How To Plan A Day Trip To Sintra – Getting There & What To Do

It’s funny that one of the most popular things to do in Lisbon is to get out of the city, but taking a day trip to Sintra is popular for good reason. Just a short train ride from Lisbon will whisk you away into this castle filled wonderland with a lot to explore. To really get through it all you would need a couple of days, but if you only have a day to spend in Sintra you can still see a lot and have a great time like I did. The day I went it rained the whole time – travel blogging isn’t all glamorous like people think,  sometimes you are standing out in the cold rain for three days trying to get pictures! Even though my pictures are a little gloomy and rainy, it’s actually a colorful place full of character and history. Here’s a little guide to help you plan your day trip to Sintra from Lisbon.

How To Plan A Day Trip To Sintra – Getting There & What To Do

Getting there

The easiest way to get there is by taking the train to the Sintra stop. Rossio is the central train station in Lisbon and it costs around 5 Euro for a return ticket to Sintra and takes around 40 minutes.

Sintra has a lot of very narrow roads and limited parking options. Given there is a good public transport system to get you there and get around once you are there, it’s really not worth the hassle of driving in Sintra.

One thing that’s important to note is that you need to get here early. First of all, you need the time to see as much as you can but also to avoid long queues. My photos are fairly empty because I visited in December and it was pouring rain the day I went, so I didn’t have to deal with too many crowds, but in the peak season on a nice day you can expect it to be a popular destination. Check the opening times for your visit and be sure to arrive around the time it opens.

Travel tip: I stayed at the Heritage Avenida Liberdade Hotel which was only a 5-minute walk from the Rossio train station making it very easy to get around! From the hotel, I was able to walk to Rossio station and back quickly and they even had umbrellas in the rooms to borrow.

Relatable: Where To Stay In Lisbon – The Historic Heritage Avenida Liberdade Hotel

Getting around

Once you are in Sintra it is very easy to take the bus to and from the castles. There are two main lines that will take you around Sintra – the 434 and 435, both of which have a stop outside of the train station.

Directly across from the train station is a ticket office where you can buy all day unlimited bus tickets for 12 Euro and also tickets for entry into the castles – there are discounts if you pre-purchase your castle tickets for depending on the number of castles you will be visiting.

You can also buy bus tickets each time you get on the bus and castle tickets at the entrance to each one. If you chose to buy bus tickets each time you use the bus, make sure you have enough small change on you.

There are also a lot of Tuk-Tuks around Sintra that you can use to get around. You might even be able to haggle with one of the drivers to negotiate a good price. For me, I just chose the bus and got the all day unlimited ticket.

Travel tip: Make sure to wear some comfortable walking shoes because there will be a lot of walking during the day and some of the terrain is a little uneven.

Things to do

There is a lot to see and do in Sintra. If you only have one day there, and you arrived early, you could probably do 3 castles before they close. Maybe 4 if you are really rushing through, but I think it would be better to pick 2-3 and enjoy them instead of trying to rush through more.

I visited two sights while I was there Quinta da Regaleira and Pena Palace, spending a good amount of time in each without having to rush. I had planned to also see the Moors Castle, Castelo dos Mouros, though with the nonstop rain and a painful Endo flare up, I chose to stop at two. If you go or have been, to any of the other castles let me know how they are!

Quinta da Regaleira

This castle is more like walking through a magical fairytale! I didn’t really know what to expect at this spot so I just followed the path to see where it would take me. Now, walking along the path you will see what look like little caves. I went inside one to see what was there and it was really cool to find out that walking through the caves leads you to some pretty magical spots. One of them was a tall, circular well which you can take the stairs to the top of. Another cave led me to the back of a waterfall and some stepping stones over green water. It became really fun to walk into a cave and find out where it would lead to!

You can also walk through a lot of cute garden paths and to the top of castle turrets. I spent a couple of hours just walking around here which was a lot of fun and had a very magical feeling.

Tickets: 6 Euro per adult – self-guided tour with map

Pena Palace

Pena Palace is one of the more popular sights in Sintra and for good reason. The colorful castle is a beautiful sight to see on its own – my photos were taken in the rain and really don’t do the bright colors justice. I would love to see it on a clear day, it must be beautiful against a blue sky!

At Pena Palace, you can walk through the castle rooms to get a look at palace life. There are artifacts exhibited throughout the rooms from bedrooms, entertaining rooms and you can even see the old kitchen. It’s all quite interesting and the grandeur of the interior is a sight to see. I especially liked looking up in the different rooms to see the art and design of the ceilings. You can also walk along the edge of the castle, into the turrets, walk around the park outside and even see the half fish-half man statue which is displayed on one of the outside walls.

It was a really interesting and fun place to visit, walk around in and step back in time for a couple of hours.

Tickets: 11.50 Euro per adult for the palace and park.

There is also a bus to the palace for 3 Euro if you prefer not to walk.

This took me to about 3pm, walking through the sites at a moderate pace (stopping for a lot of pictures!) You could still fit in another before it all closes, and like I said, the last one I would’ve done would be the Moors Castle, though I chose to call it a day at the end of two castles, stop in at the cafe across from the train station for a bite to eat and then head back to Lisbon. It was a great way to start my visit to Portugal and I completely understand why taking a day trip to Sintra is one of the most popular things to do in Lisbon!

If you’ve been to Sintra, which was your favorite castle?

If you haven’t, which one caught your eye more from these pictures?

For more information:

Sintra Portugal Guide has a lot of good information.