Sintra Full-Day Private Tour: Pena Palace & Moorish Castle

Quinta da Regaleira hidden tunnels tour with hilltop palace and ruined castle views

A private full-day guided tour of Sintra visits Pena Palace, the Moorish Castle and Quinta da Regaleira with a professional guide who walks inside each monument with you, luxury car transport between sites, and pickup and drop-off included. The tour moves at your pace (no fixed schedule, no group waiting), and lunch happens in the village center where you can try Travesseiros de Sintra, the local pastry. Admission tickets to all three monuments are included if you choose that option at checkout. Otherwise the tour covers the guided visits and transport alone.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Pena National Palace2h · entry included
2. Castle of the Moors1h
3. Sintra30m · entry included
4. Sintra National Palacepassing by
5. Quinta da Regaleira1h 30m · entry included

Explore Sintra's main attractions

• Visit Pena Palace and hike park trails
• Visit Castle of the Moors and enjoy views
• Have lunch in Sintra city center
• Brief visit to Sintra National Palace
• Tour Quinta da Regaleira house and gardens

The experience

The day starts at Pena Palace, the biggest draw in Sintra. Your guide walks the palace interior with you, then you hike the trails that wind through its park. The architecture and the grounds are built to be explored, not rushed through. From there the route climbs to the Moorish Castle, a ruined fortress that rises above the forest with an unobstructed view of the village spread below. Both stops are on your time. The guide sets the pace and you decide how long to stay.

Lunch breaks in Sintra's center, where the guide points out the National Palace and you can eat at a local spot. This is where Travesseiros de Sintra, the village's traditional sweet, shows up on menus. It's a pastry filled with almond paste and egg. The guide gives you a brief description of the National Palace while you're there, but the main stop comes later.

Quinta da Regaleira is the final monument: a house and gardens designed to represent ancient secret orders, with hidden tunnels and concealed symbolism woven into the layout. Your guide walks you through both the building and the grounds, explaining what the symbols mean and where the tunnels lead. The luxury car moves you between all three sites, and because it's private transport, not a bus, you avoid the crowds that pile up at each entrance. Bottled water and WiFi are on board. The whole day runs eight hours from pickup to drop-off.

What’s included

• Private transportation in a luxury car.
• bottled water and WiFi on board.
• professional guided visits inside Pena Palace, the Moorish Castle and Quinta da Regaleira.
• pickup and drop-off at your location.
• admission tickets to all three monuments if you select that option at checkout.

Options for this experience

2 options

Full-day private tour of SintraGuide in English, Spanish or Portuguese · 08:00Admission tickets are not included: it may be hard to get them on the day, since they are currently sold out. Pickup is included.

Every admission ticket is included.Guide in English, Spanish or Portuguese · 08:00Admission tickets: all of them are included (Pena Palace and Park, the Moorish Castle and Quinta da Regaleira). Pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (4 to 11 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats available

Operated by Van Go Tourism

Is this one for you?Pick this private tour if you want to set your own pace through Sintra's three main palaces: your guide walks inside each site with you rather than waiting outside, and you control how long you spend at each stop.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 11 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What's inside Pena Palace that makes it worth the hike?

Pena Palace combines the palace interior, which your guide walks you through, with trails that loop through its park, so you see both the architecture and the grounds the palace was built around. The palace sits high enough that the views back over Sintra are part of the visit itself.

Can I choose which three monuments to visit, or is the itinerary fixed?

The tour visits Pena Palace, the Moorish Castle and Quinta da Regaleira. Those are the three main attractions in Sintra and they're all included. You move at your own pace at each stop, but the route itself doesn't change.

Is lunch included in the price?

Lunch is not included. You eat in Sintra's center on your own, though the guide can recommend spots. The tour covers the guided visits, transport, and admission tickets if you choose the option that includes them.

Do I need to be fit to hike the trails at Pena Palace?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. The palace trails are there to explore at whatever pace works for you, and your guide adjusts to how much walking you want to do.

How does the private car make a difference compared to a group bus tour?

A private luxury car means you're not waiting for other groups, you're not competing for space at entrances, and the guide's attention stays on you and your group the whole day. You also avoid the crowds that build up at each monument when buses arrive all at once.