10 Things to Do in Lisbon for Children

For many, Lisbon may be a city to visit as a couple or with a group of friends. However, the Portuguese capital has a multitude of museums, excursions and activities designed for children to have a great time.

Lisbon is a city full of churches, monuments and neighbourhoods that can delight any adult on holiday. However, from a child's perspective, these activities may not be all that much fun. In this article, I'll tell you about the best things to do with the little ones and some basic tips to keep in mind.

The Lisbon Oceanarium is designed for both children and adults to spend a fun and enjoyable day visiting up to 16,000 marine species. This place is considered one of the largest ocean centres in Europe and is designed to make the visit as fun as possible for children, thanks to Vasco the diver, who will welcome you on arrival and be your guide through the Oceanarium.

Your little ones will have the opportunity to see impressive animals such as sharks, otters, turtles, clownfish and many more just a few steps away. You can also book a guided tour or even go to exhibitions where you can learn more. And if you book a bus tour of Lisbon with free stops that includes tickets to the Oceanarium, your day will be complete!

Useful information

• How to get there: The Lisbon Oceanarium is located at Esplanada Dom Carlos I, s/n, 1990-005.
• Price: between £10 and £20.
• Opening hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in winter and until 8 p.m. in summer.

Lisbon is a beautiful riverside city crowned by the Tagus River, which flows into the city towards the ocean. For many couples, one of the most idyllic plans is to take a romantic boat trip during their visit to the city. However, this plan can also be adapted to entertain the little ones on board one of the boats that organise cruises on the Tagus River:

• Hippotrip, the amphibious boat: One of the most exciting attractions on the Tagus for children is boarding an amphibious bus that can move from land to water. Without a doubt, an incredible experience for the whole family.
• Traditional boat trip: Cruising along the Tagus and admiring Lisbon from aboard a traditional Portuguese boat dating from 1947, decorated with colourful, hand-painted flowers, is an activity that will delight young and old alike.
• Sunset sailing trip: By late afternoon, the little ones may be tired after a day of sightseeing in Lisbon, so relaxing on board a sailing boat is undoubtedly a great option for everyone.
• Sunset sailing trip with wine: If you add a Portuguese wine tasting to the sailing trip while the children enjoy the view of Lisbon from the Tagus, the plan will be perfect.

Useful information

• How to get there: from the port area, you can find different companies and boat tours on the Tagus River.
• Price: between £25 and £50.
• Timetable: there are usually several trips a day and the approximate duration is 2 hours.

One of the must-do excursions if you are travelling to Lisbon with children is a trip to Sintra, a town just 25 kilometres from Lisbon.

There is plenty to see and do in Sintra. The town has been declared a World Heritage Site as it looks like something out of a fairy tale. You won't have to worry about the children getting bored here, because while the adults enjoy the curiosities of the place, the little ones will be mesmerised by the colourful houses and structures that look like something out of a film.

To get to Sintra from Lisbon, just take one of the trains or buses and you'll be there in less than 30 minutes, so it's not a long journey with children. However, if you are travelling with your family, I recommend booking an excursion: the trip is much more comfortable and you will only have to worry about enjoying yourselves.

Useful information

• How to get there: you can take a bus or train from the centre of Lisbon and arrive in less than 40 minutes.
• Price: the approximate price of the journey is £5, although if you book an organised excursion it can cost around £60 for the whole day.
• Timetable: this is a day trip that is well worth doing.

Take a family bike ride around Cascais

Lisbon is a city that looks like it's on the coast because of the huge mouth of the Tagus River. However, the real beaches that attract all the tourists are only 30 kilometres away, in the Cascais area. This beautiful urban beach is charming for children.

In summer, you can spend a great day at the beach enjoying the peninsular climate that the whole Lisbon area boasts, and if you come in the cooler months, you can always rent bikes and take a ride along the promenade.

Useful information

• How to get there: there are several buses and trains every day that reach Cascais in less than 40 minutes.
• Price: the bus or train costs approximately £5 and bike hire is around £15 for the whole day.
• Opening hours: going to Cascais can be a great way to spend the whole day and make the most of the beach.

You can also rent bikes in Lisbon or explore the city with these bike tours of the capital or electric bike tours, which are a fun and relaxed way to discover the historic centre. This option is ideal for children as it even includes child seats, which must be requested when booking.

If you want to explore the historic centre of Lisbon and keep the little ones entertained, don't miss a visit to São Jorge Castle, located between the Alfama and Baixa neighbourhoods. It is one of the oldest buildings in the city and dates back to the Islamic period on the peninsula.

For adults, it has enormous cultural and historical significance, while children will be amazed by its towers, passageways and walls, and will be able to see the old cannons up close and listen to stories that seem straight out of a war film.

Useful information

• How to get there: the castle is located at Rua de Santa Cruz, 1100-250.
• Price: admission is around £10.
• Opening hours: in winter it is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and in summer until 9 p.m.

Discover the Lisbon Zoo from above

One of the must-see attractions for all families visiting Lisbon with children is the zoo. This place has more than 2,000 animals of all species and is the largest in the country. It also has an extra feature that will ensure the kids have a great time: a cable car that crosses the zoo from above.

