Situated on one of Lisbon’s seven hills, Sao Jorge Castle stands as a timeless reminder of the city’s fascinating history. As a family visiting Lisbon, when creating your itinerary the question will likely arise “Should I visit Sao Jorge Castle with kids?” Find out more about this remarkable attraction before you make your decision.
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VISIT SAO JORGE CASTLE WITH KIDS
Yes, you should visit Sao Jorge Castle with kids. The site is an amazing journey through time and an interactive way to appreciate and learn about the history of the area. Kids will have a blast wandering the grounds and exploring its many walls, lookout towers, and pathways. There is so much to explore along with plenty of open spaces to enjoy.
EXPLORE
There is a tremendous series of elevated walkways, paths, staircases, and lookout towers in the heart of the castle. This labyrinthine area is a joy to explore and it feels like an adventure the moment that you enter.
You could easily spend hours just wandering around constantly finding new things to discover throughout the castle.
This makes it a fun, interactive way to learn about history that is far more engaging than any museum. Making your way through almost feels like navigating a maze in the most exciting way possible.
While exploring, be careful with little ones as some of the elevated pathways had very short barriers.
SEE THE PEACOCKS
Surprise! There are peacocks. In my research ahead of our visit I don’t remember mention of peacocks, so it was a nice surprise for our family. The peacocks roam freely in a certain section of the castle grounds.
Prepare to be amazed at the beautiful colors that these birds display. They seemed to be used to humans so you can get an up-close look at them.
TREMENDOUS VIEWS
From the moment you enter the castle grounds, you’ll be in a terrace/courtyard that opens up to astounding panoramic views of Lisbon and the river below. The walls are long allowing for ample space and several viewpoints.
This is one of the best viewpoints in the city. Once you’re inside the castle be sure to climb up to the lookout towers for more awesome views.
There are certain areas inside the castle where you can also get great views of the castle grounds as well.
SPACE TO MOVE AROUND
For all of the fun adventurous exploring through the various pathways and towers, the castle provides plenty of open spaces for kids to move about freely. The terrace/courtyard is a massive space that is also nicely shaded. The inside of the castle also has plenty of open spaces as well.
OUR FAMILY’S TRIP TO SAO JORGE CASTLE
On our family’s trip to Lisbon, we were able to visit Sao Jorge Castle and it turned out to be our favorite stop in Lisbon. If I knew how much we’d like it, I would have scheduled more time for us to explore the grounds.
The castle is located in the picturesque neighborhood of Alfama, so walking through the streets to the castle was enjoyable as well.
Immediately upon entry we enjoyed the amazing view of Lisbon and spent some time walking alongside the wall of the castle.
The best part of our visit was making our way through the interior with its series of walkways and towers. Even though it’s not as well known as other landmarks in Lisbon, for a family with kids, this should be number one on your list! It’s an amazing way to spend the day in Lisbon.
PURCHASE TICKETS
You can purchase tickets online for your family’s visit to Sao Jorge Castle. There are several options for visiting the castle. Take a look and see what’s best for your family.
There’s a tour with an audio guide.
A skip the line ticket. (what we selected)
And a skip the line ticket with audio guide.
ENJOY YOUR TRIP TO SAO JORGE CASTLE
You will no doubt love your visit to Sao Jorge Castle. It stands out as more than just another landmark to visit, but as an adventure that families will love. Since you have the castle in your plans, be sure to check out what else to include in your itinerary for Lisbon as well as what you need to pack for an amazing family trip to Portugal.
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