Private Half Day Tour to Sintra and Pena Palace from Lisbon
Recommended by 92% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Sintra, Portugal
+4
- 4 to 5 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Swap Lisbon for an action-packed half-day tour of the picturesque town of Sintra. Save time figuring out the public transport schedule, and instead, enjoy the luxury of having a round-trip private transfer in an air-conditioned vehicle. Stop off at many top Sintra highlights along the way, including Pena Palace, the historical center of Sintra, and Quinta da Regaleira.
- Travel with ease in a private air-conditioned minivan
- Check off the best of Sintra in half a day, including Pena Palace
- A private tour ensures a more personalized experience
- Hassle-free trip with hotel pickup and drop-off included
What's Included
- Transport by air-conditioned minivan
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Private tour
- Transport by private vehicle
- WiFi on board
- Bottled water
- All insurance included
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- Food and drinks
- Tickets
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
We seek our customers throughout the Lisbon region (Sintra and Cascais). We also pick up our guests at their accommodation, train station, and any other destinations on agreement.
Itinerary
1
Castelo dos Mouros
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
2
Park and National Palace of Pena
2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included
3
Centro Historico de Sintra
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
- Stroller accessible
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- Dress code is smart casual
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.7
based on 298 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
It is a beautiful palace and a beautiful town with lots of shopping. Make sure you go into the palace but you don’t have to wait in line to walk around outside but upstairs . I missed it because I thought the line was for all of it. Just bypass it
Fantastic tour with Miguel. He was very friendly polite and knowledgeable. Would highly recommend the experience
Perfect if you’re looking for a half-day to Sintra. We wanted to enjoy Sintra but did not want to spend 8+ hours doing so. Enjoyed the Pena Gardens and Sintra National Palace.
We had an incredible time with Francisco! He came right to our hotel and drove us to all the spots in a gorgeous car. We saw the Pena palace and the entire park including the chalet. We then went to the national palace of Queluz. They were incredible and Francisco was extremely knowledgeable!
In one word TOP en Margarida Neves has made the day complete. We can recommend her to be the driver, guide, photographer and good company. Please tell her our comments and greatings, Walter and Ingrid.
Marguerida was wonderful! We learned so much about beautiful Sintra and were able to experience the tour at a relaxing pace which we really appreciated. We would highly recommend!
Booked very last minute and had a seamless experience with Margarida. You can tell when someone really loves their job and that translated with a really fun and informative afternoon spent in Sintra. Couldn’t have asked for a better afternoon.
Great half day tour to see and explore Sintra. Our guide, Francisco was very knowledgeable. The palaces are so beautiful, just be ready to walk a lot so wear comfortable shoes. Highly recommend!
George was such a lovely tour guide. On our way up, he shared some interesting highlights about Portugal and the area we were visiting. He dropped us off very close to the entrances of the places we were going to visit and took into account that we were traveling with young kids ( 2.5 yrs old and a 7 yrs old). His ability to adjust our day based on our family’s needs was greatly appreciated.
He recommended touring the outside of Pena Palace and then walking down along Route 2 (blue), which turned out to be a great recommendation. He also brought us to downtown Sintra, where we had plenty of time to enjoy lunch, the view, and buy some souvenirs.
George went above and beyond by taking us to Belém to try the famous Pastéis de Belém. He was sweet, warm, and friendly throughout the entire day. We had a wonderful time and truly appreciated everything he did to make our experience so enjoyable!
Unfortunately Francisco did not meet our expectations. We booked a private tour but Francisco was more of an Uber driver than a “guide.” Although he gave us some history of Sintra and Pena palace, he would drop us off to explore on our own and pick us up afterward. Also when I tried to clarify where we were to meet him, he commented “you aren’t listening to me.” Disrespectful.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Hello Bertha,
The management and staff of Fantástico express our sincere apologies for what happened. We understand the importance of your satisfaction and are committed to addressing your concerns quickly and effectively.
Francisco responded as follows:
I'm sorry to hear the tour didn't meet your expectations.
Unfortunately during August the village of Sintra gets much busier than usual, and because of that it is sometimes impossible to find parking in the short time we have. That's the reason I was not able to meet back with you in the village. That's why I explained everything important while we were in the car, so that you could explore on your own in case I couldn't meet back with you.
I just wanted to clarify why I said “I think you weren't listening”. During our descent from pena I was talking with you and explaining some of the important info. But I realized your husband was on his phone, and probably did not hear some parts. When we stopped to go out of the car he asked something I explained earlier, and I said I would repeat again since he didn't hear some parts. I recognize I may not have used the best words, but I didn't meant to sound rude.
Thank you for the feedback. It's important to understand where I need to improve
Margarida exceeded our expectations by miles. She was born and raised in Lisbon and knows it like the back of her hand. She picked us at the airport and took us directly to Sintra. She walked everywhere with us and gave the history and interesting information about everything we saw. She took pictures of us at so many interesting sites. She used to be a professional photographer so the pictures turned out great (no charge). She is a caring and friendly person, and she was always looking out for us. Because of her I highly recommend Viator. If you are booking in Lisbon, ask for Margarida.
