Sintra City Guide
Sintra Tours, Priced Against the Gate and the Train
Sintra tours on this site run from a $13.85 castle ticket sold as a tour to a $98.11 e-bike ride, and the question that separates them is what the palace gates still charge on top. Most day tours from Lisbon do not include palace entry. The two coach days at $27.93 include tickets only on the options that say so, and Pena plus Regaleira at the official shops come to our sum $46.10 (€40). Against that stands the do-it-yourself day: a $5.88 (€5.10) CP train return, bus 434 up the hill and the tickets bought direct. This hub sorts every tour by length, prints the gate price beside it, and says when a tour earns its price. The tickets themselves are on Sintra tickets, the train on Lisbon to Sintra, and the whole trip on this independent guide to Sintra.
Quick answer Which tour, what it leaves out, and the train alternative
Most Sintra day tours from Lisbon sell transport and a guide, not palace entry. Of the cards on this site, only the small-group day with tickets says it includes Pena entry. A tour earns its price when it adds Cabo da Roca and Cascais by road, a small group, or a start already in Sintra. Otherwise the $5.88 (€5.10) train return and the official tickets do the same day.
Key takeaways
- The one card that includes Pena entry is the small-group day from Lisbon with tickets, listed at $78.48
- Already in Sintra, or happy to take the train? The 4-hour small-group tour from Sintra starts at Portela de Sintra
- The coach day to Pena, Regaleira, Cabo da Roca and Cascais is listed at $27.93, but entry is included only on the options that say so
- Doing it alone? The train, the stations and the fares are on Lisbon to Sintra
Every Sintra Tour on This Site, by Length, Beside the Gate Price
All fourteen cards, shortest first, with the listed price from each platform card and the official gate price that may still apply, from the Parques de Sintra and Quinta da Regaleira price lists.
| Tour | Length | Listed price | Gate price on top | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pena Palace and Park entrance ticket | Not stated | $14.00 | None, but it is the park only. The palace interior is the $23.10 (€20) Essential ticket | Walking the park with an audio tour |
| Castle of the Moors skip-the-line ticket | Not stated | $13.85 | None | The castle with an audio guide and the ride up |
| Quinta da Regaleira skip-the-line ticket | 1h 20m | $31.16 | None | Regaleira with the commentary booked ahead |
| Óbidos walking tour | 2 hours | $40.40 | Not stated | A guided walk in the walled village |
| Half-day small group from Sintra | 4 hours | $75.02 | Not stated on the card, check the option | Train travellers who want a guide on the hill |
| E-bike from Cascais with Guincho | 4 hours | $98.11 | None stated | Forest trails and a beach lunch |
| Half day from Lisbon, maximum 8 | 5h 30m | $91.18 | Not stated on the card, check the option | A small group, Pena and the Initiation Well |
| Day from Lisbon with Pena and Regaleira | 8 hours | $60.02 | Not stated on the card, check the option | Both sights with 2 hours free for lunch |
| E-bike from Sintra to Cascais | 8 hours | $92.34 | None stated. Train tickets included | A 40 km ride to the coast |
| Coach day with Cabo da Roca and Cascais | 9 hours | $27.93 | Up to $46.10 (€40) for Pena and Regaleira unless your option includes them | The cheapest ride to the coast |
| Small-group day with Pena tickets | 9 hours | $78.48 | None, Pena entry included | Pena, the cape and Cascais with the ticket handled |
| Coach day with Guincho drive-by | 9h 30m | $27.93 | Up to $46.10 (€40) unless your option includes them | The most-reviewed coach day |
| Small-group van day to the coast | 10 hours | $36.01 | Up to $46.10 (€40) for Pena and Regaleira, entry not stated | A small group on a budget |
| Fátima, Nazaré, Batalha and Óbidos | 10 hours | $34.26 | Not stated | A day that leaves Sintra behind |
Listed prices are the platforms' US-dollar figures and move with the date. "Up to $46.10 (€40)" is our sum of the official adult Pena Essential and Regaleira tickets. Every official ticket is on Sintra tickets. Figures current for in Q3 2026.
