Traveling to Lisbon is much more than choosing the capital of Portugal, also known as the City of the Seven Hills, as your destination. Cosmopolitan and traditional, this city thrives on ambiguity, transporting visitors to one of the country’s technological and innovative hotspots, while inviting them to experience a traditional metropolis with a deep-rooted parochial culture. As the national capital, this city is an important political and financial center. It is home to many of the country’s most emblematic monuments, including the Torre de Belém, the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, the Basílica da Estrela, the Panteão Nacional, and the Padrão dos Descobrimentos, among others. Its museums also tell the story of the city and the people who lived there until it became the city that we see today. Born of legends and presenting itself as an open-air museum, this city of gardens, river and sea could not fail to stand out for its beautiful natural and artistic heritage, especially Fado, the traditional Portuguese song that has earned UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage label. Holder of a full-bodied and unique gastronomy, the city invites travelers to taste the flavors of dishes as emblematic as codfish and its thousand forms of preparation, the Pastéis de Belém or the Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato. The caldo verde with chorizo and the grilled meats are also must-tries, especially if accompanied by a good fado show in one of the city’s traditional fado houses, which will feature in any travel guide to Lisbon.

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Best time to travel

There is no best time to visit Lisbon, as the Portuguese capital is one of those cities that offers endless reasons to visit all year round! For starters, this is a city whose beauty and historical heritage create a very diverse range of possible activities, which makes traveling to Lisbon always make sense and have wonderful options for cultural, recreational, or artistic activities regardless of when you visit. Moreover, it is a city that changes with the seasons, painting itself with different shades of light and colors depending on the time of year. So you will always have the feeling that this city is a city renewed every season. Find out about the advantages of traveling to Lisbon in spring, summer, autumn and winter, and choose the season that best suits your visit to the City of the Seven Hills.

March – June In spring, some of the city’s most important areas – such as the Botanical Garden or the capital’s many gardens – take on a renewed beauty as the plants bloom. The beauty of the ruins stands out with the jacarandas, which are painted in shades of red, due to the characteristics of this tree of Brazilian origin. This is a good time to visit the city’s lookout points and also to take advantage of the Mata de Monsanto trails or cycle around the city on one of the Gira bikes, with which you can discover all the capital’s cycling routes.

Weather

As at other times of the year, the city beckons travelers in the spring season, as the weather in Lisbon is very pleasant at this time of year, tending to be cooler and colder at the beginning and more pleasant and dry as summer approaches.

Events & Parties

Spring is not the season with the most events in the Portuguese capital. Still, you can enjoy some concert cycles in town, as well as occasional seasonal festivals, such as the Spring Festival at the Ajuda Botanical Garden. Some years you can also take advantage of sporting events (such as races) and gastronomic events.

Price evolution

Since it’s not high season in the city, you may notice a slight drop in prices when you visit Lisbon in the spring.

June – September Summer is the right time for those who want to make the most of the warmer weather and do some of the activities that the city offers and that will surely mark the memory of any traveler, since temperatures are higher and rain is very rare at this time of year. This is the ideal time to watch the sun set on the cross over the Tagus, to enjoy the summer concerts in the city gardens, to walk along the river at nightfall or to enjoy the city’s main rooftop bars.

Weather

This is the hottest time of the year, with little rain. During the months of July and August, maximum temperatures easily exceed 30 °C, and can even reach 40 °C on the hottest days in August. Fortunately, the Gulf Stream warms up the temperature at night and the daily average drops to 24°C.

Events & Parties

Summer is the right time to enjoy the city’s festivities with the Popular Saints, the marches and the traditional grilled sardines. This is also the summer festival season, with music festivals such as NOS Alive, Super Bock Super Rock, Sumol Summer Fest, Cool Jazz Fest or Festas do Mar de Cascais standing out, where you can see some well-known names from the international music scene.

Price evolution

Just like the end-of-year festivities, the hot weather is also one of Lisbon’s peak seasons. Thus, you can expect the trip to be a little more expensive this time of year. Still, along with the price variation, you can enjoy many positives, including the summer festivals, the Lisbon Book Fair, and also the nearby beaches, which are one of the country’s main tourist spots, especially for those who enjoy bathing tourism.

