Sintra Trip Overview
Discover 2 fascinating regions in Portugal with our 2-day program.
All tours start in Lisbon at 09:00
This opportunity will give them a day to enjoy the village of Sintra with its various monuments, classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, passing through Cabo da Roca, being the westernmost point in Continental Europe, and ending with a visit to the village of Cascais, a charming tourist town, surrounded by elegant sandy beaches.
On the second day we continue to discover Portugal enjoying the wonders of the city of Lisbon, one of the oldest capitals in the world, and the oldest in Western Europe.
Visiting squares, several monuments, viewpoints and historic neighborhoods are part of the experience.
Travel in our vehicles with air conditioning, wi-fi and mineral water.
In order to better serve our customers, and make our private tours more pleasant and personalized, we flex the time in each location as you wish, according to a schedule of the day with our driver.
Additional Info
* Duration: 2 days
* Starts: Sintra, Portugal
* Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Sintra, Central Portugal, Portugal
Discover 2 fascinating regions in Portugal with our 2-day program.
All tours start in Lisbon at 09:00
This opportunity will give them a day to enjoy the village of Sintra with its various monuments, classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, passing through Cabo da Roca, being the westernmost point in Continental Europe, and ending with a visit to the village of Cascais, a charming tourist town, surrounded by elegant sandy beaches.
On the second day we continue to discover Portugal enjoying the wonders of the city of Lisbon, one of the oldest capitals in the world, and the oldest in Western Europe.
Visiting squares, several monuments, viewpoints and historic neighborhoods are part of the experience.
Travel in our vehicles with air conditioning, wi-fi and mineral water.
In order to better serve our customers, and make our private tours more pleasant and personalized, we flex the time in each location as you wish, according to a schedule of the day with our driver.
Itinerary
Day 1: Sintra Cabo da Roca and Cascais
Stop At: Castelo dos Mouros, Estrada da Pena Parque de Monserrate, Sintra 2710-609 Portugal
Moorish Castle – Sintra
Monuments
Skirting two Sintra mountain ranges, the Moorish Castle dates back to the early days of the Moorish occupation of the Peninsula – the eighth century.
After many attempts, was finally taken by Dom Afonso Henriques first king of Portugal in 1147, and was built the first Christian Chapel of the city, dedicated to St. Peter of Penaferrim.
In the romantic period, in 1860, the walls were restored under the supervision of Dom Fernando II, husband of Dona Maria II, who wooded the surrounding areas, and gave a new dignity to the ancient medieval ruins. Noteworthy is the Moorish Cistern inside and the so-called Royal Tower.
Located about 3.5 km from the historic center of Sintra.
Stop At: Park and National Palace of Pena, Estrada da Pena, Sintra 2710-609 Portugal
Park and National Palace of Pena
Museums and Palaces
Pena National Palace
Visit the fantastic Pena Palace exponent of 19th century Romanticism in PortugalSet on the top of Monte da Pena, the palace was built on the site of a former monastery. Built by D. Fernando de Saxe Coburg-Gotha, who married Queen Dona Maria II in 1836. After falling in love with Sintra, he decided to buy the convent and surrounding lands to build a summer palace for the royal family.
A restaurant has been installed in one of the palace wings, with a terrace offering a beautiful panoramic view over the Sintra Mountains and the coast.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Centro Historico de Sintra, Sintra 2710-616 Portugal
Sintra village from the municipal heritage to the world heritage, properly classified by UNESCO, visit the historical center of the romantic village of Sintra, many buildings and remains of various periods and cultural movements remain.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Sintra National Palace, Largo Rainha Dona Amelia, Sintra 2710-616 Portugal
Sintra National Palace
Museums and Palaces
The Sintra National Palace is unique among the royal medieval palaces in Portugal and the most distinguished building in the village of Sintra.
From the first dynasties of the country, Sintra was one of the favorite places of Portuguese kings and queens, although the palace we can see today was an initiative of Dom João I, who rebuilt it, and Dom Manuel I, which enriched the building’s decorative character. and added a new wing.
Visit the interior of the palace, where you will surely discover a little more about the history of Portugal. The decoration is quite remarkable, being a combination of various artistic styles that depended on the respective tastes of the kings who lived here, and designed to give the various rooms different names. In particular, it draws visitors’ attention to the Swan Room, the Armory Room, the Magpie or the Reading Room and the chapel.
Stop At: Quinta da Regaleira, Rua Barbosa do Bocage, Sintra 2710-567 Portugal
Palace and Quinta da Regaleira
Museums and Palaces
Very close to the historic center of Sintra is Quinta da Regaleira, one of the most enigmatic sights of Sintra.
