Updated October 11, 2023. Don’t let a rainy day get you down; I can recommend several great activities for a rainy day in Lisbon, Portugal.
Enjoy the Time Out Market on a rainy day
Avenida 24 de Julho 49
Cais do Sodré metro station (green line)
Hours: Weekdays 10 am – midnight, Friday and Saturday 10 am – 1 pm
The original Time Out Market gourmet food hall has 26 restaurants, 8 bars, and a dozen shops. The busy food hall has Portuguese cuisine, Asian cuisine, charcuterie, pastry and dessert stalls, as well as multiple bars.
In the adjacent building, you will find Lisbon’s old Ribeira Market, selling meat, fish, produce, and flowers.
Official website: https://www.timeoutmarket.com/lisboa/en/
Enjoy the Igreja de São Roque Church on a rainy day
Street address: Largo de Coelho
GPS Coordinates: 38.71353044453503, -9.14344959826616
The São Roque Church is located in the hilltop Bairro Alto neighborhood, not far from the São Pedro de Alcântara scenic lookout. Inside this rather simple looking building, you will find one of the most beautiful churches in Portugal, if not all of Europe. In addition, there is an excellent museum of religious artifacts connected to the church.
Admission to the church is free. Tickets to enter the Museum of Sacred Treasure are €2.50.
Children under 14 and senior citizens (65+) do not pay admission.
The Church of São Roque is open every day from 9:30 am – 5 pm.
Mass is held Tuesday to Sunday at 12:30 pm.
Free audio-guided tours are available. For more information on this stunning church, read my São Roque Church in Lisbon – What to know before visiting
Visit São Vicente de Fora Monastery when it rains
I am assuming you already visited the Jerónimos Monastery in Belém, as it is one of the best examples of history and architecture in Lisbon, and should have been at the top of your list of attractions to visit. Is the Jerónimos Monastery worth visiting? If you haven’t been there yet, go check that out!
On a rainy day, jump in an Uber or a taxi and head to the São Vicente de Fora Monastery. It will be easy to spend a few hours here. The monastery holds one of the largest collections of blue and white azulejo tile in Lisbon.
There is also a significant collection of religious artifacts owned by the church. Surprisingly on the third floor, you can also find a huge collection of local seashells.
And finally, if you still have energy, check out the São Vicente de Fora Church next door.
For more information, read my Visit São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon: Everything you need to know
Go to the Military Museum if it is raining
The under-rated Military Museum (Museu Militar) is the oldest museum in the city. It has one of the largest collections of artillery in Europe, and the building itself is fit for a king. I thought it must have been the palace of some duke or lord at some point.
In addition to the weapons and uniforms (it is a great place for history buffs – you will see Vasco da Gama’s sword, and canons that accompanied him to India), you will also find works by some of Portugal’s greatest artists.
The Military Museum is located in front of the Santa Apolonia Train Station. The entrance though, is on the opposite side of the building.
Admission is cash only. Tickets are 3€ for adults. Children under 13 – 17 and senior citizens pay 1€.
Children 12 and under are free.
Admission is free on Sundays until 2 pm for Portuguese citizens.
Hours 10 AM – 5 PM, Closed on Monday. Reduced admission with a Lisboa Card.
The Military Museum of Lisbon is not accessible to those with limited mobility.
Entertain the kids on a rainy day
Lisbon Oceanarium when the weather is bad
Esplanada Dom Carlos, Doca dos Olivais, in Parque das Nações
Official Site: Oceanário de Lisboa (oceanario.pt)
Metro: Red line, Oriente Station
Buses: 705, 725, 728, 744, 708, 750, 759, 782, 794
Hours: Summer 10 am – 8 pm, Winter 10 am – 7 pm
Admission: Ages 0 -3 free, ages 4 – 12 pay €10, ages 12 – 64 pay €19, 65+ €13. (If you have the Lisboa Card, you get a 15% discount).
Lisbon’s oceanarium is the largest aquarium in Europe. It is one of Lisbon’s most visited attractions.
It holds 450 marine species and more than 16000 animals. For more information, see my article Lisbon Oceanarium | Plan Your Visit to the Oceanário de Lisboa
The Get Your Guide link above is an affiliate link. If you book an adventure through the link, I will receive a small commission. The commission does not affect the price of your tour, but it will help me out. Thank you!
Pavilhão do Conhecimento – Centro Ciência Viva / Knowledge Pavillion – Center of Life Sciences
Largo José Mariano Gago 1
Parque das Nações
Metro: Oriente station (red line)
Hours: Tuesday to Friday 10 AM to 6 PM weekends10 AM to 7 PM
A hands-on science museum for children with interactive exhibits. A variety of scientific topics under one roof.
Lots of playing and experimenting going on at the Knowledge Pavilion and Center of Living Science.
Not only can kids ride the bike on the tightrope, but adults can too! Plan on spending two or three hours, minimum.
Hours from June 1 until August 30, Monday – Friday 10 am until 6 pm. Weekends and holidays 10 am until 1 pm.
After August 30, same hours but closed on Mondays.
Recommended that you schedule your visit in advance. Adult tickets €10, children 3 – 11 are €7, ages 12 – 17 are €8, and seniors are €7.
