Castles · Tour
Sintra's Three Monuments with Tickets, and the Pena Essential Visit to the New Palace
Byron called Sintra a glorious Eden, and this is the private full day that takes in three of its monuments rather than the usual two, with the guide a local who grew up on the mountain. The tickets are pre-booked and the visits are guided at all three: the Moorish Castle, the Quinta da Regaleira and the Pena Palace. One detail is worth knowing before booking. At Pena the ticket is the new Essential Visit, which covers the New Palace, King Ferdinand II's summer residence, and not the other interior sections. It is the part most people come to see, and it is the reason the day fits three monuments instead of two. There is also a walk through the historic centre for the traditions and the pastries, and a scenic drive past the Seteais and Monserrate palaces. One warning worth taking seriously: this is an active day, with a lot of walking and a lot of stairs. Between the monuments the vehicle is a comfortable one.
What's included
- Tickets included for Pena Palace, the Moorish Castle, and Quinta da Regaleira.
- Insurance demanded by Portuguese Tourism board
- Guided tour inside the monuments
- Private transportation in an A/C vehicle with WiFi
Itinerary
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Step into the ultimate symbol of 19th-century romanticism…
The Pena Palace, at the top of the Sintra range, is 19th-century Romanticism at its most complete. The included Essential Visit ticket covers the coloured terraces, the architecture and the park and gardens around it. Inside, the guided part is the New Palace, King Ferdinand II's eccentric summer residence: the architectural details that hide in plain sight, the royal history, and a view that carries to the Atlantic. The other interior sections are not part of this ticket.
Optional walking the gardens
Walking the gardens, optional.
Castelo dos Mouros
The stone ramparts of an 8th-century fortress, high enough that the cloud often sits below them. The view from the walls takes in the Sintra hills and the Atlantic coast. Medieval military engineering, still legible.
Centro Historico de Sintra
Free time and a guided walk through the medieval part of the village. Traditional architecture, local shops and the Travesseiros pastries, in the centre of a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Quinta da Regaleira
The most enigmatic estate in Sintra. The guided visit takes in the Initiation Well, the underground tunnels and the gardens, which are laid out around Masonic and Templar symbolism.
A scenic drive past the elegant 18th-century Seteais Palace
A scenic drive past the 18th-century Seteais Palace, neoclassical, with gardens looking down the valley.
Parque e Palacio de Monserrate
After Seteais the vehicle slows for a photo stop at the Monserrate Palace, a 19th-century building and one of the strangest of the Romantic era, with Gothic, Indian and Moorish work pulled into a single Orientalist design. The botanical garden around it is among the richest in Portugal, and the carved stone and terracotta domes make it the most photographed thing in these hills.
Not included
- Food and drinks
Good to know
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
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- Travelers should have a high level of physical fitness
- Up to 14 travelers per booking.
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Guiding available in: pt, en.
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