Why
Lisbon and indeed Portugal in general is very family friendly and laid back and is a great family friendly city break. It has a charming historic downtown, fabulous food, unique music, elegant shopping boutiques, museums and art galleries galore and lovely beaches within easy reach.
Families will find it a good way to combine a beach holiday in the beautiful local beaches with lots to see and do with the kids and you can use it as a stop off city break for a beach holiday if you want to travel further south to the Algarve.
When and how
The weather is mild and clement from spring right through summer to the autumn months, with warm days often continuing right through to November. Even if you travel to Lisbon in winter you will find it mild, rather than cold, but there is often rain in winter.
Lisbon is well served with flights from Ireland and the UK ranging from scheduled and budget flights through to charter flights. You can check special offers or deals here.
If you would like to explore the areas or are in the city for more than a few days try to hire a car and you can check here for deals and special offers.
Family Friendly Accommodation
Lisbon has lots of family friendly accommodation options including apartments and hotels. You can check for special offers and deals here with booking.com.
Self catering options are a great option for families such The Santos River Apartments with The Apartment Service. It is located on the river Tagus central Lisbon between Cais do Sodre and Santos, and right next door to a daily indoor market selling fresh fish, meat and other produce.
Another good self catering option is the Golden Tulip Altis Suites which provide you with a home away from home in the centre of the city and get good reviews. In the 42 luxury apartments you enjoy all of the services provided by Hotel Altis. Book this here.
Hotel Príncipe Lisboa is a three star hotel option set in Lisbon's city centre, in a pleasant district between Park Edward VII and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation has family rooms. The Tiara Park Atlantic Lisboa has duplex suites which are also a good option for families.
What to see and do with the kids
If you want to book some sightseeing and fun things to do with the kids before you go have a look at the excursions offered by isango which will save you time and hassle when you are on holiday and help you to plan what to see and do with the kids.
Wander the streets of the Barrio Alto which are exciting and full of twists and turns.
Visit the hilltop castle of Castelo de Sao Jorge. Children can enjoy the watchtowers and the views across the city.
Visit Lisbon Zoo. The family can take an aerial ride in a mini-cable car over the lion en closure included in the admission price.
Visit the Principe Real Gardens. This a great place to just hang out with the kids.
Take a mini cruise with the kids on the picturesque Tagus River which flows through the capital city of Lisbon. Enjoy the panoramic sights of Lisbon which overlooks the river and the ocean.
Visit the Mosterio do Jeronimos which is a beautiful museum which houses exhibits on ship building, navigation and archaeology and go see the Torre de Belem which is a 16th century tower with battlements, a dungeon and watchtowers.
Take a hop on hop off tour to get a broad range of attractions in one go. From Vasco da Gama’s navigational triumph to the majestic tower at Belem and the collection of coaches in Museu Nacional dos Coches - the diversity and richness of Portuguese history will be of interest to all of the family.
The Parque das Nacoes it is sure to be popular with children and adults alike. It features gardens shops restaurants and a cable car. The Pavilion of Knowledge is a knowledge museum which is a real hands on experience. You can all try moon walking, barfly jumping to bubble-blowing. Kids can build houses with foam bricks, trucks and cranes in the Unfinished House. It also features the Oceanarium which is one of the world's largest aquariums and one of the best designed. There are lots of fantastic aquariums and the exhibits include mantra raise, sea dragons and penguins. It is home to over 8,000 animals and plants representing 500 species.
Enjoy a relaxing day on this ‘sun and sand’ tour along the Lisbon coast. Admire the stunning environs of the western-most point of Europe, Cabo da Roca. You can also visit the elegant resort of Estoril. Its famed Casino is believed to have been the inspiration for Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale.
All along the Lisbon coast you will find breathtaking scenery. The Boca do Inferno cavern seen from the Guincho beach is stunning as is the imposing structure of St. Julian of Barra’s Fortress.
The quaint fishing village of Cascais is beautiful and worth a visit for lunch perhaps.
Appreciate the surreal scenery of Boca do Inferno, meaning ‘Mouth of Hell’. The pounding of the white-foamy waves within the hollowed out cliffs gives an impressive demonstration of the power of the Atlantic.
Take a tour of the town of Sintra and don’t miss out a visit to its famous Village Palace, also known as Sintra National Palace. Marvel at its Moorish architecture with conical chimneys, manueline style windows and beautiful tile panels.
Praia de Macas with great body boarding is great for families, or Praia Grande favoured by surfers. Life guards are on duty from mid June to mid September.
You will find lots of family friendly travel tips and advice in our research and advice section to help you book the right family holiday. Check out also the experiences of other parents and travellers in our parents forum and add your own experiences as we are a great believer in real parent's experiences as the best measure of whether somewhere will suit you for your family holiday.
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