On this small group day trip, you’ll enjoy a fairytale day in Sintra, visiting the gardens of Pena Palace, Quinta da Regaleira, and the cliffs of Cabo da Roca. There’ll be no more than 8 people in the group.
Tour Details
At the scheduled time, we’ll meet in downtown Lisbon and head toward the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park. After a journey of around 1 hour, we’ll reach Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of mainland Europe.
There, we’ll admire the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic and feel the power of the ocean crashing against the massive rock walls. In the past, this place marked the end of the known world and still inspires that same mix of awe and respect.
Afterward, we’ll take a 30-minute drive to Sintra, where we’ll visit Quinta da Regaleira, one of the most enigmatic places in the region. We’ll stroll through its gardens and inverted towers until reaching the famous Initiation Well. Did you know its 9 levels represent the cycles of Dante’s hell? Was it really used by Freemasons for esoteric rituals, or is it just a legend? We’ll reveal it all!
At the end of this mysterious visit, you’ll have around 1.5 hours of free time in Sintra to explore at your own pace and enjoy lunch on your own. With renewed energy, we’ll head to Pena Palace, a vividly colored castle built on the ruins of a former Jerónimos monastery. It’s no surprise it’s a World Heritage Site!
We’ll take a tour of the Pena Palace gardens, where we’ll learn about the historical and architectural details of the palace’s Gothic, Manueline, and Moorish styles from the outside. This mix undoubtedly reflects the boundless imagination of King Ferdinand II, who ordered its construction as a collage as whimsical as it is poetic.
Although we won’t visit the interior of the Sintra Palace, we’ll talk about its halls decorated with Arabesque details, ceramics, and frescoes, and immerse ourselves in the essence of Portuguese Romanticism.
Finally, we’ll begin the return journey to downtown Lisbon after a total of between 10 and 11 hours.
Tour With Pickup
When making your booking, you can select the option that includes pickup. In this case, we’ll pick you up from your hotel in central Lisbon and end the day trip by dropping you off in downtown Lisbon.
Changes to the Itinerary
- The order and duration of the visits may vary due to weather and traffic conditions.
- Please note that in case of a high risk of forest fires, visits to the monuments will be replaced with visits to Queluz Palace and the Sintra National Palace. In the event of a strike by the Sintra Parks authority, they’ll be replaced with Cascais.
- To reach the Palacio de la Pena, you’ll need to take a moderately difficult hike. If you prefer, you can ask our guide to arrange transportation for you on site.
