How to Plan a Perfect Sintra Day Trip from Lisbon
Traveled in October 2019
Almost everyone that visits Lisbon makes a stop in Sintra. The iconic Pena Palace is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Portugal, and in this age of social media it’s almost as if you haven’t even been to Portugal unless you have a photo at Pena Palace. This means that Sintra can be CROWDED. And because we try to avoid crowds at all costs, our day trip to Sintra was one of the first things I planned and booked for our trip to Portugal to make sure we could optimize our time there. Keep reading for all the information you need to plan a successful day trip to Sintra, maximizing the views and minimizing the crowds.
When to Visit Sintra
Shoulder season is a great time to visit Portugal in general, and Sintra is no exception. Late spring and early fall usually have fewer crowds and mild weather. We visited in early Fall, and the weather was perfect and crowds were not terrible. Summer is peak tourist season, so expect more crowds and longer lines in the heat in the summer.
How to Get from Lisbon to Sintra
To get to Sintra, take the train from Rossio station to Sintra station (40 min, timetable available here). Buy tickets at the station (but note that there can be long lines during peak times). Sintra will be the last stop on the line.
The sights of Sintra are totally doable on your own with my instructions. But if you prefer not to deal with the hassle of booking all the tickets, you can book a day trip tour so they can take care of all the logistics for you.
- Book this half day tour to Sintra and Quinta da Regaleira!
- Book this full day tour to Sintra and Cascais!
Must-See Sights in Sintra in One Day
Sintra is a very popular tourist destination, and so it is very crowded. I would recommend arriving by 9am to avoid the crowds. Pena Palace and the Moorish Castle are on the same bus route, so I would do those two sights back to back, then take bus 434 back to Sintra for lunch. After lunch, walk to the Quinta da Regaleira. End the day with pasteis de nata at Casa Piriquita back in Sintra and browse some of the boutiques before heading back to Lisbon. Or, make it a longer day by visiting the beautiful Monserrate Palace.
Pro tip: Because all the palaces can get crowded, definitely buy tickets online ahead of time here to save yourself some time. With only a day in Sintra, you don’t want to waste time waiting in line or you may not have enough time or all the palaces.
1. Pena Palace
Pena Palace is one of the iconic buildings of Sintra. I’m sure you have seen pictures of the vibrant exterior all over your social media feeds. While the admission ticket includes access to the interior of the palace, most visitors spend the majority of their time out on the terraces, snapping photos of the colorful facade.
Pro Tips:
- Picture perfect Pena Palace is the most crowded sight in Sintra, so definitely prioritize purchasing timed tickets to Pena Palace online as soon as you know which day you will be in Sintra. We made Pena Palace our first stop of the day and the crowds and lines were not too bad. Ideally, book an earlier time slot or late in the afternoon to avoid the crowds. Tickets to Pena Palace are the most in demand, so plan the rest of the day around your Pena Palace entry time.
- For those that like to learn more about the history of the palace, definitely join a guided tour to make the visit more interesting.
- If you’re planning on visiting the interior of the palace, line up to do that first. The line wasn’t too bad when we first arrived, but was all the way down the hill when we left.
- Don’t forget to explore the grounds of the palace, including the gardens and the views at the High Cross.
- You can buy tickets for the buses from the bus driver, but if visiting multiple palaces in Sintra it could be more cost-effective and time-effective to buy a hop-on hop-off all day bus pass.
How to Get There:
To get to Pena Palace from Sintra, take bus 434 in front of Sintra station to the Pena Palace stop (the last stop). Get off at the main entrance and not the Lakes/Lagos entrance to save yourself a 20 min walk. From the main entrance, it is a 10 minute uphill climb to the palace. There is a Pena shuttle bus that you can take to save yourself the hike, but you could spend longer waiting in line for the bus than hiking the 10 minutes up to the palace. We walked and it wasn’t too strenuous.
2. Moorish Castle
The Moorish Castle looks like the castles you drew as a child, with crenelated walls and towers snaking over a mountain. The views from the Moorish Castle are amazing. But know that the castle is hilly with many stairs so you will have to work for those views. The main attraction here is just walking the castle walls and admiring the views, so you can budget less time in your day for this castle.
- Buy tickets online here to skip the lines. These tickets are not timed, so it is more flexible to visit.
How to Get There:
To get to the Moorish Castle from Sintra, take bus 434 in front of Sintra station to the Moorish Castle stop. However, I would recommend seeing Pena Palace first if you can get an early entry time.
To get to the Moorish Castle from Pena Palace, it is easiest to walk the 10 minute uphill hike from Pena Palace’s Lakes/Lagos lower entry because bus 434 does not backtrack from Pena Palace to the Moorish Castle.
3. Sintra
Sintra is a compact and walkable town, with many cute stores and yummy restaurants. There aren’t many food options at the palaces near Sintra. Most people stop in the town of Sintra for lunch. Casa Piriquita is a cute little bakery for your daily pastel de nata fix. While there are some good sit-down restaurants in Sintra for lunch, we wanted to make the most of our time exploring. So we opted for a quick sandwich at Cafe Saudade.
4. Quinta da Regaleira
The Quinta da Regaleira is another stately and picturesque estate near Sintra. The mansion on the estate is beautiful, but most people spend the majority of their time exploring the delightful gardens. The dramatic spiral staircase in the Portal of the Guardians is the quintessential photo spot here. This palace was a surprise favorite on our Sintra day trip.
Pro tip: Buy timed tickets online here to skip the lines. Since you do have to select a time for entry, I would buy tickets to Pena Palace first, and then choose the time for Quinta da Regaleira after that. Ideally, plan for Pena Palace in the morning, and time Quinta da Regaleira later in the afternoon (or vice versa) to ensure you have plenty of time in between to fully enjoy both sites.
How to Get There:
The Quinta da Regaleira is an easy 10 minute walk from Sintra. Or you can take bus 435 from the train station.
5. Monserrate Palace
We sadly ran out of time and did not make it to Monserrate Palace. It is one of my regrets of this trip because the palace looks truly stunning. And because it is slightly outside of Sintra, it is probably a little less crowded than the other palaces. The blend of gothic, Indian, and Moorish influences in the architecture of this palace makes for a very sumptuous interior. It’s eye candy for architecture admirers.
- Buy tickets online here to skip the lines!
How to Get There:
Take bus 435 to the Monserrate Palace stop (16 min).
Where to Stay in Sintra
Staying overnight in Sintra for one night can be a great way to maximize your time in each palace and see more in the city without feeling rushed. Sintra is a town of palaces, so it’s a great opportunity to stay in a renovated palace or historic building to fully immerse yourself in the opulence of the area.
- Chalet Saudade: a renovated historical home in the heart of Sintra located a 3 minute walk away from the train station.
- Casa do Valle: a mountain retreat slightly outside the main town of Sintra, but just a 7 minute walk from the Quinta da Regaleira.
- Casa da Pendoa: apartment style apartments with studios and 2 bedroom apartments. Located slightly outside Sintra, a 5 minute walk to the Quinta da Regaleira.
- Casa Holstein Quinta da Sao Sebastiao Sintra: a former palace renovated as a hotel. Has suite style rooms and a family villa to accommodate larger families. Located slightly outside the Sintra city center, about a 10 minute walk to Quinta da Regaleira.
