tour of sintra from lisbon

Sintra Private Tour: Pena Palace and Regaleira

Lisbon Day Trips
Hotel Pickup
Uphill Walking
Private Tour

Initiatic Well of Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra, Portugal

Sintra Private Tour from Lisbon: Visit Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira. Join our Sintra tour for two palaces with tickets and guide.

Travel back in time with your guide - a pena palace enthusiast, armed with historical knowledge and court intrigues of ancient times., explore regaleira's mystical gardens, initiatic well and underground tunnels..

Ticket to Pena Palace (20€/person - included)
Ticket to Regaleira (12€/person - included)
Guide inside Pena Palace + Regaleira
English-Speaking Licensed Guide
Air-conditioned vehicle
Bottled Water

Sintra Tour Itinerary

Mercedes C-Class station wagon sintra tour vehicle

Full Description

Sintra tour from lisbon, lisbon pick up.

Depart from your hotel in Lisbon and travel out of the city in your air-conditioned vehicle with free wi-fi for a full day Sintra Tour .

Pena Palace and Park: Private tour with guide and ticket

On arrival, immerse yourself in the magic Sintra. Head inside the Park and Palace of Pena with your guide and hear of the palace's fascinating history and heritage (your guide will go inside with you) .

Continue on through the exotic green landscape of the Pena Park , with over five hundred different species of trees, and enjoy a walk into its depths.

Explore Sintra Old Town

Next, hop back in your vehicle and continue onward to the Old Town. Stroll upon the quaint cobbles of Sintra Old Town observing the colorful row of little shops with handicraft tiles, embroidery, cork products and local wine.

Don't forget to taste some local delicacies too, like the "queijadas" and "travesseiros" (pastry). Have a typical portuguese lunch (own expense) at a World Heritage town.

Quinta da Regaleira: Private tour with guide and ticket

Walk down the fabled Initiation Well and snap pictures of its 9 circles from Hell. Explore the fascinating underground tunnels and mystical gardens. After the guided visit, enjoy free time to stroll around as you wish.

Lisbon drop off

Now it’s time to board the van back to your hotel in Lisbon.

About the Pena Palace...

Pena palace sintra tour.

Located in the Sintra hills, it was idealized by a Central Europe prince, latter the king-consort of Portugal, King Ferdinand II, becoming the greatest expression of 19th-century romanticism in Portugal .

The palace and the park that surrounds it, which consists of a forest and gardens with hundreds of different species from all over the world, transformed the landscape of Sintra into what UNESCO classified as World Heritage in 1995.

The castle-like building has two wings - one was born from the refurbishment of the ruins of an abandoned 16th-century monastery, the other was build from scratch by King Ferdinand II in the 19th century.

With clear influences from the Manueline and Moorish styles of architecture, the king-consort adopted Portuguese architectural and decorative forms for the palace, at a revivalist style.

The interior is still decorated to the taste of the kings who lived there - Ferdinand II and his grandson King Charles I.

About Regaleira...

Quinta da regaleira sintra tour.

Romantic property located in Sintra, built from 1904 to 1910, formerly belonging to the Viscondessa da Regaleira, acquired and enlarged by Carvalho Monteiro (1848-1920).

Regaleira's revivalist style

The property, also known as "The Palace of the Moneybags Monteiro" due to its owner vast fortune, was designed by the italian set-designer and architect Luigi Manini in a romantic revivalist style recovering Gothic, Manueline and Renaissance architectural and decorative forms, mixed with mysthical and esoteric symbolism.

Quinta da Regaleira Chapel

Built in neo-Manueline and neo-Gothic styles, the chapel has a rich iconological program. The highlight goes to the scenes of the Annunciation and Coronation of Mary, part of the central theme, the Marian and Christic cycle.

Regaleira Park: The Initiation Well

The park has an extensive and enigmatic system of tunnels, more like a labyrinth, with multiple entry points. The most known is the Initiation Well , a 27 meter inverted tower with spiral stairs consisting of nine levels, just like the nine circles of hell in Dante's Divine Comedy.

