You’re Going To Love A Day Trip From Lisbon To Sintra, Portugal

Sintra in Portugal is a great day-trip from Lisbon. It’s a historical resort town about 30-40 minutes away from the Portuguese capital. 

Day trip to Sintra in Portugal

Getting to Sintra is quite easy, if you’re in a group of three or more I recommend taking a taxi or Uber, which can cost 25-35 euros. You can also easily take a train (there’s one available every 30 minutes every day) from Lisbon’s Rossio station to Sintra station and a round trip ticket is approximately 5 euros. The journey is approximately 40 minutes.

The town of Sintra is set in the mountains with lush green forests and with the roofs of brightly-colored villas and palaces peaking through. I felt like I escaped to a magical town, which existed in a children’s fairytale.

The first thing that struck me about Sintra is how quaint and charming everything appears. Shrouded in greenery, foliage and flowers with winding roads coupled with the whimsical architecture, I was transported me back in time.

Hire a private car with guide to make the most of your day in Sintra

I highly recommend to hire a private car with a guide to take you around Sintra and visit spots off the beaten path. My group booked a private tour with Amazing Day 4U (address: Rua Dr. Alfredo da Costa 6, 2710-523 Sintra, telephone: +351 963 018 669). We opted for the Sintra day tour (25 euros per person). Our whole tour lasted about two and a half hours and it was a great experience overall. Avoid the “tuk tuk tours” — it’s a bit of a tourist trap.

It’s also not that easy to walk around Sintra due to its hilly terrain and the far distances between the attractions, so a private car tour is the best way to get around. Our tour guide stopped at various points to explain the history of the town.

Be sure to visit Quinta da Regaleira

The highlight of my day trip to Sintra, Portugal was visiting Quinta da Regaleira. It is an expansive estate which features a palace, a chapel, and a large park featuring lakes, grottoes, wells, fountains, towers and much more. Constructed between 1904 and 1910, the owner of Quinta da Regaleira, Carvalho Monteiro, wanted to build something that reflected his ideologies and interests. And that’s why you will see a mix of architectural styles including Romantic, Gothic, Renaissance and Manueline.

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Keep two hours to explore Quinta da Regaleira

The lower part of the estate is dedicated to a park with various gardens, whimsical figures and structures. But the most interesting part of the park is exploring the extensive and impressive tunnel system that runs under and connects at different points in the estate. I’m not sure what the purpose of these tunnels are,

Don’t miss out on exploring the Initiation Wells, which look like two towers built underground with winding stairs; they are connected to the underground tunnel system. I did some reading and it turns out the wells were never used as a water source, but for ceremonial purposes and initiation rites linked to Tarot mysticism(!). Keep approximately two hours to properly explore Quinta da Regaleira, you won’t regret it.

Pena Palace is another popular attraction in Sintra, but our tour guide suggested we skip it because it can get extremely crowded in peak season and most of what there is to see at the palace is the exterior. Instead, he took my group to a viewpoint on a hilltop opposite with a view of Pena Palace rising from the trees.

Enjoy the local cafes and restaurants in Sintra

The rest of the day was spent walking through Sintra’s town centre and enjoying the local cafes and restaurants. When I say Sintra is whimsical (and mysterious!), I really mean it. It was one of my most memorable days of the trip and I think it’s a must-visit and very easy day trip from Lisbon.