Visiting Sintra, Portugal: What to See & Itinerary for 1, 2, or 3 Days
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Fairytale-like Sintra is a popular day trip from Lisbon, but there is so much to see and do in and near Sintra that you can easily spend a week in the area.
In this post, we share our best suggestions for what to see in Sintra and Sintra itinerary for one, two, or three days. We also include practical tips to help you plan your trip to one of the most visited places in Portugal.
We spent two days in Sintra during our 10 day road trip in Portugal, and could have easily spent one more. On the other hand, two days was enough time to see the main landmarks of Sintra.
If you want to visit the very best places in Sintra, one day is really short. I advise you to come for two or three days and spend one or two nights in Sintra. But don’t despair if you have just one day in Sintra. You can still see a lot. Find out!
Sintra itinerary – OVERVIEW
How to See the Best of Sintra in One Day
Visiting Sintra is one of the must-do things in Lisbon! So most people only come here for a day.
If you only have one day to visit Sintra, the best way to do it is by taking a day trip from Lisbon. There are many organized day trips. Alternatively, you can take a train and visit the main Sintra landmarks individually.
You can find more practical information for visiting Sintra below. But first – what to see and do in Sintra in one, two, or three days.
What to do in Sintra in 1 day
If you have one day in Sintra, visit the Pena Palace and the Pena Park, the Moorish Castle, and either the Palace of Sintra (Palacio Nacional de Sintra) or Quinta da Regaleira. Leave some time to explore the old town of Sintra and have a nice dinner at a local restaurant (avoid touristy places!).
I think that Pena Palace and Park, Moorish Castle, and Quinta da Regaleira and its gardens are the three absolute musts in Sintra! However, depending on how many hours you have and how long the castles stay open, you may only have the time to visit two of them in one day.
The most popular Sintra itinerary for one day includes the visit to Pena Palace with Pena Park and the Moorish Castle. Sometimes also Palacio Nacional de Sintra (in the old town, not to be confused with Palacio da Pena on top of the hill).
In my opinion, however, Sintra National Palace is not as impressive as Quinta da Regaleira. If you have to choose between the Palace of Sintra and Quinta da Regaleira, go for the latter. On the other hand, you need more time to see Quinta, so it really depends on your schedule.
Good to know: Pena Palace now works with a timed entry system, so be sure to get your tickets in advance!
Sintra in one day – suggested itinerary
I advise starting your day in Sintra with a taxi ride to Pena Palace. This colorful castle is located on top of the hill, so it’s best to start here and walk your way downwards towards the town center. You should know that the walk from the entrance to the palace is quite steep, so wear good shoes. Alternatively, you can also opt for a shuttle (but I’d only recommend this for people with mobility issues since the walk is really not that strenuous or long).
After visiting the romantic Pena Palace, you can walk through the beautiful Pena gardens to the lower entrance of the park. Pena Park is huge and you could easily spend half a day here, but even if you don’t have much time, try to at least do this short walk.
TIP: Once again, for Pena Palace, be sure to get timed tickets in advance.
From the lower entrance of Pena Park, it’s just a couple of minutes walking back up the hill to the entrance of the Moorish Castle. However, the actual castle is located pretty far from the main road, so it’s another 10-15 minutes walk before you get there. Also for the Moorish Castle, you can get your tickets online in advance and skip the lines.
When you exit the Moorish Castle after your visit, you will see signs for Sintra historical town center. The walk is well sign-posted, easy to do, and it’s a nice relaxing way to end your day in Sintra. Alternatively, walk back to the main road where you came from, and take a taxi, a bus, or a tuk-tuk.
The above was our Sintra itinerary for the first day. Keep in mind that we arrived rather late since we were driving from Porto that day, and also got stuck in the traffic in Sintra for more than an hour. After checking in at our hotel, we only started sightseeing at around 1.30 PM.
We visited the Pena Palace and Pena Park (however only shortly). After that, we headed to the Moorish Castle, and took the stairs down to the center of Sintra.
We asked our hotel for dinner recommendations and had a really good meal at Restaurante Tulhas, just a bit outside of the main tourist routes.
