Discovering Sintra: A Family Adventure in Portugal

Sintra? How many of you have heard of it? We hadn’t either until we started planning our trip to Lisbon. Nestled in the scenic central mountains of Portugal, Sintra is unlike any other town we’ve visited. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, it’s one of the most popular attractions in Portugal.

When we stumbled across Sintra during our trip planning, the picture of Pena Palace caught our eye. We knew we had to visit, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions we made. Visiting Sintra with our kids became one of our favorite day trips.

Planning Your Day in Sintra with Kids

The first thing to know if you’re planning a day in Sintra with kids is that it involves a lot of walking. We racked up eight miles, despite hopping on and off buses, and still couldn’t fit everything into a single day. Depending on your kids’ ages and interests, it’s worth deciding what tops your list and what’s realistic. Here are some tips on how to get around Sintra and what order to visit the different sites.

Our Day Trip Highlights

Pena Palace

If you have limited time in Sintra, the one place you can’t miss is the colorful Pena Palace. With its bright domes and fairy tale turrets, the castle stands atop a hill in the Sintra Mountains above the town. On a clear day, it can be seen from Lisbon and much of its metropolitan area. As a national monument and one of the major expressions of 19th-century Romanticism, the palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal.

To enter the palace, you need to book a date and timeslot. You can book tickets on Tique or GetYourGuide, which include entry to the Chalet of the Countess of Edla too. We recommend booking the earliest slot, but make sure you arrive on time, especially if you’re traveling with kids.

Pena Park

The surrounding park of the colorful Pena Palace is packed with exotic plants and charming little coves perfect for romantic moments. If you prefer to enjoy the park without entering the palace, you can buy a ticket just for Pena Park on Tique. However, we highly recommend visiting both the palace and the park. You can explore the park by following the main route or specific trails. For children, it becomes an exciting adventure as they try to find all the spots on the map.

Castelo dos Mouros (Moorish Castle)

The walk from Pena Palace to the Castle of the Moors is quick and easy. From the main entrance of Pena Park and Palace, it’s just a few hundred meters away. You’ll see the brown ticket building on your right. Just like Pena Palace, it’s much faster to buy your ticket online in advance if you haven’t already bought the combined ticket for the Park and Pena Palace in Sintra + Castle of the Moors. If you haven’t bought them online, you can pick them up at the machine by the little café before you head inside.

Along the way between the ticket building and the castle, there’s a small museum showcasing finds from archaeological digs over the years. You’ll also see evidence of the people who once lived on this hillside centuries ago, including grain silos hollowed out in the rock.

Explore Sintra Town

After visiting the Moorish Castle, you have four choices to get to the town center: bus, Tuk Tuk, Uber, or walking. Each option takes roughly 30 minutes. We decided to walk, which might not have been the best idea given the amount of walking we’d already done.

Sintra Myths and Legends

Located in Sintra’s town center, not far from the National Palace, this interactive walk-through experience tells the history of Sintra. It’s a short visit, but Sintra Myths and Legends is one of the cheapest things to do in Sintra with kids (under-sixes are free). It’s a fun way to learn some background with holograms and 4D experiences. Plus, if you have a Lisbon Card, you can enter for free.

Dinner and More to Explore

After a long day, we were all tired and decided to have dinner in Sintra before heading back to Lisbon. There are many more things to do in Sintra, such as:

Chalet and Garden of the Countess of Edla
Palacio Nacional (National Palace of Sintra)
Monserrate Palace
Quinta da Regaleira

Sintra is a town rich in history and charm, offering a perfect blend of adventure and relaxation. Whether you’re exploring with kids or on your own, there’s always something new to discover. Happy travels!

How to Get to Sintra with Kids

Transport is definitely one of the trickiest parts of a day in Sintra with kids. Here are some options, along with their pros and cons.

By Taxi (or Car)

We chose the easiest and most viable option for us: taking a taxi from our hotel in Lisbon. It cost us around €30 – €40. Since there were five of us, we needed a bigger taxi. You could probably get there for less than €30 if you can all fit into a normal taxi.

If you rent a car, you can also drive to Sintra from Lisbon and the coast. However, you’ll need to arrive early to have any chance of finding a parking space, especially in peak season. There’s 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 buses and tuk-tuks 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 Train

The simplest way to visit Sintra from Lisbon is by train. Trains depart from various stations across the city, including the centrally located Rossio, as well as Oriente at Parque das Nações, Entrecampos, and Sete Rios (near Lisbon Zoo).

If you’re staying in central Lisbon, Rossio station is the most convenient. The journey takes about 40 minutes, with trains running every 30 minutes on weekdays and hourly on weekends, making a day trip to Sintra very easy.

By Tour

You can also take day tours of Sintra with kids, with some tours including visits to Cascais and Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe. Both destinations are well worth visiting, but since you can easily spend more than a day in Sintra alone, I wouldn’t recommend trying to fit too much into one trip. Here are some tours:

Tips for Visiting Sintra

Wear comfortable shoes: You’ll be doing a lot of walking.
Plan your route: Decide which attractions are must-sees and plan your day accordingly.
Book tickets in advance: This saves time and ensures you get to see the main attractions.
Take breaks: There are plenty of spots to rest and enjoy the scenery.

Sintra is a magical place that offers a perfect blend of history, architecture, and natural beauty. Whether you’re traveling with kids or exploring on your own, it’s a destination that shouldn’t be missed. Happy travels