Why you should visit Lisbon, part 3 – when is the best time?

Hello again everyone!

If you’ve thought about coming to Lisbon, probably one of the first questions you might have is – when is the best time to visit? For many people, that would mean during the summer of course. But what if I told you that’d you be commiting a huge mistake? Summer means usually good weather, time off from work, kids are celebrating their vacation period, etc. Unfortunately this also means that everyone will think the same way and decide to go anywhere during the same time. This leads to frustration, as monuments will have huge queue lines, the beaches will be full, everything will be pricier and in the case of some countries, the heat is almost unbearable for some people.

A hot summer day in Pena Palace, one of the most visited monuments in the country. Estimated time in the queueline: 2 hours. Yikes!

So when is the peak season in Portugal? Usually as soon as Easter arrives, many tourists from Spain come for their short breaks, sometimes on bus tours, but many times with their own car. This marks the beginning of the peak season, with cruise ships docking near downtown Lisbon, tourists coming on their own staying on hostels, hotels and airbnbs, private tours, bus tours etc… Along with the several events held in the main arteries of Lisbon during most weekends (like marathons, marches of protest, etc), this means that Lisbon will be at its peak during this time, which can be a bit frustrating if you want to get a true feel of Lisbon. The capital will usually be like this throughout Summer and until the beginning of November!

The coastline in the outskirts of Lisbon in the middle of January. Lucky us!

And then you think to yourself, “but outside of that season the weather is cold and miserable!”. Well, what if I told you that it can actually be the best time of the year to visit the city? It’s true that you can get the occasional rain (although nowadays it’s getting more and more unpredictable with climate change!), but otherwise Lisbon presents some very acceptable 12ºC/53F during the day and 5ºC/41F during the night in January, with no snow (!). Bring your nice, light, warm coat and winter fashionable accessories and you’re good to go! After all, while exploring the city you’ll always be on the move, so you’ll never be cold! Along with that, since this is considered the low season, prices will be lower, the streets will be more quiet (in a good way), and some options/activities that otherwise you wouldn’t do during the high season will be easier to go for.

If January is not a good month for you, you can try to come here in the second half of November (the first half can still be a bit busy) or during March (but always check when’s the Easter weekend!), when the weather will be milder. But always check the weather forecast before booking everything.

So, was I able to convince you? Share your thoughts in the comments and don’t forget to follow me on social media for more info!