Óbidos day trip from Lisbon: the bus, the walls and the festivals

Óbidos is a small medieval town inside a ring of castle walls, about an hour north of Lisbon by bus. The old town is small enough to see in a morning or an afternoon, which makes it one of the easiest day trips from the city. It is also busy with festivals for much of the year, from chocolate in March to Christmas in December.

Getting there: the Rápida Verde bus

The Rápida Verde (green express) is run by Rodoviária do Oeste between Lisbon's Campo Grande and Caldas da Rainha. It stops at Bombarral after about 45 minutes and at Óbidos 15 minutes later. Campo Grande is on the Metro's yellow and green lines.

• Fares: €9.45 for an adult single, €4.75 for children aged 4 to 12, €7.55 for over-65s and €8.05 for young people. Under-4s travel free. Buy on board, at Rodoviária do Oeste ticket offices or in the MOOV-U app.
• Weekdays: buses leave Campo Grande at least once an hour from 7:00, and more often in the afternoon. Coming back, the last bus leaves Óbidos at 21:45 and reaches Campo Grande at 22:45.
• Weekends and public holidays: from Campo Grande at 7:30, then about hourly from 9:30 (with no bus at 13:30). Back from Óbidos in the afternoon and evening at 12:15, 13:15, 14:15, 15:15, 16:15, 17:15, 17:45, 18:15, 19:15, 20:15 and 21:45.
• Not every bus from Campo Grande stops at Óbidos: some go only to Bombarral, so check the Óbidos column of the timetable. This timetable has applied since 6 October 2026, and it can change in the holidays.

Why not the train? Óbidos has a station on the Oeste line below the town, but on the national rail timetable for 14 October 2026, no trains called there, and no trains ran between Lisbon and Caldas da Rainha.

What to see

• The walls. You can walk along the top of the walls that ring the town. The walkway is narrow and much of it has no railing, so take care, and skip it in strong wind or rain or with small children.
• Porta da Vila. The main gate, with a small chapel decorated with blue-and-white tiles, is where most visitors come in.
• Rua Direita. The main street runs from the gate up to the castle, lined with shops selling ginja, the local sour-cherry liqueur, often served in a small chocolate cup.
• The Church of Santa Maria, on the square halfway up the town, with its tiled interior.
• The castle at the top of the town is now a hotel, the Pousada Castelo Óbidos.
• Bookshops. Óbidos has been a UNESCO Creative City of Literature since 2015. UNESCO cites the conversion of a Gothic church into a library and bookshop, and the town hosts the FOLIO literary festival each October.

Festivals in Óbidos

• International Chocolate Festival: in March (6 to 22 March in 2026). It has been held since 2002.
• Medieval Market: in July (16 to 26 July in 2026), with tickets.
• FOLIO, the international literary festival: in October (8 to 18 October in 2026).
• Óbidos Vila Natal: the Christmas village inside the walls, from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, with timed tickets. Prices and hours are in our Christmas markets guide.

Going further

Some Rápida Verde buses continue past Caldas da Rainha to Alcobaça or Nazaré (an adult single from Lisbon to either costs €11.75). For Nazaré's giant waves in winter, see when they come and where to watch.