Grandparents in town, a birthday treat, or a gray Saturday that needs a plan: these are the big outings we line up when the kids want more than the local park. Sharks and penguins, dolphins and lynx, a bus that drives straight into the river, and castle walls to climb. Here's what we checked, from the Lisbon Oceanarium to São Jorge Castle.
Built around one central tank holding five million liters of saltwater, where sharks and rays glide past, with four marine habitats around it that read as part of the same aquarium.
The route runs on two levels, so kids see each habitat from the surface and then from underwater. Around 8,000 marine creatures live here, from coral reef fish to sea otters.
Lisbon Zoo is laid out by world region: Sumatran tigers in the rainforest, lions, giraffes and elephants on the African savanna, gorillas, chimpanzees, okapis and lemurs. Dolphin Bay hosts the dolphin presentation, and pelican feedings run between the Africa and Asia areas.
A cable car passes over the enclosures, a small train loops the grounds, and the Children's Farm introduces domestic animals.
Castelo de São Jorge is a Moorish-era fortress on the city's highest hill, with walls and towers to walk and views over the rooftops to the Tagus. Around 40 peacocks roam the gardens and nest in the stone pines.
The ticket includes a guided tour of the archaeological site, with the remains of 11th-century Moorish houses, and a camera obscura in Ulysses Tower that projects live views of the city.
HIPPOtrip is an amphibious bus that tours the city by road, then plunges into the Tagus River for about 25 minutes on the water. Live entertainers run the show in Portuguese and English, with myths, legends and trivia, and get passengers shouting along.
The route takes in Cais do Sodré, Bairro Alto and Belém. It suits kids who want a loud, silly ride, not a quiet guided tour.
Grandparents in town, a birthday treat, or a gray Saturday that needs a plan: these are the big outings we line up when the kids want more than the local park. Sharks and penguins, dolphins and lynx, a bus that drives straight into the river, and castle walls to climb. Here's what we checked, from the Lisbon Oceanarium to São Jorge Castle.
Built around one central tank holding five million liters of saltwater, where sharks and rays glide past, with four marine habitats around it that read as part of the same aquarium.
The route runs on two levels, so kids see each habitat from the surface and then from underwater. Around 8,000 marine creatures live here, from coral reef fish to sea otters.
Lisbon Zoo is laid out by world region: Sumatran tigers in the rainforest, lions, giraffes and elephants on the African savanna, gorillas, chimpanzees, okapis and lemurs. Dolphin Bay hosts the dolphin presentation, and pelican feedings run between the Africa and Asia areas.
A cable car passes over the enclosures, a small train loops the grounds, and the Children's Farm introduces domestic animals.
Castelo de São Jorge is a Moorish-era fortress on the city's highest hill, with walls and towers to walk and views over the rooftops to the Tagus. Around 40 peacocks roam the gardens and nest in the stone pines.
The ticket includes a guided tour of the archaeological site, with the remains of 11th-century Moorish houses, and a camera obscura in Ulysses Tower that projects live views of the city.
HIPPOtrip is an amphibious bus that tours the city by road, then plunges into the Tagus River for about 25 minutes on the water. Live entertainers run the show in Portuguese and English, with myths, legends and trivia, and get passengers shouting along.
The route takes in Cais do Sodré, Bairro Alto and Belém. It suits kids who want a loud, silly ride, not a quiet guided tour.
