My husband and I are traveling to Lisbon in early October and will be there for 6 days. My husband is a historical structural engineer with an interest in preservation so we will definitely be seeing Sintra. I was wondering if it would be worth staying the night there. I was also wondering what other day trips or over night trips would be worth it. Do you think there will be enough for us to do between Lisbon and Sintra? Should we try to get to algavare area?
Thank you!
How many nights is six days? You need four nights for Lisbon alone.
You might have time for one overnight someplace besides Lisbon. But with only six days, no way is there time to go to the Algarve. There is very little in the way of historical architecture there, anyway.
I’ve heard and read Sintra is quite nice overnight when the hordes leave. I stopped going a few years ago due to the crowding. And, be aware the locals in Sintra have started protesting the large numbers of tourists - like Barcelona and a few other places in Europe. Close to Lisbon are Queluz and Mafra palaces. They are lovely without the hordes of tourists.
The university in Coimbra is also beautiful and it’s the oldest university in Portugal with a stunning library. Coimbra might be a possible overnight. Alcobaça, Batalha and Tomar are also beautiful and close enough for a day trip.
I could go on, but hopefully you get the idea. There is more than enough to keep you busy close to Lisbon for only six days.
Do you think there will be enough for us to do between Lisbon and
Sintra?
Definitely. I spent 8 nights in Lisbon this past March and did not get to everything on my list.
You might find my trip report helpful:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/solo-in-lisbon-portugal-my-trip-report
