Published on Oct, 2023
We had a wonderful tour of Sintra with a very knowledgeable guide Bruno, who gave us great overview of Sintra and related period, as well as multiple deeper dives into history, culture and architecture. Bruno picked us up in Lisbon, and talked about history of Portugal, and Sintra in particular, all the way there. He did all tricks parking his car, making sure he can drop us off at the right place, so we don’t lose any time while he is parking.
However, Sintra cannot be covered in one day - there are too many sites (and new sites coming, being under restoration now), and too many tourists are creating lines and traffic everywhere. It would be wise to plan your tour with your guide in advance, so you can make the most out of your time.
Here are some recommendations:
- Even though your guide can tailor the tour any way you want, listen to your guide’s suggestions – he knows when it is the best time to visit each site, and how much time you may need to fully enjoy the site. Bruno took us to Monserrate in the morning when most of the tourists were in Pena or Quinta da Regaleira. We were almost alone in Monserrate, and the palace and the garden were majestic. They would lose a lot if crowded. On the other hand, it almost does not matter what time you visit Pena terraces – the views outside the palace are not affected by the crowds. It may make sense to see Quinta da Regaleira after Monserrate, since they are in the same part of the city (Pena palace is 20-30 minutes away, depending on traffic).
- An important advice: you can ask your guide to extend your time in Sintra by an hour or so, and, instead of driving you to Lisbon, drop you off at Sintra train station. That would give you valuable late-afternoon time when most of the tourists are gone. We did that, and it allowed us to visit Quinta da Regaleira at the end of the day, which was even more impressive without large crowds. Similarly, you if you are familiar with Lisbon transportation and ticket system, and can get to Sintra by yourself, you can meet with your guide in Sintra, and have another hour of sightseeing in the morning.
- Consider skipping Cabo da Roca, so you can spend more time in Sintra.
- In Pena consider going to the terraces and the park and skip tour of the palace (unless you are really into Portuguese kings). Unlike terraces and the park, a tour of the palace requires a time-entry ticket which significantly limits your flexibility, and you would have to wait a long time to enter. We ignored Bruno’s hint and opted to tour the palace. It would have been better to spend more time in the gardens, instead of rushing through them. If you do want to tour the palace, ask your guide what would be the best time to go there according to your plan, and buy tickets online in advance.
- Allow yourself some rest in the middle of the day. You can skip lunch and do more sightseeing, but we were glad that we had lunch in a small local restaurant where Bruno took us.
- It would make sense to stay in a hotel in Sintra one night, at least, and spend 2 days sightseeing.
As I said, there are too many sites to see, and you will have to choose which of them you want Bruno to show you, and which of them you can either skip or visit by yourself. Bottom line, do your homework, figure out your priorities, and plan your Sintra tour with your guide in advance. Bruno will be happy to answer your questions and come up with suggestions.
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