Sintra is a short 25 km … or 15 miles from Lisbon, and if you love history and castles, it’s a day trip you don’t want to miss.
There are several castles in the town, but the estate everyone goes to see is the Palacio Nacional da Pena … or Pena Palace. It’s so popular that you may also hear some tourists call it Sintra Palace.
If you’ve pinned a palace in Portugal on Pinterest, it’s probably this one. Its vivid colors are perfect for pictures. And I can tell you, it’s just as spectacular in person!
Getting There
A day trip from Lisbon to Sintra is easy and it’s worth the time. There are several ways to make the trip.
- Take a private tour — You can hire a guide who will pick you up at your hotel. Your guide will drive you to Sintra and tell you all kinds of stories and history along the way. You’ll also have help buying entrance tickets … and someone who will answer any question you have. This is also the most expensive option.
- Take the train — There are two train stations in Lisbon. You can catch a train to Sintra at either station. Each trip will take you less than an hour, once you are on the train. The trip will cost you about $5 USD.
Pro Tip: If you plan to take the train to Sintra, arrive at the station as early as possible. Social Media and Pinterest have made the castle a popular destination. You can’t buy these train tickets in advance, so there may be long lines at the station.
- You can also take a bus or drive yourself. I have no experience with either of these, and the people I spoke to say the train is the way to go if you aren’t going on a tour. The bus also takes longer … and you’ll save less than $1 USD over the train.
Arriving in Sintra
On the way from Lisbon to Sintra, you can decide how you want to tackle the quaint community and its many Instagram-worthy sites.
- The 434 tourist bus — this is by far the easiest way to explore Sintra’s sites. If you arrive by train, you can catch the bus at the train station. It leaves about every 15 minutes. The route will take you to Sintra’s historic city centre — and the Palacio Nacional de Sintra — before traveling up the steep hills to Sintra’s Moorish castle and then Pena Palace. It finishes its loop back at the train station. The ticket that will allow you to get off the bus and explore each site at your leisure costs about $8 USD.
Pro Tip: Know where you want to go in Sintra if you plan to take the tourist bus. The 434 takes you to Pena Palace. The 435 tourist bus goes on another route and will take you to the Quinta da Regaleira, but it doesn’t go to Pena Palace.
- By foot — The walk from the train station to Pena Palace is less than 2 miles, which seems doable. Keep in mind that the walk also includes a very steep incline. If you chose to walk, you’ll be in for a decent hike.
- By car — if you drove to Sintra, there is some parking near Pena Palace. You’ll want to arrive early to get a parking spot because the lot will fill up quickly. If you plan to explore the historic centre of town, keep in mind that cars are not allowed. You’ll need to find parking on the crowded streets around the centre and explore it on foot.
Sintra’s Historic Centre and the Palácio Nacional de Sintra
This will be your first stop if you’re riding the 434 tourist bus from the train station.
If you’re ready for a break, or a snack, this is the place to grab it. The historic central part of Sintra is full of shops and restaurants.
This is also where you’ll find the Palacio Nacional de Sintra. The royal family lived in this palace the most until the fall of the monarchy in 1910.
As you look at the palace, you’ll see two large structures looming over the building. These are actually chimneys coming from the palace kitchens.
Admission to explore the inside of the castle is about $12 USD for an adult.
Castelo dos Mouros
The next stop on the 434 bus is Sintra’s Moorish Castle. It was built in the 9th century and restored in the 19th century. That’s when King Ferdinand II made it into a feature of the gardens of Pena Palace.
Admission is about $9 USD for adults.
Pro Tip: It’s a short walk from the Moorish Castle to Pena Palace. It’s actually easier to walk to Pena Palace than try to catch the 434 bus.
The castle is also a great location to get panoramic views and pictures of the area. It’s also what made the castle the perfect location to see intruders coming during the 9th century.
Pena Palace
When you arrive at Pena Palace, you’ll need to buy entrance tickets. Admission is about $15 USD for adults. You can also add on a shuttle that will take you from the entrance up the steep hill to the palace. The shuttle costs about $4 USD.
Now it’s time to explore Pena Palace! The colorful palace was the dream of King Ferdinand II in 1842. If you look closely, and explore the rooms inside the castle, you’ll see that the palace doesn’t follow just one style of architecture. You’ll see everything from Gothic to North African influences.
That theme is continued in the garden surrounding the palace. Inside you’ll find trees and plants from North America, Japan, and Australia.
The palace is a national monument and is listed at one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site … and was named one of the most beautiful palaces in the world in 2016.
The Quinta da Regaleira
This stop is not one on the 434 tourist bus. It is a stop on the 435 bus route … or you can walk about 10 minutes to it from Sintria’s historic centre.
This is a Gothic mansion built in the 19th century. Surrounding it you will find a series of elaborate gardens. Along with plants and trees, there is also a series of secret passageways. Pinterest is the reason this site is so popular. If you’ve seen the picture of the initiation well, this is where you’ll find it.
Entrance into the mansion and garden is about $7 USD. A guided tour of the area will cost you about $5 USD more. I’d spend it if I were you. I just paid the entrance fee and expected to eventually be able to find the well. We didn’t have a lot of time to spend at the site. We ended up wandering around for over an hour, couldn’t find the well and then couldn’t find a way out of the garden! While we were able to see the gardens and the mansion, but I didn’t see the well, which is what I really wanted to experience. If I ever return, I will gladly pay the extra $5 to see it.