We are considering hiring a driver to take us from Lisbon to Sintra, then on to Obidos, and then returning us to Lisbon as a single day trip in May. We've gotten a driver quote and it's tolerable. But, is it feasible to try to do both in 1 day? In Sintra, we would want to see Pena Palace and terraces, Palacio Nacional, Moorish Castle, Beister Palace, Quinta da Regaleira, and have lunch. We would likely hire a guide there to get the most out of our time, have them pre-purchase timed and other tickets, and be able to skip ahead in lines. In Obidos, we would probably just do the RS walk to see the town sights. I'm figuring about 5 hours in Sintra and 2 hours in Obidos, and there would be about 3 hours of travel time involved. Is this doable? Or should we just skip Obidos and focus on Sintra, in which case we would take the train to/from Lisbon? Or use the driver to take us from Lisbon to our next stop in Porto, with a stop in Obidos on the way?
Posted by
San Francisco
184 posts
Not possible to do all on your list in one day in my opinion. Your last sentence is exactly what we did, and enjoyed.
Posted by
755 posts
Sintra deserves 2 days minimum. Obidos could be seen in one day.
Posted by
WA USA
1099 posts
If you get to Sintra in the morning and leave late afternoon/evening, you can fit in 3 sites with tickets purchased ahead of time.
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
6569 posts
With everything you want to see in Sintra also trying to visit Óbidos might be pushing it. The drive would be about 2.5 hours round trip, and you can adequately see Óbidos in 2 hours. However, if it doesn’t get dark until 9pm, then it could be done. It would be a very long day.
Posted by
76 posts
We had a private guide that took us to Sintra from Lisbon. We saw the National Palace, Moorish Castle, Quinta da Regaleira and Pena Palace. He had the tickets and so we skipped the lines. The duration of the trip was 10 hours.
We did Obidos as a day trip from Lisbon by bus. I actually would skip going to Obidos; its quite underwhelming and touristy. We also did a day trip to Evora by train from Lisbon as a day trip . It's definitely more interesting.
Posted by
11169 posts
No, not a good idea. Impossible.
Obidos takes about two hours max, Sintra much more time.
We made the mistake of staying in Obidos which was packed with tourists. Stayed in our hotel which was nice but didn’t want to deal with the crowds. Good luck finding parking too.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7324 posts
There are substantial lines for many places in Sintra. Even with a driver it will be time consuming. We had more days, so we took a full day bus tour from Lisbon that included Obidos.
Posted by
3 posts
I am wondering what private guide you used for Sintra? I will be alone, coming from Lisbon, and am wondering if I should hire a guide for Sintra day trip, plan to spend the night, or do it on my own? I am taking the Heart of Portugal Tour in April, and am giving myself four extra days after we finish in Porto to enjoy more of Portugal.
Posted by
WA USA
1099 posts
Sintra is an easy day trip from Lisbon, so unless you prefer guides, one isn't needed. If you don't have a need to see tons of sights at a breakneck speed, the town is very enjoyable just to see a couple of sites and take your time at each location. So much more pleasant if you take a chill approach to Sintra, which would be hard to do on a tour. I've been there 3 times now and have yet to see all there is to see. But I have had pleasant memories each time. It's one of my happy places.
Posted by
VA
5 posts
I am in a similar situation as you.. and this is my plan (as of now, lol)
3 full days in Lisbon.
Hired a private driver, picking us up at 830 am and heading toward Sintra. Decided to skip Pena Palace due to what I am reading about crowds… decided on Quinta da Regaleria instead. We have planned on 3 hours to visit.
Then going to Obidos and plan on 2 hours.
From there heading to Nazare for an hour and a half.
Then driver is dropping us off in Coimbra. We will spend the night there and tour the university in the morning. Will then take the train early afternoon into Porto.
Wish us luck, as I to you.
Posted by
OP
17 posts
Thanks All! the 4 of us have hired a private guide/driver for Sintra, who will purchase all of our tickets in advance and will be our tour guide everywhere except inside Pena Palace. We'll see that, Moorish Castle, National Palace and Quinta da Regaleira. If time permits we will add Beister Palace and/or Obidos but the latter is doubtful. If we don't get there, it will be top of list for a return trip to Portugal.