Sintra in One Day: The Perfect Plan from Lisbon

Sintra is the day trip everyone takes from Lisbon, and the one where good planning makes the biggest difference. With timed tickets, steep hills and new traffic rules, a little preparation means palaces instead of queues. Here’s the one-day plan our members swear by.

The plan: catch an early train from Lisbon, see Pena Palace first (book the earliest time slot), walk to the Moorish Castle, then head down to Quinta da Regaleira in the afternoon. Finish in Sintra town with a travesseiro pastry.

Before you go

• Book Pena Palace online for a specific date and time. Interior visits use strict time slots. Book Pena tickets.
• Avoid weekends and Mondays if you can. Weekends are busiest, and some sites have different Monday hours.
• Don’t drive into Sintra. New traffic rules restrict cars around the historic centre and palaces, Uber and Bolt can only drop off at official pick-up zones, and parking is very limited.
• Wear good shoes. It’s hilly and the paths are steep.

Getting there

Trains leave from Rossio station in central Lisbon (and from Oriente/Entrecampos) roughly every 20–30 minutes and take about 40 minutes. Use your navegante card, or a 24-hour pass that includes CP trains. See our Lisbon transport guide. Aim for a train around 8–8:30am.

Getting around Sintra

From the station, the tourist bus lines 434 and 435 loop to the town centre, Pena, the Moorish Castle, Quinta da Regaleira and Monserrate. They’re the easiest way up the steep hill to Pena. You can also walk up to Pena through the forest (steep, about an hour), or take a licensed tuk tuk where permitted.

The one-day plan

9:00–12:00: Pena Palace

Go straight up to Pena for your early slot, before the crowds peak. The colourful palace and its terraces are the highlight. Leave time for the huge Pena Park and the High Cross viewpoint.

12:00–13:30: the Moorish Castle

Walk down through the woods to the Moorish Castle (tickets here). Its ramparts zig-zag along the ridge with views over Pena, the town and on a clear day the Atlantic.

13:30–14:30: lunch in town

Head down to the old town for lunch, and try a travesseiro or queijada, Sintra’s famous pastries.

14:30–17:00: Quinta da Regaleira

A mysterious estate of gardens, grottoes, tunnels and the famous Initiation Well, a spiral staircase leading deep underground. Book ahead in busy months. Quinta da Regaleira tickets.

Late afternoon

Have a final coffee in town, peek into the National Palace of Sintra with its two giant chimneys (tickets), then take the train back to Lisbon.

Swap or add

• Monserrate Palace: an exotic palace with beautiful gardens and far fewer crowds. Swap it for the Moorish Castle if you prefer gardens. Monserrate tickets.
• Cabo da Roca and Cascais: continue to the coast on the way back. See our Cascais day trip.

Prefer it all organised?

A tour handles transport and timing, which is worth it in summer. Try a full-day Sintra tour or a small-group Sintra and Cascais tour. See our best Sintra tours for more options.

Staying overnight

Sintra is magical in the evening once the day-trippers leave. See places to stay in Sintra. And read our 20 essential Sintra tips.

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