Christmas and New Year’s travel guide to Lisbon and Porto
We had a great time visiting Portugal during Christmas week and for the New Year.
Visiting the big cities of Lisbon and Porto in December and January, with the mild weather and festive atmospher,e creates a special kind of liveliness during the holiday season.
A range of Christmas fairs & markets, festive lights, decorations, and holiday celebrations make for a memorable visit.
Christmas lights in Porto. All photos by John O’Boyle/The Empty Nest Explorers.
What the weather is like in Lisbon and Porto in December and January
Lisbon and Porto are great cities to visit for the holidays. The weather is mild with temperatures in the 57–63°F (14–17°C) range during the day and 46–52°F (8–11°C) in the evenings.
January is also the rainy season in Lisbon and Porto, so do expect some cloudiness and rain. It’s no worries if you are prepared for it!
In Porto in particular, cloudy, gray, low-hung skies are pretty typical, due to the proximity of the Douro River. But this also adds a moody sort of winter atmosphere that makes for great photography.
Low hanging afternoon clouds in Porto.
But it’s not all gray! You can definitely expect some sunny, clear days as well, especially in Lisbon. We experienced blue skies, mild temps and lovely sunsets.
So don’t worry - you’ll be able to do plenty of outdoor sightseeing, especially in Lisbon. In Porto, you might want to have a few indoor activity ideas tucked away to fall back on. Like visiting wine cellars. ;)
What to pack for a December and January trip to Portugal
Coming from a New Jersey winter, Portugal really didn’t feel that cold to me. Basically it’s jeans, long sleeve shirts for basic layers. We also always pack thin, silk long-johns on winter trips for days like New Year’s Eve when we might be outside for a long time at night.
For outer layers, a mid-weight fleece or light wooly jacket was all we usually needed. But rain is inevitable so you will definitely need a rain layer with a hood to put on top. A thin “puffer coat” I brought along for this purpose was almost too warm; next time I think I’ll just use a thin rain shell instead.
Debbie wears a lightweight jacket along the Tagus River in Lisbon on New Years Day.
The temperature rarely falls below 40°F, but Atlantic humidity can make it feel chillier at night.
For this reason, I wore a light scarf most of the time, and carried knit gloves and a wool beret just in case I felt the need - but I only used them a couple times. You don’t need anything “snow level” in that department though; just a little added coverage.
Restaurants continue to have outside seating this time of year, often with heaters and blankets available. We were very comfortable eating outside throughout the trip.
Shoes are a very important consideration. Lisbon is very hilly, and Porto is too, to some degree. You will be doing a lot of walking to best enjoy these cities - no way around it. Many of the sidewalks are tiled with a sort of decorative cobblestone that can get slippery when wet.
Christmas decorations on a Lisbon street.
So you have to be practical about shoes. They need to be comfortable, have a good grip and at least some level of waterproofing. You really have to go with waterproof sneakers or hiking boots.
I always struggle with wanting to look cute and be comfortable with all the walking we do on trips. (the struggle is real, am I right, girls?) Truth is, no one is looking at your feet - like ever. Plus, the way we usually operate on these trips is once we are out for the day, we are out, and rarely go back to the room to change before the evening activities. So shoes are always a bit of a compromise.
You may need to pack a nicer pair of shoes if you are planning a more elegant night out of course. Just take an Uber! ;)
Men have easier options, I think. A nice-looking sneaker or low boot can pass in most situations these days. I would just suggest staying away from white sneakers that scream “tourist!” and opt for dark colors and classier, understated looks in general.
How Christmas is celebrated in Portugal
Portugal is a primarily Catholic country, so Christmas is widely celebrated throughout the country.
The lead-up to Christmas is very festive throughout December as the holiday approaches. Christmas decorating starts midway through November, with light displays adorning almost every street and public square. Christmas markets start opening as December approaches. Lots more about Portugal’s best Christmas markets in the next section of this post.
