1 Day in Sintra: How to Plan the Perfect Day Trip
About an hour northwest of Lisbon sits a quaint town called Sintra. This hilly and colorful place makes for a must-see place in Portugal. After visiting twice, it has secured a spot as one of my favorite cities in Portugal. Here's everything you need to know for 1 Day in Sintra: How to Plan the Perfect Day Trip.
Getting to Sintra from Lisbon
Unlike many day trip locations in the United States, renting a car and driving is not the best option when visiting Sintra. Parking is nearly impossible in the town, and the roads are filled with taxis and TukTuks to get you where you need to go.
Taking the train from Lisbon to Sintra is the best option. The Lisbon to Sintra route is extremely popular, so get to the train station early to secure your ticket and get a coffee from the small cafe at the train station. There will be lines at the ticket window and coffee counter, so plan accordingly.
To get to Sintra from Lisbon, go to Rossio Station and take the right train to the last stop, Sintra. This route is the most popular and used by many tourists since it departs from the historic center near the popular neighborhoods of Baixa, Alfama, and Bairro Alto.
Let's talk about Logistics: What to Know Before You Go
Plan for about a forty-minute train ride to Sintra from Rossio Station. If you're headed to the Palacio de Pina first (I recommend this), you'll want to get to the station early, like 8-8:30 in the morning, and secure one of the first time slots at the palace.
When you purchase a roundtrip ticket from Lisbon to Sintra, the issued ticket will be a reusable 'Viva Viagem' or public transport card. You can use these tickets for Lisbon's buses, metros, and trams. You can purchase a 24-hour card for public transport within Lisbon, but this excludes urban trains.
Things to do in Sintra
Park and National Palace of Pena
The National Palace of Pena stands out as the colorful jewel of the Sintra Hills and one of the prettiest monuments I’ve visited. To ensure you beat the crowds and make the most of your time in Sintra, get there early and reserve an early time slot (between 9am and 10:30 am). The tickets are about 13 euros each.
For timing purposes here’s what you can expect:
40 minute train from Lisbon to Sintra
Once you arrive at the train station I suggest hopping in a TukTuk and paying the 10 euros a person for the quickest ride to the top.
The TukTuk will drop you off at the bottom of the hill, and it’s about a 12 minute walk to the top of the hill. If you’re unable to walk you can prebook a bus, but overall the walk is easy if you’re in decent shape.
You can take your time walking around the Pena Palace, take photos, and enjoy the incredibly colorful scenery and views of the town. This is one of my favorite monuments I’ve ever visited.
Historical City Centre
After visiting the Pena Palace you have the option to check out other attractions like Castelo dos Mouros or Sintra National Palace. I suggest reserving tickets for these as well to line up with your time for the Pena Palace. This past trip we opted out of these additional activities to head back to Lisbon after lunch.
After visiting the National Palace of Pena and any other attractions, head to the historic city centre for lunch. If you’re in the mood for a treat, head to Casa Piriquita for Travesseiros, a puff pastry made with eggs and almond cream.
Normally, I suggest staying away from restaurants in the middle of a touristy area with picture menus outside the restaurant. We hadn’t planned a specific restaurant for lunch and decided on Cafe Paris after stumbling upon it in the city centre. I ordered the Lobster and Shrimp Rice (feeds two) and it was one of the most delicious dishes I’ve ever had. The service was incredible and it’s walking distance to the train station.
After lunch you have the option to either explore other sites in Sintra, or head back to the train station to make it to Lisbon for an afternoon glass of wine and dinner time.