The Best Day Trips from Lisbon (and How to Do Them)

One of Lisbon’s best features is how much is within an hour or two: palaces, beaches, medieval towns, wine country and wild islands. These are the day trips our members recommend most, with the easiest way to do each one.

Quick answer: only one day spare? Go to Sintra. Two days? Add Cascais, or Óbidos and Nazaré. Love nature? Arrábida or the Berlengas islands in summer.

Day trips at a glance

Trip	Getting there	Travel time	Best for
Sintra	Train from Rossio	About 40 min	Palaces, first-timers
Cascais & Estoril	Train from Cais do Sodré	About 40 min	Beaches, families
Óbidos	Bus or car	About 1 hr	Medieval town
Nazaré	Bus or car	About 1.5–2 hrs	Giant waves, fishing town
Fátima & Batalha	Bus, car or tour	About 1.5 hrs	Pilgrimage, monastery
Évora	Train or car	About 1.5 hrs	Roman temple, Alentejo
Arrábida & Setúbal	Car or tour	About 45–60 min	Beaches, nature
Berlengas	Car or bus to Peniche + boat	About 1.5 hrs + boat	Wild islands (summer)
Ericeira	Bus or car	About 50 min	Surfing, seafood

1. Sintra: the must-do

Pena Palace, the Moorish Castle, Quinta da Regaleira and misty forests. Sintra is the classic Lisbon day trip for good reason. Take the train from Rossio, go early, and book Pena’s timed tickets in advance. Prefer it all arranged? A small-group tour of Sintra and Cascais covers transport and timing.

Read our 20 essential Sintra tips and best Sintra day tours.

2. Cascais and the coast

Easy, relaxed and great with kids: the coastal train from Cais do Sodré runs along the river and the sea to Cascais, with beaches all the way. Walk or cycle out to Boca do Inferno. Got a car? Continue to the wild beach at Guincho and Cabo da Roca, the most westerly point of mainland Europe. You can combine Sintra and Cascais in one long day with a Pena, Cabo da Roca and Cascais tour.

3. Óbidos

A tiny walled town of whitewashed houses and flower-covered lanes. Try ginjinha (cherry liqueur) in a chocolate cup. It’s about an hour away by bus or car. See our full Óbidos guide.

4. Nazaré, Fátima and Batalha

Nazaré is famous for the world’s biggest surfed waves (in winter) and a lovely beach in summer. It’s often combined with the sanctuary at Fátima, the Gothic monastery at Batalha and Óbidos. That’s a lot to do by public transport in one day, so a small-group tour makes it much easier.

5. Évora

The Alentejo’s UNESCO-listed capital: a Roman temple, a chapel lined with human bones, and some of Portugal’s best food and wine. Direct trains take about an hour and a half.

6. Arrábida and Setúbal

South of the river: turquoise coves below green hills in the Arrábida Natural Park, plus fried cuttlefish (choco frito) in Setúbal. Best by car. In summer, access to some beaches is restricted and shuttle buses run, so check before you go.

7. Berlengas islands

A protected archipelago off Peniche with clear water, sea caves and a fort on its own rock. Boats run mostly from spring to early autumn and fill up fast. See our Berlengas guide or book a day trip from Lisbon.

8. Ericeira

A whitewashed fishing town and World Surfing Reserve, great for seafood lunches and surf lessons. Buses run from Campo Grande in Lisbon.

Car, train or tour?

• Train: perfect for Sintra, Cascais and Évora. Cheap and easy.
• Car: best for Arrábida, Ericeira and combining places. Don’t drive up to Sintra’s palaces, as parking is very limited. See our car rental guide.
• Tour or private driver: best for “three towns in one day” trips. Several drivers on our local guides page do custom day trips.

Planning your Lisbon days too? See our 3-day Lisbon itinerary.

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