If you’re in Lisbon and you have an extra day, I highly recommend a trip to visit Sintra & Cascais. Get away from the hustle and bustle of Lisbon and follow my Sintra & Cascais DIY Itinerary to avoid the crowds as it can get very busy.

Day Trip to Sintra and Cascais

This was my favorite day out of the whole trip. It was a really magical place! I saw many bugs and mosquitos so remember to bring insect repellant.

How to get to Sintra. I took a (40 minute) train from Rossio station. Just follow the signs for Combos Railways. Your green Viagem card will work and it costs 2.25€. Once you exit the train station, you can order an Uber and go straight to Palácio Nacional da Pena (6.85€) or you can take the 434 Tourist Bus that does a one directional loop for (6.90€) per person (in my opinion Uber is faster). Or…walking is an option too but it’s quite a hike and will take about 50 minutes.

Suggestion: I advise you go early and arrive around 8:30am to Sintra. During peak times Uber will do a surge price and the lines for the 434 tourist bus will be endless.

Palácio Nacional da Pena – A Romanticist Castle

Buy your tickets here online for 7.13€. You don’t have to select a date and once you purchase the ticket it’s good for any day. This place opens at 9:30 am and by 10:00 am it’s swarming with people. I was one of the first ones in and I was able to get tons of photos without people in the background.

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After this, Castelo dos Mouros is right next door (15 minute walk) but we decided to skip it since we wanted to catch some rays at the beach in Cascais.

Quinta da Regaleira – UNESCO World Heritage Site

I fell in love with this place. It’s so beautiful and surrounded with lakes, wells, benches and grottoes. You cannot purchase a ticket online. The entrance fee is 6€ and credit cards are accepted. I came here by Uber (4.28€) from Palácio Nacional da Pena.

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From there it’s a 12 minute walk to the popular bakery Casa Piriquita. Be sure to order a “Travesseiro”.

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How to get to Cascais from Sintra

Walk (11 minutes) back to Sintra Train station and you’ll find the bus stop. Next destination was Cascais. It’s CASH ONLY and the bus driver will have change. Can’t use your green Viagem card unless you purchase a special 24hr ticket for this area.

Option 1: Bus #417 Fast Bus to Cascais 30 minutes 4.25€
Option 2: Bus #403 Scenic Bus to Cabo da Roca 4.05€ and another 4.05€ to Cascais (1hr 15 minutes.)
Cabo da Roca is a stop along the way and it’s the most western point of continental Europe. I didn’t stop here so I just stayed on the bus all the way through to Cascais. If I had to do it again I would take the fast bus because this scenic route was really windy and scary (we came close to hitting a couple vehicles).

Masala Indian Restaurant (in Cascais) – sad to say but this meal was better than any of my meals in Lisbon. Get the cheesy garlic naan, chicken Tikka Masala, and the mango lassi.

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Catch some rays at the beach at Praia da Conceição.

From Cascais Train Station catch a train back to Lisbon for 2.25€ using your Viagem card.

If you’ve enjoyed my Sintra & Cascais DIY Itinerary, then make sure to check out my Travel To Lisbon On A Budget Blog.