One day in Sintra with kids – day trip from Lisbon

While Lisbon is one of my favourite cities, visiting Sintra with kids is one of my favourite day trips from the city when I’m in Portugal – a magical spot that’s unlike anywhere else.

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From the technicolour confection that is the Pena Palace, its bright splashes of yellow and tiles glinting under the blue sky, to the ornate decorations hidden under the quirky white pepperpot towers of the National Palace, the forbidding grey stone of the Moorish castle clinging to the hillside and the fairytale wonderland of Quinta da Regaleira with its towers and tunnels, it’s easy to believe you’ve left the real world behind.

Once the royal family’s summer retreat, this Unesco World Heritage site really is unmissable – but with so much to tempt, so many places to fit in, here are my tips if you have just one day in Sintra with kids.

Need to know: visiting Sintra with kids

The first thing to know if you’re planning a day in Sintra with kids is that it’s likely to involve a lot of walking (we racked up eight miles, despite hopping repeatedly onto a bus) and you still can’t fit everything in to a single day.

So depending how old your kids are and what’s likely to appeal most, it’s worth deciding what tops your list, what’s realistic (especially with younger kids) and then making a plan – I’ve got tips on everything from how to get around Sintra to what order to visit the different sites in.

If you’re visiting Sintra with younger kids, a lot of the town really is not buggy friendly so a baby carrier is a better choice: as well as steep hills, you’ll find uneven surfaces, roads where the pavement disappears, uneven surfaces and old buildings not designed with babies and toddlers in mind.

With older kids, consider this self-guided treasure hunt of Sintra to entertain them on the walk. You can also pick up a Sintra travel notebook to plan your day and use as a journal to capture what you saw.

It’s a very easy day trip from Lisbon, so if you had the time, you could visit twice (or spend the night) but you’ll struggle to fit much in if you allow yourself less than a day in Sintra with kids.

Check out my complete guide to Portugal with kids here

When to visit Sintra

Set high in the hills, one of Sintra’s biggest attractions was that it was a cooler retreat for the royal family – which means that when temperatures peak in Lisbon, it’s often more pleasant here but you’ll also find clouds when the city is bathed in sunshine.

However, it can still get very hot in summer and the crowds are biggest during peak season.

Shoulder season – around April/May and September/October – is often your best chance of getting blue skies without quite as many other visitors.

Outside those times, there’s more chance of a grey day but it’s also cooler if you’re walking from place to place. I’ve visited in glorious sunshine in November, cloud in February and a hazy day in August before now though!

Where to visit in Sintra with kids

I’ve never managed to visit more than three attractions in Sintra in one day – and even that factored in a pretty full day exploring, a nine-year-old’s energy levels, relatively quiet visitor numbers in February post-pandemic, and packing a picnic (less fun than eating out but also a lot quicker).

I wouldn’t advise trying to pack in more than this – it might be possible, but you’ll be rushing between sites, so better to do a few in more depth. Or spend longer than one day in Sintra, of course!

For places to stay in Sintra with kids, check out these hotels from booking.com

Personally I think the Pena Palace is unmissable – if you see nowhere else, make it this colourful fairytale fantasy of a building.

The Castelo dos Mouros is nearby, so easy to combine. There are some steep slopes and lots of walking, but this 8th century fortress is a ‘proper castle’ as my daughter described it, perfect for inspiring thoughts of knights, quests, adventure and very possibly dragons.

Quinta da Regaleira made up our third choice for our recent day in Sintra. It’s slightly further to get to than somewhere like the National Palace in the centre of Sintra itself, but its fairytale feel and magical touches mean it’s perfect to see with kids.

Or explore Sintra town, with a visit to the National Palace as well as wandering the old streets to soak up the atmosphere

Read on to see more detail about each of these attractions and the other sights to consider in Sintra with kids

What ticket do you need for one day in Sintra?

There’s no official ‘Sintra pass’ unlike in Lisbon, but you can often buy ticket bundles which could save money on your visit.

This Lisbon-Sintra pass option includes entry to the Pena Palace, as well as transport between Lisbon and Sintra (although not within Sintra), and a Lisboa Card for up to 72h, plus two audio guides.

