Day Trip to Sintra from Lisbon – The Ideal One Day Sintra Itinerary

Taking a day trip to Sintra from Lisbon is just one of the many highlights of your time spent in the Portuguese capital city.

Sintra is easy to reach in only 40 minutes by train, it’s home to some of the most unique and beautiful palaces you’ll ever see, and you’ll get to tick off another UNESCO site from your bucket list!

I stopped in Sintra for a few days while on my 10 day road trip from Porto to Lisbon, but since most people visit on a day trip from Lisbon, that’s how I’ve structured this Sintra day trip itinerary.

Whether you prefer to take a guided tour or you decide to travel there independently, this complete guide on how to spend one day in Sintra will help you to plan every detail of your Lisbon to Sintra day trip!

Day Trip to Sintra from Lisbon: How to Spend One Day in Sintra

Sintra Facts and History

Sintra is a colourful little town nestled in the forested hills just outside of Lisbon. It became a popular summer destination for Portuguese royalty in the early 19th century when most of the mansions and palaces in the town were built.

Nowadays, it has become one of the most popular day trips from Lisbon attracting more than 3 million visitors per year! It’s easy to see why, this gorgeous collection of fairy tale palaces and their mystical gardens is truly like nothing you’ve ever seen before.

There are many beautiful palaces to visit in Sintra but unfortunately it’s not possible to visit all of them in one day. If you only have one day, follow this Lisbon to Sintra day trip guide to see the very best highlights.

If you have any extra time in Sintra, you’ll be able to visit the additional palaces that I’ve listed at the end of this guide.

Pena Palace

This vibrant and colourful palace started out as a small monastery in the 15th century. The monastery was badly damaged by lightening and the great earthquake of Lisbon in the 18th century. It was sadly left it in ruins that were untouched for many decades.

When King Ferdinand II of Portugal found the ruins, he decided to turn them into a beautiful palace in 1838. It would later become a summer home for the Portuguese royalty.

The palace was designed by blending different styles of architecture (Gothic, Moorish, Romantic, Neo-Renaissance) which resulted in a unique and eccentric appearance.

Perched on a mountain top, towering over the surrounding countryside, the sight of Pena Palace is quite striking. It became listed as a UNESCO site in 1995 along with the entire town of Sintra.

I talk about fairy tale castles a lot in this blog, but there is no castle in the entire world more unique than Pena Palace! This is where I suggest you begin your day trip. Pena Palace is the most popular attraction of Sintra and along with that comes the crowds and the long queues, especially if you’re there during summer.

You should aim to be in Sintra nice and early, following the instructions below on how to get to Sintra from Lisbon by train. If you arrive at the Sintra train station around 9am, you can then get on the tourist bus 434 straight away which will put you at Pena Palace at the opening time of 9:30am.

It’s important to arrive at Pena Palace for opening time to beat the big crowds and avoid standing at the end of a giant line. Prepare to spend up to 2 hours exploring the castle and gardens.

Once you have finished seeing the castle itself, make your way into Pena Park, the beautiful and lush gardens that surround Pena Palace. There are a few well marked paths that you can take around the gardens that lead you to some awe inspiring panoramic viewpoints.

A popular vantage point is the “Cruz Alta”, a large stone cross marking the highest point in the Sintra hills. This cross can be accessed by following a trail from the palace, it will take roughly 20 minutes of steep uphill walking to get there. Find more info on what to see in Pena Park here.

Opening Hours:

Palace hours: 9:30am – 6:30pm
Park hours: 9am – 7pm

Tickets: €14 – For entrance to park and palace

Click here to purchase your skip-the-line Pena Palace ticket

*IMPORTANT TIP* Due to the huge crowds at this palace, it’s really important to buy your skip-the-line ticket before you go! The skip-the-line ticket allows you to skip the ticket line but you’ll still have to wait in the line to get into the palace! That’s why I recommend being there as early as possible.

Castle of the Moors

Not far from Pena Palace is the Castle of the Moors which is also called the Moorish Castle. It’s an impressive medieval fortress ruin that runs along the ridge of the Sintra hills.

The ruins can be easily reached by walking from Pena Palace, they are right next to each other. If you choose to take the bus 434 from the town, it also stops there.

The highlight of visiting the Castle of the Moors is the spectacular panoramic view that can be seen from its vantage point high above the town of Sintra. It is open for tourists to explore, and you can expect to climb a series of steep steps leading you along the fortress wall.

The Castle of the Moors may not be as lavish and striking as Pena Palace but its history is fascinating and it’s the oldest attraction in Sintra. The fortress dates back to Moorish invasions of the 10th century, it was built as a lookout to protect the town of Sintra below.

The Christian crusades of the 12th century left the fortress destroyed and in ruins. Over the centuries that followed it was further damaged by lightening strikes, fires, and the great Lisbon earthquake.

It wasn’t until King Ferdinand II came along and built the beautiful Pena Palace in the 19th century that the fortress was brought back to life. He decided to restore the Castle of the Moors so that he would be able to see it from his palace.

Opening Hours:

9:30am – 6:30pm daily

Tickets: €18 entry to the castle with audio guide

Click here to purchase your fast track ticket to the Castle of the Moors

Sintra Town Center

Once you finish up at the Castle of the Moors, make your way back to the bus 434 and return to Sintra’s Old Town. The bus will drop you off in town and from there you can take some time to explore the town and stop for lunch.

The entire town center of Sintra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has a very charming vibe to it. Take some time strolling the picturesque streets, admiring the historic buildings and browsing some shops.

Spending some time in town is the perfect way to break up the day of sightseeing at the palaces. Once you’ve had a break, continue on with your Sintra day trip to the palace and gardens of Quinta da Regaleira.

