10 Things to Do in Lisbon for Children

For many, Lisbon may be a city for couples or groups 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 neighborhoods that can be the delight of any adult on vacation. However, from the eyes of a child, these activities may not be all that much fun. In this article I will tell you the best plans 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 to be one of the largest oceanic centers in Europe and it is designed to make the visit of the little ones the most fun thanks to the diver Vasco, who will welcome you when you enter and will be your guide through the Oceanarium.

Your little ones will have the opportunity to see a few steps away from them animals as impressive as sharks, otters, turtles, clown fish and so on. In addition, you can 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 including tickets to the Oceanarium, the day will be a great day out!

Interesting facts

• 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: from 10 am to 7 pm in winter and until 8 pm in summer.

Lisbon is a beautiful river city crowned by the Tagus River, which flows through the city into the ocean. For many couples, one of the most idyllic plans is to take a romantic boat ride 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 organize cruises on the Tagus River:

• Hippotrip, the amphibious boat: One of the attractions along the Tagus that can motivate the little ones the most can be to get on board an amphibious bus that can go from moving on land to enter the water directly. Undoubtedly, an incredible experience for the whole family.
• Traditional boat ride: Traveling along the Tagus River contemplating Lisbon aboard a traditional Portuguese boat from 1947, full of colors and handmade drawings of flowers is a plan that will be enjoyed by young and old.
• Sunset sailboat ride: In the late afternoon the kids may already be tired after a day of sightseeing in Lisbon, so relaxing aboard a sailboat is certainly a great option for everyone.
• Sunset sailboat ride with wine: If to the sailboat ride we add a Portuguese wine tasting while the kids enjoy the view of Lisbon from the Tagus, the plan will be round.

Interesting facts

• How to get there: from the port area you can find different companies and boat tours on the Tagus.
• Price: between 25 € and 50 €.
• Schedule: there are usually several passes during the day and the approximate duration is 2 hours.

One of the mandatory excursions you have to do if you travel with children to Lisbon is to Sintra, a town just 25 kilometers from Lisbon.

Thereis a lot 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. In this place you don't have to worry about the children being bored because, while the adults enjoy the curiosities of the place, the little ones will be eclipsed by the colorful houses and structures that look like something out of a movie.

To get to Sintra from Lisbon you only have to take one of the trains or buses and in less than 30 minutes you will have arrived, so it is not a very heavy trip to make with children. However, if you are traveling with your family, I recommend hiring an excursion: the trip is much more comfortable and you will only have to worry about enjoying yourselves.

Interesting facts

• How to get there: you can take a bus or train from the center of Lisbon and arrive in less than 40 minutes.
• Price: the approximate price of the trip is 5 €, although if you book an organized tour it can cost around 60 € with the whole day included.
• Schedule: it is a tour that is worth doing all day.

Lisbon is a city that looks like a coastal city because of the huge mouth of the Tagus River. However, the real beaches that attract the attention of all tourists are only 30 kilometers away, in the area of Cascais. This beautiful urban beach is lovely to go with children.

In summer, you can spend a great day on the beach and sand enjoying the peninsular climate that the whole area of Lisbon boasts and, if you come in colder months, there is always the great plan to rent a bike and take a ride along the promenade.

Interesting facts

• How to get there: every day there are several buses and trains that reach Cascais in less than 40 minutes.
• Price: the bus or train costs about 5 € and the bike rental costs about 15 € for the whole day.
• Timetable: going to Cascais can be a good plan to spend the whole day and make the most of the beach.

You can also rent bikes in Lisbon or go directly to know the city with these bike tours around the capital or electric bike, with which you will know the historic center in a more entertaining and relaxed way. This option is ideal for the little ones since it even has child seats, which you must request when booking.

If you want to tour the historic center of Lisbon and prevent the little ones from getting bored, don't miss a visit to St. George's Castle, located between the Alfama and Baixa neighborhoods. It is one of the oldest buildings in the whole city and dates back to the Islamic period in the peninsula.

For adults it can have a huge cultural and historical weight and, in addition, the little ones will be amazed being able to walk through its towers, passages and walls and being able to see up close the old cannons and listening to the anecdotes that seem to be taken from a war movie.

Interesting facts

• How to get there: the Castle is located at Rua de Santa Cruz, 1100-250.
• Price: the entrance fee is around 10 €.
• Hours: in winter it is open from 9 am to 6 pm and in summer until 9 pm.