If we would have had 2-3 hours more, we could have easily added one more castle to our itinerary or spent more time in the gardens of Pena.
TIP: Pack a picnic and spend the whole day on the mountain. Count at least 3 hours for Pena Palace and Pena Park and another 2 hours for the Moorish Castle. It will take you at least half an hour to walk back down to the old town of Sintra. You might still have the time to visit Palacio Nacional in the late afternoon. If you decide to visit Quinta da Regaleira on the same day, make sure that you have at least 2-3 hours for it.
If you want to see more than two major castles of Sintra in one day, make sure to arrive very early and plan to stay till the closing time in the evening.
TIP: The best way to visit Sintra in just a day is by taking an organized tour from Lisbon. Half-day tours focus on just the main highlights of Sintra – usually two castles. The most popular day tours include not just Sintra, but also Cabo da Roca and Cascais. You can also opt for a private tour from Lisbon.
READ ALSO: How to see the best of Lisbon in one day & The best day trips and excursions from Lisbon
Sintra Two Day Itinerary
If you have two days in Sintra, in addition to Pena Palace, Pena Park, and the Moorish Castle, you should visit Quinta da Regaleira, Monserrate Palace, and the National Palace of Sintra.
Don’t rush and take your time to discover the beautiful gardens of Pena, Quinta da Regaleira, and Palacio de Monserrate (our personal favorite!).
You don’t need a car to visit any of these places. Only Palacio de Monserrate is a bit further from Sintra, but you can get there by bus or taxi as well.
Three Days in Sintra
If you have three days in Sintra and you have a car, you can visit several more places nearby.
Some suggestions include Convento dos Capuchos, Palacio de Seteais (it’s also a wonderful hotel, so budget permitting, why not stay in this beautiful castle), Vila Sassetti, Santuario da Peninha, and the beautiful coast with Cabo da Roca, Praia da Adraga, etc.
Via the link below, you can find more information about all these places.
READ ALSO: Best Things to Do in Sintra
Practical Information for Visiting Sintra
1. Organized half-day and day trips to Sintra from Lisbon
Organized Sintra day trips have several advantages: you can see more in less time, you don’t have to queue for the tickets (you can avoid this by buying your tickets online in advance too), and you don’t have to worry about getting from one place to another in Sintra itself.
Entrance tickets to the castles are included in your day trip rate. It’s the best option for those who are short on time or just want to take it easy.
On top of that, many of the organized tours also visit the beautiful coast and Cabo da Roca, and some even Cascais, e.g. this highly-rated popular tour.
2. Sintra day trip from Lisbon by train
If you rather visit Sintra individually, it’s not advisable to come by car. Traffic in and around Sintra is the worst we saw during our 10-day trip in Portugal. You will lose hours in the traffic!
Instead, take a train from Rossio station in Lisbon and you will be in Sintra in less than an hour. Make sure you leave early in the morning so that you have enough time to see at least two main castles of Sintra. Trains run every 10 minutes (in summer) and cost less than 5 EUR return.
Note that the Sintra train station is located far from all the castles and from the old town. You can either take a bus, a tuk-tuk, or a taxi. In my opinion, a taxi is by far the best option. It’s cheap, it has airco, and it’s quick.
Tuk-tuk is fun to do if you are visiting Portugal with kids, but with a family, it’s quite an expensive option since they charge per person. On top of that tuk-tuk is really slow going up the mountain and is extremely noisy. We took a tuk-tuk for a short ride from Sintra old town to the upper entrance of Quinta da Regaleira. The kids loved it, so it was worth it for the experience, not so much for being the most practical solution…
3. Avoid summer weekends
Sintra is popular with Portuguese as well, so try to avoid visiting on weekends and public holidays.
The best time to visit Sintra is on a workday in the shoulder season, such as March-April or October-November. We visited Portugal in April and while it was quite lively at the Pena Palace and Quinta, it wasn’t busy at the other places in Sintra.
4. Getting around in Sintra
Although Sintra can easily be reached by train from Lisbon, the main attractions of Sintra are located pretty far from each other. So you will need to use public transport to get around.
