There are public holidays spread throughout the year that mark religious, historic and special events. To plan your trip to Lisbon, find out what are the public and school holidays in Portugal.

Fado has become a symbol of Lisbon and Portugal. There are daily fado shows in restaurants or “fado houses” but also in other venues (just fado without dinner).

Are you packing your suitcase for Portugal? Whether you go to Lisbon, Porto, the Douro valley, or the Algarve, use this helpful checklist to make sure you don’t leave home without those needed items.

Lisbon offers a wide range of special events throughout the year, from music festivals and open air jazz concerts during the summer to spring culinary events, independent film festivals and marathons during autumn, and Christmas and New Year’s Eve concerts.

A year after the Covid-19 pandemic hit, find out about the current situation in Portugal, the lockdown and reopening plan, what rules and restrictions are being put in place, and the effects in Lisbon and Portugal.

When packing to visit Lisbon, save some room to bring home “typically Portuguese” souvenirs. Find out where to buy a sardine can, a bottle of wine or olive oil, delicious pastéis de nata, a bag made of cork, or a beautiful azulejo or piece of ceramics.

Coming to Portugal from outside the EU? If you have an unlocked phone, you may avoid roaming charges entirely by replacing your SIM card with a prepaid SIM card in Portugal.

Many Portuguese are now fluent in English, especially the younger generations. But learning some key Portuguese words and phrases such as “Olá“, “Obrigado” and “Onde fica…?” will greatly improve your trip.

When shopping in Lisbon, or Portugal, you may notice a VAT added to your receipts. Find out who can claim a VAT refund, which purchases are eligible, and how to claim the refund at the airport.