Lisbon with Kids: What to Do, Where to Eat, and How to Survive the Hills
Lisbon is one of those cities that delivers on the photos. Terracotta rooftops, azulejo-tiled facades, trams rattling through cobblestone streets, and the wide Tagus River glinting in the afternoon sun. Planning a trip to Lisbon with kids is a genuinely good idea, and you will not regret it.
But here is the real version: Lisbon is not an easy city to navigate with children. The hills are relentless, the summer heat is no joke, and traditional Portuguese cuisine leans heavily on fish in ways that can challenge picky eaters. Knowing this going in is the difference between a trip you will talk about for years and a trip you spend managing meltdowns on cobblestone staircases.
We visited with our kids at ages 4 and 9 as part of a longer Spain and Portugal trip. Here is everything we actually learned.
Before You Go: Logistics That Matter
The Lisboa Card is worth buying. It covers unlimited public transit (metro, tram, bus, train) and free or discounted admission to more than 50 attractions, including Castelo de São Jorge and Jerónimos Monastery. Available in 24-hour (€31), 48-hour (€51), and 72-hour (€62) increments. For a two to three-day visit with multiple sights on the agenda, it typically pays for itself in the first half-day.
Use Portugal’s Priority Law at every attraction. Portugal gives families traveling with young children a legal right to priority queuing. It applies at banks, museums, tourist attractions, and shops throughout the country. Look for a sign with a stroller or wheelchair icon at the entrance, or walk directly to staff and say you are traveling with young children (“criança” in Portuguese). This is a legal right, not a favor you are asking for. Knowing that distinction makes it much easier to actually use it. My kids were actually too old to use this rule so I didn’t plan on taking advantage of it. Then when we were at Jerónimos Monastery a friendly staff member came over and explained we shouldn’t be waiting since my son was napping in the stroller and helped us skip the line. Even if your children are a little on the older side its worth trying!
Book Sintra if you have the energy. We were too depleted after our beach week to make it happen and I regret it. Sintra is 40 minutes by train from Rossio station and has palaces and castles that are spectacular for kids. Buy timed entry tickets in advance. Palace of Pena queues in summer are serious.
The Hill Situation: What No One Tells You
This section comes first because I underestimated it badly.
Lisbon is hilly in the way San Francisco is hilly, except that Lisbon’s hills frequently dead-end into full flights of stone stairs. Not a few steps. Entire staircases. Your stroller goes nowhere.
One evening, walking back to the hotel alone with both kids, a kind stranger offered to push my stroller uphill. I said yes immediately. I was that tired. Considering my love of true crime documentaries the fact that it didn’t even cross my mind they might be trying to kidnap my child tells you everything you need to know.
Things to know before you arrive:
Bring a soft-structured carrier if your child is still young enough. A lightweight umbrella stroller is far easier to maneuver than a full frame. Map your routes each morning because “streets” that look connected on Google Maps are sometimes staircases. Start sightseeing early before the heat peaks. We were there in late June and climbing cobblestone hills in 90-degree heat with kids is genuinely brutal.
How to Spend 3 Days in Lisbon with Kids
Day 1: Chiado, Alfama, and the Castle
Start in your neighborhood before the heat builds. Walk to Livraria Bertrand, the world’s oldest operating bookshop, established in 1732 and located on Rua Garrett in Chiado. Entry is free and there is no ticket required (do not confuse this with Livraria Lello in Porto, which does charge a fee). The interior is beautiful, it is air-conditioned, and there is a café in the back. Buy a book and have it stamped as proof of purchase from the world’s oldest bookshop. Hours: 9am-10pm daily.
From there, walk to Convento do Carmo before the day gets hot. This is one of the best things to do in Lisbon with kids and one that tends to get skipped, which is a mistake.
The Carmo Archaeological Museum sits inside the ruins of a Gothic church that was partially destroyed in the 1755 earthquake. The roof is gone. You are standing in a 600-year-old building looking straight up at open sky, with Gothic arches framing clouds. It is a little eerie and genuinely memorable. Kids who respond to dramatic settings will remember it. The museum also houses two Peruvian mummies, which will either fascinate your children or traumatize them. Know your audience.
The resident cats that live on the grounds are a bonus. Several of them were completely unbothered by tourists when we visited, which made the whole experience feel more charming and less like a monument.
Practical info: Open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 7pm. Closed Sundays. Admission is €7 for adults, free for children under 14. Discounted with the Lisboa Card.