Dates holiday markets are open vary greatly, so check opening dates before you go and plan accordingly.
Christmas lights display in Lisbon.
Christmas Eve is traditionally the main family gathering time in Portugal. It is highlighted with a fish dinner of bacalhau (salted cod), prepared with broa (a typical Portuguese bread) and layered with sliced onion and potatoes.
Attending Midnight Mass (Missa do Galo) is also traditional on Christmas Eve, when a Baby Jesus figurine is placed into Nativity scenes. Children wait for a visit from Pai Natal (Santa Claus), and in some regions of Portugal, people gather around massive bonfires, called madeiros.
Christmas Day usually involves a celebratory lunch of roasted lamb or goat kid (cabrito assado) or stuffed turkey. Another dish that is popularly served at lunch is roupa-velha, (“old clothes”) using the leftover cod from Christmas Eve, shredded and mixed with chopped potatoes, egg, and cabbage. The ingredients are sauteed together and presented as sort of a loose “cake” and drizzled with olive oil. You can find this dish easily all over Portugal.
Gift giving is an important part of the Christmas tradition, and the Portuguese delight in this happy custom and give generously, with the emphasis on the children, who are often showered with gifts.
But it’s not just for children; everyone in the house gets a gift, including guests, and if you are invited to someone’s home for Christmas, you should bring a gift for the host. A bottle of wine or a nice cake is appropriate.
Christmas lights over a street in Porto.
Bolo Rei or Kings’ Cake, is eaten both on Christmas Day and Three Kings Day (January 6th). It is a fluffy cake filled with nuts and colorful fruits. I’m rather fond of it and was happy to have some on Three Kings Day in Aveiro!
Another traditional Christmas sweet is Arroz Doce (sweet rice). For this dish, rice is slow-cooked in sweet milk and served topped with cinnamon.
For the traveler, it’s important to remember that Christmas Day is a bank holiday in Portugal, and most businesses will not be open. Also, families have their main get-together on Christmas Eve, so most places close by 7pm.
So if you don’t have a friend or relative to take you in for Christmas Eve dinner or Christmas lunch, you need to give some thought to what your meals are going to be on those days.
A few restaurants may be open, but you’ll need to have a reservation. You’ll have to do some research on this - don’t just let it go or you might go hungry!
You might be able to find some Indian or Chinese takeout on Christmas Day, as there are many different cultures represented in Portugal, but I don’t have specific advice on that. Since we arrived a day after Christmas Day, things were operating normally when we got there.
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Generally speaking, our go-to plan in situations like this is to grab a few prepared items ahead of time at a local convenience store or grocery, before things close for the holiday, and enjoy a picnic in a pretty spot somewhere, or, depending where we are staying, at our hotel.
Also, be aware that public transport may be running on a reduced holiday or weekend schedule on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so services will not run as frequently. The metro in Lisbon closes early on Christmas Eve, and though it runs on Christmas Day, it has fewer departures.
Here are the websites for Metropolitano de Lisboa and Metro do Porto for checking timetables.
We also have more information on getting around Lisbon in our post A guide to Lisbon Transportation for Visitors.
Visiting our favorite Christmas Markets in Portugal
Wonderland Lisboa
Christmas fairs and markets are super popular in Portugal during the holiday season. The pleasant weather while cruising Christmas markets with the scent of roasted chestnuts in the air is a joyful and uniquely Portuguese experience.
The largest and most famous of these fairs takes place every year at Parque Eduardo VII (Edward VII Park) in Lisbon. The fair is known as Wonderland Lisboa and features rides, ice skating, dazzling lights and delicious food stalls.
What is also nice about this fair is it goes on a little later than some of the other Christmas markets, usually open until a few days past New Year’s Day. Many of the smaller markets are done in December, some even before Christmas Day. So check opening dates before you go and plan accordingly.
