Sintra & Mafra: Choose 3 of 6 Palaces with Private Guide

Six palaces to choose from, each one a different chapter of Portuguese royal history.

A private full-day tour from Lisbon lets you pick three of six palaces across Sintra and Mafra, each with its own guide and transportation. You'll visit sites like the Pena National Palace perched 500 meters above sea level, the Quinta da Regaleira with its 27-meter spiral well, and the Baroque Mafra Palace with its Royal Library of 40,000 gold-bound books. Your guide travels with you to every stop.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each6 stops

1. Pena National Palace1h 30m
2. Quinta da Regaleira1h 30m
3. Monserrate Palace1h 30m
4. Sintra National Palace1h 30m
5. National Palace of Queluz1h 30m
6. National Palace of Mafra1h 30m

Visit three palaces in Sintra and Mafra

• Depart from Lisbon hotel
• Drive to Pena National Palace
• Tour Pena National Palace
• Visit Quinta da Regaleira
• Explore Quinta da Regaleira gardens and tunnels
• Visit Monserrate Palace
• Tour Monserrate Palace and park

The experience

The tour covers 30 kilometers from Lisbon to Sintra, where a rare microclimate keeps the region perpetually cool and lush. You start at your hotel and head straight to the Serra de Sintra highlands, where the Pena National Palace dominates the coast from a rocky perch 500 meters up. Built in the 19th century, it was Europe's first Romantic palace: constructed around 30 years before Neuschwanstein in Bavaria. The palace sits at the top of the range, so the drive itself frames the landscape as you approach.

Your choice of three palaces from the remaining five shapes the rest of the day. The Quinta da Regaleira, in Sintra's heart, draws visitors through secret tunnels, exotic gardens and caves built by an owner obsessed with alchemy and Freemasonry. The Initiatory Well descends 27 meters in a spiral. The Monserrate Palace, a Romantic masterpiece set in parkland, was built after a wealthy 19th-century English industrialist fell in love with the site. The Sintra National Palace is a layered complex of royal buildings spanning centuries, from the 10th or 11th century onward, where Portuguese queens ruled and monarchs retreated during plague years. The Queluz Palace, decorated with pieces of enormous value, served as the official royal residence and birthplace of Pedro IV. The Mafra Palace, erected in 1711, houses a Basilica, Franciscan Convent and Royal Library holding over 40,000 books with gold bindings, including the first edition of Camões' Lusíadas. It also contains a set of six organs unique in the world for their size and beauty.

The tour runs 6 to 10 hours depending on which palaces you select and how long you spend at each. Your private guide speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese or Russian, and travels with you throughout. The vehicle is air-conditioned, WiFi is on board, and compulsory insurance is included. You return to your hotel at the end of the day. Tickets to the palaces and lunch are not included in the price.

What’s included

• Your private guide accompanies you to all monuments.
• private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• hotel pickup and drop-off in Lisbon.
• WiFi on board.
• and compulsory insurance.

Information

Lasts 6h–10h, runs every day at 08:30, from € 110 per person, with live guides in 5 languages, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:30Another time? ›

GroupPrivate3 group tours ›

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and UkrainianOther languages ›

Audio guideEnglish, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and Ukrainian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (4 to 12 years) · Under 4: can't be booked

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Kitzel Tours Portugal

Is this one for you?You travel alone with your guide and driver, so the pace and time spent at each palace are entirely yours to set. This works best if you want to linger at one or two sites rather than rush through a fixed itinerary, or if you prefer not to share the vehicle or guide's attention with other travelers.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and Ukrainian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 12 years). Children under 4 can't be included in the booking.

What is the Pena National Palace and why is it significant?

The Pena National Palace sits 500 meters above sea level on a rocky peak in the Serra de Sintra and is considered Europe's first Romantic palace, built around 30 years before Neuschwanstein in Bavaria. It represents one of the best expressions of 19th-century architectural Romanticism in the world and dominates views all the way to Lisbon from its hilltop position.

What can I see and do at the Quinta da Regaleira?

The Quinta da Regaleira is a monument full of mysteries and symbolism, built by an owner fascinated by alchemy, Freemasonry and the Templars. You walk through secret tunnels, exotic gardens, lakes and caves, including the famous Initiatory Well: a spiral staircase descending 27 meters into the earth.

What makes the Mafra Palace different from the other palaces on this tour?

The Mafra Palace, built in 1711, is the most significant Baroque monument in Portugal and combines a Royal Palace, Basilica, Franciscan Convent and Royal Library in one complex. The library holds over 40,000 books with gold bindings, including the first edition of Camões' Lusíadas, and the palace contains a unique set of six organs unmatched in the world for size and beauty.

How does the microclimate of Sintra affect what I'll see there?

Sintra's rare microclimate keeps the region perpetually cool and fresh, which allows exotic vegetation and lush gardens to thrive year-round in a way that would not be possible elsewhere in Portugal. This distinctive climate is one reason the palaces and estates were built here and why the landscape feels so green and romantic.