Alternatively, if you already have a Lisboa card, you get a discount on entry to the Pena Palace, National Palace, Quinta da Regaleira and Castelo dos Mouros of between 10 and 20% each – that does mean you can’t prebook tickets though.

You can also use your Lisboa card for free travel between Lisbon and Sintra. As the cards are valid for 24/48/72h from first activation, we timed ours so that it was still valid for the train out to Sintra before expiring rather than wasting a day’s validity while we were in Sintra for fairly small savings.

Tickets to the individual attractions are also available in advance, often with discounts, from sites like Tiqets and Get Your Guide.

For details of how to get to Sintra and between the different sights, scroll down

How to get to Sintra with kids

Transport is definitely one of the trickiest parts of a day in Sintra with kids, especially if you visit during the busy summer months, with pros and cons to each option.

By train

By far the easiest way to visit, if you’re coming from Lisbon, is to take the train. These leave from several different stations across the city including Rossio, which is the most central, as well as Oriente at the Parque das Nacoes, Entrecampos and Sete Rios (near Lisbon Zoo).

If you’re staying in central Lisbon, Rossio station is the most convenient and trains take around 40 minutes, departing twice an hour on weekdays (hourly at weekends), making it a day trip to Sintra really easy.

Check the train times and ticket costs here

If you have a Navegante card (previously the Viva Viagem card) already from using Lisbon’s metro or buses (and aren’t using a Lisboa card for your train journey), bring this with you as your ticket can be loaded onto it, to save you buying another temporary card.

If you’re staying in Cascais or Estoril, it’s better to take the bus directly as otherwise you need to take a train to Lisbon before heading to Sintra by rail.

By car

You can also drive to Sintra from Lisbon and the coast, but you’ll need to arrive early to have any chance of finding a parking space (unless you’re very lucky) especially in peak season.

There’s also a one-way system around the town, and while it’s easy to follow, it’s also easy to get stuck in a queue of traffic behind the buses and tuktuks making their slow way along the twisting narrow roads up the hills.

If you do drive, it’s best to find somewhere to park for the day and leave the car, then look at other transport between attractions otherwise you risk spending a lot of time fruitlessly hunting for a parking space.

By tour

You can also take day tours of Sintra with kids – some combine the trip with time at Cascais and Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe. Both of which are well worth visiting, but as you can spend more than a day in Sintra alone, I wouldn’t recommend trying to cram any more in!

This full-day Sintra Highlights tour from Lisbon visits the Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira, as well as the Monserrate Palace, plus a chance to explore the town centre.

Getting around Sintra

Once you arrive in Sintra, you can also use public transport to explore Sintra, with several bus routes which run in a loop from the station. Turn left out of the station to find the bus stops, and you can use contactless credit/debit cards to buy your tickets as well as cash, or buy e-tickets.

The 434 route (Circuito da Pena) is the most useful, connecting the station with the town centre, the Moorish castle and Pena Palace. Buses are scheduled to run every 15 minutes (not always the case in real life!)

The 435 route travels through the town centre to Quinta da Regaleira and out to the Monserrate Palace, with buses due to run every 30 minutes.

A 24h hop-on hop-off ticket costs 12,50 Euros euros (for adults and kids aged 4+) and is valid for all Sintra’s routes – there are other ticket options for single journeys, but to be honest, it was so confusing to work out pricing – and given I guessed we’d be taking at least three journeys – that the day pass was by far the easiest.

If you’re staying a Cascais or Estoril, bus 417 and 418 connect Sintra with the coast and you can buy tickets which cover travel in Sintra as well as the journey to the town.

Bear in mind that even outside peak times, you can expect packed buses (depending where you get on) and sometimes long waits – walking between sites can be better, depending on the age of your kids.

It’s not far between the Castelo dos Mouros and Pena Palace, for example, with a little woodland trail between the two – take the bus to the Pena Palace and visit this first before it gets busy, then walk downhill to the Castle of the Moors and pick the bus up here before the crowds at the Pena Palace try to get on.

It is a longer trek from the town centre to Quinta da Regaleira, especially if it’s your last stop of the day, but if there is no bus 435 in sight, it is walkable.