The park is a really nice location, and large enough to accommodate lots of people and attractions without it feeling overwhelmingly crowded. We just looked down at it from a hill at first and took in the jolly scene. The park's central grassy strip and flanking Portuguese paved walkways were all lit up with festive activity.. A giant Christmas tree stood tall as the centerpiece.
We made the rounds of the many food stalls to sample as many Portuguese treats and snacks as we could.
Mulled wine is a very common Christmas Market offering. This is warmed red wine with fresh sliced oranges and cinnamon. It is known as glühwein in Germany and other parts of Europe, but here you will just see it advertised as Mulled Wine or Hot Wine. It is warming and sweet and does put you in the holiday spirit.
We had ginja in paper cups, chocolate cups, shot glasses - lots of ginja
Another "spirited” treat at the markets is ginja, a sour cherry liqueur that turned out to be one of my favorite little delights in Portugal.
It is made by infusing Morello cherries in alcohol and adding sugar, cloves and cinnamon. It is served as a “shot”, often in a little chocolate cup - which makes it more festive, I think!
These drinks were particularly holiday-ish offerings - but if you don’t like to imbibe alcoholic drinks, the hot chocolate in this part of the world is delicious too and feels just as celebratory.
We sampled lots of eats too! For a complete rundown on some of what we ate in Portugal, we have a whole blog post on What to Eat in Portugal.
While Wonderland Lisboa is the largest Christmas Market in Lisbon, it’s not the only one in town. In fact, small “pop-up” Christmas markets seemed to be everywhere in Lisbon - if there’s an open square or popular viewpoint, you will likely find a cluster of stalls offering holiday cheer.
A tram themed food cart at Wonderland Lisboa.
Here is a list of popular Christmas markets in Lisbon and Porto:
Christmas Markets In Lisbon:
Wonderland Lisboa - The largest Christmas market in Lisbon, located at Parque Eduardo VII. Features rides, including a prominent Ferris Wheel; food stalls selling Christmas treats; and festive light shows and decorated trees in a large open park with a magical wintry theme. Free to enter.
Campo Pequeno - Located by the metro stop Campo Pequeno. There is a small fee to enter the area, but once inside, you can visit 150 stalls, buy some Portuguese handicrafts and munch on some great food offerings. It’s not open for the whole season; usually only a few days over two weekends in late November/early December
Rossio Square - Located in the popular and lively square in the historic Belem area of Lisbon. Known for its festive decorations, carol concerts, and train ride. Grab a Pastel de Nata, a Vinho, maybe even a visit from Pai Nata (Santa Claus).
Grande Arraial do Lumiar – Professor Caldeira Cabral Garden - A newer market, it’s only been around for the last couple of years. It’s right next to the Telheiras metro stop, and it has themed entertainment zones that create a magical experience.
Christmas Markets In Porto:
Batalha Square Christmas Market - This is the biggest and most traditional Christmas Market in Porto. A great place to buy gifts and decorations for the holidays, including crafts, food, fashion, toys, and jewelry.
Christmas Market in Jardim da Cordoaria - Located in a popular garden in the center of Porto, this is a large traditional Christmas market, offering stalls selling sweets, handicrafts, regional products, jewellery, toys, street food, hot chocolate & crepes, plus a natural ice rink and the Parisian carousel. You may see this market advertised as Mercado de Natal do Porto, which simply means “The Christmas Market of Porto”).
El Corte Inglés Christmas Market - Over on the Gaia side of the Douro, this is a small but intimately charming holiday market, in front of El Corte Inglés. Along with the usual treats and crafts, this market’s claim to fame is a beautiful carousel and a little house of Christmas decorations.
The charming Christmas Village at Obidos
Obidos decorated for Christmas.
Though there are many Christmas fairs, markets and celebrations all over Portugal, the small medieval village of Obidos is worth a special mention.
The entire town of Obidos becomes a Vila Natal - or Christmas Town - from the beginning of December through January 6th. Obidos goes all in on Christmas spirit with special events, shows, lots of colorful lights, trees and decorations adorning charming shops, cafes, buildings and arched doorways of this historic town.