Quinta da Regaleira

This beautiful estate is easy to reach from Sintra’s old town in just 10 minutes by foot. From the center of town, click here to follow these Google maps directions that will guide you to Quinta da Regaleira.

The property was acquired by a wealthy Portuguese businessman in the late 19th century. He had envisioned a mystical garden full of hidden secrets and extravagant features. That is exactly what Quinta de Regaleira resulted in when construction was completed in 1910.

The design of the palace features Gothic influence with gargoyles, turrets and stunning detailing. The estate was listed as a UNESCO site in 1995 along with the rest of the town and it’s palaces.

It was purchased by the Sintra Town Council in 1998 when significant restoration work took place and then opened up to the public shortly after.

The palace itself is absolutely gorgeous, but the real highlight of visiting Quinta da Regaleira is the enchanting gardens that surround it. These amazing gardens are probably some of the best I’ve ever seen.

Allow yourself to get lost in the maze of paths that lead you through moss covered tunnels and underground wells, discovering lakes, fountains, grottos and little ponds but don’t forget to take a map!

There is a mysterious and other worldly vibe to this place, I mean where else have you seen a well that was never intended to be used for water? To this day, no one really knows what the actual purpose of the ‘Initiation Well’ was, but either way it’s awesome to explore and makes for the coolest photos!

The Quinta da Regaleira is a magical, fairy tale palace that photos truly cannot do justice! You really just need to experience this place for yourself and let your imagination run wild. Be prepared to spend around 1-2 hours there, it’s easy to spend longer though, trust me!

Opening Hours:

04/1 to 09/30: 10am – 7:30pm

10/1 to 03/31: 10am – 6:30pm

Tickets: €23 entry to palace and gardens with audio guide

Click here to purchase your skip-the-line-ticket and audio guide for Quinta da Regaleira 

Getting to Sintra from Lisbon

Trains from Lisbon to Sintra depart every half hour from Rossio Train Station which is located in Lisbon’s historic center. The travel time is 40 minutes and there is no need to buy your ticket in advance, you can buy them when you get to the station.

A single fare ticket from Lisbon to Sintra will cost €2.30, you can also purchase a round-trip ticket for €4.60. There is no discount for round-trip tickets. 

To make the most of your day trip to Sintra from Lisbon, I would advise catching the train as early as possible. If you aim to be at the station by 8am, this will give you enough time in Sintra to see all of the recommended palaces. 

When it comes time to return to Lisbon at the end of your day trip, trains depart from Sintra regularly (every half hour) until midnight. This means that you don’t have to be in a rush to make it back by a certain time.

You can take your time and perhaps even have dinner in Sintra before catching the train back to Lisbon. 

Is it easier to drive to Sintra by car? You might be wondering why I recommend taking the train. Traffic in Sintra is often chaotic, especially around the palaces.

It’s simply not worth wasting time from your day trip by spending hours in traffic and searching for parking spaces which are very limited. If you’re traveling to Sintra from Lisbon during summer, save yourself the stress of driving through busy narrow streets and just take the train. 

Getting Around Sintra

When you arrive at the Sintra train station, you will look for the tourist bus 434 which departs just outside of the train station. This bus runs in a loop and brings you up the steep hill to Pena Palace and Castle of the Moors and then back into town.

When you look at the map, it looks as though you could easily walk to Pena Palace from the train station, I wouldn’t recommend that. It’s an extremely steep and challenging hike that will leave you drenched in sweat by the time you arrive.

It will also take up a lot of valuable time from your day trip which would be better spent seeing the palaces. 

Sintra Bus 434 – Taking the bus is a much easier and more convenient way to go, not to mention it saves you a ton of time. Tickets for a single loop cost €7.60 and the bus runs frequently, up to 4 times per hour during the busy months.

This single loop ticket includes one complete loop which means you can’t continue around the loop more than once, which is ideal for day trippers. This can be purchased directly from the bus driver or from the ticket office near the train station. 

You can also get a 24 hr unlimited bus ticket for €15 which is great if you are staying for more than one day in Sintra. The 24 hr ticket is available to be purchased online before you go. 

During peak season, be prepared to stand in a line to get on the bus 434. Even if you have to wait, this is still the most convenient option for getting around Sintra.

In the event that wait times are longer than usual, you will also have the option of taking an Uber or a local taxi for a higher price than the bus. 

The bus 434 stops at:

• Moorish Castle 
• Pena Palace 
• Sintra Town Palace 
• Quinta da Regaleira Palace 
• Monserrate Palace (only included on the 24 hr ticket)

The Best Sintra Day Tours from Lisbon

If you would prefer your day trip to Sintra from Lisbon to be fully planned out, organized and led by an experienced guide then taking a tour is the perfect option for you.

Taking a tour is also a great way to avoid the hassle of navigating public transportation. Another bonus about being on a tour is that you’ll learn plenty of historic facts about each palace from your fun and friendly local guide. 

Below are some highly rated Sintra tours from Lisbon that cover the main highlights. Some of them even include other stops like Cascais and Cabo da Roca.

Sintra Highlights Tour from Lisbon

This 8 hour Sintra day tour from Lisbon departs in the morning taking you to Sintra by mini-bus with a small group and a tour guide. The tour stops at three of the town’s major highlights: Quinta da Regaleira and gardens, Monserrate Palace and Pena Palace.

It includes guided tours of each palace as well as free time to spend exploring at your own pace. You’ll also get some free time in the town center to grab some lunch and have a look around the shops.

→Find tour prices and availability here←

Sintra and Cascais Full Day Tour