Miguel was the most FANTASTIC tour guide. I would definitely recommend him and this tour to anybody visiting Portugal.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Hi Brooke,
We are so glad to read your review!
That makes us so proud as a team and Miguel, as a dedicated professional, felt very happy.
Thank you so much for your support!!!
The tour was excellent! Miguel was prompt, polite, knowledgeable, and made every effort to make certain we had a great experience! He just didn’t know the area, he was genuinely interested in meeting our every tour need.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Bonjour Laura,
Nous sommes ravis de lire votre commentaire !
Cela nous remplit de fierté en tant qu'équipe et Miguel, en tant que professionnel dévoué, était très heureux.
Merci infiniment pour votre soutien !
This was a great was to see Sintra and area without having the stress of driving or schedules and lineups! Francisco was very helpful and gave us time to explore on our own as well a guidelines as to how to navigate the area and crowds!
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hi Brenda,
We are so glad to read your review!
That makes us so proud as a team and Francisco, as a dedicated professional, felt very happy.
Thank you so much for your support!!!
You can hit all the main attractions in a half day tour of sintra. The tour guide was great and gave us lots of tips and expert background on each location. Make sure to buy tickets to the castles ahead of time to save time and get the best time slots as they sell out fast. Even if you don’t get tickets to enter the castles, they are enjoyable enough from the outside and you still get to see amazing views. Also gave us the inside scoop on the best places to eat while in Portugal. It was a wonderful experience and I highly recommend it.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hi Michael,
We are so glad to read your review!
That makes us so proud as a team and Francisco, as a dedicated professional, felt very happy.
Thank you so much for your support!!!
listen to the guides advice, he is not wrong. we went to the national palace on his recommendation, looks dull on the outside but is full of interesting rooms and artefacts.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hi Philip,
We are so glad to read your review!
That makes us so proud as a team and Francisco, as a dedicated professional, felt very happy.
Thank you so much for your support!!!
Francisco our guide was very rude. He was stubborn and childish. He was knowledgeable but has a lot to learn if he wants to do this job. The description said two hours at the palace and we got 30 minutes. Everything in the description, was not what we got. He did what he wanted to do and did not try at all
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hello Julie,
We investigated the case and forwarded the response to our driver, Francisco.
Francisco responded as follows:
I'm sorry that I had behaved or talked in a way you found rude. It wasn't my intention, and I think it influenced the way you interpreted some of the things I said. Especially when I told you it was best to keep walking, so that I could explain and show everything in Sintra village first, and then give you about 1h of free time so you could visit/see/do anything in that time. I wanted to maximize your free time after I finished because you need at least 1h in case you decide to visit any monument. And you thought I was preventing you from seeing or stopping at some places.
About the time available at pena palace, it was precisely 1h 10 min inside the park. But most importantly, Just like in the village, I explained everything first and then gave you free time. I never mentioned anything about what time to be back in the car, I told you to enjoy and explore and meet me back when you're ready. I was even surprised to see you back so quick. If you wanted to stay there longer you had total freedom to do so. So if the main reason for the 1 star review was the available time in pena I don't think it's fair.
But thank you for the feedback, it's important to understand where I need to improve.
Thank you
Great experience. A half day was the perfect amount of time in Sintra. George was a phenomenal guide!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hi Nicole,
We are so glad to read your review!
That makes us so proud as a team and Jorge, as a dedicated professional, felt very happy.
Thank you so much for your support!!!
He knew the history and was very informative about the Portuguese countryside. He made it very easy to navigate a new environment in Sintra and my family appreciated his sincerity and expertise when taking us on our trip. I’d recommend him to everyone I know!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hi Barbara,
We are so glad to read your review!
That makes us so proud as a team and Jorge, as a dedicated professional, felt very happy.
Thank you so much for your support!!!
Pena Palace and Sintra are always crowded. And both have lots of uneven pavement and hills. Our guide, George, gave us good advice at each stop. It was a nice experience
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hi Daniel,
We are so glad to read your review!
That makes us so proud as a team and Jorge, as a dedicated professional, felt very happy.
Thank you so much for your support!!!
Incredible personalized experience. Guide was awesome and extremely knowledgeable. He was able to share a lot of history on Portugal.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hi Kirk,
We are so glad to read your review!
That makes us so proud as a team!!!
Thank you so much for your support!!!
Margarida was a fantastic driver. There was a lot of traffic that day and she called to tell us she was going to be a little late ( maybe 20 mins) more time to enjoy our morning coffee. We did a half day at Sintra. she showed us all of the highlights, including the outside areas of the palace, the Moorish castle, and a little bit of the downtown. She was knowledgeable and efficient. She did a good job of whetting our appetite for a longer stay in Sintra! Thank you Margarida for such a a great day!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hi Lisa,
We are so glad to read your review!
