Sintra in three days
Three days in Sintra at an easy pace: palaces, gardens, the forest and the coast, planned hour by hour with realistic walking and bus times.
- 11 stops
- From Sintra station at 09:30
- Balanced pace
- Walk, buses & shuttles
Photo: Jorge Franganillo · CC BY 2.0
Three days gives you time for most of what Sintra has to offer at an easy pace, from the hilltop palaces to the estates in the forest and the Atlantic coast. Each day starts at Sintra train station at 09:30.
Our planner builds the days below from the official opening hours and realistic walking and bus times. Without a date it assumes the shortest hours of the year; add yours for the exact hours.
Day 1
Day 1
4 stops · back by 17:16
- 09:30Arrive at Sintra train station
- Bus 434 + Walk · 1 h 2 min
- 11:00
Pena Palace & Park1 h 30 min visit · Pena & the hills - 12:30Lunch · 1 h
- Walk · 15 min
- 13:45
Cruz Alta15 min visit · Pena & the hills - Walk · 20 min
- 14:20
Chalet of the Countess of Edla30 min visit · Pena & the hills - Walk · 28 min
- 15:28
Moorish Castle1 h visit · Pena & the hills - Bus 434 · 38 min
- Singa Hitam · CC BY 2.0
1. Pena Palace & Park
11:00–12:30 · about 1 h 30 min · Pena & the hills
Built for King Ferdinand II in the 19th century, the palace crowns the Sintra hills with ochre and red towers, terraces and lavish rooms. The ticket also covers the park’s lakes and viewpoints and the Chalet of the Countess of Edla.
Tickets: book ahead. Palace entry is for a booked date and time: no late entry and no early entry. Allow about 30 minutes from the park gate to the palace.
Private cars can’t drive up to Pena: come by bus 434 or on foot. A park shuttle runs between the main gate and the palace every 15 minutes (extra ticket, bought in advance). Parques de Sintra says afternoons are currently quieter at the palace.
Opening hours: Palace 09:30–18:30, last ticket 17:30, last admission 18:00. Park 09:00–19:00.
Closed 24 Dec, 25 Dec, 1 Jan, 31 Dec (sources disagree).
From official sourceHours · checked 29 Oct 2026 · source - Vernaccia · CC BY 2.0
2. Cruz Alta
13:45–14:00 · about 15 min · Pena & the hills
A stone cross on a granite peak inside Pena Park, with a view across the palace to the sea. A short but steep climb.
Opening hours: Follows Pena Park: 09:00–19:00, last admission 18:00.
Closed 24 Dec, 25 Dec, 1 Jan, 31 Dec (sources disagree).
From official sourceHours · checked 29 Oct 2026 · source - Kent Wang · CC BY 4.0
3. Chalet of the Countess of Edla
14:20–14:50 · about 30 min · Pena & the hills
Built by King Ferdinand II and Elise Hensler, the Countess of Edla, with a garden of rare plants. It’s included in the Pena ticket.
Opening hours: Chalet 09:00–17:30, last admission 17:00. Its own gate closes 12:00–14:00.
Closed 24 Dec, 25 Dec, 1 Jan, 31 Dec (sources disagree).
From official sourceHours · checked 29 Oct 2026 · source - Volodymyr Vlasenko · CC BY-SA 3.0
4. Moorish Castle
15:28–16:28 · about 1 h · Pena & the hills
A fortress first built in the Moorish period and restored in the 19th century. Walking the battlements is steep and exposed, and rewards you with views over Pena, the town and the coast.
The castle’s cafés are temporarily closed: bring water and a snack.
Opening hours: 09:30–18:00, last admission 17:30.
Closed 24 Dec, 25 Dec, 1 Jan, 31 Dec (sources disagree).
From official sourceHours · checked 29 Oct 2026 · source
Day 2
Day 2
4 stops · back by 16:00
- 09:30Arrive at Sintra train station
- Walk · 13 min
- 09:53
Historic centre45 min visit · Historic centre - Walk · 12 min
- 11:00
Biester Palace & Park1 h 15 min visit · Historic centre - Walk · 13 min
- 12:38
Sintra Natural History Museum45 min visit · Historic centre - 13:23Lunch · 1 h
- Walk · 2 min
- 14:35
National Palace of Sintra1 h visit · Historic centre - Walk · 15 min
- Kent Wang · CC BY 4.0
1. Historic centre
09:53–10:38 · about 45 min · Historic centre
Wander the steep streets of the old town and try Sintra’s traditional pastries, travesseiros and queijadas. Easy to combine with the National Palace.
Driving in the historic centre is limited to residents.
Opening hours: Public streets; shops and cafés keep their own hours.
EstimateHours - Kent Wang · CC BY 4.0
2. Biester Palace & Park
11:00–12:15 · about 1 h 15 min · Historic centre
An elegant 19th-century Romantic chalet in a five-hectare park with a grotto, waterfalls, viewpoints and a tea house. Privately owned, it opened to the public in 2022 after restoration, and its viewpoints look across to the Moorish Castle and Pena.