One of the mandatory visits for all families who come to Lisbon with children is the zoo. This place has more than 2,000 animals of all species and is the largest in the country. In addition, it has an extra that will make the children have a great time; a cable car that crosses it from the heights.

I can't think of a better plan to go with the little ones than to get to the zoo on its spectacular cable car and spend the day meeting all kinds of animals. And not only that, the park has an interactive farm where children can be in contact with the animals and, if you come to visit on Saturdays, you can live the experience "Wild Saturdays" where a keeper will give you a guided tour telling all the curiosities.

Interesting facts

• How to get there: the zoo is located at Praça Marechal Humberto Delgado, 1549-004.
• Price: between 15 ¤ and 25 ¤.
• Opening hours: from 10 am to 6 pm in winter and until 8 pm in summer.

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

From riding a bicycle on a rope to feeling static electricity. In this interactive museum children will feel like the real protagonists and it will be one of the best plans to make up for the rest of the sightseeing in the center of Lisbon.

Interesting facts

• How to get there: Ciencia Viva is located at Largo José Mariano Gago, nº1 Parque das Nações, 1990-073.
• Price: between 5 ¤ to 10 ¤.
• Opening hours: open daily from 10 am to 6 pm and weekends until 7 pm.

One of the museums that you cannot miss if you want to visit Lisbon but you are traveling with children is the Electricity Museum. The little ones can go inside an old factory that, years ago, was responsible for bringing light to the whole city.

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

Interesting facts

• How to get there: the Electricity Museum is located at Av. de Brasília, Central Tejo, 1300-598.
• Price: admission to the museum is free, but if you want to enter the old building, you will have to pay approximately 5 €.
• Hours: this museum is open from Monday to Wednesday from 12 noon to 8 pm.

Many children, when you ask them what they want to be when they grow up, answer astronauts. The world of stars and galaxies usually attracts the attention of the little ones and that is why, during your visit to Lisbon with children, you cannot miss the opportunity to visit its huge planetarium.

In addition to seeing all the exhibitions and temporary projections about space, you can also walk with the little ones on the surface of the moon and look through a huge projector that simulates the entire known firmament with more than 90,000 stars. In addition, it is very close to the Jerónimos Monastery, so the visit can be the perfect excuse for adults to do some sightseeing as well.

Interesting facts

• How to get there: the Lisbon Planetarium is located at Praça do Império, 1400-206.
• Price: it has an approximate price of 5 €.
• Hours: from 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 that your children can discover what they want to be grown up in the city of Lisbon? It can all happen thanks to one of its most emblematic theme parks; KidZania. This park is made to scale so that the little ones of the house can feel like adults for a day, living the reality of professions and daily life as if they were already adults.

Upon arrival, they will be given an access ticket that they will have to manage throughout the visit, choosing what to spend it on. Will they want to be veterinarians? Cooks? Doctors? Everything is possible in KidZania, a place that will leave them with unforgettable memories while the adults rest having a drink in the vicinity of the shopping mall where it is located.

Interesting facts

• How to get there: it is inside the Dolce Vita Tejo Shopping Center. Avenida Cruzeiro Seixas N.7.
• Price: admission is free up to 2 years old and after that it can cost about 25 €.
• 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 realize 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 make it a perfect destination. Even so, here are some general recommendations to keep in mind when traveling with children:

• Most of the entrances to tourist sites in Lisbon have a reduced price for the little ones. In some cases they may even get in for free but, at the very least, you will see a considerable discount.
• The best time to travel with children to Lisbon may be in autumn or spring, when temperatures are stable and you don't get to suffer the heat waves that can occur in the summer months. Still, if you travel from June to September, don't forget a good sunscreen for the whole family.
• Lisbon's old town has many ups and downs and the ground is usually made of cobblestones. This is something to keep in mind if you are traveling with a baby stroller. If your children are older, try to wear comfortable shoes and, in any case, a great option for the whole family is to book a streetcar ride to rest your feet while touring Lisbon's architectural and natural wonders.
• Accommodation in Lisbon is a bit cheaper than in Spain so, if you are traveling with children and family, a good option would be to rent an aparthotel to have more freedom.
• One of the few cons that Lisbon has for traveling with children is that the establishments are not yet 100% adapted so it may happen that some bathrooms do not have a changing table. Try to always carry everything you need in your bag to avoid surprises.

As you will see, Lisbon is a city suitable for all ages and tastes. Your children may like this space, science, animals or movie sets. Everything has a place in this amazing city that awaits you with open arms.