The Palace of Sintra is the only castle that is located in town itself, and even then it’s about 20min walk from the station. Pena Palace is located high on the hill (it’s a steep climb – I wouldn’t advise doing it on foot), and the Moorish Castle is half-way on the same road as Pena Palace.
Quinta de Regaleira is not that far from the old town, and you can walk there (10-15 min), as is Villa Sasetti. Palacio de Monserrate, Convento dos Capuchos, Santuario de Peninha, are all located further away, and are best reached by car or public transport.
Pena Palace can be reached by car, and there is some limited parking nearby, on the side of the road. We were in Sintra by car as part of our Portuguese road trip, but after all the traffic chaos in town, we gladly left the car at our hotel.
We took a taxi to Pena Palace, and for the 5 of us, the cost was just over 5 EUR. It’s really not worth all the hassle to try and drive up the hill in your own car. On top of that, if you don’t have a car, you can better explore the area without having to return to the spot where you parked it (which is high on the hill, if you start at Pena Palace).
TIP: Since recently, there is also a new way to discover Sintra – a tiny 2-person e-car that’s easy to get around on the narrow roads in Sintra and should be easy enough to park. Please note that this is just a car rental, so you still have to get tickets to the castles.
5. Entrance tickets for the castles of Sintra
Sintra is probably the busiest and most expensive place you will visit in Portugal. Having said that, the entrance tickets for each castle individually are not that expensive, but it quickly adds up if you visit three or four castles with a big family.
So plan well and if your time or budget are limited, don’t try to see it all. It’s better to spend more time in one place, explore the gardens, and mak the best use of your ticket rather than rushing from one place to the other the whole time…
TIP: As already said before, if you want to avoid long queues, buy your tickets online in advance. Families with 2 children are better off buying family tickets (only available here). Family tickets will save you about 5-6 euros per palace.
For more practical information on opening times and ticket prices check these websites: Parques de Sintra and Quinta da Regaleira.
6. What to pack for Sintra
No matter the season, sensible shoes are a must in Sintra. Cobbled streets, steep walkways, and the gardens of the palaces require sturdy footwear. I would suggest carrying a day backpack with a picnic lunch and a reusable water bottle. If you are visiting Sintra in summer, don’t forget sun protection.
7. Where to stay in Sintra
Sintra is an extremely popular destination and has limited accommodation options, so it is advisable to book well in advance. There isn’t really a good or a bad area to stay. If you have lots of luggage, you may want to stay close to the railway station. We stayed in the old town and found this location excellent for sightseeing.
There are no really big hotels in Sintra, but rather smaller hotels, B&B’s, and guest houses. There are also several nicer hotels a bit outside of town though. You can find accommodation in all price ranges, just make sure to book in advance. Sintra is one of the most popular places in Portugal, no matter the season.
If you are coming by car, parking might be tricky, so it’s best to check if your accommodation has private parking (and it’s probably better to stay a bit outside of town. Our accommodation didn’t have parking and we were lucky to find one free spot nearby, but we saw many people driving around looking for a parking place. Sintra is really not the best place to visit by car.
Here are some of the best-rated accommodations in Sintra:
- €€€€€ Tivoli Palacio de Seteais (worth visiting even if not staying here!).
- €€€€ Sintra Boutique Hotel (one of the nicest hotels in the center).
- €€€ Chalet Saudade (top pick in the mid-budget range).
- €€ Casa da Pendoa (we stayed here once. It’s one of the few places that also has family rooms and bigger apartments).
If you are coming by car (or don’t mind taking a taxi) and want to stay outside the busy tourist areas check out these beautiful resorts nearby:
- €€€€€ Penha Longa Resort (a big palazzo-style vacation resort).
- €€€€ Sintra Marmoris Palace (a wonderful 19th-century manor house, within walking distance of town).
- €€€ Pestana Sintra Golf Resort & SPA (a popular mid-budget holiday resort).
Visiting Sintra FAQ
Sintra is one of the most beautiful and most unique places in Portugal and is absolutely worth a visit. With fairytale-like castles and the most enchanting gardens, a visit to Sintra is worth your time even if you are coming from the other side of the world!