Privately run, so it isn’t part of the Parques de Sintra monuments or their combined tickets. There’s no parking on site.
Opening hours: Apr–Sep 09:00–19:00, Oct–Mar 10:00–18:30, last entry an hour before closing; the palace’s own website agrees. No closing days are published.
From official sourceHours · checked 30 Oct 2026 · source - GualdimG · CC BY-SA 4.0
3. Sintra Natural History Museum
12:38–13:23 · about 45 min · Historic centre
Housed in an 1893 building in the historic centre, it shows the collection donated by Miguel and Fernanda Barbosa: more than 10,000 fossils, including trilobites and dinosaur specimens, plus minerals and the Nantan meteorite.
Opening hours: Tue–Fri 10:00–18:00, Sat–Sun 12:00–18:00; closed Mondays and public holidays. Last entry 17:00 per Parques de Sintra, 17:30 per the council.
Closed on Mondays · Closed 1 Jan, 25 Apr, 1 May, 10 Jun, 5 Oct, 1 Nov, 1 Dec, 8 Dec, 25 Dec, 29 Jun (sources disagree), 15 Aug (sources disagree).
From official sourceHours · checked 30 Oct 2026 · source - Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0
4. National Palace of Sintra
14:35–15:35 · about 1 h · Historic centre
Home to Portuguese royalty for centuries, it’s known for its conical kitchen chimneys and some of the country’s finest tiled rooms. It sits right in the historic centre, so it’s easy to fit in.
Opening hours: 09:30–18:30, last admission 17:30.
Closed 24 Dec, 25 Dec, 1 Jan, 31 Dec (sources disagree).
From official sourceHours · checked 29 Oct 2026 · source
Day 3
Day 3
3 stops · back by 17:42
- 09:30Arrive at Sintra train station
- Bus 1253 · 23 min
- 10:03
Quinta da Regaleira1 h 45 min visit · Historic centre - 12:00Lunch · 1 h
- Bus 435 · 23 min
- 13:33
Monserrate Palace & Gardens1 h 30 min visit · Monserrate & the forest - Bus 1253 · 45 min
- 15:58
Cabo da Roca30 min visit · The coast - Bus 1253 · 1 h 4 min
- Kent Wang · CC BY 4.0
1. Quinta da Regaleira
10:03–11:48 · about 1 h 45 min · Historic centre
An early-20th-century estate full of symbolism, created for António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro. Spiral down the Initiation Well, follow the tunnels and explore the gardens, palace and chapel.
Tickets: book ahead. Tickets are for a date and time, with entry up to 1 hour after it. The only authorised seller is the official Blueticket shop.
The Waterfall Path is currently closed.
Opening hours: Oct–Mar 10:00–18:30, Apr–Sep 09:00–19:30, last entrance 17:30; the official ticket shop’s last slot is 16:30. Palace and chapel close 30 min before the gardens.
Closed 1 Jan, 24 Dec, 25 Dec, 31 Dec.
From official sourceHours · checked 29 Oct 2026 · source - Jocelyn Erskine-Kellie · CC BY-SA 2.0
2. Monserrate Palace & Gardens
13:33–15:03 · about 1 h 30 min · Monserrate & the forest
Its domes and carved stone blend Gothic, Indian and Moorish styles, set in gardens planted with species from around the world. Quieter than Pena, and a little out of town.
Roof restoration on the palace until early 2027 (scaffolding). Parques de Sintra recommends that drivers come via Colares while road works last.
Opening hours: Palace 09:30–18:00, last admission 17:30. Park 09:00–19:00; its last ticket is given as 17:30 on one official page and 18:00 on another; we use 17:30.
Closed 24 Dec, 25 Dec, 1 Jan, 31 Dec (sources disagree).
From official sourceHours · checked 29 Oct 2026 · source - Olga1969 · CC BY 4.0
3. Cabo da Roca
15:58–16:28 · about 30 min · The coast
Wind-blown cliffs, a lighthouse and a monument marking the edge of the continent. The open cape is a public area; the lighthouse courtyard has its own hours.
Opening hours: Open public area; no official hours for the cape itself.
EstimateHours
Before you go
- Sites can close at short notice. Parques de Sintra closes forest sites (Pena, Moorish Castle, Monserrate, Capuchos) on high fire-risk days and in extreme weather. Check their notices on the day. Details
Questions people ask
- What can I do in Sintra in three days?
- See the main palaces and gardens without rushing, and add places that shorter trips leave out. The plan above shows one way to split them; you can change any stop in the planner.
- Do I need a car for three days in Sintra?
- Not for the town and the hills: walks and bus 434 cover them, and private cars can’t drive up to Pena. For longer hops, the planner can also include taxis or ride-hailing if you choose that option.
- Do I need to book tickets in advance?
- For Pena Palace, yes: tickets are for a booked date and entry time, with no late and no early entry, according to Parques de Sintra. Quinta da Regaleira also sells tickets for set entry times. Each stop above links to its official ticket page.
Make it yours.
Add your travel date for exact opening hours, pick the places you care about and choose your pace. It’s free and takes about a minute.
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