Literally every inch of the village gets dressed out in holiday style. I’ve honestly never seen anything like it. And the best Ginja I tasted in Portugal was from a decorated “hole in the wall” in Obidos.
Obidos is a popular day trip from Lisbon, taking about an hour to drive there. It’s also a good stop to break up a car trip between Lisbon and Porto. It does get a bit crowded this time of year, but it’s really unique and worth dealing with the crowds to see it.
We avoided parking issues by taking a small guided tour in a van that included stops in Fatima, Batalha, Nazare and Obidos. We really enjoyed it. Having a guide was a great way to go.
Here’s a link to the tour we took: From Lisbon: Fatima, Batalha, Nazare, Obidos - Small Group
Note - This blog post contains affiliate links. If we recommend a product, activity, or hotel, we might receive a small commission if you buy or book from these links. This is done at no additional cost to you. We only recommend products we have personally used or have thoroughly researched.
Obidos decorates the town’s medievil walls for Christmas.
To learn more about visiting Obidos, we have a separate blog post about it - Visiting Obidos, Portugal’s Medieval Walled Town.
For more daytrip ideas from Lisbon, read our post - Great day trips from Lisbon
Obidos is particularly charming, but many towns in Portugal do some version of a Christmas Village. Sintra - a very historic and whimsical town known for the famous Pena Palace, also does a Christmas Village that’s worth mentioning. It is also very close to Lisbon and an easy day trip.
A Christmas Tree at Pena Palace in Sintra.
The romantic and almost fairy-tale setting of Sintra plays the perfect host to a very popular market and Christmas light tour. The market also features a lot of activities specifically for children, including a visit from Santa himself.
If you’ve never been to Sintra, you should go anyway, Christmas time or not! It really is iconic and a “must-see” in Portugal.
Here’s our blog post on visiting Sintra: Visiting Sintra and Pena Palace: what to see and do.
Celebrating New Year’s Eve In Lisbon
Justin, Debbie and John celebrate New Year’s Eve in Lisbon.
The big outdoor celebration in Lisbon for New Year’s Eve takes place at Praça do Comércio, a large, cheery, public square on the waterfront. The celebration features a giant stage and hours of concerts through the late afternoon and evening, followed by fireworks from barges off the shore in the Tagus River at midnight to ring in the New Year.
We wanted to experience this celebration, but didn't want to spend hours at the concert, so we got there a little later and found - you guessed it - a pop-up style holiday market with stalls selling food and drinks along the waterfront between Praça do Comércio and Cais do Sodre train station.
We were surprised to be able to get a seat at one of the wooden picnic tables set up at this spot and held onto the seats for a long time, having drinks and snacks, listening to music playing, and just enjoying the festive spirit. It was no issue being outdoors - I just wore my silk long-johns and was good to go for the duration.
It was crowded and lively enough to be a “happening” scene, but not oppressive. And this was a surprisingly late-arriving crowd - I suspect people were partying at area bars or at home and came to the waterfront closer to midnight.
New Years Eve fireworks along the river in Lisbon.
When we finally surrendered our spot - which was quickly usurped! - we wandered just a little bit toward the water, and from there we had a fantastic view of the offshore fireworks. It was extremely joyous, with everyone around us in contagiously good spirits to welcome the new year. I even got totally sprayed with champagne, which is supposed to be good luck! At least I hope so!
We live close to Times Square back home and we would never consider going there for New Year’s Eve - just the very thought of the hassle of getting in and out is too much. But being in the heart of the celebration in Lisbon was very manageable. I would do it again for sure!
It was a large crowd and everyone was having a great time, but it dispersed pretty quickly after midnight, and walking back to where we were staying was no drama.
A trip to the Bario Alto Christmas Market comes with a great view of the Lisbon skyline.
On New Year’s Day, we had a leisurely morning, then spent the afternoon wandering around the Mercado de Natal do Bairro Alto - one of those pop-up holiday markets we seem to keep talking about - sampling all the Portuguese street foods we wanted to try.
