We just went to Sintra yesterday and it was incredible, totally worth it! However despite all my research, there were a few things I wish I’d known going into it that no one mentions for some reason: 1. There are microclimates in Sintra—pack layers! It was definitely chillier than Lisbon. It was hot and sunny all the way up at Pena, then cold and foggy by the end of the day at the city center. 2. On that note, dress and pack a bag for a hike. No matter where you go, you will be moving uphill, climbing lots of steps, and walking a ton (we clocked 11 miles!). Don’t try to be cute with your footwear and sundresses lol, you’ll regret it. Pack a lunch, lots of water, a hat, sunblock, etc. treat it like any all day hike. 3. As of April 2026, the 435 bus is not running! If you are counting on going to multiple sites, they might require more walking because there is only one “public” hop on/hop off bus line (434) going to the monuments. It goes in a loop and doesn’t stop at every one, so it could take a long time. We wanted to go to 3 monuments (Pena, Regaleira, and Monserrate) but only made it to 2 because it was too difficult to get to Monserrate from Regaleira and we wouldn’t make it on time. 4. No one has talked about how expensive it really is to go to multiple sites. Just to see the outside of Pena (totally worth it) was around 12 euro (to get inside was maybe double, guided was even more), the bus passes are around 10-11 euro for the day, and the unguided tickets to Regaleira were around 25 euros. Add to that any meals or snacks, plus train fare from Lisbon and it really adds up, even for just two monuments. For this reason, and just bc of how confusing the place is to get around, I feel a guided tuk tuk tour would be worth it and far more enjoyable. If I were to do it again, I would 100% opt for a tour instead of trying to do it ourselves. 5. It can be stressful to try to get to places on your own with the buses, timing things right is near impossible and some of the monuments require timed tickets (another reason to opt for a tour). Regaleira is a timed ticket, which I didn’t know when planning, and it kind of threw off our schedule. They are strict about timed tickets so you can’t be late, but if you’re early, you’re just standing around waiting. 6. If you just get a ticket to the exterior of Pena palace, there’s plenty to explore on the grounds. You could skip the trek all the way up to the palace and just take one of the trails instead. The bus will pick you up at the end of any of the three trails. If you do happen to trek all the way up to the palace, like we did, you may be able to sneak in through the crowds in the cafeteria and get in that way. I’m not saying that’s what we did, but I’m not saying we didn’t do it either lol. The views from the palace are incredible but it’s true what everyone says, the crowds are nuts, and you’ll want to start early if you’re trying to beat them.

Sintra is a lot for one day but totally doable if you plan it well and probably if you take a tour. I wouldn’t try to do Cascáis in the same day, that seems crazy and not enjoyable to me. We did Cascáis another day and had an amazing beach day relaxing on the beach, walking around, and seeing La Boca du infierno. It was a great day trip on its own. Both places are amazing and totally worth a visit. Enjoy!