Do allow plenty of time to catch the bus back in time for your train as well, especially if you need to buy tickets – while we had travelled out using our Lisboa cards, we needed to buy a return ticket and discovered the only ticket machine was out of order, so had to queue up, catching the train with only minutes to spare.

You’ll also see tuk tuks everywhere – the standard rate varies from as little as 5 euros per person for a single journey, more if you want to hire one for an hour or more, or you’ll also find tuk tuk sightseeing tours.

Some of the tuk tuk tour guides may also make arrangements to act as a personal driver for the day, dropping you at the various sights and arranging to pick you up later, which can work out better than constantly picking up a new ride. Bear in mind that younger kids may not be allowed to travel in them though.

Uber also operates in Sintra, although you may find that mobile reception and data is patchy up in the hills at times.

Pena Palace

If you see only one place in Sintra, it has to be the colourful Pena Palace, with its bright domes and fairytale turrets.

My daughter was only four the first time we visited and was just as mesmerised years later on our recent visit (as was I) – there’s quite simply no place like it.

On a sunny day, it’s particularly dramatic, the yellow and deep orange against the sky, the traditional azulejo tiles sparkling, and some spectacular views out from its hilltop perch.

Built as a summer retreat for the Portuguese royal family in the 19th century, it’s considered the finest example of the Portuguese Romanticism style, with its mix of influences from Islamic architecture to medieval and gothic elements.

In practice this means there’s always a new detail to spot wherever you look, from ornate gates to gargoyles, those eye-catching tiles and bright colours, plus the grandeur of the apartments inside.

Don’t miss the wall walk – or sentry walk – for the best views: hold on tight if you’re visiting Sintra with a toddler as there are some low walls though too.

Along the way, you’ll weave around the palace, wandering you into courtyards and past towers – the courtyard of the arches is one of my favourites where each visit I have a photo of my daughter looking out down the hillside.

As you head inside, the Manuelline cloister is another treasure trove of tiles and carvings.

And along the way, a peek behind the scenes of the palace, from the pantry and dining room to the luxurious bedrooms of the royal family, with lavish velvets and carved dark wood for the beds.

Along the way, there’s a glimpse of some of the valuable pieces owned by Portugal’s former kings and queens, but it’s the chance to spy those private rooms which would once have been off limits that I find especially fascinating.

Perhaps the most dramatic room of all has to be the Great Hall with its 70-candle chandelier and life-sized torchbearers, complete with turbans, holding up their own lights.

Once you’ve explored the palace, there are grounds of the Parque da Pena, with an impressive 200 acres complete with specially designed winding woodland paths.

You could easily spend all day at the Pena Palace and its grounds alone, venturing to the lake and wandering to the chalet along the way, as well as finding some of the final echoes of the monastery which once stood here – such as the Grotto of the Monk.

If time is limited, take a quick stroll through the gardens at least – it’s only a short detour on the path back to the entrance, plus you’ll see some of the grounds from the landscaped paths as you walk up to the palace. It’s a good place for a picnic too!

Pena Palace: Need to know

Tickets including the Palace and the Park are available in advance from Tiqets and Get Your Guide – these include entry to the Chalet of the Countess of Edla too.

To get from the main entrance and the ticket desks to the entrance to the Pena Palace itself involves a walk uphill, which takes at least 10 minutes (depending how fast you go).

Currently the official guidance says you need a time slot to go inside the palace, although you can explore the exterior and grounds before and afterwards on that date. We weren’t asked for one during our visit but best to go inside early to avoid queuing though.

There is also a shuttle bus which runs around every 15 minutes which can take you up the hill if you want to save your energy.

Castelo dos Mouros (Moorish Castle)

While the Pena Palace is the best known site in Sintra, the Moorish Castle – or Castelo dos Mouros – is the oldest.

Built between the 8th and 9th century, when Portugal was under the control of the Moors, it’s just a short walk from the lower Pena Park entrance – then another walk from the main road to the entrance to the castle proper.

Along the way, there’s a little museum with some of the finds from archaeological digs over the years, as well as other evidence of the people who once lived on this hillside centuries ago, including grain silos hollowed out in the rock.

