Family Tour: Essential Lisbon
Description
This is a classic family tour of Lisbon - a perfect general tour to introduce you and your family to the historical sights, the best views and the main attractions of the city center. Around Baixa, Chiado, Bica and Bairro Alto, you are invited to discover some of the city symbols and the most relevant peculiarities of Lisbon and its history. This is one of the most popular tours for first-time family visitors to Lisbon. In a fun way, you and your kids will learn about the most important symbols of the city and biggest events in Lisbon’s history: the conquest of the city, the Discoveries, the big earthquake, 'Carnation Revolution', and the ones that have contributed to build the city which exists today. Your guide will also talk about the typical cobbled stone pavement and the ceramic tiles in a fun and engaging way.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Start your tour in the famous Rossio Square
Visit the heart of the city center.
Explore this neighborhood by doing a fun and surprising family challege: a scavenger hunt.
Ride the traditional cable car (Elevador da Bica).
Get to know the trendiest attration in Lisbon.
After meeting your guide, explore one of the most beautiful squares in Europe.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Children must be accompanied by an adult.
- A minimum of 4 people (2 adults + 2 children) per booking is required (or equivalent payment for smaller groups/families))
- Subject to favorable weather conditions. If canceled due to poor weather, you will be given the option of an alternative date or full refund.
- Although it is very interesting, the city pavement can become very irregular. Also, because the city has many sloped streets (Lisbon is known as the city of 7 hills), it might become a bit difficult for baby strollers and pushchairs. If you need to bring one, make sure it is a light, thin one. Baby carriers, back carriers or woven wraps & slings are a good option for babies and toddlers
- Make sure you and the kids wear comfortable clothes and shoes. A coat or a sweater might be useful even in summer time, because it gets cold after sunset. In summertime, don't forget to bring a hat and sunglasses for all (Lisbon is known by its fantastic bright sunlight) and make sure you apply sunscreen before starting the tour. In winter or rainy weather, don't forget to bring a raincoat
- The total distance walked will be 2,5 miles approximately, including a tram ride on the steepest hill of Bica, if available (please note that the waiting line for the tram can quite long, as the trams depart every 10/15 minutes with a maximum capacity of 22 passengers inside and also the tram may be closed due to unexpected technical issues without prior notice - in these cases the group wil walk down the hill).
Reviews(56)
From the moment that we met Julia on a hot August morning, our experience and appreciation for her beloved home city of Lisboa was transformed. In the space of just three and a half hours, she passed onto us the kind of nuanced, personal and deeply familiar understanding of Lisbon that most visitors to a city can only dream of, and which represents an immense privilege to all who receive it. The best way I can think of to describe our tour is that normally, as a tourist, you move along the surface layer of a city, but with Julia's expert listening skills and knowledge, she was able to provide us with a tailored tour that enabled us to gaze down through centuries of Lisbon's history, bringing it all vividly to life. We walked through the city for the next few days enriched by the knowledge Julia had shared with us, looking at the city entirely through new eyes and feeling only the deepest gratitude to Julia for her guidance. Cannot recommend highly enough.
Thank you for this review! We will share it with Julia. We are very happy to know that our tour contributed to your deeper and more honest knowledge of our city! We would love to see you again in Lisbon!
Little Lisbon were BRILLIANT! We did 3 tours in 3 days with them, including a day trip to Sintra, and every tour was magnificent. The guides were so imfortative, fun and approachable for our kids. They tailored the activities and energy levels to the kids and they had a brilliant 3 days learning about Lisbon, Sintra and Portugal! Thanks Little Lisbon, your really made our stay magical and memorable!
Making families happy and creating unforgettable memories is our biggest goal, and receiving reviews like this fills our hearts and inspires us to keep going. Thank you so much! We would love to see you all again in Lisbon in the future!
We were a very large family (20 people!) with 8 children ranging from 2 to 9 years old. Mariana was patient and worked hard to make the tour interesting for everyone. With scavenger hunts, objects, matching games, and more, the older kids exclaimed that it was the best tour they've ever been on. And the adults got to explore different neighborhoods at a leisurely rate and get a basic understanding of Lisbon's main historical areas. Would totally recommend for families visiting Lisbon!
Thank you for this review! It is challenging to guide such a large group, but it's very rewarding to know that everyone enjoyed it, especially the children!
