When visiting Lisbon, one of the best things you can do is take a day trip to Sintra – with the option to stop by Cascais and Cabo da Roca along the way. While there are loads of companies offering guided day tours, if you’d rather have a bit more flexibility (or just don’t fancy shelling out for one), the good news is it’s really easy to plan it all yourself.
We pulled everything together in one afternoon and still managed to tick off all three places – though we did make a few mistakes along the way. So, I decided to create this guide to help you plan your own day trip to Sintra, Cascais, and Cabo da Roca. I’ll walk you through how to travel between each stop, how much you can realistically fit into one day, and what it actually costs to do it all on your own.
How to get to Sintra from Lisbon
The best (and easiest) way to get to Sintra from Lisbon is by train. Driving is possible too, but parking in Sintra can be a total nightmare – so I’d definitely recommend sticking to public transport.
There are direct trains from Lisbon to Sintra departing from Rossio station in the city centre, Entrecampos station in the Campo Pequeno neighbourhood, and Oriente station, which is closer to Lisbon Airport. All trains are run by Comboios de Portugal.
They run every 10 to 30 minutes depending on the time of day, and the journey takes between 38 and 47 minutes. One-way tickets cost €2.45, regardless of which station you leave from.
You don’t need to book in advance – you can easily buy tickets at the station on the day. That said, booking online might save you a bit of time during rush hour or high season.
If you’re buying a 24-hour public transport pass at a metro station, there’s also a €11 version that includes the train to Sintra and Cascais (round trip), so it’s worth considering if you’re planning to visit both in one day.
What to see in Sintra
If you’re only doing a trip to Sintra, you can easily spend an entire day castle-hopping. But if you’re hoping to squeeze in Cascais and Cabo da Roca as well, you’ll realistically need to pick just one – maybe two – palaces to visit.
The biggest attractions in Sintra include Pena Palace, the Moorish Castle, the National Palace of Sintra, the Park and Palace of Monserrate, and Quinta da Regaleira. You can also take a stroll through Sintra’s historic centre and grab a travesseiro – a traditional puff pastry filled with sweet egg-and-almond cream and dusted with caster sugar – from Casa Piriquita.
Right outside the Sintra train station, you’ll see the main bus stop where buses 434 and 435 depart. Bus 434 takes you to Pena Palace, the Moorish Castle, and the National Palace, while 435 goes to Monserrate and Quinta da Regaleira.
You’ll likely see people selling tickets outside the buses – but only buy one if you’re planning to visit multiple castles. We asked for return tickets, but what they didn’t mention is that they’re actually full-day hop-on-hop-off passes. We paid €13.50 each, even though we only visited Pena Palace. If we’d bought directly from the driver, it would’ve cost much less.
One thing we didn’t plan for? The weather. Sintra basically has its own little microclimate, thanks to its location. The Sintra Mountains act like a barrier – when cooler, damp air from the Atlantic hits them, it’s pushed upwards, which causes condensation. So even if it’s sunny in Lisbon, you might arrive to fog, drizzle, or a full-on cloud in the morning, but it usually starts to clear up by the afternoon.
It was a real “if I don’t laugh, I’ll cry” moment since Sintra had been on my bucket list forever… but honestly, it still felt magical!
Pena Palace
If you’ve ever seen photos of Sintra, chances are this is the place you saw. Pena Palace is easily the most iconic spot in the area – famous for its bright colours, mix-and-match architecture, and that whole “wait, did I just walk into a fairytale?” vibe.
It was built in the mid-1800s by King Ferdinand II. He took the ruins of an old monastery and turned them into this bold, imaginative summer palace. He wanted something dramatic, colourful, and full of architectural references from different places and periods, which is why you’ll spot everything from Moorish arches to Gothic towers to decorative tiles – all in one place.
If you want to go inside the palace, you’ll need to book a specific time slot – and it’s best to do it in advance, as they fill up fast. Tickets cost €20 at the gate, or €17 if you buy them online.