September – December As well as being able to enjoy pleasant temperatures and plenty of warm days at this time of year, Lisbon leaves no one indifferent in the fall. Many of the city’s trees have deciduous foliage and end up being painted in warm, vibrant hues, creating real natural carpets along the streets. Areas such as the Monsanto National Park, the Torel Garden, or the viewpoints become highlights at this time of year, and the ideal moment to capture that Instagram-worthy photo. This is also the time to try roasted chestnuts in the city center, with all their cultural and traditional flair, or to stop at a teahouse for a hot cup of tea and take refuge in the coolness of the streets.

Weather

One of the favorite times of year for tourists to visit the capital is Lisbon, with a mild average temperature of around 21º C, which allows you to enjoy highs of around 30º C in the early afternoon, but cool nights of around 14º C. It should be noted that rainfall is more frequent in the summer than in the summer, and during October and November there can be several days of heavy rainfall.

Events & Parties

Portugal is a country of fine wines and you can make the most of them when you visit Lisbon in the fall, as this is the time when the city hosts its Wine Market. The Ajuda Botanical Garden’s Fall Festival is also worth mentioning, as it is already in its tenth edition, always with various activities that promise moments of fun.

Price evolution

Since it’s not high season in the city, you may notice a slight drop in prices when you visit Lisbon in the fall.

December – March Towards the end of the year, Lisbon becomes rainier and the weather becomes cooler, although temperatures rarely drop below 5ºC. At this time, the city dresses in light and celebration. In addition to the illuminations that light up the streets and create a truly remarkable spectacle worth visiting, the city also celebrates Christmas and the arrival of the New Year with many events.

Weather

During the coldest months of the year, the temperature is between 13 and 15º C during the day, and the nights are not excessively harsh, with a minimum of between 5 and 7º C normally, but they make it difficult to enjoy the city in a pleasant way. In addition, there are fewer daylight hours throughout the year, and it is likely to rain on almost half the days of the month, with the heaviest rainfall occurring in January and February.

Events & Parties

Among the main events you can enjoy when traveling to Lisbon at this time of year are the Christmas Markets. These take place at the Campo Pequeno square, the Santa Catalina Belvedere, and in Alvalade. In addition, Wonderland Lisboa – the city’s largest Christmas market – fills Parque Eduardo VII and invites you to enjoy an ice rink, a Christmas village, a Ferris wheel and several carousels.

Price evolution

The winter celebration season is considered one of the high seasons in Lisbon and, as such, prices can be a little higher during the end-of-year festivities.

What to see and do

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How to get there from the airport

Getting to the center of Lisbon from Humberto Delgado Airport is very simple, and you can do it using a variety of safe, fast and economical means of transport. Below is a list of the most common options:

Public Transportation

When you arrive at the airport and go to the center of Lisbon, you can take a local bus, an Aerobus (with buses every 20 minutes to various points in the city) or even a shuttle, if you want to connect to your hotel and it offers the service. Still, the simplest and quickest way to get to the center is the Lisbon Underground, or, as it is better known, the Metro. Looking at the map of Lisbon available at every station, you will see that it has four lines, and the airport is the terminus station of the red line. The metro runs daily between 6:30 am and 1 am. To go to the city center you must take the subway, buying one reloadable ticket per person in the machines for that purpose. Remember that the currency used in Lisbon is the Euro. Each ticket costs 0.5 euros, and you can buy a pack of trips or single trips (1.5 euros/each). Once you have your ticket, take the subway to Alameda, where you can change to the green line, which connects to the center, and get off at Rossio or Baixa-Chiado. We would also like to remind you that, due to Covid-19, there are restrictions on public transport in Lisbon, and the use of masks is mandatory on all forms of transport.

Private transport services and cabs

With the most common transport service apps – such as Bolt, Uber or Cabify – you will also quickly reach the center of Lisbon, with a personalized and very economical service. Alternatively, if you don’t want to install these apps on your smartphone, you will have private transportation to the center by taking one of the many cabs that usually taper off at the indicated location. In either case, all you have to do is indicate where you want to go and you will be taken by a certified driver to the place you have indicated.

Car Rental

You’ll also find car rental companies inside the airport itself. You can also rent your car on the website, remembering that the presentation of documents such as your identification card and driver’s license is essential. Renting a car will ensure that you can enjoy your stay in the Portuguese capital with complete freedom of schedule and route.