Sintra is where the royals went to rough it in their vacation castle. The Sintra Palace, complete…read morewith those two giant inverted ice cream cones on top, is basically a royal Airbnb with views to die for and tiles for days. Their of the medieval town is adorable. This is a popular day trip from Lisbon. There are several castles and palaces to explore. Views for days.

This is such an underrated spot in Sintra. Folks come here for the bigger castles, and honestly, we…read morewould've skipped this too if it weren't for the big storm that had come through a few days earlier and closed the larger castles down. Palacio Nacional de Sintra is full of rich history. It was so fun to see the way people used to do things hundreds of years ago -- where they slept, how they entertained, etc. The grounds were beautiful and each room had a distinct theme and vibe, but for me the coolest part were the giant chimneys in the kitchen. Back in the day, it would signal that the king and his court were home when they were really going. If you have time, I would stop in and see the sights. There are guided tour options, but there were plenty of written notes throughout to explain what you were seeing so that you really didn't need it. A cool experience for sure.

This was a great museum and we also really enjoyed the café and gift shop. The museum showcases…read moretiles from the 15th century through today. It was cool to see how the tradition has evolved over the years. Many signs are in both Portuguese and English. All the staff we spoke with were also very fluent in English. This was also the first place I saw a people love us on Yelp sign (in Portuguese) which was super cool. The café serves coffee, beer and wine as well as sandwiches and pasties in a beautiful setting. Part of the café is indoors and part is in a garden courtyard. Beautiful sculptures and flowers. We got here on the bus but you could also Uber. Bus stop is very close but it's a bit out of the way from the main touristic areas. I would budget about two to three hours here depending on how interested you are in the tiles. Definitely have a drink and a snack and enjoy the courtyard garden area. Shop was well stocked, reasonably priced and featured some work by local artisans.

Everyone and their mother told me to come to the tile museum on my recent trip to Lisbon. Honestly,…read moreit was cool to see, but I didn't spend anywhere near the 1-1.5 hours people recommend spending here. It was a 30 minute max type of museum unless you're going to stop and read every single thing about every single tile in this place...which I guess people must do. One thing that was incredibly cool is the panoramic view of what Lisbon used to look like before the big earthquake they had. It's interesting to see what monuments survived, which ones didn't and what stands there today. Overall, if you have extra time during your trip this isn't a bad way to spend it - I just wouldn't plan on being here for hours and hours (unless you really, really want to).

When checking out and reviewing the palaces we could check out in Sintra, I didn't really see too…read moremany people talking about Monserrate Palace. I looked at pictures online and the architecture looked pretty nice, so I decided that it was worth seeing while we were here - a decision that I'm glad I made. After visiting Regaleira in the morning, we took an Uber here. You can also take the bus but we were on a time crunch and decided an Uber was pretty worth it. It's honestly not that expensive so I'd even recommend that option. This palace is pretty far from the rest of the mainstream castles and palaces like Pena, Moorish, and Regaleira so a bus would definitely take some time. We had already pre-purchased our tickets online so they scanned it from our phones and off we went. Even thought the line for buying tickets was nonexistent there, I totally recommend doing this as you get a small discount from buying online beforehand. We headed straight for the palace. It truly is one of the underrated palaces. It's no Moorish Castle as it's not big nor grand, but it's quaint and charming in its own way. There's way less people here so it's not as chaotic, and you could take nice pictures. It has a beautiful hallway, and I absolutely love the ceilings. Always remember to look up at these types of structures because the ceilings may surprise you with beautiful designs. Aside from the palace, the garden is also nice to walk around for a bit. Again, I like how quiet and peaceful it was compared to the other castles and palaces. It felt serene to walk around the park. The lawns were so green and lush. There were a few ponds as well as mini waterfalls. Although, the gardens are definitely skippable if you're on a time crunch. I don't think it's an absolute must-see, but if you have the time, I would definitely recommend a stop at this palace. As a tourist, you're only here once right?

Wow While the…read morepalace was amazing, the gardens were spectacular. Definitely a must see when in the area. When we come back, we will come back to this as well. Definitely one of the reasons people fall in love with Lisbon

This had to be one of the highlights of our visit to Portugal. Ironically, this was not on our…read moreoriginal itinerary. We planned to see a castle farther north, but there were wildfires that had the roads closed to get there. The Palace is extraordinary and so well kept up. The grounds were extraordinary. The gardens were lovely. But the interior was magnificent. The palace was built in the 17th century and was spared from the earthquake that destroyed much of this area of the county. So much is still original, and what needed to be has been restored. I particularly liked the ballroom and the various bedrooms. The ceilings were very nice in some of the palace. Overall, it was an awesome experience.