Entry Tickets Sold as Tours
Three cards that are really tickets. The castle card sits one cent above the official $13.84 (€12). The Pena card at $14.00 compares with the official $13.84 (€12) park ticket and does not include the palace interior. The Regaleira card at $31.16 compares with the official $23.10 (€20), and adds an audio guide you can book ahead.
from $14.00
Sintra: Pena Palace and Park Entrance Ticket
A skip-the-line entrance ticket to Pena Park and the palace's exterior grounds, with the Chalet of the Countess of Edla and an audio tour included. It does not include the palace interior route, which needs its own separate ticket option.
Check Availability
from $13.85
Sintra: Castle of the Moors Skip-the-Line Ticket
A skip-the-line ticket to the 9th-century hilltop ramparts above Sintra, with an audio guide and transportation to the castle included. It is a steep uphill walk once you arrive, so wear real shoes.
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from $31.16
Quinta da Regaleira: Skip-the-Line Ticket and Audio Guide
A skip-the-line e-ticket to Quinta da Regaleira with a smartphone audio guide and no live guide. Reviewers say the fast-track line can still mean a short wait, so keep expectations realistic.
Check AvailabilityPrices, ratings and details are the platform's own. dollar figures are the listed prices — the platform bills in your account's currency.
Half-Day Small Groups
Two small groups for a half day. One starts in Sintra and suits anyone arriving by train. The other picks up in Lisbon, caps the group at 8 and needs 4 bookings to run.
from $75.02
Half-Day Sintra: Pena Palace & Regaleira Small-Group Tour
A 4-hour small-group walking tour that starts in Sintra itself (not Lisbon), covering Pena Palace, Quinta da Regaleira and the historic centre. You reach the start point by train to Portela de Sintra, one stop before the main Sintra station.
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from $91.18
Lisbon: Half-Day Sintra Tour with Pena Palace and Regaleira
A 5.5-hour half-day small-group tour (max 8 people) from Lisbon covering Pena Palace, the Initiation Well at Quinta da Regaleira and Sintra's historic centre, with a pastry tasting included. The tour needs a minimum of 4 bookings to run.
Check AvailabilityPrices, ratings and details are the platform's own. dollar figures are the listed prices — the platform bills in your account's currency.
Full Days From Lisbon With the Coast
Five full days that combine the hill with Cabo da Roca and Cascais, or give you free time in the town. Read each option for what it includes: only the small-group day with tickets says Pena entry is in the price.
from $78.48
Lisbon: Sintra, Pena, Cascais & Cabo Day Tour With Tickets
A 9-hour small-group day tour from Lisbon with Pena Palace entry included, plus Cabo da Roca and Cascais. If Pena Palace is closed, the operator substitutes a visit to Queluz Palace instead.
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from $60.02
From Lisbon: Sintra, Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira
An 8-hour day tour from Lisbon to Sintra with Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira, two hours built in for lunch and free time in Sintra. Child seats are required for ages 1-12 or under 135cm and must be brought by the traveller.
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from $36.01
Lisbon: Sintra, Pena, Regaleira, Cabo da Roca, and Cascais
A 10-hour small-group van tour from Lisbon to Sintra, Pena Palace, Quinta da Regaleira, Cabo da Roca and Cascais. Child seats are required for ages 1-12 or under 135cm, and you must bring your own.
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from $27.93
Lisbon: Sintra, Pena, Regaleira, Cabo Roca Coast & Cascais
A 9-hour coach tour from Lisbon covering Sintra, Pena Palace, Quinta da Regaleira, Cabo da Roca and Cascais, with a live guide. Palace and Regaleira entry tickets are only included on the options that state so, so check the option before booking.
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from $27.93
Lisbon: Sintra, Pena, Regaleira & Cabo da Roca & Cascais Coast
A 9.5-hour coach tour from Lisbon to Sintra, Pena Palace, Quinta da Regaleira and Cabo da Roca, with panoramic drive-by views of Guincho Beach, Cascais and Estoril. Entry tickets are included only on the options that state it.