If you're traveling to Lisbon with kids, Little Lisbon is an exceptional choice for family tours. We took two tours (Sea Heroes in Belém and Essential Lisbon) with them, and both were absolutely fantastic! Each tour offered hands-on experiences that kept our son both entertained and engaged, which is no small feat. The adults in the group also had a wonderful time, as the tours provided fascinating insights into the city's rich history and culture. One of the things we truly appreciated was how thoughtful and accommodating our guide was. Our first tour took place on the very first day of our trip, and our son was understandably tired. Our guide quickly picked up on his need for rest and knew when to give him some space, yet always found the right moments to engage him, making the experience enjoyable for all of us. It was this personalized touch that made a huge difference. Additionally, the tour included some delicious local treats, adding a sweet touch to an already memorable experience. Overall, we can’t recommend Little Lisbon enough. These tours are not just for the kids – adults will find them incredibly enjoyable as well! A perfect way to explore Lisbon and create lasting memories with the whole family. We can't wait for a future visit and will definitely take another tour with Little Lisbon!
Hello! We can't thank you enough for this review. We are very happy to know that our work has such a positive impact on the families who visit us and we are so grateful that you shared your experience. We look forward to welcoming you back to Lisbon!
We traveled to Lisbon with a 5 year old and a toddler and knew a traditional walking tour wouldn't work for us. We booked the Essential Lisbon tour for our first morning and it was an amazing way to start the trip. Mariana graciously agreed to start a bit later due to flight delays and catered our tour beautifully to our 5 year old's level and interests. The fun missions and scavenger hunts taught us all cool facts about Lisbon that stuck with us throughout our time in the city. This was a highlight of our trip!
Dear Helene, thank you so much for this review. It was great to host your family in Lisbon and we would love to see you again in the future!
Super tour with Mariana. We did the tour with our two young children - Little Lisbon tours has devised an extremely engaging tour that kept our children totally engaged throughout the entire three hours. They did a pattern spotting game and we all participated in a scavenger hunt on top of learning lots about the history of Lisbon. The children really enjoyed it. Would definitely recommend- Mariana really brought the city to life for them. A natural! I would 100% recommend this tour to any families visiting Lisbon
Thank you so much for this review. I had a great time with your family too and we look forward to hosting you again in the future!
We LOVED this tour! Julia was an excellent tour guide. She was super friendly, very patient with our two young children and accommodating of our needs. Throughout the tour, Julia shared a great deal of interesting historical and current facts about Lisbon/Portugal. Thank you for the great experience! :)
Thank you so much for your review! Julia had a great time with your family too. We look forward to meeting you in Lisbon in the future!
We had a great ride with our Guide who walked us well in the must-see places of Lisbon, telling us the history of the country and the city as well as a lot of anecdotes, the children (8 and 11 years old) enjoyed it, it was very suitable for them and very fun, they did not see the time pass and neither do we, to do again!
Merci beaucoup pour votre commentaire. Ce fut un plaisir d'accueillir votre famille dans l'une de nos visites. Nous vous souhaitons tout le meilleur et nous espérons vous revoir à Lisbonne futurement!
Our guide, Alexandre Ovidio, was excellent with our two kids! They are 1.5 and 5.5 in age and a bit of a handful but he was so gracious with them and kept our 5 year old really engaged. My daughter enjoyed it in the end and us as parents learned quite a lot too. He clearly loves kids and has thought through how to keep them engaged. High recommend !
Thank you for your feedback. We are very glad that you all enjoyed our tour and Alexandre loved guiding your family. Have a great Summer!
Such a wonderful tour! My kids (10 & 11) were excited to learn about the history of Lisbon. My son was not as excited about walking, because you know - you have to actually walk around. Alex was wonderful! Very engaging, with the little scavenger tour and tasks for the kids - my son quickly "changed" his mind and said he LOVES this tour. The walking was very slow with tons of great facts that kids relate to. Alex was very understanding to the million of questions he was being asked and was super happy to share different facts about Lisbon. He was also very interactive, to keep the kids engaged. I highly recommend this tour for kids!
Thank you for your review! We do believe the best way to explore and learn about the city is walking. And we are very happy that your son loved the tour! We wish you a great Summer!
