Our trip to Portugal started on a flight-full of nuns. I was coughing behind my mask, fighting the last dregs of COVID, which I’d caught (and subsequently given to my entire family) in Rome.
We were winding down a massive travel endeavor – 3 months of city-hopping on my husband’s paternity leave, with a six-month-old and 3-year-old.
After drinking rose in Provence to naked sun-bathing (just the toddler) in the South of France, to bug bites in the Tuscan countryside to puking in a Rome ER, I was quite sure nothing could live up to what we’d experienced so far.
We landed in Portugal mid-day. The nuns filed off. It had only been a few hours flight from Rome, and the kids were still in a good mood.
We caught a taxi at the airport to our hotel, the Martinhal Chiado. This was one of the first hotels we’d stayed in on our trip. In other cities we'd opted instead for more affordable and spacious Airbnbs. But this was, hands-down, one of the best stays of our entire trip.
The suites were adorable, filled with local art. We had opted for one with a bunk bed, and Inara (our 3yo) excitedly wavered between the top and bottom bunk. But most importantly the hotel was completely tailored to families. Breakfast was delivered to your room. They helped with tickets to kids activities. And, they offered a Kids Club with free (or low-cost) sitting at night. This meant five full date nights for mom and dad. Priceless.
After settling in we went for our first walk in Lisbon in the Bairro Alto, soon passing the famous pink road, covered with colorful umbrellas. I immediately fell in love with Lisbon, a deep, deep love that is akin to my feelings for our hometown of San Francisco.
Portugal is beautiful, bright, and technicolor. (When I came home I had to immediately add so much color to our home due to color withdrawal.) Even the sun hits different – the locals like to warn tourists that the sun is strong, even when it’s cloudy.
I could ramble on about my love for Lisbon, but I’ll jump into a more digestible format – walking through our travel agenda, top sights and recommendations.
TL;DR: Plan a trip to Portugal now. It’s something special.
Day 1: Bairro Alto
Bairro Alto is a central point in Lisbon that’s known for its narrow streets, colorful houses, and lively bars and restaurants. With easy public transportation, it’s a strong jumping off point for most sightseeing.
Check out:
Pink street, with its canopy of colorful umbrellas.
Time Out Market Lisbon is a fantastic place to get food quickly, with many options
Enjoy the winding streets – your toddlers will enjoy the maze of narrow streets and alleys (many of which date back to the 16th century.). One thing to note is that the cobblestones are wide and uneven. It is not a good stroller city. We used a baby carrier for our youngest and tried to get our toddler to walk as much as possible. She was able to use her scooter in some places.
Principe Real: This area is trendy, with lots of good shops and restaurants. Most importantly there's an awesome playground in the park.
Avoid: Elevador de Santa Justa: There was a line for the elevator (with minimal shade), and once inside, you’re packed to the gills with other tourists. It takes you up a few floors to another area, but it’s really not worth the admission price when you can easily make the walk yourself!
Day 2: Belem, Monument to Discoveries
We caught the train on the Cascais Line to Belem. You can board the train at Cais do Sodré station in Lisbon and get off at Belém station. Belem is a cute neighborhood that’s
right on the Tagus river, full of history, charming facades and good food.
What to see:
Jerónimos Monastery – We didn’t go inside (didn’t think the children would be particularly interested) but the facade was gorgeous to see from the outside.
Near the Monastery, there’s a lovely park with a playground, Jardim da Praça do Império.
Lunch recc: Miolo. We couldn’t speak highly enough about this place. It has a bright pink interior, absolutely delicious food and best of all, extreme friendliness towards our kids!
Pasteis de Belem: A spot to get the famous custard that's emblematic of Lisbon. We actually skipped it due to the line, but you can get tarts in most places across Lisbon. I can’t know for sure if they are truly better here but we certainly enjoyed them from other places.
If you’ve got energy to spare, I recommend a walk up the riverfront from Belem. Along this route, you’ll find the Monument to the Discoveries and the Belém Tower.
The Belém Tower is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a must-visit attraction in Lisbon. While toddlers might not appreciate the historical significance of the tower, there is a stretch of sand out front that could provide hours of amusement. Let them dig in the sand while you take pics! There’s a bathroom here, as well.
The Monument to the Discoveries is also worth a visit, built to honor Portugal's Age of Discovery. The size is truly awe-inspiring. The large plaza in front of the monument is great for kids to run around, and there are plenty of ice cream and treat carts nearby.
