Visiting Sintra soon? Plan your day trip from Lisbon with this complete guide to Sintra and Cabo de Roca. Learn the best routes, ticket tips, and free sights for visiting Pena Palace, Quinta da Regaleira, and Monserrat, caping off your adventure at Cabo de Roca.
Located just 30km northwest of Lisbon, Sintra is a captivating town nestled among lush hills, making it a popular destination for day trips.
In Sintra, you can explore enchanting palaces and castles, wander through mystical gardens, and enjoy the town's rich historical tapestry. Whether you're climbing the ancient steps of the Moors Castle or strolling through the romantic Pena Palace, Sintra offers a magical escape into Portugal's royal past.
This guide will cover what Sintra has to offer as well as commonly asked questions such as:
Top things to do in Sintra include:
To get to Sintra from Lisbon I recommend going by train. Trains to Sintra depart from Rossio Station (or any other nearby interurban train station) to Sintra (last stop) for €4.50 with return. Trains depart every 15-30 minutes.
You could also consider renting a car this option is 10x more expensive than going by train. Depending which time of the year you plan to visit Sintra, you will have a hard time finding a place to park and the roads are not the best either.
A guided tour would be convenient if you want to know more about the history, option to visit all palaces, and skip queues. Although they are very strict with the time and you have to follow a group.
Everything is in hills! Technically you can walk to all castles and palaces, but if you want to save time you can take the following transportation methods:
You need to buy an entrance ticket for each castle, unless you are a resident. Adult tickets are between 11-20€ depending on the palace to visit. You can check the opening time and ticket prices for each palace in the Parques de Sintra official site.
For residents, you can visit Sintra palaces for FREE on Sundays. Just show proof of ID and proof of address at the till. Quinta da Regaleira is not free so you will need to pay the entrance to this palace (around 12€) or buy in advanced. Also, avoid busy months (e.g. July/August) to avoid wasting time at the queues.
Buying in advanced will save you money and long queues. Since you need to pay entrance to each castle, spend more time exploring a palace and its gardens rather than rushing through multiple ones.
Yes, but not recommended. While a day in Sintra provides a great introduction, it may not be enough time to see everything thoroughly. The train ride is affordable and quick, taking under 45 minutes each way and you have to pay entrance to each palace so better not to rush it.
A recommended intinerary (based on my experience) would be:
Day 1: Quinta da Regaleira + Pena Palace + Sintra Town
These two are my personal favourite palaces and they are huge! It takes around 15-20min to walk from Sintra train station to Quinta da Regaleira. From Quinta to Pena Palace it takes around 35-45 minutes walking so maybe consider taking a bus or TukTuk instead. In Sintra Town, make sure to try the local Traveseiros they are super nice!
Day 2: Castelo Dos Mouros + Palacio Do Monserrate + Cabo de Roca
Castelo Dos Mouros is 15 minute walk from Pena Palace so if you have time consider visiting it in Day 1. That way you could take the bus straight from Sintra Train station to Palacio Do Monserrate and spend some time viewing the palace and its beautiful gardens. Just outside the palace you can take the bus that goes directly to Cabo de Roca where you can finishh the day with a sunset in the western point of mainland Europe =).
Looking for more day trip ideas near Lisbon? Check out my blog profile or browse through my other articles on visiting Cascais & Boca do Inferno: Your Perfect Day Trip from Lisbon, Portugal. There are other memorable excursions just a short distance from Portugal's vibrant capital =).
Jesus E. Roman
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