But if you miss out, don’t worry – you can still get a ticket for the park and view the palace from the outside (which is what we did). That one costs €10 in person, or €8.50 online.
There’s also a shuttle bus that takes you from the park entrance up to the palace for €3 (€2.85 when you pre-book online). However, unless you’ve got mobility issues, I’d skip it. The walk isn’t nearly as long or steep as the signs make it sound, and the queue for the shuttle was so long that we could’ve walked there and back in the time it took people just to board!
If the weather had been better, I’d have loved to visit Quinta da Regaleira too – I’ve heard such great things, especially about the Initiation Well, which looks like something from a fantasy film!
How to get to Cabo da Roca
Just to the right of the bus stop in Sintra where you board the 434 and 435 buses, you’ll find another bus stop. From there, you can catch the 1253 bus to Cabo da Roca. It takes around 45 minutes and runs every 20–30 minutes.
There’s also the 1624 bus, which gets you there in about 35 minutes, but it leaves from the Portela de Sintra terminal – around 15 minutes away from the centre.
If you’re short on time, it’s worth checking Uber or Bolt as well. We ended up paying €5.70 each, which worked out to about the same as the bus fare anyway.
If you’re heading to Cabo da Roca from Cascais, you can also take the 1624 bus. It departs every 30 minutes and takes roughly half an hour.
Cabo da Roca will definitely be the shortest stop on your trip, as there’s not a huge amount to do. You can stroll past the famous lighthouse, snap a photo in front of the monument marking it as the westernmost point of continental Europe, and enjoy the views from the cliff’s edge.
Well – normally, anyway. We couldn’t really do that last bit because it was still ridiculously foggy when we arrived. That said, it was kind of mesmerising to watch – the clouds were rolling in and disappearing faster than I’ve ever seen in my life (not even Gibraltar came close!).
How to get to Cascais
If you want to start your day trip in Cascais, the easiest way to get there from Lisbon is by train from Cais do Sodré station. Trains depart every 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the time of day.
The journey takes between 33 and 40 minutes, and a single ticket costs €2.45. You can either buy it online or at one of the ticket machines at the station.
Just like with Sintra, there’s a €11 version of the 24-hour public transport pass that includes the train to and from Cascais, which is worth considering if you’re doing both in one day.
If Cascais is going to be your last stop, you can also take the direct 1624 bus from Cabo da Roca. It takes about 30 minutes, and tickets cost €2.60 – you can just pay the driver when you board.
What to see in Cascais
Cascais is a charming seaside town known for its golden beaches, laid-back vibe, and colourful tiled streets. It was once a sleepy fishing village – until Portuguese royalty turned it into their summer getaway in the 19th century. And honestly? They were onto something.
Some must-see spots include Boca do Inferno, a dramatic cliffside blowhole where waves crash against the rocks like thunder. Praia Nossa Senhora da Conceicao is one of the most popular beaches – perfect for a dip or just stretching out in the sun. Sadly, the weather didn’t play ball when we visited, so beach lounging was off the table – but luckily, Cascais has more to offer than just sun, sea, and sand (or technically, ocean).
If you’re into history or pretty buildings, check out the Condes de Castro Guimarães Museum, tucked inside a fairytale-style palace. I’d also recommend the Dom Luís I Foundation – when we stopped by, it was hosting a small exhibition about Coco Chanel’s relationship with art, featuring garments, paintings, and personal photographs.
And don’t miss a wander through the old town, where the streets are full of local shops, tiled façades, and cafés spilling out onto the pavement. Definitely make time for Scoop n Dough, where you’ll find award-winning vegan doughnuts and ice cream. Since we visited in October, the ice cream was off the menu – but the carob doughnut was absolutely worth the hype (and the price).
There’s a lot more to see and do in Cascais than what I managed to cover here – honestly, you could easily spend an entire day here and still not get through it all!
What about you? How would you spend your day trip to Sintra and Cascais?
