Wonderful Sintra in one day - A day trip form Lisbon

Wonderful Sintra in one day - A day trip from Lisbon

Sintra, the magical Unesco village with many colorful castles and only a 40-minute trainride away from Lisbon. If you are staying in Lisbon, a day trip to Sintra is a ‘must do’ so you can experience this fairy tale town all by yourself.

Chapters

How to get to Sintra

The best way to go from Lisbon to Sintra is by taking a 40-minute trainride. The train departs from Rossio station and the final stop is Sintra station. You can buy your return trainticket at Rossio station for €5 euro. To know how late the train departs, I recommend you to plan your trip beforehand with Google Maps. It will show you the best options and at what time the train will take off.

How to get around

Once arrived at the station of Sintra, you can walk to the small bus stop next to the trainstation. This is the stop were all busses depart. You can buy a hop-on hop-off ticket at the front of the bus. A ticket for a whole day is €11 per person and it brings you to all the places you want to see in Sintra. This is the cheapest and fastest option to explore Sintra. There are two bus lines that are important while visiting the castles of Sintra.

The best way to explore Sintra is by following a certain bus line. We started with the orange line on the map (bus 434) and then we took the green line (bus 435). The cursive places above are the most spectaculair ones and I will tell you more about them later in this blog.

(Hit one of the filled up circles down below and it will take you to the destination.)

Bus 434 – Pena Palace Circuit

Bus 435 – Monserrate Circuit

Try to be at your first stop a little before opening hour. On the internet you will find information that the castles open at 10 but at some places you are allowed to enter a little before the opening hour.

Also read -> Discover Lisbon in 72 hours – Best things to do and see

What to see

1. Sintra – Castelo dos Mouros

The first Hop-on Hop-off bus will leave at 09:30. Try to take this one so you will be one of the first to enter Castelo dos Mouros. The bus ride from Sintra station to the castle takes about 15 minutes. Once arrived, you will find a small stone tunnel on the left of the road to enter a path that leads you to the castle. Keep walking and enjoy your surroundings. When you get inside you can explore the area and walk on the 450 meter long walls of the castle.

How to get there – Take bus line 434 and get off at Quinta da Regelaira.

Where to get tickets: You can buy your tickets online or at the entrance of the castle. Keep in mind, it can get pretty busy during the peak season so getting tickets beforehand can save you some time while exploring Sintra.

Entrance fee : €8,-

2. Sintra – Palácio da Pena

One of the most colorful Castle in Sintra is Palácio da Pena. With it’s bright red and yellow colors you will be in awe of the sight. Because this is the most populair place in Sintra, it will be packed with tourists, even in low season, but that doesn’t take away it’s glory. If you want to be there before the crowds, go to this palace first instead of the Moorish castle. This is not the ideal route, but it is a possibility.

How to get there : Take bus line 434 and get off at Pena Palace

Entrance fee : Park only €7,50 / Park & inside of the palace €14,-

3. Sintra Quinta da Regaleira

After Pena Palace you can take the bus back to Sintra station. Here you can take the next bus line, bus 435, that will bring you to Quinta da Regaleira. This area has alot of differrent things to offer. There is a huge cave with a tunnel that will guide you down to hidden underground tunnels. There is also a huge castle and lots of smaller buidings. The fun part abount Quinta da Regaleira is the different type of area it is compared to the other places of Sintra. This area has a lot of stone buildings that are not covered in color. It is something else, but in a good way.

How to get there: Take bus line 435 and get off at Quinta da Regaleira.

Entry fee: €8,-

4. Sintra – Park and Palace of Monserrate

The last one, and in my opion the most beautiful one of the Sintra area is the Palace of Monserrate. It is also the least visited place. Why? I don’t understand, but that makes the place even more special. When we got there, there was no line at the enterance and after getting the tickets, we got to explore the area. There are alot of gardens and they all lead to the Palace itself. From the inside to the outside, everything was beautiful. The palace had many small details and lots of different rooms to explore. We wandered around the area and in the palace itself for about two hours.

How to get there: Take bus line 435 and get off at Monserrate Palace.

Entry fee: €8,-