Best Time to Visit Lisbon

Lisbon can be visited all year round, its mild, Atlantic-tempered Mediterranean climate brings mild winters and warm, very dry summers. With around 2,800 hours of sunshine a year, the city ranks among the sunniest capitals on the European mainland. So the real question is less whether to go than when, and the answer depends on whether you want to avoid heat and crowds, catch the beaches and festivals, or travel cheaply and quietly.

Climate at a glance

Lisbon has a pronounced dry summer and a wetter winter. In the long-term average (IPMA climate normals 1981-2010), the annual mean daytime high is around 21 degrees, with overnight lows around 13 degrees. The swing across the year is moderate and true extremes are rare, frost is very uncommon in the city itself, and snow is practically unheard of.

Roughly by month, it breaks down like this:

• Winter (December to February), daytime highs around 15 to 16 degrees, single digits at night (around 8 degrees on average in January). Mild but changeable, with the most rainy days.
• Spring (March to May), highs climb from around 19 to 22 degrees, the city turns green, and days noticeably lengthen.
• Summer (June to August), warm to hot, with average highs of 26 to 28 degrees and almost no rain, plus a strong coastal summer wind.
• Autumn (September to October), still warm (September averages 26.5 degrees) before the rainy season sets in during October.

Rainfall varies widely: November (around 128 mm) and December (around 127 mm) are the wettest months, while July and August, at 4 to 6 mm, are practically dry. Over the year, around 774 mm falls across roughly 112 rain days. The often-quoted "300 days of sunshine" is more tourism folklore and fits the Algarve better, what's verifiable is the roughly 2,800 hours of sunshine, ranging from about 142 hours in December/January to more than 350 hours in July.

Spring and autumn, the best time to visit

For classic sightseeing, March to May and September and October are the most balanced choice. Daytime highs sit comfortably between around 19 and 27 degrees, days are long and bright, and it's warm enough for the miradouros (viewpoints) and long walks without the heat and crowds of high summer. Accommodation benefits too: April/May and September/October are considered a good compromise between moderate crowds and fairer prices, see the guide The Best Hotels in Lisbon for details.

A reason of its own to come in late spring is the jacarandas. These South American trees cover large parts of the city in purple blossom from late May into June, for around three to six weeks. They stand especially thick along Avenida Dom Carlos I between Palácio de São Bento and Chafariz da Esperança, at Largo do Rato, at Praça do Príncipe Real, at Campo Pequeno and in Parque Eduardo VII.

In autumn, September often still delivers summery weather and even the warmest sea temperature of the year, but it's statistically also the busiest month for visitors, so expect some crowds. From October, it turns noticeably wetter, but the streets empty out again.

Summer, heat, beaches and festivals

June to August is high season. It's hot (average highs of 26 to 28 degrees, with individual days well above that), reliably dry, and correspondingly busy. If you can handle the warmth, you get the full beach-and-festival experience in return.

The nearest beaches are within reach of public transport:

• Cascais, the elegant Atlantic resort town at the end of the Linha de Cascais. Trains leave from Cais do Sodré roughly every 20 to 30 minutes, take about 33 to 40 minutes to cover the roughly 25 kilometres, and terminate in the town centre near the beach. More in the guide Day Trips from Lisbon.
• Costa da Caparica, the long sandy stretch southwest of the city, across the Tagus. Reachable by bus 3710 from Areeiro (around 55 minutes) or by ferry to Cacilhas with a connecting bus. From early June to late September, the Transpraia mini-train runs along 21 stops to Fonte da Telha.

Worth knowing: the Atlantic stays cool here even in summer. Along the Lisbon/Cascais coastline, sea temperatures in high summer usually sit at 18 to 20 degrees, only reaching their warmest - around 20 degrees, in September. That's down to the Atlantic upwelling of cold deep water - anyone expecting Caribbean warmth will be surprised.

The social high point of summer is June: the Festas de Lisboa run all month. The peak is the feast of the city's patron saint, Santo António, on the night of 12 to 13 June - 13 June is a public holiday in Lisbon. From around 21:00 on the evening of 12 June, the Marchas Populares parade down Avenida da Liberdade, and the old neighbourhoods celebrate with street parties (arraiais), including in Alfama, Mouraria, Graça, Castelo, Madragoa and Bica. If you're visiting around these dates, book accommodation early, the city is especially full.

Wind and water sports

One factor many visitors underestimate is the summer wind. From roughly April to October, the coast sees the Nortada, a gusty north to north-westerly wind that picks up from midday and can reach gusts of around 40 knots on hot summer afternoons. For beach days, that means: the sea is calmer in the morning, and it gets choppy and uncomfortable on the open beach by afternoon.

That same wind, though, makes the region a top spot for kite and windsurfing. The season runs from April to October, strongest in July and August. Praia do Guincho near Cascais is considered one of Portugal's most reliable windsurfing spots. June is a comparatively calm month before the Nortada sets in fully, pleasant for swimmers, less so for wind enthusiasts.

Winter, mild, quiet and good value

By central European standards, winter is mild: daytime temperatures in December and January usually reach around 15 degrees, though nights turn distinctly cool with single-digit lows (around 8 degrees on average in January). A warm jacket and rain gear belong in the suitcase, the months from November to January bring the most rainy days. Snow and frost play virtually no role in the city; the historical record lows sit just below freezing and date back to the 19th and late 20th centuries.

Winter has clear advantages: Lisbon is at its quietest and cheapest. Statistically, January is the weakest month for hotel occupancy, flexible travellers find cheaper rooms and shorter queues at museums, churches and restaurants. On clear days between the rain fronts, the city's famous, crisp Lisbon light also shows particularly well. It's a season for museums, fado evenings and unhurried enjoyment, just not for long days on the beach.

How seasonal the crowds are

If you're factoring in crowds and prices, it helps to know the seasonality. Lisbon's hotel occupancy averages around 73 percent across the year but varies noticeably by month: September is the strongest month, January the weakest. For short-term rentals, occupancy ranges from around 69 percent in high season down to about 33 percent in the weakest month.

That gives roughly three profiles:

• You want good weather and sightseeing without the biggest crowds, come in April/May or October. Mild climate, long days, more moderate prices.
• You want beaches, festivals and long warm evenings, come between June and August and accept heat, crowds and higher prices. June combines much of this with the Festas de Lisboa and the Nortada not yet in full force.
• You want quiet, low prices and culture, come in winter and expect changeable, mild weather.

Whenever you come, the guide Getting Around Lisbon covers how to get around once you're there, and Getting to Lisbon covers the journey in and out.