Visit the Not-So-Secret Fairy Tale Town of Sintra in Portugal

Sintra is a perfect Lisbon day trip destination and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Spend a day exploring whimsical palaces and rugged fortresses!

Close your eyes and picture the most outrageous Disney-princess-enchanted-wonderland you can imagine. I’m here to tell you that that place exists, and that you can frolic your way through palaces, fortresses and gardens!

Sintra is a charming town nestled in the foothills of Portugal’s Sintra Mountains and a crown jewel in the Portuguese Riviera region. It features a number of historic estates, gardens, royal palaces, castles and military fortifications, which makes it one of the most-visited places in Portugal.

Its landscape and combination of Romantic, Gothic, Egyptian, Moorish and Renaissance architectural elements led Sintra to be classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is only a hop and skip away from Lisbon (25 KM) and is a popular day trip destination for those visiting the Portugese Riviera.

I dreamt of wandering through the halls of the castles that once housed Portugal’s monarchs including the stunning red, purple and yellow Pena Palace, peering into the depths of the initiation well at Quinta de Regaleira, walking along the Moorish Castle and gallivanting through the Monserrate Palace (just to name a few). Guess what? We did a day trip to Sintra from Lisbon and it definitely lives up to the hype.

Planning a day trip from Lisbon to Sintra? Read on for all the places you have to see if you only have 1 day in Sintra!

Looking for more Portugal travel tips? Click here for more Portugal destination guides or head on over here to check out my 10 day Portugal road trip itinerary!

Where to stay in Lisbon

As we hired a car to travel through Portugal and drove from the Algarve all the way up through Lisbon to Porto, we decided against staying in the heart of Lisbon to avoid the infamous steep hills and narrow streets. Instead, we stayed in the neighboring Belem right next to the Jerónimos Monastery and mere steps away from the Belém Tower.

Our 2-bedroom apartment complete with a full kitchen, washing machine and living room was the perfect place to base ourselves for a few nights to explore Lisbon (a quick tram ride away), Belem and Sintra, and offered plenty of free street parking right outside the flat. Unfortunately, this property appears to no longer be accepting bookings.

If you are looking for a boutique hotel with free parking in Belem you can also consider Altis Belem, just a hop and skip away from the Jeronimos Monastery, Pasteis de Belem bakery and Belem Tower. Reviewers like the spacious and clean rooms, easy parking facilities and rooftop terrace. To get into town, take the local tram which brings you to the Lisbon city centre in under 10 minutes. Click here to check availability and rates for Altis Belem.

If you prefer to stay in the Lisbon city centre, here are some highly-rated hotels based on extensive research. We would also consider staying at the following Lisbon boutique hotels:

1908 Lisboa Hotel: This design-centric hotel is located in an award-winning architecture building. The rooms are minimalistic and sophisticated, and look perfect for a city stay. Reviewers rave about the friendly staff, the local neighborhood and proximity to the subway, and the design of the property. Parking is available and costs 20 Euros per day. Click here to check rates and availability at 1908 Lisboa Hotel.

H10 Duque de Loule: This boutique hotel in Lisbon is consistently highly-rated for its spacious and bright rooms, location near the metro and the amazing rooftop terrace and bar. Reviewers also sing praises about the on-site restaurant and breakfast selection. Parking is available and costs 18 Euros per day. Click here to check rates and availability at H10 Duque de Loule.

Boemio FLH Hotels: When it comes to the perfect Lisbon city hotel, this one comes pretty close. Sandwiched in the thick of it all between Bairro Alto and Alfama, Boemio is walking distance from many of Lisbon’s top attractions. Reviewers love the breakfast and friendly and helpful staff, modern and sleek rooms, and of course – the location. For those who are self-driving in Portugal, you should know that parking is not available. Click here to check rates and availability at Boemio FLH Hotels.

Ready to travel to Lisbon? Click here to see other highly-rated hotels in the heart of Lisbon!

How to get to Sintra from Lisbon

Wondering how to get from Lisbon to Sintra? You have a number of easy options to choose from, and the public transportation in Portugal is fairly reliable so you could get by without a car.

By car: Sintra is an easy 30 minute drive away from Lisbon/Belem. As soon as you exit the city it’s a straight shot on the freeway to Sintra. Though many people advise against driving to Sintra from Lisbon we actually didn’t encounter any issues with parking or traffic in June. You may want to reconsider traveling around Sintra by car during the peak travel months of July to September.

