For those of you looking for day trips from Lisbon, Sintra is the perfect place to spend the day. There are loads of things to do in Sintra including palaces, castles, and historic charm.
Located just a short drive from the vibrant city of Lisbon, Sintra emerges as a captivating tapestry of history, culture, and natural beauty. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its romantic 19th-century Romantic architecture, historic palaces, and extravagant gardens that transport visitors to a different era.
With all of that, how could we not check it out? There is too much to do in Sintra for just a day trip, but we thought we would give you the major sites.
Getting to Sintra
Sintra is a short drive from Lisbon and you can usually get an Uber or Bolt to take you into town. But the best way to get there is to take the train. You can take the metro to the Rossio station and hop a regional train to Sintra. The ride is about 45 min and the trains leave often. I do suggest you leave early in order to have enough time to see as much as you want. Right outside of the train station, you will find taxis and Tuk Tuk drivers ready to take you where ever you choose.
Palácio da Pena (National Palace of Pena)
Sintra’s Pena Palace dates back to Moorish times and it has served as a royal retreat and summer palace for Portuguese monarchs such as King Ferdinand II throughout the centuries. The town’s most iconic landmark crowns the Sintra mountains, offering breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.
The palace is located on top of a hill and getting up there can be quite the experience. You cannot drive and park because there is little to no parking, but you can walk to the top if you wish. Tour buses will drop you off and you can also call an Uber or Bolt if you want. Personally, we like to take the completely touristy direction and go with a TukTuk tour!
The ride up is curvy and bumpy but a Tuk Tuk driver will stop and tell you all about the sites on the way up. You can get a great view of the Moorish Castle, stop by the spring well for some water and see the castle from the bottom of the mountain. If you book through Get your Guide, the driver will be waiting when you are done. But if you don’t, make sure you make arrangements to get back down the hill!
A few tips
Once you get to the top of the first hill, there is the ticket office and where you enter the gate. During peak season, I recommend you buy tickets in advance because ticket lines can be very long and you have a timed entrance into the palace–and they are not forgiving when it is crowded. Make sure you buy shuttle bus tickets too! The bus will save you the walk up (yes, even further) and will drop you right in front of the palace entrance. You can buy one way or round trip. If you like to walk, I suggest a one way bus ticket up the hill because your entrance tickets are at a specific time, and then walk down through the gardens when you are done.
Once at the gate to the palace entrance, there is another uphill walk–but I promise the walk is worth it.
Inside of Pena Palace
It took us about 2 hours to go through the palace and it wasn’t that crowded. The interior of the palace is quite opulent. Clearly it was decorated for a king with amazing tiles, furniture, and crafted ceramics and paintings. Some of the murals were done by the former kings that lived there.
About half way through the palace, you can walk out on the queens terrace and take in the amazing views of the town and the palace.
We ventured to the other half of the palace and out the tunnel door to the gift shop! There is also a cafe and a restaurant if you are hungry or thirsty.
When you exit the cafe, you can walk around to the back terrace and the chapel, the only remaining original part of the monastery. You can see the ocean from the back terrace.
After touring the palace, you can have a café at the cafe, eat at their restaurant and shop in the gift shop. I recommend taking a quick break before you begin your tour of the gardens or take the bus back to the ticket stand. Here you can catch a ride with an Uber or Bolt or if you made arrangements with your TukTuk driver, they will be waiting for you. You can also just walk the gardens back to the bottom of the hill.
The Beautiful Gardens of Pena Palace
On our first visit to Sintra, we didn’t have a lot of time to visit Pena Palace so we bought tickets for the gardens. They are as breathtaking as the inside of the palace. Each turn of the path you will find lush gardens showcasing exotic plants from diverse corners of the globe. At every turn, we found ornate fountains, hidden grottos, and sculptures, each contributing to the enchanting atmosphere. It took us about an hour to walk the gardens but we definitely did not see everything.
Visit Quinta da Regaleira
Sintra is also home to the mystical Quinta da Regaleira, a captivating estate featuring extraordinary gardens, underground tunnels, and initiation wells that add an air of mystery to the town. The lush greenery of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park surrounds the area, providing ample opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts to explore the dense forests and discover hidden treasures.
Quinta da Regaleira was built by António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro, a wealthy Brazilian-Portuguese businessman, and was designed by the renowned Italian architect Luigi Manini. Monteiro purchased the property in the late 19th century, he was fascinated by the myths and legends surrounding the Knights Templar. As such, he incorporated numerous symbolic Templar references and initiation rites into the design and construction of the estate’s gardens, grottoes, and structures. He was known for his passion for mysticism, symbolism, and the arts and wanted to create a unique and somewhat bizarre estate that would reflect his interests in alchemy, mythology, and the esoteric. We would say he succeeded.
Quinta da Regaleira was our favorite place out of the two. The house was nowhere near as extravagant as the palace, but the gardens and grounds were incredibly captivating. Private tours through Get Your Guide will offer a great deal about the grounds and the house.
The Grounds Of Quinta da Regaleira
We could have spent hours just exploring the many sites built on the grounds–towers, caves, trails, and extensive gardens were all around us. We would just walk a few feet and find a staircase leading up or down to who knows what. Spiralling staircases took you up towers to discover amazing views. Getting lost here would not be hard and quite the adventure.
But the one thing you do not want to miss is the Initiation Well. This famous well was thought to be built as a way to initiate new members of the masonic order. You can easily see how the spiral staircase that descends into the caves could be disorienting.
The Quinta
We toured the Quinta last as it was not quite as big but still interesting in its own way. There were many masonic symbols throughout the house and a wonderful billiards room that showcased the monarchy of Portugal. We were only allowed on one floor though.
Touring both the Quinta and Palace and the gardens of these two wonderful parks definitely takes a whole day. If you only had time to do one, we would recommend the Quinta da Regaleira…unless it is raining. Then do the Pena Palace. Or better yet, go into the old town and eat lunch, take a café or go shopping!
Castelo dos Mouros (Castle of the Moors)
The Moorish Castle sits on top one of the highest peaks in the Sintra Mountains giving way to some of the most amazing views of the area. Built sometime in the 8th and 9th centuries, this medieval castle was a strong hold for the moors while they ruled the Iberian Peninsula. Today, it is a great place to hike up to see the park and surrounding area.
Tickets are €12 for adults and €10 for children and seniors. You can get to the castle by taking the 434 bus route from the Sintra train station.
Other Places around Sintra to Consider
Outside of the town of Sintra, there are many other places that are worth visiting, but will probably need more than a day. There are several beaches such as Praia dos Maçãs, Praia da Adraga, and Praia da Ursa where you can sit by the Atlantic Ocean and relax.
If you are up for more of an adventure or some exploring, Cabo da Roca is the westernmost point of the Sintra mountains and has a lovely lighthouse. Cruz Alta or High Cross is one of the highest peaks in the mountain range and you can hike from many of the trails from the town centre up to see the stone cross that is at the top.
To hear about all of our escapades while we are living in Portugal, check out the PODCAST! You can also listen on YouTube!
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Shelley is a full time traveler, blogger and podcaster currently living in Portugal with her wife, 2 dogs and a cat. She is a former history teacher originally from Winston-Salem, NC but wanted to see what life was like abroad. Now she travels all over Portugal and Europe writing about what she sees and does and tells you all kinds of fun stories on the podcast at Wandering Works for Us.