferries run regularly from Cais do Sodre to Cacilhas. From here it’s an uphill walk or you can catch the 101 bus.
For a €5 entry fee visitors can take a lift to the observation deck at the top of the pedestal beneath the statue. There are views of the river, bridge and across the city on a clear day.
Visit the Lisbon Beaches
A visit to the beautiful beaches is a must for Lisbon family holidays. The most family-friendly beaches with the calmest water are on the Lisbon to Cascais coastline. You can reach them by car or the coastal stopping train.
Take a day trip from Lisbon
Cascais and Sintra are two fascinating historic Portuguese towns and both are an easy, inexpensive train ride from central Lisbon. The seaside town of Cascais is just 30 minutes away from Lisbon. The urban coastal railway links the two and stops at beaches along the route: perfect for a day by the sea.
Sintra, up in the hills of Serra de Sintra, is famous for its historic palaces. The train to Sintra takes around 40 minutes from Lisbon. Regular buses carry visitors from the train station into the historic centre of Sintra or up to the hillside palace and castle.
Read more about these day trips below.
Lisbon with teenagers
Freya’s boys have visited Lisbon regularly since they were toddlers. These are some of the best activities in Lisbon for teens.
Sightseeing in Lisbon with teens
Get a tram pass. The steep hills of historic Lisbon can be hard work! A 24 hour hop-on-hop-off tram pass helps you negotiate the seven hills of the city and see all the major sights at the same time. Plus the iconic yellow trams are a great photo opportunity. Take a hop-on, hop-off tram tour .
Tackle those hills in a tuk-tuk. Your driver/guide will be able to advise on the best sights and photo opps too. Explore the city on a tuk-tuk tour – and make light of the hills!
Museums with a difference for teens in Lisbon
Visit the 3D Fun Art Museum for something a little different. Pose for photos in the 40 different 2D and 3D scenarios and optical illusions: think, hanging from the side of a building, sitting in the palm of King Kong and images that play with size and reflections. Lots of fun for couples, families and teens in Lisbon. Phones/cameras essential! 3D Fun Art Museum admission ticket.
Quake is the new earthquake museum in Lisbon. It’s an immersive and interactive experience that takes you back to 1755 to watch and feel the earthquake that devastated the city. You’ll learn about earthquakes and modern day planning too. Book ahead for timed entries, the experience lasts 1 hr 40 mins. Quake – Lisbon earthquake centre entry ticket
Visit the Lisbon football (soccer) stadium. Football loving teens in Lisbon will enjoy a chance to tour the Luz football stadium, home of SL Benefica. Then visit the on-site museum to learn about their all-time star players.
Boat rides and surfing in Lisbon with teenagers
Spoil the whole family on a full day private yacht tour from Lisbon. Cruise the Portuguese riviera on an 8 passenger motor yacht. Swim, kayak and SUP from the boat in the calm and crystal clear waters of the Arrábida natural park, near Setubal, south of Lisbon. Take a picnic or go ashore for lunch. Rave reviews of the day tour and the cheerful attentive 2-man crew. Check availability and book an Arrábida full day yacht tour from Lisbon.
Go dolphin watching on a speedboat tour along the Lisbon coastline with a marine biologist on board. The tour offers a 95% success rate in spotting dolphins and gets great reviews. Check availability and book a dolphin watching boat tour.
Take a sight-seeing cruise on the river. All the family will enjoy a cruise in the sun on this 45 minute sightseeing trip aboard a traditional handpainted boat. Cruise along the river Tagus in a traditional boat.
Go to the beach and learn to surf in Lisbon. Make the most of the local surf beaches and instruction on your Lisbon family holidays. Transfer from Lisbon to a local beach for a surf lesson suitable for beginners or experienced surfers. Click here to take a 2 hour surf lesson on one of Portugal’s best beaches with all equipment provided and convenient pick up from Lisbon.
Lisbon to Cascais day trip with family
Freya: In the 1800s the little fishing village of Cascais became a Royal holiday hotspot and after that it has never looked back. More recently an investment of European Union money has helped improve the beaches and build a walkway between the railway line and the sea. There are lots of Blue flag beaches here.
An urban train service links Lisbon to Cascais. It runs alongside the river Tagus, passing beaches all along the way. It’s a great journey with children because it’s a train and there’s also plenty to see. The journey from Lisbon to Cascais takes between 30 to 40 minutes and most of the trains stop at each of the beaches. You can check the train timetable here.