Later, after the land was conquered by Afonso Henriques, the first King of Portugal, the town of Sintra was put under the control of the Knights Templar – but as the medieval population grew, and the town spread, it was no longer needed to defend Sintra.

Restored by King Ferdinand, at the same time as the Pena Palace was built, the snaking stone walls of the castle fortifications are the highlight of any visit.

Clinging to the slope as the first line of defence for the original fortress, you’ll be glad not to be wearing armour as you climb all the steps!

On a clear day, the views are incredible, right out to the Atlantic. But even on a cloudy day like our recent visit, there’s something very atmospheric about standing on the lonely stones as wisps of mist float across the countryside below.

It’s another one that’s better with slightly older kids – the sheer sides are not meant for toddlers, and the steps will definitely tax the leg muscles at times before you head back to the more open courtyard area.

With a deep cistern to help the inhabitants hold out against attack (and heat) – along with those silos – you can peer inside as well as seeing some of the other remains of the old buildings within the walls.

Castelo dos Mouros: Need to know

Tickets are available in advance from Tiqets. If you haven’t bought them online, pick them up at the machine by the little cafe before you head inside – there’s no ticket booth.

It’s easy to miss if there’s a crowd and the tickets themselves only get scanned at the entrance, so you’ll need to head all the way back to buy them otherwise (or walk up to the Pena Palace if the machine is out of order). It’s a lot easier to buy in advance, and have them downloaded on your phone or printed out.

The route from the main road to the castle also links to the walking paths back down to the town centre, if you choose to head down on foot rather than wait for the bus.

Alternatively, the bus stop is on the other side of the road. There are usually fewer people waiting to get on at this stop, but equally more people get off at the next stop so the buses can be very full.

If you want to pick up a tuk tuk back to Sintra town centre (Sintra Vila), head up to the Pena Palace where there are plenty waiting outside.

Quinta da Regaleira

Built at the start of the 20th century for a wealthy Portuguese businessman, Quinta da Regaleira is perhaps the most unusual attraction in a town crammed with unexpected gems.

While there’s a neo-Gothic house at the centre, it’s the gardens – and especially the quirky details hidden within them – which are the biggest draw.

As you wander past grottos and tunnels, with carvings and towers hidden among the trees and plants, little waterfalls and twisting stone steps tucked away to discover, the otherworldly atmosphere makes it easy to believe you’ve wandered into a parallel fairytale world.

The unmissable highlight is the 88ft deep Initiation Well – inspired by myths and legends, rather than being used for any particular initiation ceremonies (as far as we know), you spiral down the stone steps to the decorative Templar cross at the centre, before twinkling lights lead you off along a stone tunnel.

Turn one way, and you’ll find yourself behind a little cascade of water: venture the other and you leave this underground world behind, returning to the daylight among the lush plants.

We then spent an entertaining chunk of time trying to find our way back to the outside of the little waterfall, to cross over the bridge we’d spotted from the tunnel – with a string of wrong turns and serendipitous discoveries along the way.

Everywhere you turn there seems to be something new to spot – details inspired by mythology and classic literature, turrets which seems designed purely for trapping princesses

I’d hardly have been surprised if a dragon had emerged lazily from a tunnel or we’d seen a faun skipping happily across a hillside – away from the most popular corners, it was easy to believe that no-one else was around… and that we’d crossed into Faerie, or Narnia after the snow had melted, even Middle Earth.

By this stage, my daughter was flagging and our time was running out, otherwise we’d have hunted for more caves leading to the unfinished well and the stepping stones, as well as heading inside the house.

Quinta da Regaleira: Need to know

Tickets are available in advance as well as an option including a guided tour – a great way to ensure you don’t miss all the highlights if you have limited time, although otherwise it’s fun for kids to be able to explore at their own pace.

If you’re travelling around Sintra on the buses, route 435 stops just opposite the exit gate – the entrance is slightly further up the hill. Otherwise, it’s around a 20 minute walk (uphill) from the tourist information centre, close to the bus stop for route 434.

Palacio Nacional (National Palace of Sintra)

Compared to the colours of the Pena Palace, Sintra’s National Palace – or Palacio Nacional – looks positively restrained on the outside. It’s only the huge pepperpot towers which stand out on this comparatively minimalist white building.

