Sintra is a small town located in the foothills of Portugal’s Sintra mountains, and the perfect day trip from Lisbon. Despite being less than an hour train ride away from Lisbon, it feels like a completely different world with it’s lush pine-filled forests, dramatic coastlines, and mountain terrains. Sintra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site – it’s famous for it’s array of exotic gardens, pastel-colored manors, and majestic palaces which were built by the Portuguese nobility and elite, who were drawn to Sintra for it’s cooler climate and fresh air during the hot summer months.
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If you have the luxury of spending multiple days in Sintra, do it. There are so many tourist attractions and beautiful sites in the area that you could spend a week in Sintra and still find something new and exciting to see. However, if you are limited on time, it is possible to see Sintra’s main tourist sites in a single day. Sintra can be a VERY popular destination during the summer tourist season. Planning your trip carefully can help you avoid long queues and busy crowds so that you can make the most of your visit. Check out my tips and suggestions below on how to take a perfect day trip from Lisbon to Sintra.
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Getting to Sintra
Getting to Sintra is relatively straight forward. Trains from Lisbon to Sintra depart every hour on weekends (and ever 15 minutes on weekdays) from the main Rossio train station. The trip takes less than an hour!
There is a handy tourist bus service (Bus #434) located outside of the Sintra train station. Departing every 15 minutes, it runs a one-way loop with stops in the city center of Sintra, as well as major tourist hot spots like the Pena Palace or the Moorish Castle. It’s worth paying the 5 Euro/person for this bus as the walk to the city center (and then up the hill to see the palaces) is a long one! Trust me, you don’t want to waste any time here.
TIP: I would not recommend driving in Sintra as the roads are very narrow and there is limited parking. Plus with so many tourists walking around, driving could be quite a frustrating experience.
What to see and do in Sintra
Most day trippers follow the same tourist route: the National Palace, the historic town center, the Moorish Castle, and finally the Pena Palace. However, I would actually recommend switching up the order of these attractions so that you get enough time at the standout Pena Palace and can avoid the crowds. I would also swap the National Palace for the Quinta da Regaleira (read on to find out why)!
TIP: Wear shoes that are comfortable to walk and climb in! Visiting both castles will require lots of steps (which can get quick narrow and slippery). Also, I would recommend bringing a sweater or light jacket. Even if it’s extremely hot in the city center, the breeze can get quite fierce in the mountains.
Pena Palace
Your first stop should be the whimsical and colorful Pena Palace. This flamboyant 19th-century castle might just be one of the prettiest buildings I’ve ever seen (and as it happens, it typically draws the largest and busiest crowds). Not only is it a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s also known to be one of the most ‘romantic’ castles in the world.
The building interiors and exteriors of the Pena Palace are a bit of a cultural mish-mash, with architectural influences drawn from all over the Middle East and Europe.
Fun fact: The Pena Palace was originally built as a monastery (the red side) before the new palace (the yellow side) was built as an extension!
TIP: Buy your entry tickets for the Pena Palace and Moorish Castle online. It costs 1-2 Euros more, but will save you so much time! The queues we walked past after visiting both were insane!
Moorish Castle
From the Pena Palace, take a short 5-minute walk downhill towards the Moorish Castle. The Moorish Castle was built as a military fort in the 10th century by North African Muslim Moors (a.k.a members of the Muslim population of what is now Spain and Portugal).
At first glance, the Moorish Castle looks more like the Great Wall of China than it does a castle. That’s because very little remains of the actual castle buildings (what’s left are the defense walls along the side of the mountain).
Take time to walk along the stone walls and admire the views from the lookout towers. The views of Sintra and Pena Palace from afar are breathtaking!
Sintra Town Center
After your visit to the Moorish Castle, take the 434 bus back into the historic Sintra town center where you can catch a break and refuel on Portuguese tapas and wine!
Visit Casa Piriquita in the heart of the Sintra city center for inexpensive bites and amazing local baked goods. This no-frills bakery has been in business for over 160 years (across 5 generations) and they are famous for their traditional queijadas (a cheese and cinnamon sweet pastry) and travesseiro (a pastry stuffed with egg and almonds). We ordered a variety of their pastries (including the classics) and every one of them was absolutely divine.
Spend some time roaming the colorful streets of the city center.
Try some Ginjinha liqueur (the Ginja is a berry with a similar taste to a sour cherry), which is typically serve in small edible chocolate cups. This sweet (but strong) alcoholic treat is a favorite among locals.
Quinta da Regaleira
Your last stop of the day should be the grand estate of Quinta da Regaleira. The house itself is beautiful (with a stunning white ornate facade that seems to glimmer in the sunlight) but the estate grounds are the real attraction here. The gardens of Quinta da Regaleira are eccentric in that they were designed to symbolize ancient secret orders and mythology (for example, the Knights Templar) with features like concealed passageways, underground wells, and mysterious caves and grottoes.
It is truly one of the most unique gardens I’ve ever seen. With whimsical statues and winding tunnels, I couldn’t help but feel a bit like Alice in Wonderland!
TIP: If you have time, you can squeeze in the Sintra National Palace (which is typically the 3rd stop on most day trippers lists, in the place of Quinta da Regaleira). This palace holds a lot of history and cultural significance for Sintra, but is a bit overshadowed by the other spectacular sites and palaces in the area.
A day is simply not enough to see everything there is to see in Sintra, but given the right amount of planning and energy, it’s possible to see the best of Sintra in a short amount of time. With spectacular views, a slew of cultural and historical sites, and an irresistible bakery…Sintra has so much to offer. If I ever get the chance to, I’d love to re-visit and spend more time in this magical area.
Have questions or need help planning a visit to Sintra? Leave me a comment below!
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Hi there! We are going with a group of 4 adults, we were initially going to take a tour from Lisbon that would also take us to the sites you mentioned but also to the coast. Was it easy to navigate the bus system?
It was pretty simple to navigate the bus and train systems, but does mean that you’ll have to do more walking to get places. I personally liked taking the public transportation as it gave us a bit more freedom with our itinerary!