Sintra is just 28km from Lisbon city center. In theory, it takes about 30 minutes to drive to Sintra, but usually, traffic is so busy that you can lose more than an hour just in order to get into Sintra town. Coming by train, it takes a bit less than an hour and costs about 5 EUR per person.
While you can see the main highlights of Sintra in one day, we recommend at least two days in Sintra. This will allow you to see the most popular castles such as Pena Palace, the Moorish Castle, or Quinta de Regaleira, but also explore the area deeper and visit some lesser-known gems such as Monserrate Palace.
One day is enough to see the most famous castles in Sintra. If you plan well and go fast, you can see Pena Palace, the Moorish Castle, and either Palacio Nacional de Sintra or Quinta da Regaleira on the same day. We recommend the latter.
If you only have half a day in Sintra, you can visit one or maximum two castles. Pena Palace is a must. In addition, we recommend to also visit Quinta da Regaleira, and especially its beautiful gardens.
Sintra is a hilly town and since some palaces and castles are located a bit far away from each other, it’s not always possible to walk everywhere. For bigger distances, you can use local buses, tuk-tuks, and taxis. It’s not advisable to drive around Sintra town in your own car because traffic is very bad and parking is hard to find.
READ ALSO: Best Towns in Portugal
Some travel inspiration for Portugal:
- Best Things to Do in Lisbon
- Best Day Trips from Lisbon
- Portugal with Kids
- Portugal 10-day Itinerary
- Algarve 5-day Itinerary
- Top Places to See in Algarve
- Best Beaches in Algarve
- Best Things to Do in Madeira
- Best Things to Do in Sao Miguel, Azores
- for many more destinations, check out our Portugal travel guide.
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Hi,
We will be in Lisbon for four days, and I heard from a friend that there is a “green” card pass from Lisbon to Sintra that includes two of the castles and a few museums in Sintra. Do you know anything about this? Thank you in advance!
Hi Denelsa, no, I am personally not familiar with a green pass (which doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist).
I know that the Lisbon Card includes all public transport (+ train to Sintra, Cascais, etc.) and tons of museums, plus discounts on many other attractions, but it doesn’t include the palaces in Sintra. Still, it’s a very good value if you are staying in the city for a longer time as it includes most of the top places and public transportation.
I found this Lisbon Card + Pena Palace combo – maybe something to consider.
Otherwise, you can also get this combo deal for three of the most popular palaces in Sintra (doesn’t include transportation), potentially in combination with the Lisbon Card.
Hope this helps.
@Jurga, Thank you so much!
Hi!
We’re going to Portugal and will be in Sintra for a whole day (we will get there in the evening and stay the night, and explore the whole next day before going to Lisbon).
I was thinking about getting early (9.30am, first available) ticket for the Park of Pena and Palace and visit that.
After that I’m still unsure. A lot of people recommend the Moorish Castle, but my GF had a fall in Indonesia recently and I’m not sure she’d be able to do all the stairs involved.
I know there’s the National Palace in town, and Montserrat Castle. I think Montserrat is worth the visit more than the national palace?
We’d also love to see Quinta da Regaleira, where I think the Well of Initiation is?
What would you suggest? Should we maybe to Park and Palace of Pena, Montserrat Castle and Quinta da Regaleira? There’s no time limit from our side, apart from the last entry of the places.
Thanks!
Hi Kevin, if you start with Pena Palace and leave the gardens via the lower exit, it’s just a very short walk to the Moorish Castle. That’s why it’s a very logical way to do it, and the views from there are amazing.
However, if you have just a day in Sintra, you won’t be able to see everything you mentioned anyway. So if you can’t do stairs, indeed, it’s probably better to skip it. You could head to Quinta and to Monserrate after that. Monserrate Palace is much quieter and Quinta da Regaleira is extremely popular, so I think it would be better to visit Monserrate after you leave Pena Palace. You can then get back to Quinta in the afternoon, when many day tourists start to leave. Just be sure to check the opening times and foresee enough time everywhere.