Day 3: Parque das Nações (Park of Nations)
Discovering the charming and oh-so-family-friendly Parque das Nações was a surprise. Our initial intention was to visit the Oceanário aquarium. We hopped the 794 bus from downtown and disembarked at Parque das Nações, which we later learned was an area originally created for the 1998 World Expo. Beyond the aquarium and science museum, the neighborhood features lovely, spacious green spaces, a scenic cable car with views of the water, and plenty of shopping and dining options. While downtown Lisbon can be a bit gritty (read: broken glass), the Park of Nations was immaculately clean. Here are some of the highlights for us:
What to see:
Oceanario: We’ve been to a lot of aquariums but this was a contender for absolute best. With a massive main tank, several sections featuring different water ecosystems and a focus on conservation efforts, it was really entertaining for everyone. Don’t miss it.
Cascata dos Oceanos: Outside the Oceanario there’s a waterfall structure with stepping stones, wooden walkways and water fun. It’s worth the visit alone.
Pavilhão do Conhecimento Science Museum (Pavillion of Knowledge) is a great science museum with a Planetarium and tons of hands-on exhibits for all ages.
Telecabine Lisboa Cable Car: A very fun short out-and-back ride with views of the neighborhood and the sea stretching toward the horizon.
Day 4: Alfama District
This place is gritty, charming, historical and wild. Around one corner we even came across a gorgeous peacock just strolling along. There’s also even a fabulous playground in this area, a totally hidden gem a local showed us!
We had taken the Tram 28 from our hotel over to Alfama. It took a couple of tries as our toddler is very puke-prone and puked all over the floor of one. Not a great moment but hey, what a memorable place to puke!
What to see:
Tram 28: These super-cute little cable cars run regularly. They’re a good way to get over to the Alfama District from Chiado, Bairro areas. Plus you get to see some awesome views along the ride.
Miradouro das Portas do Sol. The tram stops here which is a MUST see. The flowers, the blue tiles, the views of the azure sea. I literally dream about this place.
Ramble down the alleyways. Alfama is another fun one to walk around.
Recolhimento Viewpoint, the hidden playground!
São Jorge Castle - We didn’t actually see this but it’s on many tourist lists and probably worth a visit for any castle-loving kiddos!
Fado Museum – this isn’t particularly young kid-friendly but if you have a fascination with the traditional Fado museum, it could be worth a brief stop for your family.
Day 5: Sintra (Day Trip)
Sintra is perfect excursion from Lisbon, only about 45 minutes by car. There are also public transit options but I opted for the convenience of taking an Uber straight to the castle. For this adventure, I went alone, without kids (my husband is a saint). We looked into bringing kids but having car seats at the the castle seemed like a nightmare. There weren’t any storage units or places to leave them. I’ve heard that some people hired a private car that dropped them and picked them up, which sounds like a great option as everything is very spread out.
At Sintra, I first walked around the castle. It was freezing (even in July!) so bring an extra layer. The outside of the castle is stunning, rusty layers of yellow, orange and red, salted with bracing ocean mist.
After walking a cold loop around the facade, I waited in line for the inside tour, which was not particularly exciting. If you're with kids, I'd skip it, as you have the queue the entire time and it moves very slowly with no escape.
After the tour, I walked over to Castelo dos Mouros, which was honestly one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen! It's Portugal's Great Wall of China.
From there, I walked a lovely forest path down into the town of Sintra. After a great lunch and massive sangria, I took a taxi back to Lisbon.
I didn’t seen any of the other main sights as it required further travel, and I could only negotiate so much kid-free time. ;)
A few other things
After Lisbon, we moved onto the "roadtrip" portion of our Portugal trip, which we'll be sharing in the future. But for now here are a few last key tips:
Get a cup of Ginja – this local sour cherry liqueur is delicious. Best of all, it's served in a white or milk chocolate cup. Each time you get a little tipple, you can get a chocolatey treat for the kids.
For shoppers, check out Principe Real. I loved all the Concept Stores (even though it was a little silly everything was called a Concept Store). Very cute and affordable clothes + gifts!
Take a look at the sea-side town of Cascais – we didn't go as we'd had some beach time in other cities, but it's a must for many people when visiting Lisbon. It's a day-trip with an easy train ride from Lisbon.
