Last Updated on January 2, 2026 by Samantha
If you are planning a trip to Portugal then I highly recommend spending two days in Sintra or at the very least planning a day to trip to Sintra. The train ride from Lisbon (Lisboa Rossio Station) to Sintra is only about 50 minutes so it can easily be done in one day if that’s all the time that you have.
Sintra is home to some of the most incredible palaces I’ve ever seen each different from the other and stunning in their own rights. This is definitely a stop you must make when visiting Portugal.
You will want to purchase your tickets in advance especially your tickets for the National Palace of Pena as they still do timed entries. By purchasing your tickets in advance (more than 3 days before), you will also have a bit of money. I also opted to buy the transfer for the Palace of Pena so I didn’t have to do the uphill 15-minute hike to the top.
HOW TO GET TO SINTRA
Train – This is going to be the easiest way to get to Sintra. As I mentioned above, the train ride is only about 50 minutes from Lisbon and runs about every 30 minutes.
Car – You can also get to Sintra by car but parking in Sintra and at the palaces is extremely limited so that may make things more difficult.
GETTING AROUND SINTRA
Bus – There is quite a few buses you can take to get to each palace. If you arrive by train to Sintra you can purchase a 24-hour bus pass, which will give you access to buses 434 and 435. These two buses will bring you to all of the castles in this itinerary.
Car – You can also drive to each of the castles but parking is limited and difficult at each of the castles so it may not be the easiest option.
WHERE TO STAY IN SINTRA
- Sintra 1012 Boutique Guest House
- Hotel NH Sintra Centro
- Valverde Palacio de Seteais
DAY 1:
I recommend heading to Sintra in time for lunch so that you can grab lunch before heading to your first palace. I took the 11:00 train from Lisboa Rossio and arrived in Sintra just before noon. I headed to where I was staying and was able to check in early. If you can’t check in early then check your bags with the staff and head to lunch at Tascantiga. Tascantiga is a great restaurant serving up tapas and sandwiches. It is a popular place so you might have to wait a bit but it will definitely be worth it.
After lunch, you will head to Quina De Regaleira. It is a short 15-minute walk to this Palace. This was actually my favourite palace as I thought it was absolutely stunning. This Palace is also known for its iconic well that you can walk from the top to the bottom and leads out to a waterfall. There will be a lineup to get into the well so you may want to head there first but you will have to back track a bit if you do.
Once you finish at Quina De Regaleira, hop on bus 435 and head to Monserrate Palace. This Palace completely exceeded my expectations. Both the Palace and the grounds were stunning with waterfalls throughout. It is a short walk down to the Palace but the grounds are quite large so you can spend quite a bit of time exploring the grounds. The Palace is the perfect example of Romanticism and the architecture is incredible.
Hop back on bus 435 and head back to town where you’ll finish your day at the National Palace of Sintra. This palace is located right in the heart of the town and is an easy way to end the day. The Palace and grounds are not very large so it’s a great way to end your first day in Sintra.
For dinner, I recommend checking out Romaria de Baco. This tiny restaurant has a fantastic tapas menu with something for everyone. You will definitely want to make a reservation here as there is limited seating and it fills up quickly. Everything I had was so good and I even considered coming back the next night!
DAY 2:
Because you booked your tickets in advance, you will have booked the first time slot at the Pena Palace (9:00 a.m.). You will head straight to the Palace via bus 434. After exploring the Palace and taking pictures, you can now explore the park. I would check out the Chalet and Garden of the Countess of Elda. The hike will be about one hour round trip but the chalet is quite beautiful.
There are other options for you to explore in the park but most will be around the same time to hike. Depending on how much of the park you plan to hike will determine how long you spend here. You will likely be here about 2-3 hours. Grab lunch at the Palace before you leave or you can bring your lunch with you.
After the Palace of Pena, you will take a short walk downhill to the Moorish Castle. This castle was constructed in the 10th century and is wonderfully preserved. The castle was built on one of the highest peaks of the Sintra mountains. There are stunning views from the castle and you can even see the Pena Palace from the Moorish Castle.
Next, you’ll want to head to Villa Sassetti via bus 434. Villa Sassetti is only a short walk from the National Palace of Sintra so it is a great way to end your day. The villa is stunning and the lush gardens are just as beautiful. This property is about 1.2 hectares of land. The villa is actually part of the hiking trail to Moorish Castle and the National Palace of Pena so if you’re looking to do a big hike, this is where you’ll start.
At the end of the day, stop at Casa Piriquita for a delicious pastry. It is the oldest bakery in town and serves up delicious pastries that’ll give you just enough sugar to keep going!
For your last dinner in Sintra, I recommend checking out Incomum. It is a great restaurant for an elevated meal in Sintra. They also have a wine bar next door that serves tapas if you are looking for something lighter. It is a good idea to make a reservation as it was quite busy when I was there. I started with the lobster and crab cream soup then had the sauteed scallops with passion fruit risotto. Everything was so delicious and very flavourful.
