Lisbon Family Holidays & Breaks

Take the Family is a travel agency specialising in active, adventure and luxury holidays. Your personal travel advisor will create the perfect Lisbon holiday for your family, with expert advice and dedicated support throughout.

Lisbon for family holidays

This westernmost city in continental Europe refuses to die – it's been the world's richest city twice, and following periods of decay it continues to reinvent itself. Life is good here, and Lisboetas (and the many expats) know it.

More or less in the centre of the country, about 300km from the Algarve in the south and 400km from Spain to the north, Lisbon (Lisboa) and its surroundings offer exhilarating Atlantic beaches, gorgeous countryside, mountains, historic remnants, and fascinating satellite towns and sights. Book a Lisbon holiday or break with Take the Family and you'll discover one of the most laid-back and apparently timeless cities in Europe.

Lisbon is very family friendly and a great destination for two-centre breaks. As a specialist family travel agency, we can tailor-make the perfect holiday in Lisbon for your family – as a city break or as part of a wider family holiday in Portugal. Contact one of our travel advisors now and let's discuss your dream trip.

For more about Lisbon family holidays, scroll down.

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Things to do with kids in Lisbon

Best Lisbon Attractions with Kids

• Seek out the green haven of the Principe Real Gardens, with an overhanging canopy of ancient trees and a chilled-out café that make this a great place to just hang out. On Saturday mornings there’s an organic farmers' market here.

• Explore Lisbon’s colourful neighbourhoods, traveling, as locals do, by metro, tram and funiculars. Stop to feast on grilled sardines in the Alfama district, gaze at seemingly endless views and marvel at the impossibly steep terrain.

• Tour the Oceanário, one of Europe's largest aquariums.

• Ride the modern Telecabine Lisboa for far-reaching views over the Tagus River and Parque das Nações in eastern Lisbon. It travels 1.2km between the Oceanário and the Vasco da Gama Tower.

• Visit the Pavilhão do Conhecimento - Ciência Viva, a science museum where you can moonwalk, barfly-jump and blow bubbles.

• Check out the Museu de Arte, Arquitetura e Tecnologia (MAAT; Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology).

Best Things to Do Near Lisbon

• Visit the beaches of Sintra 30km from Lisbon. Little known by tourists, this area is well worth a short trip out of the city. Praia de Macas with its great bodyboarding is especially good for families, while Praia Grande is favoured by surfers. Lifeguards are on duty from mid June to mid September.

• Take a trip to Azenhas do Mar ('Watermills of the Sea'), a whitewashed village trimmed with blue, built on the slopes of the cliff with a river cascading to the sea below and fascinating rock pools. Now restored, the watermills are home to a restaurant, bar and swimming pool.

Eating in Lisbon

Food in Lisbon is generally quite rustic and comforting: think fresh fish and salted cod (bacalhau) in marisqueiras (seafood restaurants) and homely pork dishes in tascas (country-style taverns, often in Aflame). Dishes to look out for include bacalhau à brás (creamy cod), bifana (pork sandwiches), polvo à lagareiro (octopus) and caldo verde (potato and kale soup).

The busy Time Out Market is a great food hall where everyone can pick something they fancy, while Chiado and Bairro Alto have lots of hip venues that will particularly please teens.

Pastéis de nata will be the highlight for most visitors, though, and there’s nowhere better than sample Portugal's iconic custard tarts than Pasteis de Belem, one of the oldest and famous pastry bakeries in the country, once part of a monastery.

When to go to Lisbon

The best time to visit Lisbon is depends on what you plan to do. Temperatures stay reasonably mild even in winter, with average minimums of 11/12°C, making the city a year-round destination and a perfect choice for May half term and October half term. There’s less rain from April/May to September, and July and August average 28°C.

How much does a family holiday to Lisbon cost?

Lisbon is a great choice for a reasonably priced city break with kids. Expect to pay around €40 for a three-course meal with a glass of wine or beer, while a hotel room in Lisbon is an average of €100-160. As anywhere, a self-catering apartment can help keep costs down while giving you more space and flexibility, or alternatively, if you fancy a splurge, we can book you into one of our hand-picked luxury hotels in Lisbon.

How to get to Lisbon

There are direct flights from the UK to Lisbon, from London airports as well as Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and Newcastle, taking about two and half to three horus.

We’ll include the most convenient flights for you in the bespoke holiday we create for your family, as well as car hire if you want to explore beyond the city limits under your own steam

Lisbon

Martinhal Chiado