No trip to Lisbon is complete without a day trip to the nearby UNESCO World Heritage town of Sintra, located just about 45 minutes away from the city by train. Sintra was the destination that drew me to Lisbon when I was deciding on the city to pick for my solo trip because I’d heard so much about the colorful Pena Palace, and so I really wanted to see it for myself before leaving Europe. While I had a great time in Lisbon (Part 1), Sintra was something else altogether; something magical. It really does live up to the hype, and the crowds are worth bearing, not just for the Pena Palace. Sintra is packed full of attractions to visit, and well connected by bus within the town and train to the capital city Lisbon, so there’s no need to worry about driving or parking.

To get there, though, one must first brave the long queues to buy a train ticket at Rossio station. On hindsight, I realise I should have probably rolled out of my hostel bed earlier to avoid the crowd. Nonetheless, it’s cheap and convenient to get to Sintra – a round trip only costs about 5 euros, and you just take it all the way to the end of the line.

Upon reaching Sintra, I also bought a ‘Discover Sintra’ hop-on-hop-off tourist ticket for 12 euros, which made traveling within the town even more convenient. Although it’s possible to walk, I’d really recommend just taking the bus to conserve your energy and maximise your time. After queueing for quite a while, I boarded the 434 bus from the Sintra station, passing by the Moorish Castle to get to the Pena Palace.

The bus alighted us at the start of the sprawling Pena Park, and as I followed the flow of people towards the palace, the clean, crisp forest air reminded me that I was out of the city. Although I’ll always be more of a city girl, I really enjoyed walking in the shade of the tall trees.

With its walls painted bright red, yellow, and blue, the Pena Palace evokes a sense of child-like happiness and invites one inside to explore further. Standing beneath the tall walls and intricate designs of the statues, I felt even smaller than before. One can walk around the perimeter and admire the views of the nearby Moorish Castle for free, so if you’re just here for the Portuguese architecture, you can walk around outside and take photos without having to pay anything. Even though I was alone, I managed to get some great photos by asking other friendly tourists for help.

My next stop took me much deeper into the park, away from the tourists. As a kid, I loved riding on ponies at the zoo, and I really wanted to relive my childhood memories by riding a horse through the forest. Unfortunately, when I’d finally made it all the way to the horseriding spot, I learned that they only do horseriding tours on weekends or with bookings. Thankfully, I didn’t quite leave empty-handed – one of the workers asked if I’d like a photo with the horses, and very kindly helped me to take a photo.

With limited time before the last bus leaves at around 6.25pm, I had to make a decision between visiting the Quinta da Regaleira, an inverted tower that’s probably the second most popular attraction in Sintra, and the Monserrate Palace, and I chose the latter.

The Monserrate Palace has its own lush garden, complete with chapel ruins reminiscent of something from Uncharted (one of my favorite video game series), and a small waterfall. Unlike the Pena Palace, though, you have to pay the admission fee of 8 euros at the gate to enter. Personally, I felt that it was well worth the price, as this is one of the often overlooked attractions of Sintra. As it was much quieter and more peaceful than the Pena Palace, walking through the palace grounds made me feel like I had finally been transported into a fairytale land devoid of other tourists. The palace is a blend of Arabic gothic and Indian architecture, and I particularly loved the design of the Monserrate Palace, with its high, domed ceilings, and marble columns. I wish I knew more about architecture so that I could better appreciate it.

The day drew to a close as I took the last 435 bus back towards the centre of the town. I’ve always been a fan of taking day trips, and Sintra is definitely one of my favorites so far. Although I wish I could have had a little bit more time to explore Quinta da Regaleira as well, I do think that a day is sufficient for Sintra, if I had just left Lisbon a bit earlier in the morning.

This is Part 2 of the Portugal series. If you enjoyed it, leave a like and let me know with a comment below, or better yet, share it with your friends! Check out Part 1 on Lisbon if you haven’t, or skip to my day trip to Porto in Part 3 right here.

Do also check out my short video of my experiences in Portugal here: https://youtu.be/kFlcVNYoCoo