Ever felt catfish by online photos? I felt that. I really enjoyed the outdoors but felt like the…read moretime spent here could have gone to another site. I would skip it and would have spent more time inside Quinta

This is a beautiful castle and the walk up from the historic city center was easy, beautiful, and…read moreworth it! Walking the ramparts of this ancient castle, which you can see from anywhere you are in Sintra, is a must do. My husband is afraid of heights and he was not overly excited about walking the castle because it is pretty sketchy - there aren't guard rails to prevent falling off. Views of the town of Sintra and the Pena Palace are stunning. Absolutely worth the visit.

The Castelo dos Mouros (Castle of the Moors) is a set of open-air castle ruins on a hilltop. Most…read moreof the visit experience consists of climbing up and down stone steps and walking along castle walls. It unexpectedly rained during most of my visit, even though the skies were clear earlier in the day, and even directly after my visit. The height, occasional lack of guard rails, light-to-medium rain, and mist flowing uphill all combined in some places to create an eery mystique, not easily expressed through photos. However, there were moments when the mist and clouds cleared to show spectacular broad views of the town and countryside below. Make sure you wear sturdy shoes with grip, as most surfaces are cobblestone. Consider bringing a hooded jacket, wide-brim hat, or umbrella in case of rain or excessive sun. The only structure with a roof, other than the ticket office and restrooms, is the church (Ingreja de São Pedro de Canaferrim) building. I took the 434 bus to and from the castle due to rain, but might have walked from town otherwise. The 434 bus has USB-A plugs that can slow-charge one's electronics.

What a lovely respite in the middle of Belém. Quiet. Huge. Interesting collection of trees and…read moreplants. Inexpensive. And the biggest flock of peacocks either of us has ever seen. Dozens of them. If there was a small restaurant or even a coffee shop, the aJardim Botânico Tropical would be heaven. Note: you can reenter with same ticket.

We didn't plan to visit this tropical garden in the Belem area because we had limited time and…read morethere are so many nice places to go. But we couldn't resist it because the garden staff was so warm and welcoming. I am not only talking about the regular staff at the ticket kiosk who answered our questions patiently, but also the animal staff. When we passed by the entrance, several bird staff came up and walked around us cheerfully and kept talking. I couldn't understand their language but by the way they spoke, I felt very welcomed and would feel bad if not following them to enter. Soon in the garden, the kitty staff ran a long way towards me enthusiastically and offer himself for touching. He also accompanied us to walk around for a long way until he had to stop to poo. No worries, we understand that you have your own business to mind and thanks for your company! It's a very beautiful garden with a variety of tropical plants and the garden map illustrates where they are. This garden is also very big and if you have limited time in this neighborhood, the Ajuda garden up to the hill is also a great choice as it has a lot of exotic plants especially with a variety of smells and the garden is specially designed for blind people to enjoy.

First off, the cashier at entrance was the nicest person! Thank you for your kindness on 10/2/25…read more You are a wonderful example of human kindness. These gardens were beautiful, set in a magically tranquil spot. The paths went on & on. We all felt wonderful in here!

Lovely botanical gardens within a MASSIVE greenhouse. So many different type of plants and flowers…read more Really nice to walk around after being in the city for a while. Would definitely recommend.

A welcome quiet and peaceful experience to escape the noise, crowds and chaos of Lisbon…read more Eclectic museum. Collection has a little bit of everything from 5,000 year old artifacts to modern abstract paintings and sculptures. For a complete overview plan to spend about 3 hours here.. If you are lodging downtown, take an uber to get here instead of changing buses several times. You'll save an hour commute.

(Poem) I went there not expecting…read moreTo be wowed or blown away But after just a bit I wished I could waste the whole day The art itself was good, Not all of it my thing But the breadth of works Was really a -maze-ing From Ancient Grecian coins To paintings by Renoir And one of the great collections Of Iranian tiles and arts by far Ok when I say by far, It's not that I knew this myself But I have a friend who's a potter And this museum books on his shelf Most of all the park and space Right outside is great With families picnicking And interesting green space. I felt good going since I'll be back In Lisbon soon someday If you're expecting modern though Pick another place