Check AvailabilityPrices, ratings and details are the platform's own. dollar figures are the listed prices — the platform bills in your account's currency.
On an E-Bike
Two electric-bike days. The Sintra to Cascais ride covers 40 km and includes the train tickets both ways. The ride from Cascais heads into the Sintra forest trails with lunch at Guincho, and one reviewer's ride ran nearer 6 hours than the listed 4.
from $92.34
From Lisbon: Sintra to Cascais Full-Day E-Bike Tour
An 8-hour electric-bike tour covering a 40km route from Sintra to Cascais through forests, villages and the coast, with train tickets both ways included and a lunch package for around €20 per person.
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from $98.11
From Cascais: Sintra Guided E-Bike Tour & Guincho Beach
A 4-hour guided e-bike tour from Cascais into Sintra's forest trails, with lunch on Guincho Beach. A reviewer's actual ride ran closer to 6 hours and 25 miles, so it is more workout than a casual pedal.
Check AvailabilityPrices, ratings and details are the platform's own. dollar figures are the listed prices — the platform bills in your account's currency.
Beyond Sintra
Two days that leave the hill for the walled towns and the pilgrimage and coast route further north. The full set of excursions is on the day trips hub, and the walled village has its own page on Óbidos.
from $40.40
Óbidos: Medieval Tales & Secret Spots Guided Walking Tour
A 2-hour walking tour of the medieval walled village of Óbidos with a Ginjinha tasting included. It can be cancelled in bad weather, so keep a flexible plan for the day.
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from $34.26
From Lisbon: Fátima, Nazaré, Batalha, and Óbidos Guided Tour
A 10-hour day tour from Lisbon to Fátima's sanctuary, Batalha Monastery, Nazaré's clifftop viewpoint and the walled village of Óbidos. Meals are not included, so plan for lunch on your own along the way.
Check AvailabilityPrices, ratings and details are the platform's own. dollar figures are the listed prices — the platform bills in your account's currency.
Which Tour, by the Time You Have
Five common situations, each with the card we would pick and the do-it-yourself version beside it. The alternative column uses only official fares and published routes.
Read the last column before the third. For most of these days the alternative exists and is cheaper, and the tour earns its price only through the guide, the road to the coast or the small group.
| Time you have | Pick | Why | Do-it-yourself alternative |
|---|---|---|---|
| A half day, starting in Lisbon | Half day from Lisbon, maximum 8 | Pickup, a small group, Pena and the Initiation Well | CP train return $5.88 (€5.10), bus 434, Pena Essential $23.10 (€20) |
| A half day, already in Sintra | Half-day small group from Sintra | A guide for Pena, Regaleira and the town in 4 hours | Villa Sassetti Trail to the hill, 45 minutes, plus the official tickets |
| A full day with Cabo da Roca and Cascais | Small-group day with Pena tickets | The only card that includes Pena entry, with the coast by road | Train and bus for the hill. The coast by bus is on getting around |
| A sporty day | E-bike from Sintra to Cascais | 40 km to the coast with train tickets included | No official equivalent. The marked trails are on Sintra hiking |
| A day away from Sintra | Fátima, Nazaré, Batalha and Óbidos | Four towns in 10 hours from Lisbon | See day trips for the towns you can reach alone |
What the Platform Price Buys, and What the Gate Charges
A tour price is only comparable once you know what the gates charge. These are the three patterns on this site.
Tickets Sold as Tours
The castle and Pena cards sit within a few cents of the official prices, so what they sell is the booking, the audio guide and, for the castle, the ride up. The Pena card is the trap: it is the park, the exterior grounds and the Chalet of Edla, not the palace rooms. If you want the interior, the official Essential ticket at $23.10 (€20) is the product, and the tiers above it are on Pena Palace tickets.
The Regaleira card is $8.06 above the official adult ticket, our sum, and in return the commentary is booked ahead.
