Sintra: Portugal’s Royal Wonderland
An Imagined Landscape. An Invented Paradise.
Go beyond the postcards.
Sintra’s mountain fortress guarded Portugal’s coast for hundreds of years. In the 19th century the Portuguese royalty shaped its mountaintop vistas into a kind of proto-Disneyland.
Today, forested palaces peek out amidst a painterly landscape. Somehow, it is both raw in its natural beauty, and also profoundly surreal.
Its mixture of royal mystique and medieval heritage makes Sintra one of the most-visited places in Portugal. Join us for a unique Sintra History Tour, that looks beneath Sintra’s vivid facade.
Tour Highlights
- Our “total package” Sintra experience: see all the best sites in one day!
- Delve into the past by climbing the 10th century “Moorish Castle,” one of Portugal’s oldest remaining Andalusian fortresses.
- Sample a “queijada“—a local delicacy made in Sintra since the 1700s.
- Explore Pena Palace, Sintra’s most famous palace, which features sweeping vistas of the countryside and the story of the last days of the Portuguese royal family.
- Visit the National Palace of Sintra, founded as an Andalusian royal retreat; vastly expanded in the 16th century to house Lisbon’s elite in the highest of styles.
An All-inclusive Private Tour
- Sintra History Tour Length: 9 hours (including transportation by train to/from Lisbon city center).
- We will meet you at your accommodation in Lisbon.
- Private fully-guided tours by a professional historian.
- Entry tickets for all attractions included in the tour, including three of Sintra’s famed palaces.
- A day ticket on the Sintra tourist-circuit bus and the Pena Palace transfer bus.
- Lunch at Pena Palace’s traditional Portuguese restaurant.
- Afternoon refreshments of coffee with regional specialty pastries.
Accessibility
Portugal can be challenging for people with mobility accessibility needs. We’re more than happy to tailor our tours in whatever ways we can. Click here for more information.
Looking for a custom-built experience?