Also, it’s best to use a taxi/Uber to quickly get from one place to the other. Traffic is bad and parking is very difficult in Sintra. Monserrate is easier since it’s a bit outside of town.
Have a great time!
Jurga, we just returned from a trip to Portugal. Your observations are well taken, however, I would emphasize that the Pena Palace is on the top of a very high and very steep hill. A tour will take you to a parking lot which, depending upon where guards direct you to park, can involve a brief, but steep, walk to the entrance. From the entrance a shuttle bus is available for most of the steep driveway up to the shuttle turnaround area below the castle. To reach the castle another very steep walk is needed. If you do not have a skip-the-line pass there is a very long line. Those who lack good health and complete mobility may be blindsided by the physical requirements of this venue. Other than that, a wonderful place to visit.
Thanks for sharing your observations, James. It can definitely be useful for others.
We never really experienced the walk to Pena Palace as challenging in any way, but indeed, if you have mobility issues, it could be a different story. In that case, people should also know that visiting the Palace itself will also require doing stairs, etc. But that’s the case for pretty much any other hilltop castle or palace anywhere in Europe. I always thought that people planning to visit European castles realize that it’s not quite the same as visiting Disneyland :), but I guess it doesn’t harm to repeat that.
Happy travels!
Great info.. I plan on staying in Sintra for 1 day and I’d like to see the Pena palace,the Moorish Castle and the Quinta da Regaleira. Is there a tour in town tjhat goes to all three so I save save the time walking or taking the 434 bus from one sight to another and skip the wait to get into each sight? I’m not interested in cabe da roca or Cacais
Thanks for any help you can provide.
Hi Ron, there are so many tours to and around Sintra that it’s really hard for me to research them all. There are quite a few that go from Lisbon or you can start in Sintra as well, but it’s usually only private tours that give you complete flexibility.
If you are already in Sintra anyway, it’s much cheaper to just visit all these three castles on your own and maybe take a taxi or a tuk-tuk to get up the mountain if you don’t feel like walking.
Hope this helps.
Thank you for your very quick response.I plan on driving to Sintra from Evora, so Lisbon tours (I did see many), are not a practical option. Unless i find a tour in Sintra that meets my objectives (I plan on going to the tourist office first), my plan B is to take the 434 and 435 buses.
Hi Jurga
Love your articles. I plan on a trip to Portugal with a 2 day stay in Sintra with a travel companion. I was informed it would be a good idea to have a guide to set up a tour to see as many of the castles as possible. Would you recommend this and if so would you have any information on guides in Sintra. Our stay in Sintra would be the September 8 and 9th 2019. Look forward to any recommendations.
Hi Irka, I think it’s really your own personal preference how you visit the castles. Obviously, having a local guide is always nice and you learn a lot more than when you visit on your own.
I found a private tour that runs from Sintra and I think it’s as good as any. Most others start from Lisbon or Cascais and are more expensive, so if you are already in Sintra anyway, then this is a good option.
Hope this helps.
HI, thanks for all of this useful information; I’ll be visiting Portugal for 3 weeks in late May/June, and had already planned to stay in Sintra for 3 nights. I’ve also already purchased the tickets to the castles, etc…..my sister and I are quite active and feel we can see and do a lot in one day and so now I’m thinking that perhaps we can spend one of those nights in Azenhas do Mar. It looks fairly close to Sintra, can you tell me what you know about it? thank you, Sandy
Hi Sandy, we didn’t visit there – just shortly passed and found that it looked better in the pictures than in reality. But – once again – we didn’t visit, so I’m afraid I can’t help you much.
If you have a car, you can just drive there – easy short drive, no need to change hotels for that.
We are travelling with our dog. Is it possible to take the dog outside the castles or in the gardens?
Hi Margaretha, here is information I found on the official website of Sintra Parks: Animals are not allowed in any of the parks and monuments managed by Parques de Sintra, except for guide dogs.