I can't think of a better plan for the little ones than arriving at the zoo on the spectacular cable car and spending the day getting to know all kinds of animals. And that's not all: the park has an interactive farm where children can get up close to the animals, and if you visit on Saturdays, you can enjoy the "Wild Saturdays" experience, where a keeper will give you a guided tour and tell you all sorts of interesting facts.

Useful information

• How to get there: the zoo is located at Praça Marechal Humberto Delgado, 1549-004.
• Price: between £15 and £25.
• Opening hours: 10:00 to 18:00 in winter and until 20:00 in summer.

If you're looking for a museum in Lisbon that's suitable for the whole family and where children can spend hours without getting bored, you should definitely take them to the Pavilhao do Conhecimento Ciencia Viva. This place is designed to help children understand some of the most interesting aspects of science in an interactive way.

From riding a bike on a rope to feeling static electricity, this interactive museum will make children feel like they're the stars of the show and is one of the best ways to round off a day of sightseeing in the centre of Lisbon.

Useful information

• How to get there: Ciencia Viva is located at Largo José Mariano Gago, nº1 Parque das Nações, 1990-073.
• Price: between £5 and £10.
• Opening hours: open every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and weekends until 7 p.m.

One of the museums you can't miss if you want to get to know Lisbon but are travelling with children is the Electricity Museum. The little ones can enter an old factory that, a few years ago, was responsible for bringing light to the entire city.

After several renovations, the museum reopened in 2006 and has now become a huge, life-size exhibition where visitors can go all over the factory as if they were former workers and see the original machinery up close.

Useful information

• How to get there: The Electricity Museum is located at Av. de Brasília, Central Tejo, 1300-598.
• Price: Admission to the museum is free, although if you want to visit the old building, you will have to pay approximately £5.
• Opening hours: this museum is open Monday to Wednesday from 12 noon to 8 pm.

When you ask many children what they want to be when they grow up, they answer astronaut. The world of stars and galaxies tends to attract the attention of little ones, which is why, when visiting Lisbon with children, you cannot miss the opportunity to visit its enormous planetarium.

In addition to seeing all the temporary exhibitions and projections about space, you can also explore the surface of the moon with your children and look through a huge projector that simulates the entire known sky with more than 90,000 stars. What's more, it's very close to the Jerónimos Monastery, so the visit can be the perfect excuse for adults to do a little sightseeing too.

Useful information

• How to get there: the Lisbon Planetarium is located at Praça do Império, 1400-206.
• Price: approximately £5.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday from 9.30 am to 12 noon and from 1.30 pm to 4 pm. Saturdays from 1.30 pm to 5 pm and Sundays from 10.30 am to 12 noon and from 1.30 pm to 5 pm. Closed on Mondays.

Can you imagine your children discovering what they want to be when they grow up in the city of Lisbon? Anything is possible thanks to one of its most iconic theme parks: KidZania. This park is built to scale so that the little ones can feel like adults for a day, experiencing the reality of different professions and everyday life as if they were already grown up.

Upon arrival, they will be given an access ticket that they will have to manage throughout the visit, choosing how to spend it. Do they want to be veterinarians? Chefs? Doctors? Anything is possible at KidZania, a place that will leave them with unforgettable memories while the adults relax with a drink in the vicinity of the shopping centre where it is located.

Useful information

• How to get there: it is inside the Dolce Vita Tejo Shopping Centre. Avenida Cruzeiro Seixas N.7.
• Price: Admission is free for children under 2 years old and costs around £25 for older children.
• Opening hours: open on weekends from 10 am to 2 pm and from 3 pm to 7 pm.

As soon as you arrive in Lisbon, you will realise that it is a city where both children and adults can enjoy themselves and have a great time. The wide range of activities on offer makes it a perfect destination. Even so, here are some general recommendations to keep in mind when travelling with children:

• Most tickets to tourist attractions in Lisbon have a reduced price for children. In some cases, they may even be free, but at the very least, you will see a considerable discount.
• The best time to travel to Lisbon with children is in autumn or spring, when temperatures are stable and you won't suffer from the heat waves that can occur in the summer months. Even so, if you are travelling between June and September, don't forget to bring good sunscreen for the whole family.
• Lisbon's old town has many hills and the ground is often cobbled. This is something to bear in mind if you are travelling with a pushchair. If your children are older, make sure they wear comfortable shoes and, in any case, a great option for the whole family is to book a tram ride to rest your feet while exploring the architectural and natural wonders of Lisbon.
• Accommodation in Lisbon is a little cheaper than in Spain, so if you are travelling with children and family, a good option would be to rent an aparthotel for greater freedom.
• One of the few drawbacks of travelling to Lisbon with children is that establishments are not yet 100% adapted, so some bathrooms may not have changing facilities. Always make sure you carry everything you need in your bag to avoid any surprises.

As you can see, Lisbon is a city for all ages and tastes. Your children may enjoy the space, science, animals or film locations. There is something for everyone in this amazing city that awaits you with open arms.