Quinta da Regaleira was built in the early twentieth century by millionaire Antonio Augusto Carvalho Monteiro (1848-1920), who managed to realize one of his dreams here with the help of scenographic architect Luigi Manini (1848-1936). Surrounded by lush greenery, Palácio da Regaleira is a fascinating discovery.
The palace was built in a romantic revivalist style, imitating Gothic, Manueline and Renaissance architectural and decorative forms, mixed with mythical and esoteric symbolism.
A special mention is reserved for the Holy Trinity Chapel, where visitors can take a spiral staircase down to the crypt to discover the monumental initiation pit that, deep down, leads through a cave to an amazing lake hidden in the middle of the gardens. .
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: Palacio de Monserrate, R. Visc. de Monserrate, Sintra 2710-591 Portugal
Museums and Palaces
Park and Palace of Monserrate
This fantastic Romantic park was created by William Beckford, who fell in love with the Sintra Mountain.
Stop At: Estrada Cabo da Roca, Colares 2705-001 Portugal
Cabo da Roca
Other
If you go to Sintra, don’t miss the chance to visit the westernmost point of mainland Europe, Cabo da Roca.
Located at latitude 38º 47´north and longitude 9º 30´west, Cabo da Roca is an important coordinate for those sailing along the coast, as it is the most westerly point of mainland Europe, a fact borne out by the certificates that visitors take away as a souvenir.
Around 150 metres above the sea, here you can have a panoramic view over the Serra de Sintra and the coast, which makes it worth the visit.
Historical records indicate that there was a fort on Cabo da Roca in the 17th century that played an important part in guarding the entrance to Lisbon’s harbour, forming a defensive line along the coast, especially during the Peninsular Wars. Today there are only traces, as well as the lighthouse which is still an important point for navigation.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Boca do Inferno, Northern section of Cascais, Cascais 2750-642 Portugal
Boca do Inferno is located on the Costa da Guia, west of the village of Cascais, in Portugal.
The name “Boca do Inferno” attributed to this place is due to the morphological analogy and the tremendous and frightening impact of the waves that make themselves felt there.
The characteristic that makes up the rock in the cliff is of carbonated nature. The erosion exerted by the action of rainwater that, containing dissolved carbon dioxide, causes the dissolution of the carbonate. Through this process cavities and caves are formed inside the limestones.
It may well have been an old grotto. With the abasement of the upper layers the cave will have been destroyed, leaving an enormous cavity in the open.
With unique characteristics, it is a place of leisure, where you can enjoy a divine landscape and magnificent sunsets, being only overshadowed by not rare suicides committed in its dangerous and unprotected cliff.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Cascais, Cascais, Lisbon District, Central Portugal
Cascais
Towns and Villages
Situated close to the sea and traditionally a fishing village, Cascais enjoyed an important period of development in the 14th century, when it was a major stopping off point for boats on their way to Lisbon, turning it into a very busy port at that time.
It was, however, in the second half of the 19th century, when sea bathing became a popular activity, that Cascais was given the impetus that transformed it into a very fashionable summer resort. The great driving force behind this transformation was the king of Portugal, Dom Luís I, who, in 1870, converted the Fortaleza da Cidadela into the summer residence of the Portuguese monarchy.
Duration: 30 minutes
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
Day 2: Lisbon
Stop At: Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, Praca do Imperio Belém, Lisbon 1400-206 Portugal
Mosteiro dos Jerónimos
Monuments
On the banks of the Tagus is an apogee of Manueline architecture.
In the spot where the Jerónimos Monastery stands today, next to the old Belém beach, was originally a small hermitage dedicated to Santa Maria that had been built by the Infante D. Henrique, in 1452. At the start of the 16th century King Manuel I’s intention to have a large monastery erected there was acknowledged by the Holy See, and which was donated to the Order of the Friars of St. Jerome. The epitome of Manueline architecture and intrinsically linked to the Discoveries, this monastery is the most remarkable Portuguese monastic ensemble of its time and one of the main European churches.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Torre de Belem, Avenida Brasilia – Belem, Lisbon 1400-038 Portugal
Torre de Belém
Monuments
The harmony and delicate ornamentation of the Tower of Belém suggests a finely cut jewel to all laying eyes on her. a formidable and imposing bastion defending the entrance to the Tagus and capable of combining firepower with the St Sebastian tower on the other bank of the river. Its construction was ordered by king Manuel I (1495-1521) and it was built by Francisco de Arruda between 1514 and 1521. The tower was built on a basalt island that was close to the right bank of the Tagus in front of Restelo beach. However, with the gradual change in the course of the river, the tower has ended practically swallowed up by the bank.
