Lisbon in April: Weather, Events and What to Expect

Lisbon in April is where the gamble stops. February and March ask you to accept some risk in exchange for low prices; April largely removes it. You get eight hours of sunshine a day, afternoons in the low twenties, evenings light until half past eight, and a city that has come fully back outdoors — without the August heat, the August crowds or the August prices. It is not the cheapest month. It may well be the best.

Two months later the city is 6°C warmer and celebrating in the street: see our Lisbon in June guide.

Wait four weeks and the numbers get better again: see our Lisbon in May guide for 23°C afternoons and nearly 300 hours of sunshine.

This guide has the real climate numbers, what happens on 25 April — the one date in the Portuguese calendar that genuinely changes what a visit feels like — the food festival that takes over Praça do Comércio, how prices compare with March and May, and where April still falls short.

April weather in Lisbon: the numbers

The 1991–2020 normals for the Lisbon city station:

• Average high: 20.4°C
• Average low: 12.3°C
• Rainfall: 71.8 mm across about 8 rain days
• Sunshine: around 248 hours, roughly 8 hours a day
• Sea temperature: 16°C

Look closely at the rain figure and you will notice something odd: April is fractionally wetter than March on paper. That is real — April showers exist here too — but it is also misleading, because the sunshine total rises another thirty hours and the temperature rises another degree and a half. What actually happens is that April rain arrives as short, sharp showers that pass in half an hour, rather than the day-long Atlantic fronts of midwinter. You get wet, then you dry off, then you carry on.

What it feels like on the ground

Twenty degrees and sunny at this latitude is close to perfect for a city built on hills. You can walk all day without overheating, sit outside for lunch, and still want a jacket after dark — the 12°C average low is the number that catches people out. Bring one layer more than the daytime forecast suggests and you will be right most evenings.

The other April characteristic is wind. The nortada, the northerly that runs down the Portuguese coast, starts asserting itself in spring, and it makes coastal spots — Cascais, Guincho, Caparica — noticeably cooler and blowier than the sheltered city centre on the same day. A calm 21°C in Alfama can be a bracing 17°C on the beach.

Daylight

Summer time is in force for the whole month. April starts with sunrise around 07:15 and sunset just after 20:00, and ends with sunrise around 06:30 and light until roughly 20:35. That is the single biggest practical upgrade over March: you can do a full day of sightseeing, go back to the hotel, change, and still be at a miradouro for sunset with a drink. In February that sequence is impossible.

What is on in April

25 April — Dia da Liberdade

This is the one. On 25 April 1974 the Carnation Revolution ended nearly five decades of dictatorship in a near-bloodless military coup, and the anniversary is a national public holiday and by some distance the most atmospheric day of the Lisbon year.

What actually happens: a huge popular march down Avenida da Liberdade, tens of thousands of people, red carnations everywhere, banners from unions and political parties and neighbourhood associations, and Grândola, Vila Morena — the song broadcast as the signal to launch the coup — sung repeatedly by very large numbers of people. There are concerts, free museum entry at many state-run sites, and an atmosphere in the city centre that is part political demonstration, part street party, and entirely sincere.

It is not a tourist spectacle laid on for visitors, which is precisely why it is worth seeing. If your trip can include 25 April, include it. In 2027 the date falls on a Sunday, which tends to make the turnout larger rather than smaller.

Practically: expect Avenida da Liberdade and the surrounding streets to be closed to traffic from late morning, Metro stations along the route to be extremely busy, many shops and some restaurants to close for the holiday, and hotel prices to be up for the surrounding nights. Museums vary — several offer free entry, several close. Check individually.

Peixe em Lisboa

Lisbon Fish & Flavours takes over the Pátio da Galé on Praça do Comércio for around ten days in the first half of April. It is the country’s most important gastronomy festival: the best Portuguese chefs plus international guests running show-cooking sessions, tastings and masterclasses, alongside stalls where you eat small plates from restaurants that would otherwise cost a great deal more.

It is genuinely good and genuinely busy. Tickets are sold per session and the headline chef slots sell out. Exact dates are confirmed only a few weeks ahead, so check the festival’s own site rather than trusting a date you read somewhere in advance. If you care about food, it is a reason to choose April over May — more on the wider scene in our Lisbon food guide.

Easter, in most years

Easter usually falls in April, though not always — in 2027 it is on 28 March, which frees April up considerably. When Easter does land in April, Holy Week brings domestic travel, processions, a public holiday on Good Friday and a sharp one-week price spike. Check the date for your year before you book.