It’s also possible to do a day trip to Sintra from Cascais – it will take you 20-25 minutes by car to get to this fairy tale town.

By train: Take the Sintra line from Estação do Rossio, Estação do Oriente or Estação de Entrecampos stations in Lisbon. The train from Lisbon to Sintra takes under an hour and the trains run frequently throughout the day. You can also read more on how to get to Sintra from Lisbon here.

Ready to plan your trip to Lisbon? I made most of these travel mistakes so that you don’t have to! Click here to read 7 travel mistakes you’re not going to want to make in Lisbon

How to get around Sintra

If you’re traveling by car, there are a number of parking lots around the major sights of Sintra, just follow the signs. When we visited in June 2017, parking in Sintra wasn’t a problem and there was no parking fee at any of these parking lots. People also often park on the side of the road (at your own risk), especially around Quinta de Regaleira.

Driving in Sintra can be tricky, as the roads can be really narrow and there are a number of 1-way streets as well. Nevertheless, as long as you drive carefully it is manageable. Because of the flexibility that driving in Sintra gives you, I believe it’s one of the best ways to see Sintra – this way you’re not wasting time waiting around for the tourist bus.

If you’re arriving in Sintra by train, take the 434 tourist bus which runs several times every hour from Sintra’s train station to the Pena Palace, National Palace and Castle of the Moors. Just a word of warning though, the bus gets packed during the summer months!

Despite being a small town, the sights are scattered around and it is not a good idea to try to visit them all on foot. Even if you’re driving or taking the tourist bus in Sintra, you’ll still want to wear a pair of comfortable walking shoes as there is tons of walking to be done within each of the sights.

Best time of year to visit Sintra

The peak travel season for Sintra is from July to September, and this is when the tourist crowds can be overwhelming. It can also be extremely warm during the summer months and the majority of the sights are not shaded. The best time to visit Sintra is in spring or autumn – April to June or September to November – the weather is milder and the crowds are thinner.

Is 1 day enough for Sintra?

There are many things to do and places to see in Sintra, but in my opinion, 1 day in Sintra is plenty. For your day trip from Lisbon to Sintra you’ll want to start early and leave Lisbon by about 8:30 AM in order to get to Sintra before the palaces open and to sort out parking/your tickets. That being said, you can easily get back to Lisbon by 5 or 6 PM in the afternoon, right in time for a sunset drink and dinner. Most of the palaces and parks are open until about 7 PM with the last entry at 30 minutes before closing.

There are only a limited number of hotel options in Sintra and the prices skyrocket during the peak season, so my recommendation would be to stay overnight in Lisbon or Belem. If you’re set on staying overnight in Sintra, you can check out highly rated hotels and guesthouses in Sintra by clicking here.

Tickets for the Sintra monuments

The entry fees for the monuments in Sintra vary from about 8 Euros to 10 Euros. You can buy tickets online ahead of time, but your best bet is to head straight to the Pena Palace at 9:30 AM when it opens and buying it at the counter there so that you can ask any questions about the tickets.

If you buy a combined ticket (like we did), you get a small discount – 5% off if you visit 2 sites, 6% for 3 sites and so on. Just a small note that the Quinta da Regaleira is operated independently of the other monuments so will require a separate ticket that can be bought at the estate itself (10 Euros per adult as of 2020). More information on opening times and prices are available here and here.

Must-visit places in Sintra

Planning a Sintra day trip and wondering what order to visit the monuments in? This is how we decided to visit the palaces and castles of Sintra for maximum convenience and flexibility. Keep reading for what to see in Sintra, Portugal’s town straight out of a fairy tale book.

1. Park and National Palace of Pena

Head straight to the Park and National Palace of Pena, AKA Parque e Palácio Nacional da Pena. The Palace of Pena dates back to the 12th century and stands atop a rocky peak (the second highest point in the Sintra hills) surrounded by gardens with winding paths, waterfalls, ponds, pavilions and stone benches.

The whimsical palace is perhaps the most well known landmark in Sintra and is extremely photogenic thanks to its bold red, yellow and purple facade. If you are driving, leave your car at the parking lot near the entrance.