Located at Parque das Nações, take the red line to Oriente Station. The closest bus stop is at the Lisbon Oceanarium.
https://www.pavconhecimento.pt/visite-nos/informacoes-gerais/
Options for kids or adults
MAAT Museum of Art, Architecture, and Technology
Avenida Brasilia, Central Tejo (east of Belém)
Latitude 38º41’44.52 N, Longitude 9º11’44.30 W
Bus 201, 714, 727, 751 – Altinho, Tram 15E, 18E – Altinho Stop (MAAT)
Train from Cais do Sodré to Belém Station (Cascais Line)
Closed Tuesdays, Open 11 am – 7 pm Wednesday – Monday. From June – September open til 10 pm on Friday and Saturday nights
Admission: €9 adults, Children over 12 pay €7.20, seniors pay €6.
Prices are lower this summer. There is also a family discount.
Originally, the building was a thermoelectric power plant.
Then it was known as the Museum of Electricity. Today the MAAT focuses on the past, present, and future of energy.
Exhibits also include works by modern Portuguese artists and photographers.
Try an escape room
An escape room is a game in which a team of players works together to find clues, solve puzzles, and mostly mental challenges in order to escape from a room or rooms, or accomplish some other mission within a specified time limit.
Scapers
Recommended for ages 14 and up, but younger players are allowed if accompanied by an adult.
Scapers currently offers four different games, which can be booked for €80 per group.
No prior knowledge is necessary. Everything is explained during the game.
Rua Manuel da Silva Gaio 2. Two minutes from Marquês de Pombal metro station.
Game Over Escape Rooms
ttps://www.lisbon.escapegameover.pt/#page-top
While the website is mostly in Portuguese, Game Over assures that they are well-prepared to run games in English, and that all ages are welcome.
Minors must be accompanied by adults.
Rua de O Século 4B, In Bairro Alto near the 53E Elevador da Bica stop.
Arrive at least 15 minutes early.
Escape Hunt Lisbon
https://escapehunt.com/pt/lisbon/escolhe-a-tua-aventura/?gc=escape-room
Rua dos Douradores 15
Open every day. Games start at 10 am until the last one at 8 pm.
Fridays and Saturdays, the last game starts 9:30.
Arrive at least 15 minutes early.
Games currently offered are “Infiltrate a Secret Society” and “The Mystery of Fernando Pessoa” (one of Portugal’s best poets).
Game is recommended for ages 10+. Under 13 must be accompanied by an adult.
For two – five people.
Groups of 2 people €55, 3 people €60, 4 people €70, 5 people €80.
Safarka Escape Room
Safarka means “The Journey” in the Somali Language.
The group is inspired by the story of Atlantis.
Participants should expect to spend up to 90 minutes solving the challenges of the game.
Puzzles and their clues are designed for adults but they allow anyone over 10 years of age and adapt the puzzles to their age.
You do not need to be able to speak Portuguese.
The majority of the puzzles and clues are based on numbers and symbols.
9 am – 11 pm Seven days a week.
Contact for prices.
+351 918 673 349
hi@safarka.org
Rua Coelho da Rocha 35, Get off Tram 25 at Rua Saraiva do Carvalho. One block north
Go see a movie on a rainy day
Any movie made in Hollywood will be playing in English!
So you can easily watch an American movie in Lisbon.
In addition, many of Lisbon’s movie theaters are in large shopping malls, (such as the two mentioned below).
So you can make a full day of movies, shopping, and a meal at the food court.
Cinema City at Campo Pequeno
Avenida da República
Metro Station Campo Pequeno (yellow line)
CinemaCity – Best space to see cinema in Portugal
Cinema Nos / Centro Vasco da Gama
Avenida Dom João II 40 (Oriente metro station (red line)
Second Floor
For the adults on a rainy day in Lisbon
Calouste Gulbenkian Museum
Avenida de Berna, 45
Metro: São Sebastião (blue or red lines), or bus 716, 726, 756
Hours: 10 am – 5:30 pm
Admission: €10
The private collection of oil magnate Calouste Gulbenkian is one of the largest collections of art in the world.
The collection includes pieces by Rubins, Rembrandt, Rodin, Monet, and many others, as well as pieces of ancient art.
For more information, see my article, Lisbon’s Gulbenkian Museum – What you need to know
National Tile Museum
Rua Madre de Deus 4.
Buses 718, 742, and 794 stop in front of the museum.
Don’t miss this museum located in the beautiful Convento Madre de Jesus, which was built in 1509.
Admission to the National Tile Museum is only €5 euros, and I highly recommend this national monument.
The museum covers the process of making tiles and tile panels by hand, and has examples of all different periods of azulejo art from the 15th century until now.
http://www.museudoazulejo.gov.pt
Enjoy some adult beverages on a rainy day
Museu da Cerveja / The Beer Museum
Praça do Comércio 1100, Metro Terreiro Paço Station (blue line)
With a prime location on the eastern side of Portugal’s largest square – Praça do Comércio, you can sit on the museum’s patio and enjoy any of 100 Portuguese beers.
