The Best Family Tours in Lisbon

 

When the vacations come knocking, or when the weekend comes around, inviting us to get out of the house with the family and discover the wonders ofwalking tours in Portugal, one of the must-see stops is undoubtedly Lisbon.

The country’s capital and owner of an identity full of history, art, culture and, above all, friendly and hospitable people, Lisbon is a city par excellence for a family outing.

Since it’s hard to choose, we’ve taken advantage of our experience in offering you some of the most interesting Hiking Tours in Portugal to show you the best walks in Lisbon to do with the family.

Put on some comfortable clothes and matching shoes, bring your curiosity with you and come with us to discover what Lisbon has to offer.

 

Best Family Tours in Lisbon

We start this trip to Lisbon with a walk that takes in the sights and panoramic views of the capital:

Viewpoints and Panoramic Views

There’s nothing better to understand the size of a city than to visit its viewpoints.

In the city that claims to be the “seven hills”, there are plenty of viewpoints to suit all tastes and moods, but in all of them, without exception, the view is breathtaking.

We start this route with a climb to the incomparable Castelo de São Jorge where, legend has it, Martim Moniz stuck his body in the door of the wall to let the troops of King Afonso Henriques enter and conquer the castle from the Moors.

In what is, according to some, the best view of the city and the Tagus River, we can access a periscope that allows us to have a 360º view of Lisbon in real time.

After admiring this fabulous view, we advise you to enter the castle and enjoy its important museum center, which will allow you to learn a little more about Lisbon’s history and the origins of its multicultural life.

Inaugurated in 1864, the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara is the ex-libris of Lisbon’s romantic viewpoints. It has also been a meeting point for Lisbon society on several occasions, such as the exciting moment when Halley’s Comet flew over the skies of Portugal in 1910.

As well as the view over Lisbon, this viewpoint is home to a series of historical busts of Vasco da Gama, Ulysses, Homer, Marcus Aurelius, the Empress Faustina and a tile panel painted by the Swiss artist Fred Kradolfer (1903-1968) which gives us the coordinates for the Lisbon we can admire from this point.

From São Pedro de Alcântara, we move on to the Miradouro de Nossa Senhora do Monte which, through its tile panels, gives us a glimpse of the monuments we can see in this, one of the most visited places in Lisbon.

A curious fact about the place where this viewpoint is located: near the chapel of Nossa Senhora do Monte, you’ll find a marble chair for pregnant women which is said to offer those who sit in it a peaceful labor.

In addition to these viewpoints, don’t miss the Miradouro de Santa Catarina, where you’ll find the famous statue of Adamastor and which was the setting for the filming of “The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis”.

To finish this route of viewpoints and panoramic views over Lisbon, we invite you to enter the Santa Justa Elevator designed by engineer Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard and, once at the top, admire the beautiful view it offers over the hustle and bustle of the city center and São Jorge Castle.

 

Popular neighborhoods

They are where fado was born, where St. Anthony is celebrated like nowhere else, where you can breathe the “alfacinha culture” of neighbors who help each other and never say no to anyone passing through, where, above all, the true soul of Lisbon resides.

We’re talking about places like Alfama, Madragoa, Mouraria, Castelo or Graça, popular neighborhoods where, among other things, you can’t miss the typical fado houses, such as Severa and Adega Machado, where Alfredo Marceneiro and Amália sang.

Speaking of Amália, when you find yourself in the São Bento neighborhood, take the opportunity to enter the House Museum of Portugal’s greatest fado singer, where you can learn in detail about the threads used to sew her days together.

What’s more, this walking tour of Lisbon’s popular neighborhoods will put your family side by side with some of the capital’s most emblematic monuments, such as the Fernandina Wall, São Jorge Castle, Lisbon Cathedral (Alfama) and the Roman Theatre.

Elétrico 28

The only reason we can’t say that this is one of the most creative ways to visit the heart of Lisbon is because millions of tourists have done it before us.

Getting on the typical Carris Tram 28 and taking it through the kilometers of monuments and popular and residential districts that mediate between Graça and Prazeres, such as Baixa Chiado, Estrela, Alfama and Campo de Ourique, is one of the best ways to get to know the heart of the city that captains Portugal in a flash.

Just like Wim Wenders did in his iconic film “Journey to Lisbon”, after rushing to catch this streetcar, open the window and let the wind sweep across your face while the old buildings covered in tiles, viewpoints, emblematic squares, palaces and some of the city’s greatest landmarks pass in front of your dazzled eyes.

And don’t worry, if you didn’t manage to see everything, there’s always the possibility of catching Tram 28 again with your family the next day.