The town of Sintra is located just thirty minutes from Lisbon, but feels like you’re transported to a time of castles, kings, ornate stone buildings, and exquisite gardens. Due to its proximity to Lisbon, most travelers take a day trip to Sintra by train and try to see as many castles as possible.
Since we planned to visit Sintra with two kids under five years of age on our two week trip to Portugal, I knew my kids would not be able to see multiple castles, walk for multiple hours, and then quietly take a train ride back to Lisbon. Nope.
Instead, we decided to spend two nights and two days in the historic district. Here are our favorite kid-friendly things to do in the area:
Trip Purpose
Spend two days in Sintra to see historic castles during our family's first trip to Portugal
DESTINATION: Sintra, Portugal
AGE OF OUR KIDS: 2 years; 5 years
LENGTH OF STAY: 2 days
TIME OF YEAR: December
Before you go
- The trip to Sintra from Lisbon is about 30 minutes by car or one hour by train. Click here for train times and to purchase tickets.
- The 434 bus transports visitors from the Sintra train station to the city’s historic center and to the castles beyond for €7.60 round trip. Altogether, budget about 90 minutes to get from Lisbon to Sintra by public transport.
- Parking is limited along the one-way road through the park and in the few tiny parking lots nearby.
- Buy tickets online or at the kiosk at the entrance to each castle.
- Plan for multiple days if you can. Many people visit Sintra in one day and try to see as many castles as possible. If you have the opportunity, I would recommend spending more than one day in Sintra so you can fully enjoy the most popular castles and downtown Sintra with your little kids.
What we packed
- Standard diaper bag essentials
- Comfortable shoes, clothes, sunscreen, and hats
- Baby carrier
- Camera
- Princess dresses
BASE COST
- Pena Palace tickets: Free for children 6 and under; €12,5 for children ages 6-18 and seniors; and €14 for adults
- Moorish Castle tickets: Free for children 6 and under; €6,5 for children ages 6-18 and seniors; and €7,6 for adults
- Quinta da Regaleira: Free for children 6 and under; €6 for children ages 6-18 and seniors; and €11 for adults
Add-ons
- Audio guides at castles
- Food
- Taxi or bus ride
Top 5 Kid-Friendly Activities in Sintra, Portugal
The world famous Pena Palace appeared in our coffee table book as one of the must-see places in the world and for good reason. This palace, built in the 1800s, is incredible and unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The colorful walls, with textured entryways and ornate light fixtures, are so distinct, it feels like it’s right out of a fairytale movie.
The palace grounds are huge though, with lots of walking involved.
Tickets to the palace and park were free for children under six years of age, 12,5€ for children ages 6-17 and seniors, and 14€ for adults. Tickets are cheaper if you want to skip the palace and just visit the park grounds. Purchase your tickets here.
If you decide to visit, see my blog post for all of the tips on visiting with kids.
Quinta da Regaleira was my favorite palace in Sintra because it was less crowded than Pena Palace, and full of unique and accessible buildings, gardens, fountains, and grottos.
My kiddos wore princess dresses and danced through the palace grounds, getting “oohs” and “awws” by everyone who passed by.
We enjoyed snacks at the café, looking for cats, and wandering down the famous Initiation Well.
Check out the blog post for more details.
In stark contrast to the ornate Pena Palace and Quinta de Regaleira, the Moorish Castle is a more simple 10th century classic you can’t miss while visiting Sintra. Its rugged stone walls have stood on this hillside for centuries.
The Moorish Castle is a 10-minute walk from Pena Palace and can be visited on the same day if you plan it correctly. The walk from the entrance to the inside of the castle is long, uphill, and not stroller friendly.
Buy your tickets online or at the kiosk at the entrance to the castle. Tickets are free for kids under 6, 6,5€ for youth ages 6-18 and seniors, and 7,6€ for adults.
Check out our blog post for more details.
Wander through historic downtown Sintra
The historic center of Sintra is made up of tiny winding streets, pedestrian-only walkways, and beautiful old buildings all built near the Sintra National Palace. We wandered the quiet alleyways, popping into store fronts, some touristy, some artsy, and tasted the delicious foods shops along the way.
I recommend you walk down Volta do Duche, stop, and listen to the troubadours, and buy a souvenir from a street vendor.
We loved finding little fountains and ornate villas throughout the area.
Find the Parque de Liberdade
Parque de Liberdade is a huge park in the middle of the historic Sintra center with beautiful trails, old stone buildings, a few tiny fairy doors, and a small playground.
The playground is called “Jardim do Bico – Parque Infantile” and is located closer to the historic center side of the park.
We stopped to play for a bit while walking down the scenic Volta do Duche on our way to dinner.
Kid-Friendly Places to Eat in Sintra
Raíz Sintra offered fancy cocktails, delicious food, and an amazing location close to the historic Sintra center.
We walked along the Volta do Duche until we found the restaurant’s street sign, beckoning us to walk down a flight of stairs to a garden restaurant below. The views were stunning and the food was incredible. My favorite by far was the steak and sangria.
I did not enjoy the smokers sitting next to us, but that was a challenge we faced at many outdoor restaurants.
Located on the corner of a tiny street, Romaria de Baco was completely empty when we arrived for lunch.
We loved the octopus, cheese pastry, and soup, and my girls loved that they could walk to Piriquita II for dessert after!
Kid-Friendly Places for Desserts in Sintra
Piriquita II bakery was founded in 1862 thanks to King Carlos I’s love of their famous Queijadas during his summer visits to Sintra. The bakery has been family run for six generations and is well known by locals and tourists alike.
Stop into this little shop located on a little alleyway in Sintra to grab a Queijada (sweet cheese baked pudding dessert) and a Travesseiros da Casa Piriquita (flakey dough wrapped around sweet cheese and almond filling).
The line was long and the staff did not speak English, but the pastries were divine.
Walking through the streets of Sintra felt like we were part of a Shakespeare play, or the show Bridgerton. Wherever your castle fantasies take you, Sintra’s got it.
My girls loved dancing through the green gardens in their princess dresses, asking questions about the ornate houses and buildings, and spying feral cats around town.
There were moments along this trip, as with any trip, where we had to decide if we were going to do something that would be difficult with our kids, or if we should skip it. Sometimes, the activity was of interest and accessible to all of us (Quinta de Regaleira, for example), and sometimes the activity was a little more difficult for a two-year-old (Pena Palace, for example).
Although walking through the historic homes was a little bit of a challenge with a toddler, experiencing this special place with my two kiddos still felt magical.
Have you been to Sintra? Did you bring your kids? Why or why not? Share in the comments below.
This post is part of a series of posts about visiting Portugal with kids. Continue the adventure with us here:
Puerto Rican & Indigenous mama of two. Bay Area native. Salsa dancer. Backpacker. Doula. Angel (she/her/hers) is a co-founding member of the Beautiful Brown Adventures team. She has traveled to over 30 countries and loves to explore the world with her two daughters & partner - one ice cream shop at a time.
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