10 Best Family Things to Do in Lisbon

Parque Florestal de Monsanto is a protected conservation park that contains a forest covering a massive area with walking trails and vibrant greenery. It's enormous in size, covering an area of 1,000 hectares, making it one of the largest parks in the city.

When you and your family visit this park, you can enjoy both a relaxing and an educational experience. The welcoming ambience of the flora here is perfect for a hike, but you'll also find insights into geology, the fauna and the climate, as the park strives to raise awareness about these issues. It's located in the Monsanto hills just west of the city centre.

Jardim da Estrela is a popular park that's notably quiet despite its location next to a major landmark where you and your family can enjoy tranquillity. This park is home to a duck pond and quite a few exotic plants among well-maintained gardens, so you'll spot plenty of alluring sights during a stroll within.

When you visit the park in the summer, you may want to stop by the wrought-iron bandstand. Local musicians often play performances here, and they're always family-friendly, though not always catered specifically to kids. It's located near the Basílica da Estrela west of the city centre.

Jamor Adventure Park is a fun-filled park that you and your family can enjoy with activities designed to offer unforgettable thrills with obstacles and zip lines. The canopy section of the park will have you and your kids up in the trees traversing hanging bridges, nets, ropes and zip lines.

You don't have to worry about safety here, as all participants in the treetop course are always harnessed and accompanied by experienced instructors. There are separate sections for participants ages 6 to 12 as well as teenagers, along with a challenge for the whole family. It's located about 15 minutes west of the city centre.

São Jorge Castle is a historic castle with the oldest fortifications dating back thousands of years where you and your family can take a tour. The castle hill has had human occupancy since the 8th century BCE, but fortifications here didn't become substantial until the 1st century BCE.

Most of the castle as it is today was built during the Moorish period of Portuguese history. When visiting, you can see numerous historic artefacts on display as well as take in the stunning panoramic view of Lisbon from the castle's ramparts. You'll find it in northwestern Alfama southeast of the city centre.

LxFactory Lisbon is an arts centre that's home to several fun shops and eateries that the whole family can enjoy among design-oriented surroundings. The shops and restaurants tend to be the main draw for families, with one-of-a-kind destinations you won't find anywhere else in the city.

The centre was adapted from an old industrial area, and the industrial style has been preserved in its current iteration with restaurants and shops having wide-open interior spaces and illumination from factory skylights. Some shops, like the book store, are even situated around the original factory equipment. See it between the city centre and Belém.

Pavilhão do Conhecimento is a kid-oriented science centre that offers numerous hands-on interactive exhibitions that are as fun as they are educational. Among the activities here, your little ones can enjoy launching their own hydrogen rocket, visiting the world of the dinosaurs and cooking up experiments in the kitchen lab.

This is a notably child-oriented exhibit, so it's not strictly speaking a museum as much as it is an activity centre. Its entire design is made to cultivate learning in young minds. Try it out in northern Cabo Ruivo northeast of the city centre.

Parque das Nações is a stunning neighbourhood known for its futuristic architecture, parks and marina that kids and adults alike can enjoy. Among the buildings here, you'll be able to see some of the largest towers and bridges in the city as well as sleek train stations and pavilions.

While the buildings may look futuristic in stark contrast to the rest of the city, you'll be able to see contemporary artwork here as well, especially around the metro station. Don't forget to check out the gardens near the waterfront too. It's located on the east side of town near the Tagus riverbank and Vasco da Gama Bridge.

Praia da Figueirinha is a stunning beach where you can enjoy brilliant natural features as well as welcoming waters that kids can swim in safely. The beach is situated along a sandbar, which forms a sort of sheltered lagoon. Because of this, your little ones can swim around without having to worry about waves or rip currents.

At this beach, you'll find impressive natural features as well, with the Arrábida hills serving as an alluring backdrop to the beach's golden sands. Convenient facilities are available here as well. It's located a few miles south of the Lisbon city centre near Setúbal.

Praia de Carcavelos is a beach the whole family can enjoy with blue waters and golden sands surrounded by shops and restaurants. The summer months are very popular here, with visitors just about every day flocking to the beach and the surrounding shops and eateries.

This beach, however, isn't all that popular with swimmers because it has waves better suited for surfing. In fact, you'll find several surf schools you can try with your kids if they're old enough. It's located south of Rebelva a few miles west of the city centre.

TIL – Teatro Infantil de Lisboa is a local theatre that's dedicated to family-friendly performances with decades of experience. The goal of this theatre is to show younger generations the importance of the performing arts and art in general for their own self-development and civic development for the culture.

When you visit this theatre, you'll find a variety of performances available, as they adapt old works by the greats like Shakespeare, Rossini and Rodrigues, but you'll also find original productions. Just make sure you check the calendar first. It's located in Bairro da Horta Nova northwest of the city centre.