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Portugal travel guide

Best time to visit from the UK, weather, festivals, flights from London and FCDO travel advice.

Pena Palace
Pena Palace. Photo: Singa Hitam, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
2h 30mflight from London
Eurocurrency
No visafor UK passports
Type C, Fplugs

Golden cliffs, pastel cities and custard tarts for a fraction of the price

Don't miss

  1. Lisbon
  2. Algarve coast
  3. Porto's port cellars
Good forBeachesFood loversCity breaks

Best time to visit Portugal from the UK

Best value: Mar–May, Sep–Oct. Apr–Jun and Sep–Oct. Busiest and priciest: Jun–Aug.

12.9 C13°J12.8 C13°F13.8 C14°M15 C15°A16.9 C17°M18.8 C19°J19.9 C20°J20.5 C20°A20 C20°S18.6 C19°O15.5 C16°N13.5 C14°D
Best valueBusy and pricierQuietAverage temperature in Lisbon, °C, 2001–2025 (NASA POWER).

Each bar is the average temperature in Lisbon for that month, and its colour shows the season for visitors: best value (good weather, fewer crowds and lower prices), busiest and priciest, or quiet (off-peak, sometimes because the weather is poorer).

  • Our pick: September and OctoberThe warmest of the best-value months (19–20°C), with fewer crowds than peak season.
  • Peak season: Jun–AugUsually 19–20°C. The busiest time, so book flights and rooms early and expect higher prices.
  • Quiet season: Nov–FebAround 13–16°C. The cheapest and least crowded time, though often because of rain or heat.
  • Warmest: August (20°C) · coolest: February (13°C)A 7°C swing between the warmest and coolest months.
Temperatures as a table
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
12.912.813.81516.918.819.920.52018.615.513.5

Festivals and events

  • Carnival Feb · Madeira and Lisbon
  • Festas de Lisboa Jun · Lisbon
  • São João Jun · Porto

Festival dates move from year to year: check before you book.

Getting there from the UK

Flight time
About 2h 30m
Distance
1,571 km
Main airport
LIS

Flight times are straight-line estimates for a direct flight from Heathrow; journeys with a change take longer.

Add Portugal to your bucket list Search flights to LIS

Practical info and travel guidance

EuroCapital: Lisbon
Type C, F · 230VBring a UK adapter
Drive on the rightOpposite to the UK
112
EmergencyPolice, fire, ambulance
Tap water safeAcross the country
  • VisaNo visa neededUp to 90 days in any 180 across the Schengen area
  • HealthcareGHIC acceptedYour UK GHIC covers necessary state healthcare. Still take travel insurance.
  • LGBT+ travellersLegal and broadly accepted
  • Women travellersFCDO warns of sexual assault or harassmentTake extra care at night and with drinks.

For British passport holders, summarised from the FCDO's advice for Portugal, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 11 August 2026. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for Portugal before you book and again before you go.

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