Museu da Cerveja – Grupo O Valor do Tempo
Wine Tasting on Praça do Comércio /Sala Ogival de Lisboa
Praça do Comércio, Terreiro Paço metro station (blue line)
In this tasting room on the western side of Praça do Comércio, you can sample any of 1000 Portuguese wines.
https://winesofportugal.com/en/
If it’s looking like it’s going to rain for a while, you can stick around Praça do Comércio for a while without getting wet. Watch the rain come down as you enjoy a meal at any of the dozen restaurants on the square that have covered terraces.
You could also spend an hour and a half at the Lisboa Story Center, learning about the history of the city. It is located under the western arcades of the square.
Official website: https://www.lisboastorycentre.pt/en/content/lisboa-story-centre
For more information on visiting, Praça do Comércio – Everything you need to know
Visit a great bookstore
Livraria Bertrand
Opened in 1732, Livraria Bertrand holds the Guinness World Record as the longest continually running bookstore in the world.
As the sign inside the store says, “We witnessed: one earthquake, one civil war, nine kings, one regicide, 16 presidents, three Republics, six coups, two world wars, the building of a wall, and its fall, the unification of Europe, changing to euro, and we have the books to tell you all about it.”
Livraria Bertrand has a large selection of books, many of which are in English.
Portugal’s two greatest writers are José Saramago and Fernando Pessoa.
Located at Rua Garrett 17. (Baixa-Chiado metro station (blue or green line)
Ler Devagar / Read Slowly Bookstore
Rua Rodrigues de Faria 103
Bus 714 from Praça da Figueira, Bus 727 from Marquês de Pombal,
Tram 15 from Praça da Figueira, and the train from Cais do Sodré to Cascais stops at Alcântara-Mar.
A 10-minute walk from the station.
Also, if you love books, be sure to check out one of my other favorite Lisbon bookstores – Livraria Ler Devagar – the Read Slowly Bookstore, at the LX Factory.
Housed in an old print shop, complete with the original printing press in the center of the store, they have a large selection of books and records. They also have a nice cafe / bar where you can relax and peruse the books.
When the rain clears, wander around the LX Factory and check out the variety of stores, restaurants, and art installations in the old refurbished warehouse district.
Indoor driving range on a rainy day
Academia de Golfe de Lisboa
The Lisbon golf academy has 42 carpets in their two-level driving range.
Half of them are covered.
Along with the bar and restaurant at the Academy, you could easily make a rainy day out of this.
Do be careful, though, that drunk driving laws are extremely strict in Portugal.
Paço do Lumiar Golf Glub
Another option to hit some balls is the covered driving range at Paço do Lumiar Golf Glub.
Their covered driving range is open until 9 pm.
Rua Formosinho Sanchez 79, Lisbon
A ten-minute walk from Lumiar metro station
Open from sunlight – 9 pm
Home | golfpacodolumiar (golfepacodolumiar.pt)
Spa treatment on a rainy day
Spa at the Ritz Four Seasons Lisbon
Ritz Four Seasons
Rua Rodrigo de Fonseca 88
Metro station Marquês de Pombal (yellow or blue line).
Hours: 8 am – 9 pm for treatments. Access to the facilities from 6:30 am – 10:30 pm.
For non-residents of the hotel: $150 per day.
To book at the spa: T: 351 213 843 005
With an 18-meter-long pool and a 700-square-meter spa, the Ritz also has a gym, sauna, hammam, pilates room, treatment rooms, a relaxation room, and a 400-meter rooftop track.
https://m.fourseasons.com/lisbon/spa/
Float in Spas
Float in Spas
Rua Pedro Nunes 14A
Picoas metro station (yellow line)
Rua São Filipe Neri 37A
Rato metro station (yellow line)
Rua Damião de Góis 5C
Tram 15 or bus 723 or 729
Hours: Monday to Saturday 10 AM to 9 PM. Sunday 11 AM till 7 PM.
Rates: €30 for massages, floatation session €45.
Float in Spas are the top-ranked chain in Lisbon.
They are known for their relaxation floating bubble concept.
https://float-in.pt/en/categories/services/massages/
For more information on spas in Lisbon, see my article, Find a great spa to relax at in Lisbon, Portugal
Take the train to Cascais
You could head to Cais do Sodré train station and board the train to Cascais. Cost is €2.25 each way.
If you are lucky, maybe it won’t be raining in Cascais when you arrive a little over a half-hour later.
You might have dry conditions for exploring the charming beach resort.
Worst case scenario, you get to look out the window and survey the beauty of the coastline on a dreary, blue day.
Conclusion
Lisbon has plenty of fun options for a rainy day. Rain is a great opportunity to visit a museum, and Lisbon has no shortage of museums.
Find out more in my article, Finding the most interesting museums in Lisbon.
Also, a rainy day provides a great opportunity to go shopping.
You might try one of my other articles, Where to shop in Lisbon? Lisbon’s best malls and shopping or Lisbon’s historical family-owned stores and craftsmen sell the best souvenirs .
If you still need more ideas on how to spend your time in Lisbon, check my article, 205 Things to do in Lisbon – The Ultimate Guide
Thank you for reading!
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