In 1983, the Tower of Belém was classified World Heritage by UNESCO
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Lisbon District, Lisbon District, Central Portugal
Pastéis de Belém
At the beginning of the Nineteenth Century, in Belém, next to Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (the Heironymite Monastery) there was a sugar cane refinery attached to a small general store. As a result of the 1820 liberal revolution, all convents and monasteries in Portugal were shut down in 1834, the clergy and labourers expelled.
In an attempt at survival, someone from the monastery offered sweet pastries for sale in the shop; pastries that rapidly became known as ‘Pastéis de Belém’.
At that period the area of Belém was considered far from the city of Lisbon and mainly accessed by steam-boats. At the same time, the grandeur of the monastery and the Torre de Belém (the Belém Tower) attracted visitors who soon grew used to savouring the delicious pastries originated in the monastery.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Padrao dos Descobrimentos Avenida Brasilia Belem, Lisbon 1400-038 Portugal
Padrão dos Descobrimentos
Monuments
The imposing Monument to the Discoveries stamps its mark on the riverside at Belém. It was designed in 1940 to commemorate the “Exposition of the Portuguese World”, promoted by the Salazar government to celebrate the eighth and third centenaries of the founding and restoration of the Portuguese nation (1140 and 1640 respectively). However, it was only built in 1960 for commemorations marking 500 years since the death of Prince Henry the Navigator.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Parque Eduardo VII, Av. Sidonio Pais, Lisbon 1070-051 Portugal
Parque Eduardo VII
Gardens, Parks and Forests
The Eduardo VII Park lies in the north from Avenida da Liberdade, and offers panoramic views over the city. Originally known as Parque da Liberdade, the gardens were rechristened with the name of the British King Edward VII on his visit to Lisbon in 1903.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Se de Lisboa, Largo da Se, Lisbon 1100-585 Portugal
Sé Catedral de Lisboa
Monuments
Dedicated to the Mother of God since 1147.
Dedicated to the Mother of God, Lisbon Cathedral is one of the city’s gems and one of the most significant monuments in the country, due to its historical, religious and artistic value. Its construction began in 1147, when the first king of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques, reconquered the city from the Moors. It was built on a Muslim mosque – which in turn, as the archaeological excavations confirmed, had been built on a previous Visigothic Christian temple.
Duration: 30 minutes
Pass By: Miradouro de Santa Luzia, Largo de Santa Luzia Alfama, Lisbon 1100-487 Portugal
The Mirador de Santa Luzia has a wide view over Alfama and the Tagus River. The characteristic points, from left to right, are the dome of Santa Engrácia, the Church of Santo Estêvão and the two white towers of the Church of São Miguel.
The south wall of Santa Luzia has two modern panels of tiles, one of the Praça do Comércio before the earthquake and another with the Christians attacking the castle of St. George by António Quaresma and manufactured at the Lamego Widow Factory.
Here is the Church of Santa Luzia and São Brás, head of the old commendation of St. Brás of the Lisbon term and current national seat of the Assembly of Portuguese Knights of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
Stop At: Rossio Square, Praca Dom Pedro IV, Lisbon 1100-026 Portugal
Rossio Square
Reborn out of the wreckage of the 1755 earthquake, this lovely Lisbon square marks the northern reach of the Pombaline Downtown. It stretches out in a quadrilateral form dominated by the neo-classical harmony of the D. Maria II Theatre, built on the site of the former House of the Inquisition.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Miradouro da Senhora do Monte, Largo do Monte, Lisbon 1170-253 Portugal
Mirador de Senhora do Monte is located in the parish of São Vicente (Graça), in Lisbon.
The belvedere develops in front of the Chapel of Our Lady of the Mount. From it you can see, to the south, the sea of the Straw, the Castle of São Jorge, part of the Baixa of Lisbon and the estuary of the Tagus river, to the west, from the Bairro Alto to the Forestry Park of Monsanto and to the north , the valley of Avenida Almirante Reis.
Next to this belvedere is the small old Hermitage of Our Lady of Monte (classified as Property of Public Interest), founded in 1147 and consecrated to St. Gens, bishop who second the tradition here was martyred. It was in this ancient Monte de São Gens that D. Afonso Henriques installed the camp to conquer the city.
Duration: 30 minutes
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