On the way to Cascais a small automobile club museum at Oeiras is worth a detour if your children are interested in cars. It has a wonderful collection of old and new vehicles from motorbikes to F1 cars. It has been a popular pitstop for our children and it’s easy to get to it from the train station.
For a dash of culture in Cascais the Museo do Mar, or museum of the sea, is definitely worth a visit. Get to grips with Lisbon’s maritime history and way of life. It’s a good way to pass half an hour in the shade and entry is free.
Family beaches in Cascais
There are three lovely family-friendly sandy beaches in Cascais itself, just half an hour from Lisbon. Our favourites are Praia da Rainha in the centre of Cascais and Praia do Tamariz, which is further along the promenade in Estoril. The train stops there before it reaches Cascais. They are both gentle beaches for children and easy to access from the promenade.
Carcavelos beach is the biggest stretch of sand in the area. It’s popular for watersports, including surfing.
Hire bikes to explore the Atlantic beaches
Heading north of Cascais the beaches face the Atlantic ocean and are very different. We sometimes hire the free bikes from near the station and follow the cycle lanes and trails along the Atlantic coast road.
Visit Boca do Inferno, the Mouth of Hell
First stop is always the clifftop view at Boca do Inferno. This is just a 10 minute cycle ride along the bike path from Cascais. It’s a point in the cliffs where strong Atlantic waves smash against a small cave and sea arch. It’s at it’s most impressive on days when the sea is rough but since there is a snack bar here too, it’s a good place for a break.
See the famous surf beach of Guincho
Further on is the surf beach of Guincho. The waves can be enormous here so it’s not suitable for swimming although you’ll sometimes spot pro surfers bobbing in the waves. It’s famous for its windsurfing world championships. You might recognise Guincho from the Renault Captur advert in which a goldfish follows a car down to the beach! But Guincho is a windy, exposed beach.
Cresmina beach next door has cliffs and is a little more sheltered for sitting on. Although the waves are still very big. But behind the beaches there’s a huge dune system with boardwalks which is fun to explore.
READ THIS NEXT to discover 21 Things to Do in Cascais Portugal.
Lisbon to Sintra day trip with family
Freya: “Sintra is a great day out for the family because it has some spectacular palaces to visit. It nestles in the foothills of the mountains north west of Lisbon and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. As it’s a little cooler than Lisbon in the summer it’s been a popular retreat for hundreds of years. In the past wealthy visitors built palaces and gardens and many of them are now open to the public.
Visit Sintra town and Royal Palace
The medieval Royal Palace in the centre of the town is a good place to start. Ancient hand-painted tiles decorate the lavish interiors. Look out for the beautiful ceiling covered in painted swans and another with a fresco of magpies. But don’t spend too long there because there’s a castle to visit!
Moorish Castle in Sintra
If you can’t face hiking up to Castelo dos Mouros, the Moorish castle, you can take a bus or even a horse and trap to the top. From your mountainside lookout there are spectacular views of the coastline and river. Close by are huge granite boulders which make a great place for a picnic. Ice Age flood waters deposited them here apparently.
Pena Palace
The Disney-esque Pena Palace is high on the hillside and has fabulous views. You can wander in its forest park as well as the flamboyant state rooms. It’s very popular and can be crowded in the summer months.
Capuchos Convent
The tiny Capuchos Convent is a complete contrast to the extravagant palaces of Sintra. It’s isolated so you need a car to get there and it is very simple but it’s a special place and the boys enjoyed it too.
First built in 1560 it was home to no more than a dozen monks who lived a reclusive and spartan life. It closed eventually in the 1830s. The individual monks’ cells are lined in cork and are so small you have to duck to squeeze in to them. The furniture, including beds and toilets (particularly fascinating to children) are formed from rock. A hermit, one of the founders of the order, lived there for 36 years and you can see the rock that formed his outdoor home.
Quinta da Regaleira
Just five minutes walk from the town of Sintra is the country estate, Quinta da Regaleira. Although the house is huge it’s the gardens which are most interesting. Built in the early 20th century by an architect who was also a theatre set designer, the structures and gardens are said to hold mystic and symbolic meanings.
