A rainy day in Lisbon, spent by a hot oven

What is the weather like in Lisbon in winter?

Mild and rainy. December and January average highs of about 15 C and lows of 8 to 9 C, with rain on roughly ten days a month.

The numbers below are the official 1991 to 2020 averages from IPMA, Portugal's weather service, for its Lisbon station at Gago Coutinho. November is the wettest month. February dries out a little, and by March the city warms back towards 18 C. Frost is rare in the centre, but wind off the Atlantic makes a wet day feel colder than the thermometer says.

Pack a light waterproof and shoes with grip: Lisbon's limestone pavements get slick in the rain. An umbrella helps less than you would think on the windy riverside in Belém.

How short are winter days in Lisbon?

Short by Lisbon standards. Around the winter solstice the sun rises at about 7:50 AM and sets at about 5:20 PM, giving roughly 9 hours 30 minutes of daylight.

Portugal runs on Western European Time in winter, the same as London. In December you lose the long summer evenings: an afternoon of sightseeing ends in the dark at about 5:30 PM. January starts to claw some light back, and by mid-February sunset is past 6 PM.

That shapes a good winter day. Do the outdoor sights in the morning light, and book something indoors for the late afternoon. A baking class fills those dark hours well, and you walk out with dinner's dessert already sorted.

What can you do in Lisbon on a rainy day?

Go to Belém. The Jerónimos Monastery, Pastéis de Belém and two of our classes are all within a short tram or taxi ride of each other, and most of the day is indoors.

Start at the Jerónimos Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, whose covered cloister is the driest grand sight in the city. Visit Lisboa lists it as open from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM, last entry at 5 PM, and closed on Mondays. Then queue for a pastel de Belém at the bakery next door, open from 8 AM to 9 PM outside summer.

In the afternoon, bake. The Lisbon baking class is at Rua Aliança Operária 54, near Belém, and the small-group class by Belém is on Rua da Junqueira, the long street that runs into Belém. You eat your own tarts warm at the end, which beats any café for a wet day. Big appetite? The Portuguese cooking class runs in the same kitchen as the Lisbon baking class: three hours and a four-course meal you cook, with wine and beer.

Which baking classes in Lisbon are best on a rainy day?

All six Lisbon classes are indoors and about 2 hours long. Pick by what you want to make, how big a group you like and how far you want to walk in the rain.

For the shortest walk from the Baixa, the bakery masterclass is on Rua de Santa Justa, in a working bakery kitchen with a pro pastry chef, from $78. You laminate the pastry from zero and make at least three tarts. The two-recipe class adds a second dish and a light meal, from $60; it involves standing for about 1 hour 20 minutes.

North of the centre, the French pastry chef workshop on Avenida de Roma teaches puff pastry and custard from scratch, from $67, with only 21 reviews so far. The Algés baking class, just west of Belém, has only 10 reviews so far, all five-star, and takes ten bakers at most, from $61. Every one of them cancels free up to 24 hours before, so you can move a booking if the sun comes out.

Get out of the rain in the Baixa and laminate pastry in a real bakery kitchen, with a barista drink and a certificate.

★ 4.9 · 2 hours · from $78

Explore the bakery masterclass → Tour details

Do you need to book a pastel de nata class ahead in winter?

A few days ahead is wise, even out of season. Several classes show "likely to sell out", and you can reserve now and pay later, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Winter is quieter than summer, but the small classes fill fast: eight places at most in the Belém class, ten in Algés. Most listings let you reserve without paying today. We would book two or three possible afternoons in your head, check the forecast, and lock in the wettest one.

Bring the family. The Lisbon baking class takes children from age 6, and the Algés class from age 8. Look at the start times when you pick a date: most classes list several, and the small-group class by Belém offers a morning and an afternoon slot.

Are the Porto and Lagos classes good in winter too?

Yes, all of them run indoors. Porto has the cheapest classes on the site, from $37, and Lagos makes a sweet stop on a winter trip to the Algarve.

In Porto, the Porto class with port wine runs 1 hour 30 minutes, from $37, with port, snacks and a box to take your tarts home. It uses puff pastry made beforehand, and guests take turns. The Porto workshop with a drink is the busiest, from $39, with dough made beforehand by the team. Want to laminate the pastry yourself? The Gaia class from scratch takes 2 hours 30 minutes, from $48, with a glass of wine, for ages 15 and up.

On the south coast, the Lagos class gives you three tarts each and the recipe by email, for ten guests at most, from $72. Arrive ten minutes early: the school does not let anyone in after a 10-minute delay.

Frequently asked questions