Later we drifted over to the waterfront once more for a long leisurely walk. Lots of people were out and about doing the same. The weather was marvelous, and the sights along the Tagus were delightful.
The streets were busy, sidewalk cafes full, and just maybe, we did stop for a coffee and a pastel de nata! ;)
Stone Christmas sculptures along the river in Lisbon.
A curiosity we came across was a series of stone sculptures along the rocky bed of the Tagus. Flat rocks were stacked like cairns and painted into figures of Pai Natal (Santa Claus), as well as a full, labelled Nativity scene (Maria, José, Jesus, and all the supporting players). Delightful!
(Later, I researched this a little and found out that these sculptures are created by two pensioners, known only as Míro and Pédro, who have been using the Tagus stones to create their artistic creations in this spot for a number of years. So I felt kind of privileged to have seen them, as I wonder if anyone will continue the tradition after these folks have gone. Things to ponder.)
We were treated to a golden sunset with a special “earthshine” crescent moon over the 25 de Abril Bridge (named for the date of the Revolution).
A great night!
P.S. - Time Out Market was open for a quick dinner!
Sunset behind Lisbon’s 25 de Abril Bridge.
How Three Kings Day is celebrated in Portugal
The Kings’ Day (Dia de Reis) is celebrated in Portugal but I don’t think it is as big a deal as it is in Spain. It is not a public holiday but still a religious and cultural one, marking the end of the Christmas season.
And there is King Cake (Bolo Rei). So - yay!
The tradition of the Kings’ Day celebrates the visit of the Three Wise Men, or Kings, Gaspar, Balthasar and Melchior, to the newborn Jesus, thus symbolizing the manifestation of Jesus to the world - aka, the Epiphany.
The King Cake is an iconic part of Dia de Reis. It is usually a “crown shaped” pastry - think a ring like from a Bundt pan - decorated with caramelized dried fruits, which represent the gifts offered by the Three Wise Men.
King Cake in a bakery window.
We traveled to Aveiro for a day trip from Porto on Three Kings Day, and you can read about it here: Visiting Aveiro - is it worth it?
Here’s a little story of how I experienced another tradition associated with Dia de Reis quite by chance.
The singing of the Janeiras is a caroling custom where groups of people walk through the streets singing folk songs that announce the birth of Jesus. They wear traditional costumes and play lively instruments like tambourines, bass drums, flutes and guitars. Though it is connected to the Dia de Reis holiday, singing the Janeiras is actually done for a few days, between January 1 and January 6.
Lisbon street decorations.
I fell ill while in Porto and had to miss our family trip to the Douro Valley. I was feeling pretty sorry for myself, but then I heard a merry band of singers, beating drums and strumming guitars, coming down my street. I rushed to the balcony of our room and saw this enchanting group of janeireiros strolling along and belting out their songs, and it was just so magical! So Portuguese!
It totally lifted my spirits to hear those joyful voices. Even though I couldn’t understand the words, that tune lives in my head to this day.
And that, my friends, is how the holidays are supposed to make you feel, is it not?
You may also want to read about our fun time in Barcelona for Three Kings Day here: Visiting Barcelona for Christmas and Three Kings Day
Here are some Portuguese phrases for your holiday visit:
🎄 Feliz Natal (Merry Christmas)
🎁 Boas Festas (Happy Holidays)
🎉 Feliz Ano Novo (Happy New Year)
This post was researched and written by Debbie of the Empty Nest Explorers. You can learn more about the Empty Nest Explorers here
Some great Lisbon area attractions:
Other Portugal travel blog posts:
We had a great time visiting Portugal during Christmas week and for the New Year.
Visiting the big cities of Lisbon and Porto in December and January with the mild weather and festive atmosphere creates a special kind of liveliness during the holiday season.
A range of Christmas fairs & markets, festive lights, decorations and holiday celebrations make for a memorable visit.