Insight: If you are considering a day trip to Sintra and Cascais, never try to combine them in a single day. Both towns need at least one day of sightseeing to fully appreciate, and two days could be easily spent in Sintra.
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While you can see the main highlights of Sintra in one day, we recommend at least two days in Sintra. This will allow you to see the most popular castles such as Pena Palace, the Moorish Castle, or Quinta de Regaleira, but also explore the area deeper and visit some lesser-known gems such as Monserrate Palace.
The best way to get from Sintra to Cascais without a car is to line 1623 bus which takes 29 min and costs €2 - €4. How long does it take to get from Sintra to Cascais? The line 1623 bus from Av Álvaro Vasconcelos to Cascais takes 29 min including transfers and departs hourly.
Visiting Sintra is one of the must-do things in Lisbon! So most people only come here for a day. If you only have one day to visit Sintra, the best way to do it is by taking a day trip from Lisbon. There are many organized day trips.
Yes, absolutely! Cascais is not only one of the easiest day trips from Lisbon, but it's a gorgeous, relaxed resort town in its own right. If you're looking for beautiful ocean views, a charming town center, and plenty of beaches, Cascais is absolutely worth visiting.
There are tours you can book that will take you around Sintra for the day (like this one), but I recommend making the trip independently if you can so you can see things at your own pace. Read on for all my tips for planning an epic day trip to Sintra on your own!
TIP: The best way to visit Sintra in just a day is by taking an organized tour from Lisbon. Half-day tours focus on just the main highlights of Sintra – usually two castles. The most popular day tours include not just Sintra, but also Cabo da Roca and Cascais. You can also opt for a private tour from Lisbon.
Don't be like me—wear sneakers, or at least sturdier sandals. Due to its altitude and location closer to the coast, Sintra is often chillier than Lisbon, which was definitely the case when we visited. I recommend dressing in layers, and bringing a light jacket or sweater.
Even though magnificent royal residences in the Romantic style are often to be found in 19th and 20th century Europe, Sintra is a pioneer work of European romanticism, bringing together its incredible botanical richness and a diversity of monuments and buildings from a long period of history.
In Sintra, you can get around by walking, by bus, or by taxi. If you're just in Sintra for 24 hours, walking will take up too much time. With that amount of time, it's best to take the train from Lisbon to Sintra, and then use Sintra's bus lines or taxis to get around. There are two bus routes you'll use in Sintra.
An alternative option is to follow the Caminho de Santa Maria footpath, which leads uphill from the historic centre of Sintra to the Castelo dos Mouros and Pena Palace. Be warned, this is a very steep hill and a demanding 55-minute hike, which can be very tiring in the heat of summer.
A castle ? Pena Palace ? sits very high up on the hill above Sintra. So high, it's not easily seen from town. Constructed in the 1800s, it's considered one of the world's great examples of Romantic architecture. Up on that same hill, there is an 10th century fortified wall and battlement built by the Moors.
El Palacio da Pena is the most famous of all the castles in Sintra, and the one you'll see on all the Portugal guidebook photos. The brightly coloured red and yellow towers are visible from all around Sintra, as this castle is high on the hillside and the gardens include the highest point in Sintra.
This is a traditional and charming Portuguese fishing town, which has responsibly developed into a popular resort town. Historically, Cascais was the summer retreat of the Portuguese nobility, and today the town is an elegant fusion of its illustrious heritage, with the expectations of the modern tourist.
Cascais is one of the towns in Portugal with the best quality of life. Not only is it a beautiful coastal town, but it is also surrounded by green parks and forests. Being able to breathe fresh air and stroll in the many parks is said to be one of the secrets of the longevity and happiness of the Cascalenses.