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Are tourist sites going to be open in January in Portugal?

Hi all,
I've got a trip planned to Portugal in a couple of weeks but have been watching/waiting to see what the new restrictions (starting on 1/1/2022) will mean for travelers . I tried reaching out to a couple of my hotels a couple of weeks ago, but they were unsure, indicating they needed to wait and see what happened in January. That's cutting it a bit close for my reservations. Has anyone heard if tourist attractions will be open? I know Portugal is keeping students out of school an extra week and encouraging telework, so I'm wondering if museums etc will also be closed. Thanks for any information/thoughts anyone might have.

Posted by
34005 posts

I haven't heard.

I'd wait and see what happens in January...

Posted by
6113 posts

Bars and clubs are closed until at least 10 January. People must work from home and there are restrictions on the numbers that can enter indoor venues and shops.

Things are changing quickly with Omicron and obviously no new announcements have been made over Christmas, so expect more information this week.

Look at portugalresident.com for information in English.

Posted by
1826 posts

Another good site to watch for up to date info is Safe Communities Portugal. I doubt we will go into another strict lockdown but no one knows at this point - it may just be wishful thinking!

Be prepared to self test before visiting museums, eating inside at restaurants, etc. My gut says those restrictions will go through January. FYI - the museums have stayed open unless the country was in strict lockdown.

Posted by
6113 posts

Some places will probably be open, but how comfortable are you with testing before you go anywhere?

What if you catch Omicron - are you prepared to self isolate for 10 days and miss much of your trip?

Can you extend your trip if you catch it at the end of your trip and miss your flight back?

Would you be happy there if further restrictions were introduced?

Do you have good trip insurance?

We are cautious and have just cancelled our trip to Spain in January, as with infection rates rocketing, we don’t want to catch anything whilst away and it would not be relaxing, testing any time we wanted to go anywhere.