Background In summer of 2025, our family took a trip to Portugal! We loved spending a few days in Lisbon with some history and museums and then took the train down to Lagos and the Algarve area where we soaked in the sun and beach vibes.  We love European travel as it always has family-friendly towns, easy navigating with trains and so much history and beauty. Traveling internationally with kids can be daunting but with a little preparation and research and tips from other travelers, we had a successful trip! This post covers our days in Lisbon. For more on our Portugal Adventure, see our posts here Summer Portugal Adventures with Kids- Lisbon and Algarve Itinerary and Logistics 3 day Lisbon Itinerary for Families 4 day Algarve Itinerary for Families Arrival in Lisbon from Airport We flew from Nashville to Lisbon with a long layover in Dublin, Ireland. There is a new non-stop and award tickets were really cheap. Usually arrivals from the US would be earlier in the morning, but we spent part of the day in Ireland and arrived to Lisbon late in the evening around 10p. We took an uber to our apartment. Transportation in Lisbon In Lisbon, we mostly did a lot of walking with a few uber trips. (Later in the trip, we learned that Bolt was a better option) We also took a few bus and train rides. We tapped our cards on the buses and at train turnstiles. We also took a longer train to Sintra and a ferry ride that both required tickets.  At the end of our trip, we pre-purchased train tickets to Lagos, our next stop. Hotel While we generally are hotel people (yay Hyatt), the location and cost didn’t make sense for this visit. We found on airbnb an inexpensive apartment in Amalfa that allowed us to spread out a little. The kids had their own (small) room and we had ours as well. It was fine and met our needs but I wouldn’t recommend due to the small size and lack of air conditioning Our 3 day itinerary in Lisbon Day 1: Lisbon city walks and Belem sights We slept in a little (like 9a) and then head out for adventure. We were staying in Amalfa and it was an easy walk on cobblestone paths to the coolest views Miradouro de Santa Luzia Viewpoints and Castelo de Sao Jorge We started our day with a short walk past some cool viewpoints and headed our way to the castle. We didn’t pre-buy tickets but they were reasonable priced (check for family prices) and we enjoyed climbing and exploring. The views were incredible and it was fun imagining how it would feel to be an archer or cannonballer. There were peacocks wandering and a very small museum and gift shop. While it was fun to explore, I wouldn’t count this as a must-do especially if you have the monastery or other palaces in your itinerary. Midday Market and Lunch We then walked towards the Feira da ladra flea market. This was a really quirky market with treasure and odd junk. It was fun to explore but I wouldn’t necessarily force it into your itinerary. It is only open on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Nearby, we had a wonderful authentic Portuguese lunch at Tabernita. The prices were very reasonable and the food was delicious. After lunch, we stopped at a grocery store for some snacks and drinks and headed back to the apartment for some down time. This is one of the biggest tips I have for traveling with kids. A midday break is perfect for kids to read or play video games, adults to do a short run (or play candy crush and watch a soul crushing kdrama-shoutout to when life gives you tangerines) Praca do Comercio and Belem When we visited there was a UEFA women’s fan festival tied to the big Arsenal Barcelona soccer match. The festival watch party had some cool little activities and food trucks but we just passed by for the vibes. We walked along the waterfront (and told the kids 700 times we weren’t buying a pineapple pina colada) and went to the train station to hop a tram to Belem. The tram was air conditioned, not one of the older ones. About 30 minutes away, we enjoyed seeing the exteriors of the Jeronimos Monastery and Belem Tower. We were too late to tour any sights and would have likely prioritized this higher. Definitely worth a full afternoon. We ate some pizza and pasta nearby on the waterfront and took the tram back. A long and fun day Day 2: Parque das Nações Science Musem Morning Pastries and trains to the Parque das Nações We started our day the Lisbon way – with pastel de nata and coffee. This is an absolute must do. A delicious broiled custard tart, they are best fresh and go perfect with a small takeaway coffee. We took the train north to the riverside nacoes park area which is home to both the Aquarium and the Science museum. We loved and explored every inch of the Pavilhão do Conhecimento, and it absolutely delivered for both kids. Highlights included: The explore room had some of the typical STEM learning hands-on module but with an artistic twist. Every section had a English translation and there was lots of cool things dealing with light and perception and how things work. A younger kids’ carnival-style play area with climbing, games, and soft play. We spent a good amount of time here just playing. So fun. A temporary (and amazing) Pixar animation exhibit downstairs with behind-the-scenes movie magic. Brazilian BBQ break We took a break at the Vasco da Gama Shopping Center, just a few minutes’ walk away, for a Brazilian steakhouse lunch. Endless grilled meat and a salad bar? Big hit. Ellie’s favorite part of the whole trip. LOL. We actually planned on going to the food court but got distracted by AYCE steak.