
Why Sintra?
If you are staying in Lisbon, Sintra should definitely be on your day trip bucket list! It is SO close to Lisbon, it makes a perfect day trip location. Known for fairytale palaces, castles and awe-inspiring natural scenery - there are plenty of things to do for everyone! This article is going to cover the top ten things to do in Sintra, including a comprehensive guide on getting there from Lisbon, and getting around Sintra.
So here are our favorite things to do:
Sintra Palaces and Monuments Loop
1. Pena Palace and National Park

2. Chalet da Condessa D’Edla

3. Quinta Da Regaleira

4. Castelos Dos Mouros

5. Monserrate Palace
It is also surrounded by acres of botanical gardens that you can stroll through at your own leisure.
This palace is often over-shadowed by the popular Pena Palace but it is definitely worth a visit for the architecture alone and to escape the crowds!

6. Convento Dos Capuchos

In the Old Town:
7. Wander through the streets of the Historic Centre

8. Try a ‘Queijada de Sintra’ or ‘Travesseiro de Sintra’ at world famous bakery Piriquita
World famous bakery Piriquita is the perfect place to try one – AND many other delights such as Travesseiros (translating to ‘Pillow’) which was invented by the bakery in the 1940’s. Consisting puff pastry and almond and egg cream filling. Yum!

9. Try a Ginjinha Chocolate Cup

10. Sintra National Palace
Last on the list is the Sintra National Palace with its iconic white pointy towers. If you are really not up for a day of traveling around Sintra’s attractions, this landmark is perfect as it is in Sintra’s center.
We recommend having your lunch on the steps outside also, with the landscaped old town, and Castelos dos Mouros being your view!

BONUS SUGGESTION – Watch the sunset at Cabo de Roca

Because we’re nice, we thought we would give you one EXTRA thing to do on your day trip to Sintra. What better way to finish your day trip to Sintra with a sunset at the most westerly point in Europe!. Known for rugged cliff faces and panoramic ocean views – you’ll want your cameras for this once in a lifetime visit (selfies or it didn’t happen, right?!). You can catch the 403 bus opposite Sintra train station or why not bike it instead with one of our E-Bikes at Bike N Company!
How to get to Sintra
To get to Sintra from Lisbon you have a couple of options:
The Train
You can catch the train to Sintra from Rossio or Oriente Train Station in Lisbon . There are multiple trains an hour there and back and the journey will take between 40 minutes to an hour.
A one-way ticket will cost €2.30 each (so €4.60 for a return).
Find out the train timetables on Portugal’s official train travel (CP) website here

Rent an E-Bike
Escape the queues, long waits and why not make it an adventure to remember?! You can rent an E-Bike for the day at Bikes N Company (Find out more here) and take it at your own pace!
E-Bike rentals start from €15.00 offering you the flexibility to go wherever and whenever you like!

How to get to Sintra’s attractions
- Walk
You CAN walk but Sintra is very steep and very hilly. Which is fine if you love a hike and if you are only going to visit one or two attractions BUT if you want to make the most of the day in Sintra, you will want to save your legs for them!
- Bus 434 (Circuito Da Pena)

Photo Credit: Scotturb
There is a regular hop on hop off bus specifically designed for tourists that includes most of the main attractions (look out for the Scotturb branded buses).
The bus stop is right outside the train station making it easy to jump from one to the other.
However, in the Summer, these buses are SUPER popular and are often packed with long waits in queues for them. Additionally, the loop goes in one direction only.
How much?
- A single journey costs 3.90 euros or hop on and off for 6.90 euros
- OR if you’re going to Cascais, Cabo De Roca or Estoril too: a Scotturb day pass will cost 15 euros allowing you unlimited travel on all services.
- A scooter
OR take it at your own pace, leave the packed buses and queues behind and travel easily around Sintra and attractions by E-Bike!
The furthest attraction, Pena Palace is only 3.1km away and you can team it up with a cycle over to Cascais (16km), Cabo de Roca (17km) or Estoril (13km).

So there is our top ten list (but by no means exhaustive!). In one sentence, Sintra has it all!
Moorish Castles, Gothic Grottoes, Fairytale Palaces, and a beautiful historic center to stock up on lots of tasty pastries, drink and more.
And even better is how close and easy it is to get to from Lisbon.
What are you most excited to visit? We’d love to hear!