Cheap Coach Days
The two coach days at $27.93 are the cheapest way to reach Cabo da Roca and Cascais in one day from Lisbon, but their listings say entry is included only on the options that state it. If your option leaves it out, Pena Essential and Regaleira add our sum $46.10 (€40) at the official shops. That makes a real price of $74.03 for the day, our sum, before lunch.
The small-group van day at $36.01 names the same stops and does not state entry either.
Tours That Include the Ticket
The small-group day with tickets is the one card that says Pena entry is included, and if Pena is closed it substitutes Queluz Palace. At $78.48 it is not the cheapest line on the table, but it is the only one where the gate column reads zero for Pena.
What No Tour Changes
A tour does not change Parques de Sintra's rules. The Pena ticket time is the palace interior entry with no delay tolerance, the fast-track lane holds only 25 entries per slot, and it takes about 30 minutes from the park gate to the palace. Inside Quinta da Regaleira, external guides may not lead groups in the palace or the Initiation Well.
Private vehicles are not authorised up to Pena or the Moorish Castle, so check how a tour's vehicle gets you from town to the gates.
Gate prices from the Parques de Sintra price list and the Quinta da Regaleira 2026 entrance fees. Pena rules from the Parques de Sintra Pena tickets page.
Doing Sintra Without a Tour
The do-it-yourself day is a train, a bus and the official shops. Here is the chain, with the figures that are published and the ones that are not.
The Train and the Bus
The CP Sintra Line runs from Rossio, Oriente or Entrecampos in Lisbon to Sintra, and the fixed return fare is $5.88 (€5.10). From Sintra station, Scotturb bus 434 runs up to the Moorish Castle and Pena. Scotturb publishes no readable fare page for the 434, so we cannot print a bus fare.
Bus 435 goes the other way, past Quinta da Regaleira to Monserrate. The stations and timings are on Lisbon to Sintra, and the bus stops on getting around Sintra.
Or Walk Up
Parques de Sintra marks three trails to the castle and Pena: the Villa Sassetti Trail, 1,850 m in 45 minutes from Largo Ferreira de Castro, the Santa Maria Trail, 1,770 m in an hour from São Pedro, and the Seteais Trail, 2,410 m in 1 h 30 from the Palace of Seteais.
The Tickets, in Order
Book the Pena palace time first, because it has no tolerance, and take an afternoon slot if you can, since Parques de Sintra says that is when the palace is quieter. Put the Moorish Castle in the same online purchase for 5% off two sites. Book Regaleira separately on its own shop, where the slot has a 1-hour grace.
The day as a routed plan is Sintra in 1 day.
Fares from CP's Lisbon urban train price list. Bus routes and trails from the Parques de Sintra how-to-get-there page.
If the Pena Slots Are Gone
Pena's palace times are the scarce part of a Sintra day. When they are gone, four options still stand.
- Take the park. The official park-only ticket at $13.84 (€12), or the park entrance ticket, still gets you onto the hill, the terraces and the Chalet of Edla.
- Move the date. Online Parques de Sintra tickets can be changed until 18:00 the day before, so a different day is often the simplest fix.
- Switch the hill. The Moorish Castle has no published time slot, and Quinta da Regaleira and Monserrate sell their own tickets.
- Let a tour hold the ticket. The small-group day with tickets includes Pena entry, and substitutes Queluz Palace if Pena is closed.
How to Read a Sintra Tour Listing Before You Book
Five checks, each taken from something the cards on this site actually say.
- Is palace entry included? On the coach days it depends on the option. Only one card on this site states Pena entry outright.
- Where does it start? One half day starts at Portela de Sintra, one stop before the main station, not in Lisbon.
- Do you need to bring a child seat? The van day and the day with 2 hours free both require you to bring your own seat for ages 1-12 or under 135 cm.
- Can it be cancelled for low numbers or weather? The small group from Lisbon needs 4 bookings to run, and the Óbidos walk can be cancelled in bad weather.
- Is lunch included? The Fátima day does not include meals, and the e-bike day to Cascais adds a lunch package for around $23.10 (€20).
Where the Tours Go, Numbered to the Map
The stops that appear on the tour cards, grouped by area and pinned. Prices are the official adult gate prices, and each stop names the cards that list it.
