Sintra in a day from Lisbon: the train, the 434 bus and a plan that works

Sintra is 40 minutes from Lisbon by train, and you don't need a tour or a car to see it in a day. What you do need is a plan built around one fixed point: your entry time at Pena Palace. This plan uses the train, the 434 bus and your feet, and fits Quinta da Regaleira, the town, the Moorish Castle and Pena into one day.

Getting there: the train

CP's Sintra line runs from Rossio station, in the centre of Lisbon, to Sintra in about 40 minutes. Other trains to Sintra start at Oriente and call at Entrecampos.

• How often: on the timetable for Monday 12 October 2026, two trains an hour left Rossio for Sintra during the day; on Saturday 17 October, one an hour, at one minute past the hour. Counting the trains from Oriente, at least three an hour reached Sintra during the day on both days.
• Tickets: a return from Lisbon to Sintra costs €5.10. CP's Train & Bus ticket, €14, covers the Sintra line and the 434 and 435 buses for a day. A return train ticket plus two 434 rides comes to €14.50, so it pays for itself.
• Validate before you board: CP requires every ticket to be validated before travel, and you can be fined if it isn't.
• Coming back: the last train from Sintra to Rossio left at 23:50 on both days we checked, and the last one to Oriente at 23:36.

Getting around Sintra

The 434 bus runs one way round a loop. From the station it climbs through São Pedro de Sintra to the Moorish Castle and Pena, then comes back down through the historic centre (stop Vila de Sintra) to the station. So to go up, board at the station. The operator says buses run every day from 8:50, about every 10 minutes, and the last bus leaves Pena at about 19:00. A single ride costs €4.70 on the operator's fare table, and children pay from age 4. The Lisboa Card is not valid on the 434 or the 435. It does cover the train: see whether the Lisboa Card pays off.

The 435 bus goes from the station past Quinta da Regaleira and the Seteais Palace to Monserrate.

On foot, the town is small but the hill is steep:

• The station to the National Palace in the town centre: about 800 m, 10 to 15 minutes.
• The National Palace to Quinta da Regaleira: about 950 m, 15 minutes.
• The town centre to the Moorish Castle: about an hour on Parques de Sintra's marked trail, 15 minutes to the Church of Santa Maria and then 45 minutes uphill.
• The Moorish Castle to Pena Palace: about 30 minutes, by the path to the park's main entrance.

A one-day plan

This plan books Pena for the afternoon, when Parques de Sintra says the palace is quieter. Sintra's mornings are often damp and misty, and as the locals say, it clears up after lunch.

1. About 9:00: the train from Rossio. A train around 9:00 gets you to Sintra by about 9:45.
2. 10:00 to 12:00: Quinta da Regaleira. It is about 20 minutes' walk from the station (1.6 km). Book a 10:00 or 10:30 slot, which leaves time for a slow train, since you can enter up to an hour late. Allow two hours for the gardens, the grottoes and the Initiation Well.
3. 12:00 to 13:30: the town and lunch. Walk down to the historic centre (about 15 minutes) and eat near the National Palace.
4. About 13:30: the 434 up the hill. Walk to the station (10 to 15 minutes) and take the 434 to the Moorish Castle. If you like a climb, you can walk up on the Santa Maria trail instead (about an hour).
5. About 14:00 to 15:00: the Moorish Castle. Walk the walls for the views over the hills and, on a clear day, the sea. Last entry is 17:30.
6. About 15:00: on to Pena. Walk to the park's main entrance and up to the palace, which takes about 30 minutes. Book a palace slot around 16:00, so you have time to spare, because late arrivals are not let in.
7. 16:00 to 18:00: Pena Palace and the park. After the palace, walk out onto the terraces and into the park. The park closes at 19:00.
8. About 18:00: back to Lisbon. Take the 434 down to the station, then the train back.

What it costs for one adult: the €14 Train & Bus ticket, €20 for Regaleira, and €12 for the castle plus €20 for Pena's Essential visit. Buy the castle and Pena in one order and you get 5% off them: about €64 in all, before food.

For what each ticket includes and the timed-entry rules, see Sintra palace tickets.

Shorter, slower or wetter days

• Only Pena: train, 434 from the station to Pena, the park and the palace, then the 434 down to the town centre. A half day.
• No big climbs: Regaleira, the National Palace and the town are all within 20 minutes' walk of the station, so you can skip the hill.
• Thick fog: the views from the castle and Pena disappear in fog. Parques de Sintra says the Park of Pena is lovely on a foggy day, if you like cool, misty walks.

Tips for the day

• Shoes and layers: the paths in the hills are steep and often wet, and mornings up there are often misty and damp.
• Bags: Regaleira does not let in suitcases, trolleys or large backpacks.
• Buy from the official sites: Pena, the castle and the National Palace from Parques de Sintra, and Regaleira from regaleira.byblueticket.pt.
• Strikes: a CP strike can stop most trains on the Sintra line. Check our strike list before you go, and see what still runs during a strike.