Would anyone have any recommendations on day trip tours that originate in Sintra, Portugal? Most of the day trip tours seem to originate from Lisbon. We are staying in Sintra for three nights prior to an April, 2022 Rick Steves' Heart of Portugal Tour and were looking at some possible day trip tours. Thanks.
Posted by
Portland
3592 posts
I can’t recommend tours, but I will say that Obidos is a nice town for a visit. Also, my daughter recommended Cascais, but we didn’t make it there. A bit farther away is Coimbra. If you can’t find a tour, maybe you hotel can help with names of local guides.
Posted by
11127 posts
Personally, I would spend more time in Lisbon and visit Sintra as a day trip.
A good day trip from either place would be to Caiscais and Estoril beach towns outside of Lisbon. You will be staying in Obidos which we did and regretted. So touristy.We loved Portugal, it’s people and culture. Have a Bica and pastry in one of Lisbon’s squares.
Posted by
Fairfax, VA
763 posts
We were in Sintra yesterday and to spend three days there seems like a lot. We were able to easily see the sites in a day. Day-tripping there from Lisbon would give you time to go in a number of directions that would be harder to find in Sintra unless you hired a private guide with a car.
Posted by
Portland
3592 posts
I didn’t want to get into the question of why you are spending 3 days in Sintra; but since the other posters did, I’ll just say I agree with them. There is essentially one big sight. Lisbon will give you many more options.
Posted by
WA State
3961 posts
We took the Heart of Portugal Tour a few years ago and arrived in Lisbon a couple days early. One of those days we took a guided day tour to Sintra and surrounding area. We used Lisbon Riders @ www.lisbonriders.com. The tour also included Cascais and surrounding region. We enjoyed the comfortable air conditioned van, and they take a maximum of 8 people. Manuel was our guide. He was knowledgeable & personable. It was an excellent introduction to Portugal. Other than the Sintra tour, we felt the RS Tour covered Portugal very well. It was one of our favorite tours. We added Madrid & Barcelona at the end of the tour.
Posted by
Cascais, Portugal
1663 posts
I am not aware of any organized day tours that originate in Sintra. You can easily ride the bus from Sintra to Cascais and there is an old tram/trolley line that goes out to a beach area. But, as the other posters indicated, most people stay in Lisbon and day trip to Sintra so there is limited market for day tours from there.
Posted by
Irving
2943 posts
The most convenient day trip from Sintra is Lisbon. In Lisbon spend the day visiting the old towns starting with the Alfama neighborhood. Buy Rick Steves PT guidebook to learn more.
Obidos would be your best bet as a day trip from Sintra but requires a connection if traveling by train or bus. There are also direct trains to Évora and Coimbra from Lisbon but not Sintra.