5 Tips & Tricks to Visit Sintra

Sintra is one of the most popular destinations around Lisbon.
Sintra became the center of the romantic architecture in Europe, in the 17th and 18th hundreds.
In 1995, UNESCO classified Sintra as World Heritage Site. It was the first time a region was classified ALL as one, due to it’s magnificent palaces and castles.

I was born in Sintra, and I’m very familiar with all changes happening recently.

Here are 5 Tips & Tricks to Visit Sintra:

1.  Avoid bringing your car, hire a private guide with authorized transportation, here or here
   (rental vehicles are not allowed to reach certain areas of Sintra.)
2. Make sure to arrive early. Leaving Lisbon around 8h30AM and getting to Pena Palace by 9h15AM, will ensure a smooth start and beat the late morning crowds. (Sintra gets busy during the day, so plan in advance to visit Pena Palace early in the morning)
3. Don’t think you can see everything in one day. Explore only the best highlights. Article with highlights here
   (Sintra has a lot to see. There are many articles stating you can see everything in one day, and that’s impossible unless rushing)
4. Have lunch out of the center. The historical village gets busy during lunchtime.
   (Head to the coast of Sintra, for a relaxed lunch, away from the crowds)
5. Combine Sintra with Cascais. While Sintra gets busy during the day, escape to Cascais in the afternoon for a good balance during the day.
   (The fisherman village of Cascais is perfect for the end of the day)

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Gonzalo

Founder & Owner at The Lisbon Guide

20 Years Experience
Travel Advisor & Passionate for Portugal

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Passionate traveler, travel planner, private tour guide, and travel article writer in Portugal.
Owner of The Lisbon Guide with more than 250.000 pages visited every year (5 million views in 12 years)
 
I'm based in Lisbon/Portugal and experienced in travel planning, tour guiding, and entrepreneurship since 1996, and guiding customers for over 20 years across Portugal. Helping customers from all over the world, planning their stay in Portugal. I'm also an avid TripAdvisor user level 6 with more than 300.000 readers worldwide, assisting thousands of travelers yearly to plan their perfect trip.

*Disclaimer: All articles on this website express solely my opinion, and some services can be provided directly by myself, or through any partner.

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