Sintra in 2 days is the sensible way to see a town whose palaces are spread over forested granite hills, each with its own timed ticket and its own uphill approach. Most visitors rush it from Lisbon in a single afternoon. This plan assumes you sleep in or near Sintra, put the two big hill monuments on the first day and the town palace, the quinta and the gardens on the second, and spend the evenings in the old centre once the day groups have left. It suits travellers who like walking between sights and who will book entry times before they arrive. Sintra is also close to Lisbon, so Lisbon in 2 days pairs naturally with this guide.
Quick facts
- Country and region: Portugal, in the hills west of Lisbon, close to the Atlantic.
- Main airport: Humberto Delgado (LIS) in Lisbon, with a train and bus transfer.
- Main station: Sintra, the terminus of the CP Sintra line.
- Getting around: walking, Scotturb buses 434 and 435, and marked footpaths; cars are not allowed on some access roads.
- Currency: euro (EUR).
- Language: Portuguese.
- Time zone: Western European Time, with summer time in season.
- Best months: April to June and September to October.
Best time to visit
Spring and early autumn give the best walking weather and softer crowds than high summer. In July and August the hill roads and the Pena queues are at their worst, so book the earliest slots. Look at the forecast before you commit to the exposed walls of the Moorish Castle. Winter is quieter, with shorter days, so plan your final entry times carefully.
Parques de Sintra publishes a cultural agenda with shows and special visits at the monuments, and the Quinta da Regaleira lists exhibitions; in 2026 it shows a collection linked to the Camões centenary until 30 December. Check each official agenda for dates.
Getting there and around
From Lisbon, the CP Sintra line leaves from Rossio, Oriente and Entrecampos, according to the park operator, and takes roughly 40 minutes to Sintra station. The ride is simple; the climb afterwards is not. From the station, Scotturb bus 434 runs up to the Moorish Castle and Pena, and bus 435 serves the National Palace and Monserrate. The operator sells a 24-hour pass for the two lines together with monument tickets on its online ticket office.
Drivers can use the Lourel car park, which the operator says has around 540 free spaces and a ticket and information point, then continue by bus. Private vehicles are not allowed on the access roads to Pena or the Moorish Castle. Marked trails also lead up from town: the Santa Maria trail from São Pedro de Sintra is 1,770 metres and takes about an hour, the Seteais trail is 2,410 metres and takes an hour and a half, and the Villa Sassetti trail from the historic centre is 1,850 metres and takes 45 minutes.
The operator is not responsible for transport to the sites, so check bus times on the Parques de Sintra travel page and plan some slack.
Where to stay
The historic centre keeps you beside the station, the National Palace and the evening restaurants. It suits those who want to walk and take buses in the morning without a transfer from Lisbon, though lanes are busy during the day.
São Pedro de Sintra, a short distance east, has the operator's information office and the start of the Santa Maria trail. It is quieter and more local, and a good base for walkers.
If hotels are full or you prefer city nightlife, stay in Lisbon and treat Sintra as two separate train days. The train back runs from the same station, but you lose the quiet evenings.
Day 1: The hill monuments
Morning: Pena Palace and Park
Take bus 434 or walk up early to the Park and National Palace of Pena. In about 1840, Ferdinand II turned a ruined monastery, damaged by the 1755 earthquake, into an eclectic palace of Gothic, Moorish, Egyptian and Renaissance elements, and surrounded it with a Romantic park. The official visit page explains that the time on your ticket is your entry time to the palace, not the park, and that you should allow around 30 minutes to walk from the park entrance to the palace. A small transfer service exists if you cannot walk the slope. The park is the largest arboretum in Portugal, with extensive botanical collections, so leave time to wander its paths and to find the Chalet of the Countess of Edla, which the Essential Visit ticket includes. The operator also publishes digital aids in four languages, among them a park map with recommended routes, which save carrying a printed guide.
Afternoon: The Moorish Castle
From Pena it is a short walk or bus ride to the Moorish Castle, a fortification founded in the 10th century on one of the peaks of the Serra. Its granite walls snake across the boulders, and the parapet walk gives views toward the town, Pena and the Atlantic. The ticket office closes for the lunch hour, with machines available, so buy early. The castle admits dogs, according to the operator. Do not rush the wall circuit; the steps are uneven.
Evening: The town
Ride or walk back to Sintra and eat in the old streets. After the day groups leave, the National Palace's two conical chimneys over the royal kitchen stand against the darker sky. Keep dinner relaxed, because Day 2 starts early.
