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A Day Trip To Sintra: A Palace Packed Day Trip from Lisbon

A Day Trip To Sintra: A Palace Packed Day Trip from Lisbon

The colorful hill town of Sintra boasts three palaces, an old Moorish Castle, a gothic mansion, and miles of forested hiking paths. It easily makes my list of the places you can’t miss when visiting Portugal. A day trip to Sintra is a chance to view man-made beauty in peaceful, garden settings. While it’s a popular day trip from Lisbon, you really need at least two days to visit all of the palaces and spend a bit of time in the town. If you’re limited to one day, my favorites are Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira.

➳ Read next: 101 Things To Do in Lisbon

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Getting to Sintra

The easiest way to get to Sintra from Lisbon is the regional Comboios do Portugal (CP) train. You can purchase your reusable Viva Viagem card (€ 0,50  for the card) in the Rossio railway station in Lisbon (or almost any train or metro station) and load it with one of the following options:

  • Two one-way 4 zone tickets:  € 2,15 each way, so € 4,30 total
  • 24 hours: € 10,00 valid for unlimited trips on Comboios do Portugal (CP) trains, Carris trams and buses and metro
  • Zapping: € 1,80 each way, so € 3,60 total. We found this to be the cheapest and most convenient way to pay for transport around Lisbon. You can fill your card with as little as € 3,00, and you get a more favorable rate on trains, buses, trams and the metro than if you were to purchase a single ticket.

Getting around Sintra

The Sintra 434 bus makes a loop from the railway station to three major sites in Sintra: the Palácio Nacional de Sintra, Castelo dos Mouros, and the Palácio Nacional da Pena. A single loop hop-on, hop-off ticket is €5.00 (2016). While it’s less than 3km from the railway station to the furthest stop on the loop, Pena Palace, it’s a steep incline to the top. If you want to walk, just be prepared for a decent hike.

The Sintra 435 bus makes a loop from the town centre to Quinta da Regaleira and the Palace of Monserrate. A single loop hop-on, hop-off ticket is €2.50 (2016). Quinta da Regaleira is within walking distance of the train station, while the Palace of Monserrate is an additional 3km up the road.

Sintra is a small town with congested roads and extremely limited parking, so it’s quite a hassle to drive. If you’re not interested in waiting for the overcrowded bus, there are plenty of taxis and tuk tuks that will transport you between the palaces.

If you prefer to have all of the logistics and transportation handled for you, then book a guided tour in Sintra with Take Walks. The Take Walks Sintra Tour includes early access to Pena Palace, tickets to both Pena Palace and Quinta de Regaleira, and transportation between places within Sintra. 

Practical tips for a day in Sintra

We visited twice, once in October and once in July. To see all 5 major sights in Sintra, you really need two days. If you’re only going to spend one day in Sintra, I recommend picking three places at a maximum.

While lines weren’t really an issue in October, we knew July would be much busier, so we caught one of the first trains out of Lisbon to Sintra. If you’re sticking to the 434 loop, I’d recommend you go to Pena Palace first, walk about 10 minutes downhill to the Moors Castle, and then catch the bus back down to the center of town. On our second visit, we visited Quinta da Regaleira in the afternoon, which is only a few minutes walk from town and had no queue to get in.

To avoid queues at the ticket office, purchase tickets in advance here.

What to see in Sintra

The 434 bus will take you to the National Palace, Moorish Castle, and the Pena Palace. You can purchase a combined entrance ticket for all three sites. With the rise in popularity of Sintra, the price increased to €25/€20 adult/child as of March 2016. If you’re pressed for time, consider only purchasing entrance to one of the sites, or only the gardens of Pena Palace if you’re not interested in viewing the interior.

Palácio Nacional de Sintra

Located in the center of town, our favorite details of this whitewashed 14th-century palace were the geometric wall tiles found in most rooms and the massive kitchen. A unique feature of the exterior is the two huge conical chimney. You can imagine the kitchen must be large when they warrant chimneys of that size.

Day Trip to Sintra | National Palace of Sintra - Parques de Sintra | How to spend one day in Sintra

Day Trip to Sintra from Lisbon, Portugal | National Palace of Sintra - Parques de Sintra | How to spend one day in Lisbon

Castelo dos Mouros

We loved the heavily shaded walk up to this partially restored fortress that was originally built in the 9th century. From hiking up the steps along the exterior walls of the Moors Castle, you get amazing views of Sintra and the National Palace below and Pena Palace above.

Castle of the Moors in Sintra, Portugal | Day Trip to Sintra from Lisbon, Portugal | How to spend one day in Sintra, Portugal

Day trip to Sintra from Lisbon, Portugal | Castelo dos Mouros - Moors Castle in Sintra

Palácio Nacional da Pena

The last stop on the 434 bus loop is the bright and multi-colored Pena Palace. This palace was commissioned by King Ferdinand II in 1842 in an attempt to rival the Neuschwanstein castle in Bavaria.

The façade serves as a color-coded legend. The red portion of the castle is the oldest part, built on top of the 15th-century monastery that was rendered to ruins in the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755. The ochre or yellow, arches and domes showcase the Moorish influence, while the blue tiled structures are reminiscent of the Manueline style.

Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal | The best day trip from Lisbon | How to spend one day in Sintra, Portugal

Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal | The best day trip from Lisbon

Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal | The best day trip from Lisbon

Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal

Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal | The best day trip from Lisbon

Park and National Palace of Pena - Palácio Nacional da Pena | How to spend one day in Sintra, Portugal

Park and National Palace of Pena - Palácio Nacional da Pena | How to spend one day in Sintra, Portugal

Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal | The best day trip from Lisbon | How to spend on day in Sintra, Portugal
Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal | The best day trip from Lisbon | How to spend one day in Sintra, Portugal

Pena Palace grounds

If your legs aren’t jelly after the stairs of Lisbon and the Moorish Castle, hike through the palace grounds about 20 minutes south to the High Cross with the Saint Maria viewpoint for a beautiful view of the palace.

Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal | The best day trip from Lisbon | How to spend one day in Sintra, Portugal

Quinta da Regaleira

Nicknamed The Palace of Monteiro the Millionaire, the real highlights of this gothic estate are the enchanting gardens with underground tunnels, caves, grottos, and gardens to explore. This palace is part of the 435 bus route, but it’s only a 20-minute walk from the railway station, so easily accessible by foot.

Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra, Portugal | The best day trip from Lisbon

Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra, Portugal | The best day trip from Lisbon

Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra, Portugal | The best day trip from Lisbon

Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra, Portugal | The best day trip from Lisbon

Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra, Portugal | The best day trip from Lisbon

Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra, Portugal | The best day trip from Lisbon | One day in Sintra, Portugal

Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra, Portugal | The best day trip from Lisbon

Quinta da Regaleira - The Palace of Monteiro the Millionaire

Palace of Monserrate

The Park and Palace of Monserrate is about 3 km up the road from Quinta da Regaleira on the 435 bus that starts in the center of town. This domed, arabesque estate crowns another hilltop of Sintra and boasts the first planted lawn in Portugal.

Park and Palace of Monserrate

Park and Palace of Monserrate

What to eat in Sintra

Most of the restaurants in the old town center are catered towards tourists, which means they are overpriced and not very authentic. We recommend grabbing a sandwich from Café Saudade, close to the railway station. We rarely pass up a chance to try the local pastry or dessert and here, you can get both. Travesseiros fits its literal translation to “pillows,” as they are light, pillowy rectangle pastries filled with almond and egg cream. The best are from Piriquita. Queijadas de Sintra are cheesecake tarts with a caramelized top.

Piriquita in Sintra, Portugal | The best day trip from Lisbon | the best food in Sintra, Portugal

Enjoy your palace-packed day trip to Sintra! If you have any questions, drop us a comment below.


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Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal

 

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Best Day Trips from Lisbon, Portugal

Tuesday 18th of January 2022

[…] station, right in the heart of Lisbon. For a complete guide to the palaces of Sintra, see our guide […]

Ashima

Friday 13th of September 2019

Hello, Absolutely loved your post. It's so informative. I am visiting Sintra September last week on a day trip and slightly confused between Pena Palace and Quinta de Regaleira. I like colours of Pena Palace but everywhere I have read, it says it's disappointing as it becomes really busy. Which one would you recommend?

Also, you have a photo on your blog of Pena Palace popping out between trees which is taken from outside? Can you tell me from where did you take that photo? If you can link the exact spot here it will be really helpful.

nomanbefore

Monday 16th of September 2019

Hi Ashima, both Pena Palace and Quinta de Regaleira are so unique, it's hard to compare. I'd go to both if you have the time. Pena does get very busy, so I'd make that your first stop. If you're talking about the first photo in the post, it's taken from the High Cross (there's literally a large cross there) with the Saint Maria viewpoint (I mention it in the post too!). It's about a 20 min hike through the Pena Palace grounds away from the palace.

Jay Skambraks

Thursday 4th of July 2019

Can you please give the amount of time you spent/needed at each site?

nomanbefore

Monday 8th of July 2019

Hi Jay, I would budget around an hour for each site. We spent more time at Quinta da Regaleira because the grounds are large and there's so much to explore, and maybe a little less at the Moorish Castle.

Ryan

Tuesday 23rd of April 2019

Hello! Your post is amazing! My wife and I are visiting Sintra next week actually and we can't wait! After doing some research, I wanted to see what you thought about the following plan: 1. Train from Rossi to Sintra around 8:30am 2. Arrive around 9am at Sintra and take bus #434 straight to Pena Palace. before the crowds start. Enter inside Pena as well. 3. Walk through Pena Park towards Moorish Castle and spend time there 4. Follow sings towards the Historical Centre, check out the National Palace briefly and stop by cafe Piriquita to try those amazing pastries we keep seeing! 5. Walk to Quinta Regaleira 6. Walk back to station

What do you think?! Hopefully this itinerary works and we will be able to push this through 9am-5pm - we're fast walkers!

Thanks and I look forward to your thoughts! Ryan

nomanbefore

Tuesday 23rd of April 2019

Hey Ryan, I think you should be able to hop back on the 434 bus at the Moorish Castle and finish the loop, so the bus will drop you off back near the historical center. You can walk, but taking the bus will definitely save you a lot of time!

taylor

Saturday 23rd of March 2019

did you pre-buy anything for the day trip, re: Pena palace? im coming from Lisbon at the end of may

nomanbefore

Tuesday 26th of March 2019

No, we didn't buy anything online ahead of time, but if you already know what places you want to visit, it can be a lot more convenient just to purchase tickets ahead. You'll get a 5% discount and avoid the lines.

https://www.parquesdesintra.pt/en/commercial-area/ticket-office-2/

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