The hill
-
Pena Palace
Palace and park from $23.10 (€20)
On nearly every card. The palace time on the ticket has no delay tolerance.
Tip: Only the small-group day with tickets states Pena entry is included.
-
Moorish Castle
Castle walls from $13.84 (€12)
The 10th-century walls next to Pena, sold as a skip-the-line ticket card.
Tip: No published time slot, and dogs are allowed.
Town and estates
-
Quinta da Regaleira
Estate and gardens from $23.10 (€20)
On the half days and the full days with Pena and Regaleira.
Tip: External guides may not lead groups inside the palace or the Initiation Well.
-
Historic centre and National Palace
Town from $15.00 (€13)
The half-day tours walk the historic centre. The palace ticket is separate.
Tip: The National Palace garden is free.
The coast and beyond
-
Cabo da Roca
Cape and lighthouse from $5.77 (€5)
On the full days to the coast. The viewpoint costs nothing, the lighthouse visit does.
Tip: The coach days list it with Cascais.
-
Cascais
Coast town
Where the coast days and the e-bike ride from Sintra end.
Tip: The e-bike day includes the train tickets both ways.
-
Óbidos
Walled village
A 2-hour guided walk, and a stop on the Fátima day.
Tip: The walk can be cancelled in bad weather.
Numbers match the list — tap a pin for the guide.
Pena and castle pins use the entrance coordinates Parques de Sintra publishes, Regaleira the estate's own GPS, the rest their Wikidata coordinates. Óbidos sits far north of the hill, so the map zooms out to fit it.
Where to Go From Here
The ticket index, the one-day route that replaces most tours, and the day trips beyond the hill.
Sintra tickets
Every official ticket beside its hours, the multi-site discount and the passes. Sintra tickets is the place to price a do-it-yourself day.
Both operatorsSintra in 1 day
The day most tours sell, routed around the Pena slot on public transport. Sintra in 1 day lays it out stop by stop.
By train from LisbonSintra Tours: Questions
What is the best tour to take in Sintra?
It depends on what you want the tour to do. For Pena with the ticket handled and the coast by road, the small-group day with tickets is the only card that includes Pena entry. For a guide on the hill when you are already in Sintra, the 4-hour tour from Sintra is the pick.
Can you tour Sintra on your own?
Yes. The CP train return from Lisbon is $5.88 (€5.10), bus 434 runs up to the castle and Pena, and every ticket is sold on the operators' own shops. The route is on Sintra in 1 day.
Is a half-day or a full-day Sintra tour better?
A half day covers Pena and Regaleira and the town. A full day adds Cabo da Roca and Cascais by road. On public transport that means more buses, and Scotturb publishes no fare page for them. Compare both in the table above.
Do Sintra tours include palace tickets?
Most do not by default. The coach days include entry only on the options that say so, and only one card on this site states Pena entry outright. The official prices to add are on Sintra tickets.
Which Sintra tours start in Sintra itself?
The half-day small-group tour starts at Portela de Sintra, one stop before the main station, and the Sintra to Cascais e-bike day rides from the hill to the coast with the train included.
Are there e-bike tours in Sintra?
Two on this site: the 40 km ride from Sintra to Cascais and the ride from Cascais into the Sintra trails with lunch at Guincho. The walking alternative is on Sintra hiking.
Sintra Day Trips on Film: the Self-Guided Version
Three visitors' days in Sintra from Lisbon without a tour, the fairest comparison for any card above.
The Ultimate Sintra Day Trip from Lisbon
A self-planned day, the fair comparison for any guided tour.
Video: Brian & StephThe Perfect Sintra Day Trip from Lisbon
A one-day route by train, stop by stop.
Video: The World Was Here FirstWhat to See in Sintra Portugal: Day Trip from Lisbon
What fits in a day, and what a tour would have saved.
Video: New Yorker JuhuiVideos load from YouTube only when you press play.
Prices, hours and terms are set by the venue or operator and confirmed at checkout.
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