Itinerary thoughts for week long family trip March 2027

This is how I would adjust your ideas, based on my many trips to Lisbon...

Cascais, for me, is nice for a few hours only, since there is so much to see and do in Lisbon and Sintra. I would either stay at one hotel in Lisbon the entire trip, or stay in Sintra for 1 or 2 nights. You can Uber or Bolt (I prefer Uber) everywhere quite inexpensively and quickly, and the metro is easy using the tap in/tap off feature at the gates.

Belem is extraordinary for a full day visit! You have some sites listed (we LOVED Quake), and I would add a few more. Palacio Nacional de Ajuda is a short walk away, so I would start my day there. Definitely add Museu Nacional dos Coches and lunch at Pao Pao Quijo Queijo. We eat there every time we are in Belem. The Naval Museum of Jeronimos and Igreja de Santa Maria de Belem are both next door to Mosteiro dos Jeronimos. Pasteis de Belem is mandatory for any and every visit to Lisbon. I was actually impressed visiting Mateigaria-Fabrica de Pasteis de Nata for thr first time back in November. There is a location in Belem and other spots in Lisbon. The exteriors of the Torre de Belem and Padrao dos Descobrimentos should also be visited. The kids (and adults) might enjoy a duckboat tour using www.hippotrip.com. Check out the many restaurants next to it (docas) if one looks appealing. The Museo do Dinheiro (free) will be enjoyable for the kids. The Oceanario de Lisboa is amazing!

Years ago we took a full day bus trip using Gray Line Tours from Lisbon to Obidos, Fatima, and Nazare. This might be a viable option for you, but not if Fatima is not on your list. If Alcobaca and Batalha are on your list, use a rental car. Cabo da Roca is fine if it fits into your schedule, but is skippable otherwise. Sintra can easily keep you occupied for 2 full days!

I strongly suggest purchasing the the Rick Steves Portugal book or the Snaphot Lisbon, which probably will be sufficient. It truly covers all your options and EVERYTHING you need to know. I am confident that all of you will love your trip!

Your plan sounds wonderful!
We were just in Portugal in April and were in both Lisbon and Cascais. Going to Sintra from Cascais would be good. I think it is fine to skip Belem. It was under scaffolding when we were there. We did like the Monument of the Discoverers in Lisbon. We did not do the Jeronimos Monastery as it was under scaffolding and the lines were very long. Hopefully the Tile Museum will be finished with its restoration. It was closed when we were in Lisbon.

I like your plan and the amount of time in each location. The Cascais portion would definitely appeal to your kids. Uber to the Lisbon airport worked well.

Thank you Carl and Kay for your responses! I have noticed with my family in our Europe travels, that they tend to get overwhelmed a bit in big cities. Not that we do not enjoy them, but I think we thrive in our travels when we are able to find respite whether we are staying outside the city or doing rural drives off the beaten path. Lisbon looks amazing so I definitely want us to be in the middle of that city for a few nights to stroll the streets and see the sights. But my thought was that staying in Cascais (and hitting Sintra via Uber from there) would give us the respite and slower vibe for the rest of the trip. I'm still debating whether to start or end with Lisbon. I also debated staying in Sintra so we could beat the crowds early, but I feel staying in Lisbon and Sintra all week might be a lot. Also Cabo & Azenhas, etc just look like amazing places to spend some time near the coast? I love driving in Europe so I do think we will hire a car for a day to see as much as we can see up to Obidos & Nazare and back down. I do have some questions though...Kay you said you were there in April...how was the weather? Also, Carl I hear you on Sintra...there looks like SO much to see and do so I was going to ask if I should give Sintra 2 of our days while out in Cascais (since they aren't far apart)? The tuk tuk tour we will take is going to take us to visit Regeleira and the Moorish Castle as well as go by Pena Palace and out to Cabo. I'm wondering if we should go back to explore another day on our own as well. I guess maybe we'll decide that after our tour. Thanks again!

The weather later in April when we went was lovely! It was 60's and 70's and felt warmer in the sun more like the 80's. We did not get rain while we were there. It was a great time to visit.

We loved walking along the promenade in Cascais to Estoril. The coastal walk in Cascais to the Santa Marta Lighthouse and the Boca da Inferno sea caves was lovely. People were playing volleyball on the beaches. Beautiful terrace view for lunch at the Albatroz hotel.

What has slowed us down during the times we have visited Sintra are the massive crowds to get into all the sites and eateries and also the relentless car and bus traffic. Since Sintra is located so close to Lisbon and Cascais, it is an easy day trip or two. For sure you can decide if a second day is warranted at the completion of your first day. Quinta da Regaleira blew me away! We were probably were there for 3 hours as there is so much to see. I still have not had time to visit the Parque e Palacio de Monserrate!

If you find yourself near the Sintra train station and are hungry, Dom Pipas is your best choice.

I disagree with the post stating that Cascais is only good for a couple of hours. I am a frequent visitor to the Lisbon area and I usually stay in the Cascais area. There are many attractions for kids in Cascais area, and there is a commuter train between Cascais and central Lisbon, including stops in Belem and Santos.
Regarding Sintra, your kids a likely to have a great time in the gardens of the Quinta da Regaleira. You can take a guided tour in Sintra, but in my opinion that is not worth it. Most likely your kids will also like the Moorish Castle.
The weekly market in Cascais on Wednesday is worth a visit.
For kids, the electricity museum, and the earthquake museums will be of greatest interest.
In my experience, kids do better if you don't move around too much. I would recommend spending the entire week in Cascais, with day trips to Sintra, Belem and central Lisbon.

Captiv, that's certainly not a bad idea to stay in Cascais and commuting by day trips into the busy areas. My only concern with that is there does seem to be a ton to see and do in Lisbon and I'd likely have to make a few day trips and possibly miss out on strolling the incredible looking streets and miradouros early AM or late PM. We're ok moving just once in 7 nights, that would not be a problem especially with Lisbon and Cascais not being far away from each other. That does open up the opportunity for more time in Sintra and possibly more coast time. We will definitely stay in Cascais, although hopefully not too windy/cold first week of April. I guess another question to ask...and maybe for a separate post, would be ranking what NOT to miss in Sintra. Obviously Regeilera! I did like the idea of the tuk tuk tour only because it'd maybe help us avoid traffic and parking and would also be a unique way of travel for the kids and hopefully see a lot in a day. Is my idea of an early day to road trip up to Obidos, Alcobaca, and Nazare a good one? Thanks again for all your help!