The design references many architectural styles in a Romantic mix of Gothic, Renaissance and Roman and its said to hold hidden references to alchemy and the secretive Knights Templar. It all adds up to a magical park of grottoes, caves, wells and eerie tunnels lit by strings of lights. It will keep teens, as well as younger children, amused for literally hours. Bring a torch!
Monserrate
This romantic park and small summer palace is another good picnic spot. It’s not as busy as some of the other palaces in Sintra but it’s still worth a visit. The palace is intricately decorated with eastern influences and its botanical gardens have plants from all over the world.
Azenhas do Mar
Just outside Sintra on the Atlantic coast is the fishing village of Azenhas do Mar. There’s a famous seafood restaurant here with a stunning natural swimming pool. The fishing village clings to the cliffside. It’s worth a visit for the amazing views and sunsets as well as its traditional whitewashed houses.
Book a tour to Sintra from Lisbon
This small group tour from Lisbon includes Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra, followed by a visit to Cabo da Roca, the western most point of Europe, and a stop in Cascais. Click for more details.
Where to stay on a family holiday in Lisbon
Freya: We generally stay in self-catering apartments or a villa. Sometimes we’ll base ourselves in Lisbon or, for a change, we might stay in Cascais or Sintra which are both nearby.
On our latest trip we tried out three different hotels, with two or three nights at each, which made the holiday feel longer. Now the boys are teenagers it’s easier to move around and we chose design-orientated places that were interesting to visit.
These are the hotels that Freya and family have stayed in and liked with Freya’s comments:
Hotels in Lisbon
Hotel Memmo Alfama “A wonderful contemporary boutique hotel in Lisbon, memorable for its yellow loo paper and red tiled pool!” Great views of the red roofs of Alfama too. Over 16s only.
Check here for reviews, availability and to book.
Hotels in Cascais
Pestana Cidadela Cascais Pousada and Art District “A converted fort in Cascais. When I was a child living in Lisbon I remember it as a working barracks, with soldiers training in the grounds. Now that it’s a hotel you can walk around the battlements for spectacular views of the sea, the lighthouse and the marina.” Check here for reviews, availability and to book.
Hotel Fortaleza do Guincho “Another converted 17th century fort, now a luxury hotel. Fabulous views over Guincho beach and the ocean plus the restaurant has a Michelin star.” Check here for reviews, availability and to book.
Favourite places to eat
Freya’s favourites in Lisbon, Cascais and Sintra:
Resto do Chapito, Costa do Castello, Lisbon. “Two different hotels we’ve stayed at have recommended a meal here. We’ve eaten on the terrace and upstairs where there’s a fantastic view.”
Jardim dos Frangos, Cascais. “One of our favourite places for frango no churrasco – chicken cooked on huge spits and served with piri piri sauce, chips and salad.”
Cafe Paris in Sintra. “A little touristy restaurant that we love. It’s in the main square by the royal palace.”
Hot Dog Cascais “Look out for the famous hot dog van by the cycle path behind Guincho beach. Delicious fast food with a view of the Atlantic ocean.”
Lisbon tours
Freya: Last Spring we decided to take a couple of walking tours to find out more about this city that we’ve been visiting for years. Eva Sanches was recommended to us: she is Scottish and has lived in Cascais for over 40 years with her Portuguese husband. In a two hour stroll around Lisbon she revealed sight after sight that we had never known existed, some weren’t even in our guide books. Even the teenagers found it entertaining.
Eva tailor-makes tours around Lisbon, Cascais and Sintra. We’ve recommended her to other friends and they’ve all enjoyed their outings with her.
For more details: http://www.greatdayout.eu/ . Please mention Map and Family!
NB all visitor information here is for guidance only. Do check the venues’ websites for the most up to date information on tickets, entrance requirements, opening times etc.
What to Read Next
The lovely seaside town of Cascais is worth a visit in its own right. Here are our 21 Fun Things to do in Cascais Portugal.
Barcelona Spain is another fabulous city by the sea, packed with history and culture plus beaches! Here’s our guide to a Barcelona city break, with tips for families with teens.
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All photos by Freya and family. All rights reserved, photos may not be reproduced without prior written consent.
John Gentry says
Hi, You have mentioned the great details. I also want to add one more thing is that you must see National Azulejo Museum. It is the perfect place to admire the beauty of azulejos – decorative tile. An exceptional museum unique to Portugal. You should add in your bucket list if you travel next time.:)