Things to do in Lisbon in December

December is a beautiful month to be in Lisbon. It is filled with Christmas spirit and there are a lot of activities to do. In this article, I am giving you a couple of suggestions to enjoy the city to its fullest in this wintery month. December is pretty cold, so indoors activities are more recommended than outdoors ones. It’s the perfect month to visit plenty of museums and enjoy shows and exhibitions! Read on to find out our list of things to do in Lisbon in December.

Visit the MUDE, Museum of Fashion and Design

If you’re in Lisbon in December, you should definitely visit MUDE. The MUDE is a celebrated museum that guides you through the past decades of fashion and design evolution, exhibiting works from international names you’ll definitely recognize. Plus, most exhibitions are free. It is a very different museum from the usual which provides an original experience, especially if you’re curious or a fashion lover.

At the moment, the museum is under some renovation, but exhibitions related to design and fashion are still taking place around the city. You can check the current temporary exhibitions, talks, debates, and workshops as well, by clicking here. The museum is still closed, and I don’t know for sure when it is going to reopen. Anyway, the museum still organizes exhibitions throughout the city, you just need to check the locations and dates!

Eat Broas Castelares

If you’re in Lisbon in December, this is a MUST! You can’t leave without trying Broas Castelares. I love food and I vow by Portuguese food and I can tell you that Broas Castelares are typical cakes for the Christmas season. You’ll find them in Lisbon in December and it would be a shame if you didn’t try them!

They are made with sweet potatoes and they are soft and tender. It is a great treat to finish your meal or to kick-start your day with an expresso coffee!

>> Read this article to find out some of the best Portuguese dishes you definitely should try.

Understand the evolution of vehicles at National Coach Museum

If you find yourself in Lisbon in December, here’s a great thing to do: visit the National Coach Museum. In the beautiful area of Belém, visiting this museum will take you back in time to the Portuguese monarchy. You will see old historical carriages.

The museum presents, for instance, vehicles back from the sixteenth century! It allows the visitors to understand the evolution of transportation both technically and artistically! Furthermore, the museum is located in Belém! The area of Belém is amazing for its history and lively activities. You can visit this museum and join us for our Belém tour as it starts next to the museum.

>> Read this article to discover some of the highlights of the area of Belém.

>> Read a few fun facts about Belém.

Enjoy the circus at Coliseu de Lisboa

Next on my list of things to do in Lisbon in December is to go to the circus, especially if you’re bringing your kids along! The Coliseu de Lisboa is an old theatre house that hosts international and national concerts amongst other shows and is a renowned house of entertainment in Lisbon.

Every year for the holidays, the Coliseu de Lisboa turns into a circus for the whole month of December. It’s definitely a great activity to do with your kids, I highly recommend it. They have the most amazing acrobats, the most impressive illusionists and many more outstanding performances! And you should also know that they do not perform with animals, which means they are cruelty-free!

Visit the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga

One of the best things to do in Lisbon in December is to take an afternoon off to visit the Museum of Ancient Art. It is considered to be one of the must-visit museums in Lisbon. The museums contain the biggest collection of Portuguese paintings, but also a lot of Age of Discoveries related art.

Moreover, it has a great cafeteria overlooking the river. This will be a perfect way to spend an afternoon in Lisbon in this wintery month of December: visiting a great museum and having a great cup of coffee, or of tea, while looking at the river Tagus.

See the Christmas street lights

Lastly, one of the best things to do in Lisbon in December is to roam around downtown and amaze yourself with the Christmas decorations on the streets of Lisbon.

In this period of the year, the streets get decorated with lights and Christmas symbols that differ every year. My suggestion is that you join us in the Alfama tour at 3 pm. At the end of the tour, you can walk around downtown, sit down for a coffee or choose a great restaurant for dinner!

>> Read about some of the highlights of Alfama.

>> Read this article to know some of the fun facts about Alfama.

Have some rabanadas

Rabanadas are another Christmas delicacy! They are kind of simily to the “French toast“, but in Portugal there is an incredible variety of recipes! In December, plenty of different kinds of rabanadas are usually sold throughout the country! And if you come to Lisbon and have the opportunity to have some rabanadas, don’t hesitate!

The regular rabanada goes with “ovos moles” on top of it, which is made of egg yolks and sugar! It is originally from Aveiro, but many pastries stores make rabanadas with ovos moles! But we also have cholocate, cinnamon, lemon and orange ones! There are many more flavours, but these are the most common ones! There are rabanadas for every taste!

To have some rabanadas during the month of December is definitely a must! Rabanadas are an example of some of the delicacies you get to see at a Christmas table during Christmas’ eve, among many others, such as aletria and leite creme!

You now know some of the things to do in Lisbon in December! December is quite a cold month, so we prefer indoor activities like visiting museums and eating plenty of delicious delicacies! Don’t forget to bring warm clothes, because the days are very cold and the nights even more! Lisbon is located near the coast, so it can get pretty windy! Don’t hesitate to contact us if you need further information about anything! We want you to experience the best of the marvelous city of Lisbon! See you in Lisbon in this wintery month of December!