Thinking of heading to Sintra as a day trip from Lisbon? This lovely town is well worth a visit, especially one of the most colourful palaces I’ve ever seen.
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Why go to Sintra?
Sintra is an easy day trip from Lisbon, and definitely worth taking some time away from the city. I often like to do a day trip from the capital city to see a bit more of the countryside and a different pace of life to the capital. Sintra gives all this with the benefit of an amazingly colourful palace that looks like something straight out of a fairy tale.
Looking for the top things to do in Lisbon? Read my Lisbon travel guide for all the top tips and photos! And make sure you check out this great guide to Lisbon and Sintra as well (affiliate).
One thing to note – the temperature in Sintra was a lot cooler than in the centre of Lisbon. So even if it’s hot in Lisbon, maybe take an extra layer just in case.
How to get there
Getting to Sintra is easy. The train takes around 40 minutes from Lisbon’s main train station and takes you directly to Sintra. Double check the train timetables before your trip just for the latest train times here.
When you arrive
There are plenty of different sights in Sintra, but I chose to focus on the Pena Palace and exploring the old town. The Pena Palace is the famous colourful one so that was my focus for the day. If you skim through things you probably could visit more in a day, but I was so captivated by the colourful palace I spent the majority of my day there.
When you get to Sintra, you arrive into the centre so you’ve got the option of taking the bus or walking up to Pena Palace. I chose to walk and it was a bit uphill but not difficult. After an initial walk on the road, it turns into a pleasant walk through trees, until you start getting peaks of the colours of the palace.
Palacio Nacional da Pena – Pena Palace
After buying a ticket at the entrance, you’re free to explore as you like. Just walking around seeing the different colours was breath-taking.
Inside the palace was also fascinating. The décor was a lot more simple than some of the royal palaces in other countries in Europe, such as Versailles in France or the Schonnbrunn Palace in Vienna, reflecting the different culture and history of this country.
One of the highlights for me was the wall walk. It was slightly terrifying – you’re very high up, and the gaps between the crenellations are quite wide and quite low.
But the views are unbeatable, especially looking over to the castle – Castelo dos Mouos.
Sintra old town
The old town of Sintra is lovely as well. It can be easy to overlook the town if you’re trying to get between the different sights, but I really enjoyed just wandering through the narrow streets and browsing the tiny shops, as well as stopping for a relaxing drink in the main square.
Palacio Nacional de Sintra
Not far from the train station is another palace, the Palacio Nacional de Sintra. It’s easily recognisable by the bright white twin conical chimneys, although the architecture of the palace is more Moorish.
I’d definitely recommend Sintra if you’re in Lisbon. The Pena Palace feels really special and unique and definitely worth the day trip. Take photos and enjoy!
Enjoy your day trip to Sintra from Lisbon! Remember to check out this great guide to help you plan your trip (affiliate). If you’re looking to extend your trip, why not head over to neighbouring Spain and explore the beautiful Seville, Cordoba and Granada.
Such a great in-depth guide. Sintra is amazing and it really does make such a great day trip from Lisbon. Would love to go back and see it again. Thanks for sharing!