If you’re planning a trip to Lisbon I recommend setting aside a day to visit Sintra. Sintra is full of castles and is incredibly picturesque. It’s an easy 45-minute train ride from Lisbon.
During our trip to Sintra, we visited Pena Palace and Castelo dos Mouros. I wish we had time to visit Quinta da Regaleira, but I guess I’ll save that for another trip. 🙂 I’m sharing everything you need to know to plan the most perfect trip. Here’s a map with all Lisbon recommendations.
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Getting to Sintra:
We took the train from Rossio train station (Lisbon city center) to Sintra. Be sure not to confuse the Rossio Train Station with the Rossio Subway Station. These stations are right down the road from each other and we missed the original train we planned to take because we went to the wrong station.
The trains leave for Sintra every thirty minutes or so, so us missing our initial train wasn’t the end of the world. The train system is pretty easy to navigate, but we did have a little mishap when purchasing our tickets at the kiosk (we bought 1 ticket for 5 days, instead of 5 tickets for 1 day), so just be sure to read the instructions to avoid the same mistake.
I’d recommend arriving early, before 10am if possible. Most of the castles open around 9:30 am during the summer and are open until 7 pm. Take into consideration how long it takes to get tickets once you arrive in Sintra. We took Bus 434 to Pena Palace from the train station. These busses are right outside of the train station so it was super easy to right after we got off the train. You can purchase bus fare on the bus and it’s a short 20-minute ride to Pena Palace. We waited in line for about 20 minutes to purchase tickets to Pena Palace. I’d recommend purchasing online and saving 5%. For an extra €3 you can also opt to take a shuttle up to the top of Pena, otherwise, it’s about a 1/2 mile trek to the top. It’s very hilly, so be sure to wear your walking shoes.
What to do in Sintra:
Pena Palace
This is the most popular destination in Sintra. The Pena Palace is incredibly romantic, on top of a hill in the Sintra Mountains. You can buy your ticket at a kiosk outside of the castle, or I’d recommend purchasing online to get a little discount.
Castelo dos Mouros
This castle is easily walkable from Pena Palace and is such a different vibe. This medieval castle was restored in the 19th century and has some incredible views and lots of character.
What to bring to Sintra:
- Higher elevation means cooler temperature. I’d recommend bringing a jacket to keep warm
- Bring comfortable walking shoes. I think this was one of the days we walked the most, there’s also a lot of uphill
- Always, BYOWB (water bottle)
- We spent probably about 1-2 hours at each castle, so pack some snacks if you don’t have lunch plans. Pena Palace also has a cafe/outdoor seating area
If you’re planning a trip to Lisbon, check out this post for more tips. Please feel free to reach out or let me know if I missed anything. I’m always happy to help! xx
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