The palace itself is encircled by lookout towers, an access tunnel and even its own drawbridge. Plan to spend at least 2 hours wandering through the palace and the gardens, and make sure you check out Cruz Alta (the highest point in Sintra). However, this is not actually the best viewpoint in Sintra. For unobstructed views of Pena Palace, make your way to this secret viewpoint in Sintra: Saint Catherine’s Heights, Queen Amélia’s favourite viewing point.

Saint Catherine’s Heights is situated lower down than Alta Cruz, right between the Grotto of the Monk and The Warrior Statue. You’ll need to do some climbing through boulders and trees to get here, but the view is worth it. Make sure you climb and walk around very, very, very carefully.

2. The Moorish Castle

If you are driving, leave your car in the same parking lot and walk over to the Moorish Castle from the Pena Palace complex. The Castle of the Moors, AKA the Castelo dos Mouros, is located next to the Pena Palace and overlooks the Sintra hills and town. As a military fortification, it is strategically perched atop of a hill with steep cliff faces and narrow watch towers. It was built in the 10th century during the time that the Moors occupied the Iberian Peninsula, and offers some seriously breathtaking views of Sintra from above.

From the main entrance, you’ll need to walk 10-15 minutes to get to the castle itself. Plan to spend at least an hour here to take in the views, because walking along the walls of the Moorish Castle is one of the best things to do in Sintra. You get a great panoramic view of Sintra town as well as the National Palace of Sintra.

We ended up skipping the National Palace as we got a good look at it from the Moorish Castle and wanted to spend more time at the next 2 locations, and parking near the National Palace can be more difficult.

3. Monserrate Palace

Hop in the car and head 4 KM west from the historic centre to Monserrate Palace. As it is slightly further from the other sites, Monserrate Palace tends to be far less crowded and off the beaten track. If you’re taking the tourist bus, you’ll want to head back to the historic centre on bus 434 and hop on bus 435 instead.

The history of Monserrate dates back to the 15th century and ownership has changed hands several times since then. It wasn’t until 1846 that Francis Cook, a British trader and art collector, became the owner of the Estate of Monserrate and commissioned the construction of the palace. The 19th century park and small palace offers beautiful interiors and gardens and is a hidden gem in Sintra not to be missed. There is also a small, reasonably priced cafe and clean toilets in the garden if you’re feeling peckish.

There is a large parking lot right outside the entrance to the Monserrate Palace.

4. Quinta da Regaleira

One of the most intriguing landmarks in Sintra, Quinta da Regaleira is a private estate on the outskirts of Sintra town. The sprawling complex has changed ownership several times over the years, first belonging to a family of wealthy merchants before being sold to an eccentric millionaire who was fascinated by the Knights Templar, tarot, alchemy and the Masons. It was then sold to other private owners including a Japanese corporation before being acquired by the town council.

You won’t want to miss this bizarre and fascinating monument during your Lisbon to Sintra day trip. Plan to spend at least an hour at Quinta da Regaleira to wander around the palace, park, tunnels and the famous moss-covered initiation well. There is no parking outside Quinta da Regaleira so park on the side of the road (out of the way of traffic, obviously) between Quinta da Regaleira and Monserrate Palace.

5. Fonte Mourisca

On your way out of Sintra, make a quick pit stop at this small fountain built in the early 1900s. The small Moorish-influenced fountain features beautiful arches & a tiled wall as a backdrop.

Ready to book your dream trip to Sintra? After extensive research we would consider staying at Altis Belem, just a hop and skip away from the Jeronimos Monastery, Pasteis de Belem bakery and Belem Tower. Click here to check availability and rates for Altis Belem.

If you prefer to stay in the Lisbon city centre, we would also consider staying at 1908 Lisboa Hotel (a design-centric hotel with friendly staff and cozy yet sophisticated rooms), H10 Duque de Loule (a boutique hotel near the metro with an amazing rooftop terrace and bar) or Boemio FLH Hotels (a city hotel within walking distance of many of Lisbon’s top attractions). Looking for more options? Click here to see highly-rated hotels in the heart of Lisbon.

Have you done a day trip to Sintra? What was your favorite monument?

You might also want to read these Portugal guides:

• Need more Sintra travel inspiration? Here are 20 travel photos of Sintra that will stoke your wanderlust
• Avoid making these common Lisbon travel mistakes by reading this city guide
• Planning a trip to Portugal but not sure where to start? Here is my 10 day Portugal road trip itinerary for some inspiration

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