Sintra is the classic day trip from Lisbon: trains from Rossio station in the city centre take about 40 minutes and run all day. Its two most visited sites, the Pena Palace on its hilltop and the Quinta da Regaleira with its Initiation Well, each have a free Mappu audio guide with a map.
A 19th-century royal palace painted red and yellow on a hilltop above Sintra, in a large romantic park of woods, lakes and lookouts.
An estate finished in the early 1900s, with a neo-Gothic palace, grottoes, tunnels and the Initiation Well, a spiral staircase that winds down into the ground.
Check opening hours and tickets on the official sites before you go:
From Mappu’s partners, if you would rather have a guide. The free audio guides above work without them.
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Take the train from Rossio station, in central Lisbon, to Sintra. It takes about 40 minutes. From Sintra station, buses climb to the Pena Palace, and the Quinta da Regaleira is a walk from the town centre.
The Pena Palace for the colourful palace and the views from its hilltop; the Quinta da Regaleira for the gardens, the tunnels and the Initiation Well. Both fit in one day if you start early.
Travel times are typical timetable times from the rail operator; check the day’s timetable. The facts about each site come from Mappu’s guides and the sites’ official websites. CP – Comboios de Portugal. Last checked on .
