Two Days in Lisbon with Little Ones: The Family-Friendly Guide

 Lisbon is a fantastic city to explore with children, but when you're travelling with little legs, a buggy or even a newborn, trying to see everything in just two days can quickly become exhausting.

Our advice? Don't try to see everything.

Instead, combine a few of Lisbon's highlights with playgrounds, riverside walks, tram rides, good food and experiences that children will actually remember.

Here is how we'd spend two days in Lisbon with little ones.

Day One: Playgrounds, Trams & Alfama

Start with a playground

If you're arriving in Lisbon in the morning, don't feel that you have to start sightseeing immediately.

Drop your bags, get settled and, if your accommodation isn't quite ready yet, let the children burn off some energy.

There is a lovely playground close to the river find it here. We particularly recommend going earlier in the afternoon, before around 3:30pm.

After that, the playground can become considerably busier with children from the nearby British School of Lisbon. They are lovely children and generally very welcoming to smaller ones, but it can get quite busy and overwhelming for toddlers.

There is also a quiosque right beside the playground, making it easy to grab a drink or a bite to eat while the children play.

Alternatively, head to Time Out Market for lunch, or try Capricciosa by the river, which has a soft-play area upstairs and dining downstairs. It's a particularly useful option for families because one adult can keep an eye on the children while everyone gets something to eat.

Take the children on a Lisbon tram

Lisbon's trams are an attraction in themselves, and children usually love the experience of rattling through the city.

From around the riverfront, you have several useful routes:

• Tram 25 – towards Estrela, where you'll find the wonderful playground in Estrela Park.

• Tram 18 – towards Ajuda Palace.

• Tram 15 – towards Belém.

You can read more about the different routes in our complete guide to Lisbon's trams.

And yes, we know everyone wants to ride Tram 28!

It is one of Lisbon's iconic experiences, but it can become extremely crowded. If you're travelling with a newborn or very young children, we'd recommend trying it early in the morning. Around 8am, you can sometimes find surprisingly quiet trams.

Travelling with a buggy? Make sure it can be folded. On busy Lisbon trams, you may not be able to board with an unfolded stroller.

Explore Praça do Comércio and Alfama

After your tram adventure, head back towards the river and make your way towards Praça do Comércio. You can also take the tram back here!

From there, you can walk along into the lower part of Alfama.

With small children, we'd actually recommend not trying to conquer all of Alfama at once. The lower streets are wonderful to explore slowly, with tiled façades, tiny streets and hidden corners around almost every turn.

Stop at Casa de São Miguel

As you wander through Alfama, make time for Casa de São Miguel.

This is exactly the sort of stop we love when exploring Lisbon with children: somewhere you can pause, take a few lovely photographs and have a little snack before continuing your adventure.

Don't underestimate the value of these little stops with young children. A morning of sightseeing is much more enjoyable when there are places to stop, refuel and reset rather than trying to march from one attraction to the next.

Casa de São Miguel makes a particularly lovely photographic stop, too. Alfama is full of beautiful details, but this is one of those places where it's worth slowing down and taking a moment.

The Alfama lift that saves little legs

If your children are still full of energy — and especially if you're not using a buggy — enter Alfama from the river and explore upwards at your own pace.

When you've had enough of the climbing, make your way towards this location.

This is the important bit: there is a lift here that takes you up towards Miradouro de Santa Luzia.

That means you can enjoy the character of Alfama at street level without having to make everyone climb every single hill. There will be elevation though manageable.

Once you reach Miradouro de Santa Luzia, you are in a fantastic position to continue towards São Jorge Castle and explore the upper part of Alfama, with some of the best panoramic views over Lisbon.

For families, this little lift can be a game changer. You get to experience the atmosphere and beauty of Alfama, but you can save tired legs for the things that matter.

Find a playground with a view

If the children still have energy after exploring the castle, there is another local spot that many visitors completely miss.

Head to this viewpoint, where you'll find a playground as well as plenty of food options nearby.

It's a great place to let the children play while the adults enjoy the view — and a much more relaxing way to finish a busy sightseeing day than trying to squeeze in yet another attraction.

A local favourite: Lisboa Tu & Eu

If you're looking for somewhere more relaxed and local to eat, Lisboa Tu & Eu is another recommendation we'd happily give families visiting Lisbon.

It's the sort of place to keep in mind when you want to eat well without making the meal feel like another formal stop on the sightseeing itinerary.

With young children, having a few trusted local places up your sleeve makes all the difference — particularly when everyone's suddenly hungry and nobody wants to walk another 30 minutes looking for somewhere to eat!

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Day Two: The Hippotrip & Belém

If day one has left everyone a little tired, make day two your easy, fun and memorable day.

And this is where we'd put one of our favourite Lisbon experiences for families: the Hippotrip.

Take the Hippotrip: Lisbon sightseeing with a twist

The Hippotrip is a sightseeing experience unlike any other in Lisbon.

You board an amphibious sightseeing bus in Alcântara, explore Lisbon by road and then — rather brilliantly — the bus drives straight into the River Tagus.

Yes, really.

For children, this is often far more exciting than simply sitting on a conventional sightseeing bus. For parents, it has another major advantage:

you get to see Lisbon without having to walk everywhere.

The experience lasts around 90 minutes, making it long enough to feel like a proper adventure while still being manageable with younger children. Please note minimum age 2.