But the exterior hides rooms fit for the royal family, from ornate decorated ceilings to impressive examples of tiles, as well as a few distinctly unexpected rooms inside the palace.

The only palace that spans the entire history of Portugal, the current buildings have been added to and adapted over the centuries but it’s believed the first was constructed while Sintra was still under Moorish rule with a record of one existing by the 13th century.

A favourite of medieval Portuguese monarchs, practically every one of the country’s kings and queens have spent some time here – as you explore, you can see the mix of architectural styles. Now a museum, recent renovation projects have opened up new areas as well.

Don’t forget to look up as you explore: the rooms are named for the decorations on the ceiling – swans in the Swan Room, ships in the Galleon room, a mermaid in the Mermaid room (once a wardrobe).

The most memorable is the magpie room, with 136 of the birds, each holding a rose in its mouth and the words ‘Por Bem’, the motto of King Joao I. The flowers are thought to be the symbol of the English house of Lancaster – the king’s wife was Philippa of Lancaster – but other stories have grown up to explain its inspiration.

One says that the king had given a rose to one of the queen’s ladies in waiting, before a magpie snatched it away. He excused himself by saying, ‘por bem’ – ‘for the good’ – and ordered the decoration with one magpie for each of the ladies in waiting at the court.

One of the most unexpected stories comes at the room of Afonso VI – kept prisoner in his bedchamber here after being deposed by his brother, following years in exile in the Azores.

His room still has iron bars, and for the nine years until his death, he was guarded by 300 soldiers.

Elsewhere, the Arab room with its fountain, was once the site of a tower which collapsed in the 1755 earthquake, while the tiled Water Grotto features water spouts from little holes in the wall.

National Palace of Sintra: Need to know

Tickets are available in advance from tiqets. It’s also free to enter the gardens.

This is often one of the less visited attractions in Sintra with kids, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by crowds but is probably better with older children.

Where else to visit in Sintra with kids

Explore Sintra town

Save some time to stroll through the centre of Sintra itself – wandering the narrow streets past colourful buildings, with the castles and palaces perched in the hills above, is like exploring a storybook village.

There are restaurants and cafes galore, along with little boutiques and souvenir shops: inevitably plenty are tourist traps, but it’s easy to amble down the side streets if it feels too much.

Keep an eye out for Casa Piriquita, where you can buy travesseiros pastries – made with puff pastry and almonds, they’re the traditional delicacy of Sintra (and you’ll need some energy for all that walking!)

You can also buy a self-guided city treasure hunt of Sintra with five stops to unlock challenges – starting at the Sintra Bliss hotel, it also takes you past the National Palace along the way, so a good way to make the walk more entertaining.

Monserrate Palace

The elaborate Monserrate Palace was actually built by an English millionaire in the 19th century – its grounds hold one of Portugal’s best botanic gardens, with exotic trees among the waterfalls and lakes.

The palace itself is an ornate mix of Indian and Gothic influences – anyone who’s been to Brighton can’t help but be reminded of the Royal Pavilion there – and the interior was restored in 2016.

The 435 bus route connects the palace with Quinta da Regaleira.

Sintra Myths and Legends

This interactive walk-through experience is set in Sintra’s town centre, not far from the National Palace, telling the history of Sintra.

It’s only a short visit, but Sintra Myths and Legends is one of the cheapest things to do in Sintra with kids (under-sixes are free) and it’s a fun way to give some background with holograms and 4D experiences.

If you’re visiting out of season (or run into bad weather in the hills), it’s also a good option for a rainy day in Sintra.

For more ideas of things to do in Portugal with kids, check out my top picks for Lisbon with kids, Belem, Porto, ideas for day trips in Northern Portugal, plus the Algarve

*First published 2022, last updated 2026*

Disclosure: We were given free entry to the Pena Palace, Castelo dos Mouros and Quinta da Regaleira for the purpose of review but paid for our own transport, and I’ve also previously paid for my own entry to Sintra’s attractions – all opinions on where to visit in Sintra with kids remain my own. This post contains affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission

Main image, National Palace interiors, view of Sintra in the sun/buildings on the hillside and Monserrate Palace courtesy of Depositphotos, all others copyright MummyTravels

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