Day 2: The town palace, the quinta and the gardens
Morning: National Palace and Quinta da Regaleira
The National Palace of Sintra stands in the centre at Largo Rainha D. Amélia. The park operator calls it the oldest palace in Portugal, with a first building possibly from the 10th or 11th century during Moorish rule. UNESCO notes the buildings from the early 15th and early 16th centuries, and the finest Mudéjar tile facing on the Iberian Peninsula.
Walk on to the Quinta da Regaleira. UNESCO lists it as a late 17th-century estate, and the official site says that only the main floor of the palace is open, as part of the visiting circuit. Tickets are timed, with a grace period of one hour after the chosen slot, and the estate warns visitors to buy only from its official ticket office. Audio guides with about 30 listening points are available.
Afternoon: Monserrate
Take bus 435, or the Carris Metropolitana line from the station, to the Park and Palace of Monserrate on the road to Colares. UNESCO describes the palace as a mid-19th-century design for Sir Francis Cook by James Knowles Junior, combining neo-Gothic with details drawn from India, in gardens planted with more than 3,000 exotic species. Allow a quiet afternoon for the grounds, since the planting was based on a careful reading of the site's microclimates, as UNESCO explains, and the garden rewards slow walking more than a checklist. Watch the time for the last bus back toward the station so that you are not left waiting on the road.
Evening: Back to the station
Time your return for the train, or for another dinner in town. If you are heading to the capital, the Sintra line from the station reaches Lisbon in about 40 minutes.
If it rains, on a budget, with kids
If it rains
Palaces are the natural refuge. The National Palace, the interior of Pena and the palace at Monserrate are all roofed, and the Quinta da Regaleira main floor works as a short stop. Wet granite is slippery, so avoid the castle walls and the steep park paths.
On a budget
Walk instead of paying for buses on the marked trails, and choose one or two monuments rather than all of them. The Parques de Sintra site sells combined experiences such as the Feel Sintra palaces with transport, but compare them with single tickets for the sights you actually want to see. The old town and its lanes are free to explore.
With kids
The Moorish Castle's walls and the Pena park suit active children, with the arboretum giving shade. Keep to the shorter trails and skip the steep castle climb for toddlers.
Day trip or a third day
Queluz National Palace
The Sintra line passes Queluz on the way back to Lisbon, and the park operator lists the National Palace and Gardens of Queluz among its places. Allow roughly 25 minutes by train from Sintra and a half day on site.
Convent of the Capuchos
The Convent of the Capuchos is another monument in the hills managed by Parques de Sintra, listed on its mobility page. Check the operator's page for how to get there and for current opening before you plan a half day around it.
Lisbon
For a city day, ride the CP line to Lisbon in about 40 minutes and follow Lisbon in 2 days for Belém and Alfama. For a longer stay, Porto in 2 days is a further rail trip north.
Practical tips
Book Pena, the Moorish Castle and the National Palace through Parques de Sintra, and Regaleira through its own official ticket office; both warn about third-party sellers. Bring water, a layer and shoes with grip. The Regaleira notice says entry is allowed only within an hour after your slot.
Mobility is difficult in places: the slopes are steep and cobbled. Pena offers a small transfer from the park entrance to the palace, bought in advance. Check each monument's page for accessibility, and look at the municipal notice on the Regaleira site about a new traffic and wayfinding operation in Sintra village, which changes how you reach the centre.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a separate ticket for the Pena Park and the palace?
The Essential Visit ticket described by the operator includes the palace's New Wing and free exploration of the park, including the Chalet of the Countess of Edla. The entry time on the ticket is for the palace. Plan around 30 minutes from the park entrance to the palace door, and arrive on time, because late arrivals are refused entry.
Can I drive to Pena?
No. Private vehicles are not allowed on the access roads to Pena and the Moorish Castle. The operator recommends buses 434 and 435 from the station or from the Lourel car park, or the marked trails. Lourel has about 540 free spaces and a ticket point.
Which Sintra palace is the oldest?
The park operator describes the National Palace of Sintra as the oldest palace in Portugal, noting that its first building may date from the 10th or 11th century under Moorish rule. Pena is much later, from around 1840, and Monserrate is a mid-19th-century design.
Is Sintra a day trip from Lisbon?
It can be done in one day, but the timed tickets and bus loops make two days easier. The CP Sintra line runs from Rossio, Oriente and Entrecampos. If you only have a day, choose Pena and the Moorish Castle or the National Palace and Regaleira, not all four.
More city guides
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- Porto in 2 days: the northern riverfront city.
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