And because it starts and finishes in Alcântara, the surrounding riverfront is relatively flat and easy to explore afterwards.

That makes the Hippotrip particularly good for a family with tired toddlers, a buggy or a newborn.

Why we love the Hippotrip for families

There are plenty of sightseeing tours in Lisbon, but the Hippotrip turns sightseeing into an experience.

Children get:

• 🚌 A sightseeing bus

• 🌊 A trip onto the River Tagus

• 👀 Views of Lisbon from a completely different perspective

• 🎉 A memorable adventure they are likely to talk about afterwards

And parents get to sit down for 90 minutes.

That's not a bad combination!

Book the Hippotrip with 15% off

The Hippotrip is one of our favourite experiences in Lisbon for families.

We can organise your Hippotrip tickets at 15% off the original price, just get in touch.

The tickets need to be arranged in advance, so just contact us at least one day before your preferred experience and we'll organise the tickets for you.

It's a brilliant way to see Lisbon with children without spending the whole day walking. You'll explore the city by road before the amphibious bus takes you straight into the River Tagus — an experience that is likely to be remembered long after the holiday is over.

A useful option for families with a baby

If you're travelling with two adults and kids of different ages including a newborn, you can even divide the experience between you.

One adult can take the older children on the Hippotrip, while the other stays nearby with the baby and enjoys a relaxed walk along the river.

Then swap stories afterwards — although we're fairly confident the children will have the more exciting one.

Continue to Belém

Once you've finished in Alcântara, you're also perfectly positioned to continue towards Belém.

You can read our guide to Belém here.

Belém is another excellent area for families because there is plenty of open space along the river and more room for children to walk, run and explore.

You don't need to turn it into a race to see every monument.

Take a walk along the waterfront, watch the boats, explore the gardens and stop for something to eat whenever the children need a break.

The beauty of Belém is that you can combine some of Lisbon's most famous sights with plenty of time simply being outdoors.

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Prefer Animals and Science? Visit the Oceanarium

If your children love animals, there is another fantastic option for your second day: Lisbon's Oceanarium.

You can make the Oceanarium the centrepiece of your day and combine it with the Science Museum and a walk along the waterfront in Parque das Nações.

This part of Lisbon feels completely different from Alfama.

It's modern, spacious and much easier to navigate with a buggy, making it a particularly good choice if you're travelling with very young children.

It's also a great backup for a day when the weather isn't cooperating.

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Our Perfect Two-Day Lisbon Itinerary with Little Ones

Day One

Morning / arrival
Drop your bags and get settled.

Early afternoon
Playground → lunch at the quiosque, Time Out Market or Capricciosa.

Afternoon
Take a tram towards Estrela, Ajuda or Belém.

Late afternoon / evening
Praça do Comércio → lower Alfama → Casa de São Miguel for photographs and a snack → take the lift towards Miradouro de Santa Luzia → castle and upper Alfama if everyone still has energy.

Before heading home
Stop at the local viewpoint and playground, or head to Lisboa Tu & Eu for something to eat.

Day Two

Morning
Take the Hippotrip from Alcântara — and remember, you can get your tickets 15% off the original price when you organise them through us.

Afterwards
Enjoy a flat riverside walk and continue towards Belém.

Afternoon
Explore Belém at your own pace.

Evening
Still got some energy left, take a sunset sailing tour - 2 hours on the water - and experience Lisbon from a different perspective. Life jackets are provided for the kids and we have taken our then 2 months old on tour with us, too! Blankets provided, too and you can either bring or purchase food for dinner. 

Alternative Day Two

Morning
Lisbon Oceanarium.

Afternoon
Science Museum → Parque das Nações waterfront.

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A Few Tips for Visiting Lisbon with Small Children

Don't try to see everything

Two days isn't enough to see all of Lisbon — and that's okay.

With children, the aim should be to have a great time rather than collect attractions.

Plan around energy levels

Put your more active sightseeing earlier in the day and leave afternoons flexible.

A playground stop isn't a distraction from your Lisbon itinerary. It is the itinerary when you're travelling with toddlers!

Make the river your friend

Lisbon's riverside areas are generally flatter and easier to navigate than the historic hills.

They're perfect for families who need a little space to walk, run and recover from a morning of sightseeing.

Use lifts and trams strategically

Lisbon's hills are part of its charm, but you don't need to walk every single one.

Use the city's lifts, trams and flatter routes to your advantage — particularly if you're pushing a buggy.

And remember that the Alfama lift to Miradouro de Santa Luzia can save you a serious amount of uphill walking.

Leave room for spontaneous stops

Some of the best family memories won't come from the sights you planned.

They'll come from riding a yellow tram, watching a boat on the Tagus, discovering a tiny tiled street, stopping at Casa de São Miguel for a snack, finding an unexpected playground — or watching a bus drive into the river.

And that's exactly why Lisbon works so well for a family city break.

Two Days, Lots of Memories

If you only have two days in Lisbon, don't worry about trying to fit the whole city into 48 hours.

Play. Explore. Ride a tram. Take the lift. See the views. Stop for a snack. Get on the Hippotrip. Walk beside the river. Let the children run.

And if you can add one more day to your trip, even better.

Lisbon is a city worth slowing down for — especially when you're exploring it with little ones.