The season starts

April is when things reopen rather than when things happen. The rooftop bars are all running by now. River cruises and sunset sailings restart properly. Outdoor tables reappear across Bairro Alto and Cais do Sodré. The nightlife spills onto the street again, which in Bairro Alto is more or less the entire point.

Crowds and prices

April is the first genuinely busy month, and you should plan for it rather than be surprised by it.

• Accommodation steps up clearly from March and sits below the May-to-September peak. Expect to pay more than March, less than May, and considerably less than July.
• Queues return at Jerónimos, Belém Tower and above all Pena Palace. Book timed slots. Turning up at Pena in April without one is a mistake.
• Restaurants need booking at weekends and for anywhere well known on any night. The walk-in era ends here.
• Easter week and the 25 April weekend are the two genuine spikes. If your dates hit either, book early.
• Cruise ships return in volume, which loads Belém and Baixa with day visitors between roughly 10:00 and 16:00 — see our cruise port guide for which days are heaviest.

None of this is summer-level. You are not queueing two hours for a tram in April. But the strategy shifts from “turn up” to “book the two or three things you really care about”, and that is the practical difference between April and March. Our trip cost breakdown has the seasonal numbers.

What to do in Lisbon in April

Sintra, but book it

Sintra in April is beautiful — the gardens are at their absolute peak after the winter rain, the camellias and rhododendrons are out, and the hill is green in a way it will not be again until November. It is also the month Sintra stops being quiet. Book Pena for the first slot of the day, do Regaleira or Monserrate in the afternoon, and take the train from Rossio rather than driving — the traffic on the hill in spring is genuinely bad. Our tickets and tips guide covers the booking mechanics.

The coast, properly

April is when the coastal day trips come into their own. Cascais is warm enough to enjoy and quiet enough to enjoy easily, and the cliff walk west towards Guincho and Cabo da Roca is spectacular in spring light. Arrábida is green and the water in the sheltered coves is the clearest on this coast. Sesimbra works. What none of them are yet is a swimming destination — see below.

Eating outside

This is the first month where planning a meal outdoors is reliable rather than optimistic. Lunch at a terrace in Príncipe Real, dinner at the Time Out Market or a tasca with tables on the pavement, a rooftop at sunset. April is also strong for wine tasting and food tours, which run in comfortable weather with groups that have not yet reached summer size.

The walking city

Twenty degrees, eight hours of sun and no crowds on the back streets makes April the best month of the year for covering ground on foot — better than March because it is warmer, better than June because it is not yet hot. The walking guide, the street art routes and the hidden gems list are all designed for exactly this weather.

What to skip

• Swimming, still. The sea is 16°C. The air being 21°C does not change that, and every April someone learns this the hard way at Caparica. Wetsuits or paddling.
• Turning up at Pena Palace. Not in April. Book.
• Belém between 11:00 and 15:00 on a cruise-heavy day, unless you enjoy queues. Go at opening or late afternoon.
• Driving on 25 April. Central Lisbon is closed and the rest is gridlocked. Use the Metro, or stay out of the centre entirely.

A four-day April itinerary

Day one — the old city

Start early in Baixa, up through Chiado, São Jorge Castle before the coaches arrive, then down through Alfama. Sunset at a miradouro — you now have time for it — then fado and a late dinner.

Day two — Belém and the waterfront

Jerónimos at opening, the Coach Museum, the Monument to the Discoveries, a pastel de nata, then MAAT and the riverside walk back to LX Factory under the 25 de Abril Bridge.

Day three — Sintra

First train, first Pena slot, the Moorish Castle walls, lunch in the old town, Regaleira in the afternoon. Full plan in the Sintra day trip guide.

Day four — the coast

The coastal train to Cascais, the cliff walk, seafood lunch by the water, back in time for a rooftop. If the nortada is blowing hard, swap it for Parque das Nações and the Oceanarium.

What to pack

• Layers, one more than you think. Twenty degrees by day, twelve at night, and the gap is felt.
• A light waterproof or a compact umbrella. April showers are short but they are frequent.
• Shoes with grip. Wet calçada is slippery in every month of the year.
• A windproof layer for the coast, which is a different climate from the city on the same afternoon.
• Sunglasses and real sunscreen. 248 hours of sunshine is a lot, and April sun burns people who have come from a northern winter.
• Something for a nice dinner. April is the month the good restaurants fill up again.

