Lisbon is a magical and spirited Christmas destination.

The city comes alive with Christmas festivities, and the Portuguese adore the festive period with a host of traditions that tourists can get truly immersed in.

In the lead-up to Christmas, Lisbon hosts various festive markets and fairs. The entire city also becomes a winter wonderland of decorations and light.

Tourism really picks up during December, and there is a real buzz about the city. Every night, the nightlife districts of Bairro Alto and Cais de Sodre are packed with revellers enjoying the festive atmosphere.

Unlike much of Europe, which tends to be gloomy and cold, Lisbon boasts some of the best weather in mainland Europe, with sunshine and days warm enough to forego a jacket.

The only slight damper with all of the merriness and Christmas excitement is that flights, accommodation, and everything tourism-related will cost significantly more than in November or January.

Ultimately, if you get the chance to spend any part of the Christmas holiday in Lisbon, you can look forward to an amazing experience and holiday.

Insight: The Portuguese for Merry Christmas is "Feliz Natal", and Happy New Year is "Feliz Ano Novo."
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The Rua Garrett is one of the main shopping streets of Lisbon and is always beautifully lit up at Christmas

There will be many Christmas markets hosted throughout the city such as this one in Rossio plaza

Highlights for a holiday to Lisbon at Christmas include:
• Visiting Lisbon’s Christmas tree in Praça do Comércio
• A day of festivities at Lisbon Wonderland held in the Parque Eduardo VII
• Christmas eve celebrating in the bars of Barro Alto
• Shopping and exploring the festive lights along Avendue de liberade
• Seeing the exquisite nativity scenes
• Enjoying Portuguese traditional delicacies at Rossio Christmas Market

Lisbon’s Christmas tree in the Praça do Comércio

Overall, the weather is best summarised as mild but unpredictable: There's an equal chance of mild sunny weather and cool, wet weather.

Average data suggests an average daytime temperature of 15C and a nighttime minimum of 8C, but this masks the variability that is possible. There's an equal chance of mild sunny weather as cool, wet weather.

Do not expect Lisbon to be a winter sun destination; however, the chance of some sunshine and walkable temperatures both day and night mean it is perfect for enjoying the festivities.

For tourists staying in the capital on Christmas Day, it is vital to plan in advance as it is a bank holiday, and many restaurants and tourist amenities will be shut.

It is highly recommended to get guidance from your accommodation on their festive offerings and local restaurants that will serve food to avoid disappointment. Expect that 75% of restaurants will need to be booked in advance of dining.

All tourist sights and activities will be shut on Christmas day, but they will all reopen on the 26th.

The Christmas shops start opening in November

Lisbon is a popular tourist destination, and there is always a very high demand for accommodation.
We always advise booking your accommodation as early as possible to secure the best locations and prices.

The map below shows the best accommodation in Lisbon. If you adjust it to the dates of your holiday it will show current prices and availability.

Booking.com

For most Portuguese families, Christmas Eve (24th of December) is the most important day of the Christmas holidays. This is the night children stay awake until midnight to receive their gifts, and the main Christmas meal (the Ceia de Natal) is served prior to the present giving.

For younger people, Christmas Eve is a night to party and will be one of the busiest in central Lisbon.

Historically, the meal was served before the midnight mass (Missa do Galo), and the present giving was done after the church service.
Insight: 'Missa do Galo' translates to 'Mass of the Rooster.' During the service, an image of baby Jesus is presented for the congregation to kiss.

Christmas Day is a day of spending time with family, relaxing and eating! Most families host a Christmas Day lunch, which will extend across most of the day.

The Christmas holidays are short in Portugal; most people return to their normal work on the 26th and many tourist attractions re-open at the same time.

In Lisbon, the traditional Christmas family meal is centred around Bacalhau com Natas (Bacalhau with cream) with a host of sweet and savoury pastries and cakes.