Afternoon: head up to Castelo de São Jorge. The views from the castle walls are the best in Lisbon. Peacocks wander the grounds freely. Kids enjoy the open-air setting, the towers, and the room to roam. Budget 90 minutes.
Practical info: Open daily 9am to 9pm (summer, March-October) and 9am to 6pm (winter, November-February). Admission approximately €15 for adults, free for children under 12. Covered by the Lisboa Card. Buy tickets online in advance to avoid the ticket queue. Or don’t and spend an hour outside trying to buy tickets with a bunch of other tourists while the internet goes in and out in the heat. Your choice! The terrain inside is uneven and not stroller-friendly.
Evening: walk down to Praça do Comércio before dinner. The large plaza at the edge of the Tagus River is gloriously flat, and we returned here almost every evening. Street buskers perform elaborate bubble shows for children. Giant bubbles, clouds of them drifting across the square in the golden hour light. My kids were mesmerized every single time. It is one of the only times in my life I have voluntarily and enthusiastically tipped a street performer. Tip generously. The photos alone are worth it.
Dinner at Time Out Market, a 5-minute walk from the plaza. 26 restaurant stalls, all curated by Time Out editors, every cuisine, communal tables. Your kid can eat pasta while you eat something more interesting. Open daily until midnight (until 2am Thursday through Saturday). Arrive by 5:30pm to get seats before the dinner crowd.
Day 2: The Alfama Neighborhood and the Best Pizza of Your Life
Morning: spend it in Alfama, Lisbon’s oldest neighborhood. The tangle of narrow lanes, tiled buildings, and miradouros (viewpoints) is one of the best things to do in Lisbon with kids because it requires no fixed agenda. Walk, look up, turn down unexpected alleys. Do this in the morning when kids have energy. After a full afternoon of sightseeing it will feel like a punishment.
Afternoon: rest back at the hotel during peak heat hours. This is not laziness. This is a strategic decision that saves your evening.
Dinner: Lupita Pizzaria, in Cais do Sodré. My actual favorite restaurant from the entire Portugal trip, and I think about it more than is appropriate.
Lupita is a tiny Neapolitan pizzeria that ranked among the top 50 pizzas in Europe in 2024. The space is essentially one room with a pizza oven, a handful of tables, and a wine list priced so reasonably that ordering a second glass before the first is finished feels not just acceptable but responsible.
They do not take reservations. You will wait outside on the sidewalk. It is completely worth it.
It was at Lupita that I discovered vinho verde, Portugal’s young, slightly sparkling white wine, and it is now my standing order anytime I see it on a menu anywhere in the world. If you try one restaurant in Lisbon, make it this one. Lupita is one of the best things to do in Lisbon with kids who eat pizza, which is most kids.
Day 3: The Pastel de Nata Cooking Class and Belém
This day was the highlight of our entire Portugal trip.
Nat’elier Pastel de Nata Masterclass
Book the Pastel de Nata Masterclass at Nat’elier before you leave home. This is not optional.
Nat’elier is a working pastel de nata bakery in downtown Lisbon, near the Baixa-Chiado metro station. They offer the only cooking class in Portugal held inside an actual operating bakery. The two-hour class walks you through every step: puff pastry from scratch, the custard, shaping the molds, and baking. You leave with three tarts you made yourself, the recipe emailed to you, and a certificate of participation.
The chef is engaged, funny, and teaches in English (or bilingual English-Portuguese). The space is clean, professional, and small enough that you actually get individual attention.
Our kids were not the target demographic and it did not matter at all. The class is designed for adults but ran at a pace that kept both children completely engaged throughout. It became an instant family memory in the way that very few planned travel experiences actually do. My older child wants to be a baker when she grows up and this was such a special experience to do with her in a foreign country.
Practical info: Children aged 8 and up welcome in group sessions. Children under 8 require a private session (email [email protected] to arrange). Classes run daily including weekends. Maximum 12 participants per group session. Book directly at natelier.pt for current pricing and availability. Free cancellation up to 7 days in advance. Meet at the Nat’elier store on Rua Anchieta and tell the counter staff you are there for the masterclass.
After the class, head to Belém by train. Take the Cascais Line from Cais do Sodré station, a pleasant 15-minute ride along the Tagus River. Get off at Belém station and walk about 10 minutes to the monastery.
Jerónimos Monastery
This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site built in 1501 to celebrate Vasco da Gama’s voyage to India. The cloisters are extraordinary. The scale is massive, the carved stone detail is intricate, and it is one of those places that genuinely earns its reputation. This had been low on my priority list and ended up being one of my favorite things we did in Lisbon.
