Lisbon in March (2027): Weather, Prices, Easter & Things to Do

⭐ Best-value March window, based on our hotel sample: weeknights from 1 to 18 March. Weeknight medians in this stretch were about €136 to €141, against €156 to €178 in Holy Week. This is a price observation rather than a weather claim, although early March is, on average, a little cooler than late March.

ℹ️ These are our editorial assessments of how March conditions affect each part of a trip, not review scores. Weather figures are climate normals from IPMA, Portugal's weather service, for 1991 to 2020.

💰 March 2027 hotel rates in our sample (central Lisbon, 4-star):
Weeknights 1 to 18 March: median ~€136–141 · Saturdays: median ~€159–166 · Holy Week and Easter (24 to 27 March): median ~€156–178
From a sample of 129 to 146 four-star hotels within 2 km of Baixa, quoted on 1 October 2026 for one night for two adults, room only, before taxes, on ten March 2027 dates. Lisbon's tourist tax of €4 per person per night (maximum seven nights) is added on top. Rates change daily, so check live prices for your dates.

March is the month Lisbon starts to feel like spring. Compared with February, the average high rises by more than two degrees, rainfall eases from about 78 mm to about 69 mm, and sunshine climbs from about 175 to 216 hours. For a city you see on foot, up and down steep hills, that combination makes a real difference.

The honest tradeoff is price. The winter low season is over: weeknight rates in our sample were about 20% higher than in February, and Easter in late March pushed the last week higher still. We would book March for walking, day trips and sightseeing, aim for the first three weeks if price matters, and leave beaches for June to September.

Temperature

IPMA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals put the March average high at about 19°C and the low at about 11°C, a clear step up from February's 16°C and 9°C. Sunny afternoons are comfortable in a light layer; evenings still call for a jacket.

Rain Pattern

March averages about 69 mm of rain over roughly 8 days, a little under February's 78 mm. Showers still arrive with Atlantic fronts, but wet spells are shorter and less frequent than in the winter months. A light waterproof is enough for most days.

Daylight and the Clock Change

Sunrise moves from about 07:10 on 1 March to about 06:30 by 27 March, and sunset from about 18:28 to about 18:54. Then Portugal moves to summer time in the early hours of Sunday 28 March, Easter Sunday in 2027, and sunset jumps to about 19:55. For the last four days of the month, the miradouros at sunset become an after-dinner option.

March is the month the low season ends. Prices in our sample rose across it, with a clear weekend premium and a sharp step up for Easter.

1 to 18 March: early spring

Weeknights in the first half of the month were the cheapest in our March sample, with medians of about €136 to €141. Saturdays ran higher: about €166 on 6 March, the eve of the Lisbon Half Marathon, and €159 on 20 March. Crowds are moderate, and most sights are still walk-up outside weekends.

21 to 28 March: Holy Week and Easter

Easter Sunday falls on 28 March in 2027, and Good Friday on 26 March is a public holiday in Portugal. Our sample's medians rose to about €156 on the Wednesday of Holy Week, €168 on the Thursday, and €177 to €178 on Good Friday and Easter Saturday, the dearest nights we sampled from January to March. Expect busier sights and restaurants, and check opening hours on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

29 to 31 March: after Easter

Rates eased after the holiday, with a median of about €145 on 31 March. Most people do not realise how much an early Easter reshapes March: in 2027 the holiday premium lands in the last week of the month, so moving a trip forward by ten days saves more than choosing weekdays over weekends. Remember the tourist tax of €4 per person per night on top of the room rate.

Easter in Lisbon: 21 to 28 March 2027

Holy Week runs from Palm Sunday, 21 March, to Easter Sunday, 28 March. Good Friday is a national public holiday, and Easter is a family occasion in Portugal, so it brings domestic travel as well as visitors. Bakeries sell folar, the traditional Easter bread. For a visitor the main effects are practical: higher rates, busier sights and changed opening hours over the long weekend.

Lisbon Half Marathon: Sunday 7 March

The EDP Lisbon Half Marathon runs on 7 March 2027. The race starts on the 25 de Abril Bridge and finishes in front of Jerónimos Monastery in Belém, along a flat course by the river, so expect road closures along the waterfront and between the bridge and Belém that morning. If you are not running, it is a morning to avoid driving to Belém or booking a riverside transfer.

The last weeks of the Nazaré season

March is the last month of the Nazaré big-wave season, which runs roughly from October to March. For 2025/26 the World Surf League's competition window closed on 31 March 2026; the 2026/27 window had not been officially announced when we checked on 1 October 2026. Our take: if the waves are the reason for your trip, January and February give you more chances than late March. Our Lisbon in January guide covers the big-wave day trip in detail.

March's downsides are mostly about timing rather than weather. Three are worth planning around.

Easter week on a budget

Holy Week and Easter weekend were the dearest nights in our sample from January to March, with medians up to €178. Sights and restaurants are also busier. If price or crowds matter, plan around 21 to 28 March rather than through it.

Swimming

The sea averages about 15°C in March, around its coldest of the year in long-term averages, and the lifeguard season has not started. The beaches are lovely for a walk; swimming is for the hardy. Our Lisbon surf lessons guide covers what the Atlantic is like for learners in spring.

Counting on dry weather every day

Rain still falls on about 8 days, and wet calçada on Lisbon's hills remains slippery. A light waterproof and shoes with grip are still the right packing; our is Lisbon safe guide covers the walking and transport advice.

• Folar at Easter: Portugal's traditional Easter bread fills bakery windows in Holy Week.
• Watching the half marathon: the 7 March race crosses the 25 de Abril Bridge and finishes at Jerónimos, and the riverside course is easy to watch from the waterfront.
• LX Factory: bookshops, cafés and design stores in a former industrial complex in Alcântara, easy to combine with a Belém afternoon.
• A late viewpoint: after the clocks change on 28 March, sunset at Senhora do Monte or São Pedro de Alcântara moves to around 20:00.

• Travel before Holy Week if price matters: weeknights from 1 to 18 March were the cheapest in our sample; 24 to 27 March were the dearest.
• Check Good Friday and Easter Sunday opening hours: Good Friday, 26 March, is a public holiday, and many places change their hours over the Easter weekend.
• Avoid the riverside roads on the morning of 7 March: the half marathon runs from the 25 de Abril Bridge to Jerónimos.
• Remember the clock change: clocks go forward in the early hours of 28 March, so check the time of any early tour or flight that day.
• Pack a light waterproof: rain is less frequent than in winter but still falls on about 8 days.
• See Nazaré earlier in the season if the waves are the point: March is the end of the big-wave season.
• Plan Belém for a day other than Monday: Jerónimos Monastery is closed on Mondays.
• Budget for the tourist tax: Lisbon adds €4 per person per night, up to seven nights, on top of the room rate.
• Visiting at a different time of year? Our Lisbon in February guide covers the month before, with lower rates and Carnival, and our Lisbon in April guide covers the month after, with long evenings, Freedom Day on 25 April and higher rates.