Full list in the Lisbon packing list.

Where to stay in April

Heating no longer decides it, so choose on location and outdoor space instead. A terrace or a balcony is finally usable, and a room with a view of the river earns its premium in a month with eight hours of daily sunshine.

Chiado and Príncipe Real put you within walking distance of most of what you will do in the evening. Alfama becomes a genuinely good choice again once the nights warm up. If your trip includes 25 April, note that being on or immediately beside Avenida da Liberdade means a spectacular view of the march and a very noisy day. Full breakdown in where to stay in Lisbon, and families should see where to stay with families.

Getting around in April

Fares do not change with the season: €1.90 for a single on a Navegante ocasional card, valid an hour across Carris and the Metro; €0.50 once for the card; €7.25 for a 24-hour Carris and Metro ticket. What changes is that the trams and lifts get busy again — Tram 28 starts developing real queues in April, so ride it early or board at a mid-route stop.

The Lisboa Card is worth running the numbers on in April, because the attractions you would use it for are the ones with the queues, and it includes the trains to Sintra and Cascais. Everything else is in the transport guide.

Is April a good time to visit Lisbon?

April and May are the two best months to visit Lisbon, and which one wins depends on what you want. April is cooler, cheaper and slightly less certain; May is warmer, busier and dearer. Both beat the summer comfortably on every measure except sea temperature.

April’s specific case is strong: 20°C afternoons, eight hours of sun a day, long evenings, Sintra’s gardens at their peak, Peixe em Lisboa, and 25 April — which is the most interesting single day in the Portuguese calendar and cannot be had at any other time of year. Against that, you are now booking things rather than turning up, and the sea is still too cold to swim in.

If you want the beach, you want high summer, and you should accept the heat and the crowds that come with it. For everything else — the city, the food, the walking, the day trips — April is close to the top of the list. Compare across the year in best time to visit Lisbon and the month-by-month weather guide.

Frequently asked questions

How warm is Lisbon in April?

An average high of 20.4°C and an average low of 12.3°C, with around 248 hours of sunshine across the month. Warm enough for outdoor lunches, cool enough to want a jacket after dark.

Does it rain in Lisbon in April?

Yes — about 72 mm across roughly eight days, marginally more than March. The difference is the character: short showers that pass, rather than all-day fronts.

Can you swim in Lisbon in April?

Not comfortably. The sea is around 16°C and the Atlantic here does not warm up until well into summer. Surfers wear wetsuits year-round for a reason.

What happens in Lisbon on 25 April?

Dia da Liberdade, the anniversary of the 1974 Carnation Revolution. A large public march down Avenida da Liberdade, concerts, free entry at many state museums, and a genuine national celebration. It is a public holiday, so expect closures and no traffic in the centre.

When is Peixe em Lisboa?

Around ten days in the first half of April, at the Pátio da Galé on Praça do Comércio. Exact dates are announced a few weeks ahead — check the festival’s own site.

Is April better than May in Lisbon?

April is cheaper and quieter; May is warmer and more reliable. If price and crowds matter more, take April. If you want the best odds of perfect weather, take May.

Do I need to book Sintra in April?

Yes, for Pena Palace — it uses timed entry slots and April is busy. The other Sintra sites are more forgiving but the town itself gets crowded from mid-morning.

How many days should I spend in Lisbon in April?

Four to five is ideal — long enough for the city, Sintra and a coastal day, with the longer evenings meaning each day holds more than it would in winter. See how many days in Lisbon.

Bottom Line

April is the month Lisbon becomes easy. The weather is good enough to plan around rather than work around, the evenings are long enough to fit a sunset and a dinner into the same day, Sintra’s gardens are at their best, and the city has come back outdoors without yet being overrun. Add 25 April and Peixe em Lisboa and it has the strongest single month of events in the calendar.

The trade is that you now have to book — Pena, the restaurants you care about, and your hotel if your dates touch Easter or the 25th. Do that, pack a layer for the evenings and a windproof for the coast, forget about swimming, and April will give you a better trip than July for less money.

Photo Credits

Avenida da Liberdade in April: Av. da Liberdade (47513929672) by Francisco Anzola from United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The 25 April march on Avenida da Liberdade: Marcha 25 de Abril, Lisboa, 2021 – 51138755402 by Esquerda.Net, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.