The inverted tower also symbolizes the maternal womb from which life comes and the grave to which it will return. At the end, in the lower part, is inlaid, in marble, a compass rose (eight-pointed star) on a Templar cross.

When did Regaleira open to the public?

In 1920, following the death of Carvalho Monteiro, the Quinta was inherited by his son Pedro, who sold it to Waldemar D’Orey in 1946.

The Orey family carried out extensive restoration work and decorative alterations to the palace until its sale, in 1988, to the Japanese company Aoki Corporation. During this period, it was kept closed, with only a caretaker guarding it.

In 1997, the Quinta was purchased by the Municipality of Sintra and opened to the public the following year.

Last Reviews

Amazing sintra tour and guide 5*.

"Great experience, definitely worth leaving Lisbon, Regaleira was really something special. The scenery were excellent and the Pena Palace breathtaking. Something I'll take back and remember till the day I die. The tour guide Luis was awsome, friendly and had an abundance of knowledge that he was more than happy to share! The highlight of our trip to Portugal!" Rachel Brooks (Des Moines, IA - United States)

Absolutely brilliant tour to Sintra, Pena Palace, and Regaleira!!

"I've had multiple tours in Lisbon and this was by far my favourite. Perfect day discovering the mysterious Regaleira and the fairytale Pena Palace. Our guide was the best ever, provided heaps of information and history about the Pena Palace, Sintra, Regaleira and Portugal as a whole. Thank you Luis for an amazing day. A one of a kind experience. Highly recommend!" Carolyn Morgan (Sheffield, UK)

From Lisbon to Pena Palace, Sintra and Quinta da Regaleira

"A must do tour. Worth the price and the early wake up call to escape the crowds! I also appreciated that all tickets were included - inside and out - and that the guide accompanied us at all times. Our tour guide Sandra was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable, her insights touring the Pena Palace were invaluable. One of our best experiences ever." George Sanders (Seattle, WA - United States)

More Tour Reviews

5* sintra tour.

"Communication from your office was excellent, prompt and informative. Appreciate being picked up at the hotel and the fact that admission fees were included. Sandra was very good- pleasant and informative. She frequently asked us what we wanted to do at various points rather then having a fixed agenda. Lots of walking up and down and she incorporated short rests for explanation at some points. Recommend highly and without reservation." Lynn Mahony (United States)

Highly recommended!

"The tour was well organised. The van was comfortable and our guide Luis was one of the best ever, really knowledgeable and friendly. Sintra is very mystical, I especially enjoyed Regaleira and the link between Pena palace and the history of England. Highly recommended!" Lisa (London, UK)

The best tour in Portugal!

"We have booked plenty of tours in Portugal and this one was by far the best! Amazing places, amazing guide. Regaleira is a must (uphill walking needed) and the palace is a living history. We really enjoyed that our guide came in with us and gave a guided tour inside. My wife and I thourougly enjoyed it. Five stars!" Stephen (Los Angeles, CA - United States)

Phenomenal tour!

"We had a wonderful tour with our guide, Sandra. She was knowledgeable, a very good story teller, and the van was spotless. There was also time to stroll around Sintra, the Pena Palace and Regaleira. Phenomenal!" Greg (Alamo, TX - United States)

Our LISBON TOP TOURS

Check out the best day trips from lisbon, portugal.

Lisbon Highlights
Sintra and Cascais
Knights Templar
Monasteries
Fatima Half-Day
Baroque Palaces

Frequently Asked Questions about Sintra Tour from Lisbon

Where´s my pick up for the sintra tour from lisbon.

At your hotel or apartment in Lisbon city center. If we are unable to access or stop on your street, we will inform you of a walking distance meeting point.

Which admission tickets are included on the Sintra Tour from Lisbon?

Pena Palace and Park
Quinta da Regaleira

How difficult is the Tour to Sintra from Lisbon?

Difficulty of the Tour to Sintra from Lisbon: Medium-high difficulty. Some uphill walking is required and, therefore, children under 6 years old cannot participate.