That makes us so proud as a team and Margarida, as a dedicated professional, felt very happy.
Thank you so much for your support!!!
Miguel was so accommodating and patient with us as we had a problem with our daughter. It was no nice having our own tour guide all to ourselves. The pick up and drop off was wonderful. I can’t say enough good things about Miguel and our day together!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hi Jodi,
We are so glad to read your review!
That makes us so proud as a team and Miguel, as a dedicated professional, felt very happy.
Thank you so much for your support!!!
Margarida was by far the best tour guide we have ever had! She is extremely knowledgeable, fun to explore with, and overall gave my wife and I the best experience we have had on a tour in Europe! 10/10!!!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hi William,
We are so glad to read your review!
That makes us so proud as a team and Margarida, as a dedicated professional, felt very happy.
Thank you so much for your support!!!
Our guide Miguel was very entertaining and informative. He catered to our needs and we weren’t rushed at all.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hi Mandyg,
We are so glad to read your review!
That makes us so proud as a team and Miguel, as a dedicated professional, felt very happy.
Thank you so much for your support!!!
Francisco listened to what we wanted to do and recommended best things to see, how to avoid queues and what order to do stuff. Spent a while talking is through history then let us do our own thing so was great balance. Really enjoyed the day
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hi Phil,
We are so glad to read your review!
That makes us so proud as a team and Francisco, as a dedicated professional, felt very happy.
Thank you so much for your support!!!
From the great reviews, it sounds like we didn't get one of the full-time guides,. but rather a substitute who told us he was the tour operator's son and that he was an IT guy, but helping out the family business. All of this is fine, but the tour should be retitled " Shuttle Service to Pena Palace/ Sintra", because frankly, that all we got was a friendly driver. In fact, I had to make conversation with our driver- even then we just learned more about him and the typical life of a Portuguese. Literally, we paid for a private driver, nothing more or less. There was never any narrative about history or general info. about these ancient places unless we asked for an explanation. That said, he was friendly and I hate to leave negative reviews, so I'll give a neutral 3 stars. Just expect more of a shuttle service than a tour guide.
Response from Host, May 2026
Hello Eddie,
We were unable to identify the tour.
We also couldn't identify it by name, (Eddie).
I also want to inform you that I am the owner of the company and I have no children, so it is impossible that our company could have organized this tour.
If you provide more details about the tour, such as the date, time, and booking number, perhaps we can identify the tour.
Thank you.
After a snafu with the front office we had a great time. There was some miscommunication about start times initially. Once our guide showed up it was smooth sailing. It is. Wry pretty in Sintra. The palace is a must see. Be aware there is lots of traffic and there are a lot of people. Also, bring a sweatshirt!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hi Brent,
We are so glad to read your review!
That makes us so proud as a team and Miguel, as a dedicated professional, felt very happy.
Thank you so much for your support!!!
Miguel was fantastic. Everything was first class. The palace was beautiful. Miguel took us to a nice place for lunch and showed us around the city center.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hi Jarrod,
We are so glad to read your review!
That makes us so proud as a team and Miguel, as a dedicated professional, felt very happy.
Thank you so much for your support!!!
It was over $200 just for the driver from Lisbon (not far). When we got there, we had to buy tickets to get in because it was not included in the price. I could have taken an Uber there and back and it would have been cheaper.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hello Shelagh,
Yes, it's true that tickets to Pena Palace are not included in the price of this tour.
We also verified that the driver followed the route specified in the tour program.
...We are very sorry that the experience did not meet your expectations.
Thank you for your feedback, as it is extremely important for improving our service.
Thank you.
Member Pricing
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$104.24
per personWas $109.73(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Private Half Day Tour to Sintra and Pena Palace from Lisbon
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Attractions in Sintra, Portugal
- Castle of the Moors (Castelo dos Mouros) Tours & Tickets
- Monserrate Palace (Palacio de Monserrate) Tours & Tickets
- Quinta da Regaleira Tours & Tickets
- Sintra National Palace (Palácio Nacional de Sintra) Tours & Tickets
- Sintra Tours & Tickets
- Pena National Palace (Palacio Nacional da Pena) Tours & Tickets
- Chalet and Garden of the Countess D'Edla (Chalet e Jardim da Condessa D'Edla) Tours & Tickets
More attractions near Sintra, Portugal
- Sintra Tours & Tickets
- Pena National Palace (Palacio Nacional da Pena) Tours & Tickets
- Quinta da Regaleira Tours & Tickets
- Castle of the Moors (Castelo dos Mouros) Tours & Tickets
- Sintra National Palace (Palácio Nacional de Sintra) Tours & Tickets
- Monserrate Palace (Palacio de Monserrate) Tours & Tickets
- Chalet and Garden of the Countess D'Edla (Chalet e Jardim da Condessa D'Edla) Tours & Tickets