There is free parking near the city hall close to the train station. Depending on how you enter Sintra you will see and no through road sign on a small round about in front of the City Hall, Just turn right off the round about before the no through road street and follow it down to the bottom of the street you will end up in the valley car park. Not sure its free during the peak season as there are block aids with the arms removed at the moment. Amazing city to visit all year as the weather does not go to cold in Portugal through out the year. I also discovered a new Cocktail Bar that has just open in Sintra that´s worth a visit they have Happy Hour Cocktails from 5-8pm every day and all day Sunday´s called 4 Caravelas Cocktail Bar just a short walk from the train station its the opposite direction from the old town on the corner close to 2 banks and Novo hotel Sintra.
Thanks for sharing this information, Marcus.
Hi there! This was very helpful, and I’m hoping you wouldn’t mind my asking a few questions. Planning a visit to Lisbon in February and was hoping to make it to Sintra while there. My husband and I are debating between doing our own day trips from the city (probably 2 separate days) or actually doing a 2-night stay in Sintra in the middle of our vacation (and then going back to Lisbon after). One of the things we want to visit/see in Sintra is Azenhas do Mar, so for sure we can’t do it all in one day trip. But, in February, is it worth staying in Sintra–are enough restaurants/bars/sites open or is it too off-season? On the flip side, is the public transport to/in/around Sintra not great during that time of year (making staying in Sintra perhaps better)? Thank you so so much in advance!
Hi Lauren, honestly, I don’t know how Sintra is in February. My guess is that it’s indeed really low season. I think during the day it will be busy enough, but not sure how it looks like in the evening and what’s open or closed…
The same with public transport – no idea if you can easily get to Azenhas do Mar. I guess, you can always take a taxi as well. Or you should inquire locally. Maybe just try calling the tourism board or one or the other hotel in the area?
Alternative is indeed to stay in Lisbon and travel to Sintra for a day, or two separate days. Or you can take an organised tour that brings you to all these places (like this small group day tour, for example. It will be more rushed of course, but it’s an easy and simple way to get there from Lisbon. You can always go back to Sintra again to visit the places that were not covered by the tour, so you get the best of both worlds and little organising to do.
Hope this helps. Enjoy your trip!
Yeah, perhaps I’ll investigate more with some local resources. Thought it couldn’t hurt to ask in case you had the scoop! Regardless, your info has been rather helpful. Thanks so much for posting and answering me 🙂
Oct 7, 2018 Thanks a lot for sharing your experiences. I am using your suggestions in my plans to visit Sintra in May 2019.
Glad to hear that. You’ll love Sintra, just take your time to explore the beautiful gardens of the castles!
Your blog was very useful, thank you. We managed to squeeze Palace Pena, Moorish Castle and Quinta da Regaleira in from 11.00 to 4.30. Pena Palace was mostly viewed externally. The long queue to gain entry internally continued inside the palace, spoiling the experience so we left a third of the way into it. The Moorish Castle was awesome! We walked up to the highest tower and then down through the beautiful garden paths to the streets. Views from the tower and of the Moorish Castle from Sintra are breathtaking. The Initiation Well and Unfinished well made visit to Quinta da Regaleira a must and we weren’t disappointed. Sintra is a definitely a must do on anyone’s itinerary to Lisbon and we agree that 3 days would be ideal so you may see it at your leisure. Free parking is available in Sintra but tricky to get.
Thank you for sharing your experience in Sintra, Pele. I’m sure it will be helpful to our readers.
Thank you for sharing Pele. You mentioned bout free parking in Sintra, do you mind sharing the location?
Hai Jurga, your blog is very informative. We plan to visit Sintra in April and am using your one day iti as a guideline. thanks again
Hi Arm, I don’t think Pele will see this to be able to answer it. We also had free parking in Sintra, just next to our accommodation, but it was pure luck to find a spot when somebody drove away. Also, it was a more local street that was almost impossible to find and was only used by the locals. Sintra is really the worst place in Portugal to come by car. The streets are so narrow that you won’t want to leave your car there, even if you found a spot…
There are several parking spots on the mountain, not too far from Pena Palace, so if you go very early in the morning, you might be able to park there. If not – you will have wasted a lot of time to drive there… Alternatively, park the car at the parking garage by the train station and take a bus or a taxi to the castles. Believe me, it’s not worth it in order to save a euro or two to try and park your car in Sintra town…