The traditional cake of Christmas is the Bolo Rei (King's Cake), a brioche-dough sweet bread that contains port-infused fruit and topped with glace cherries. It's as delicious as it sounds and can be found in every café and supermarket in the lead-up to Christmas.

For tourists visiting over the festive period, it is highly recommended to try the delicious Christmas food and book a restaurant for Christmas eve to feel immersed in the spirit of the city.

Lisbon’s Christmas tree in the Praça do Comércio

Lisbon has fully embraced the concept of Christmas markets, with many of varying sizes scattered throughout the city.

Winter Wonderland – Parque Eduardo VII
The largest Christmas markets is the Winter Wonderland, held in the Parque Eduardo VII. This includes market stalls, food venues, pop-up bars, fairground rides and a selection of Christmas-focused activities.

Highlights this year include a gigantic Ferris wheel, Santa, an Enchanted Forest, and an ice-skating rink. Winter Wonderland runs up until 1st January 2024. It is open daily until 10 pm and is free entry (rides are individually priced)

One of the largest Christmas markets is the Winter Wonderland, held in the Parque Eduardo VII. This includes market stalls, food venues, pop-up bars, fairground rides and a selection of Christmas-focused activities.

Rossio Christmas Market
For a more conventional Christmas market head to Rossio plaza for live local music, festive food, Christmas gifts and Santa’s grotto. There is even a Christmas train for children to ride on for free.
Rossio Christmas Market runs until 23rd December, Monday – Saturday 10 am until 10pm.

Lisbon is a shopper’s paradise, and the capital is a great place to enjoy the festivities while shopping for gifts and unique presents. Christmas shopping is also a great activity for rainy or colder days. Below is a list of highly recommended places to explore at Christmas:

Colombo shopping centre
Lisbon’s largest shopping centre is a mecca for Christmas shopping. The enormous indoor centre has every high street brand and plenty of toy shops for little ones. There is also a bowling city, cinema, and food court. At Christmas the centre is decorated with a colossal tree and beautiful displays.

Colombo is open Monday to Sunday from 8 am to 12 am (although most shops open at 10 am until 7 pm). On Christmas eve the centre is open until 6pm and then closed until the Boxing Day sales.

Armazens Do Chiado
This fine shopping centre situated in the historic centre of Lisbon, is renowned for its Christmas lights. The centre has approximately 50 shops and a wide selection of restaurants for different tastes. From here tourists can take in the lights of the building and all along the upmarket Rua Garrett.
Shops are open seven days a week from 10 am to 10pm.

Avendue de liberade
Over the Christmas period the luxurious shopping street of Avendue de Liberade is a fine place to view Festive window displays from all the top designer brands. The tree lined avenue is also renowned for having beautiful night-time decorations and lighting.

A sweet Portuguese tradition around Christmas is the nativity scene known as the Presépios.

In Portugal, the nativity scene has very old traditions which are rooted in popular customs. It is customary for it to be displayed from the beginning of Advent without the Baby Jesus figure, which is only placed in the scene on Christmas Eve, after Midnight Mass.

Traditionally, it is near the nativity scene that the gifts are placed and given out to the family once the model of the Baby Jesus is placed in the Presépios.

In Lisbon, beautiful nativity scenes can be found in the Basílica da Estrela and the Sé de Lisboa cathedral. If you get a chance to visit Evora, the Bone Chapel in the Igreja de São Francisco has the world's largest collection of nativity scenes.

Given Lisbon’s lively nightlife, it is a wonderful place to celebrate the biggest party night of the year.

Tourists staying over new year will be treated to a welcoming party that spills out on to the streets and lasts through the night.

While there are a few famed clubs in the city, it is wise to dine late and head to either Bairro Alto or Cais de Sodre for small, local-filled bars and great music. For those enjoying a romantic New Year’s get away, another fine option is to enjoy an early December sunset along the Tagus River.

Here along the Avenida Ribeira das Naus there are a great selection of cocktail bars and restaurants. Alternatively, couples can choose to sit on the riverside with a bottle of wine and toast to the new year.

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