Key tip: children under 12 get in completely free. Buy your own tickets online in advance regardless. The outdoor queue in summer has zero shade and moves slowly. Use Portugal’s Priority Law here as well, the monastery staff honors it.
After visiting, walk 2 minutes to Pastéis de Belém bakery. These custard tarts have been made here since 1837. Eat them warm, dusted with cinnamon. Order more than you think you need. Yes, you already made pastéis de nata this morning. Yes, you should eat these too.
Practical info: Monastery open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 6:30pm (May-September), 10am to 5:30pm (October-April). Closed Mondays, New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, May 1st, June 13th, and December 25th. Adult admission approximately €18. Children under 12 free. Covered by Lisboa Card.
Where to Eat in Lisbon with Kids
The Seafood Reality Check
Traditional Portuguese cuisine is built on fish. Specifically on bacalhau, salt-dried cod, prepared in dozens of ways, many of which are quite boney. We attempted a nicer Portuguese restaurant early in the trip and the whole table struggled. The kids were done after three bites. Even the adults found it challenging.
This is not a reason to avoid Portuguese food entirely. It is a reason to go in with a plan if your kids do not eat fish.
Lupita Pizzaria
Already covered above. Book it as a firm dinner plan on your second night.
Time Out Market
The best solution for family dinners when energy is low and preferences diverge. Open daily until midnight. Arrive early for seats.
Pastéis de Nata: Eat Them Everywhere
Every pastelaria, every day. They cost almost nothing and are one of the best foods in Europe. This is non-negotiable.
Where to Stay in Lisbon with Kids
We stayed at Martinhal Lisbon Chiado, a family-focused hotel in the Chiado neighborhood. Family-configured rooms with bunk beds for kids, a kids’ club, and a location that is central without putting you on the steepest terrain. Walking distance to Livraria Bertrand, Convento do Carmo, Time Out Market, and Lupita.
One booking detail worth knowing: dining at the Martinhal’s Cascais or Sagres properties gives you access to the Chiado location’s pool. Worth understanding before you finalize reservations.
The Tram 28 Question
Every guide to things to do in Lisbon with kids puts Tram 28 on the list.
In summer, the wait at the main departure point runs 45 to 60 minutes in full sun to board a packed tram where your children will see very little. We watched them go by from a café and had no regrets. If you want the tram experience, board at a stop mid-route and go early on a weekday morning. Otherwise, skip it. The bubble buskers at Praça do Comércio are a better use of that hour.
The Bottom Line on Lisbon with Kids
Lisbon with kids is worth it. The history is real, the food rewards the effort, and there is a beauty to the city that is hard to describe until you are standing inside it.
I will also be honest: we liked Porto better. Lisbon is grander and more famous, but Porto felt more manageable and more charming for day-to-day family life. If you are doing both, Porto will probably be the one your kids talk about.
But Lisbon has the monastery. It has Lupita. It has a pastel de nata class that your children will recreate in your kitchen six months later. And it has a waterfront plaza where bubble clouds drift through golden hour while your kids run in circles and strangers stop to watch. Go.
FAQs About Visiting Lisbon with Kids
Is Lisbon kid-friendly? Yes, generally. Portugal as a country is very welcoming to children, and the priority law for families at attractions is a genuine advantage. The main logistical challenge is the hills and cobblestone streets with strollers.
How many days do you need in Lisbon with kids? Three days is the sweet spot. Two is doable if you are focused. Four gives you time for a Sintra day trip.
What is the best time of year to visit Lisbon with kids? April through early June or September through October. Summer is beautiful but hot, and the combination of heat and hills is genuinely tiring with children.
Is a tuk-tuk worth it in Lisbon? Yes. A tuk-tuk is a practical and fun alternative to walking the hilliest neighborhoods, particularly with younger kids. It is also a better option than Tram 28 if you want to cover Alfama and the castle area without climbing everything.
Can families skip lines at Portuguese attractions? Yes. Portugal’s Priority Law gives families with young children a legal right to queue priority at museums, tourist attractions, and public services. Look for the stroller icon or ask staff directly. It is a legal right, not a request.
Heading to Lisbon as part of a larger trip to Portugal? I’ve got you covered with reviews of the best beaches on the Algarve and our all time favorite hotel, Vila Vita Parc. If the Algarve isn’t already on your radar this coastal spot pairs perfectly with Lisbon!
