This private Lisbon shore excursion to Sintra is built around a single, unhurried visit to Portugal's most famous palace, rather than trying to fit in the whole Sintra region in one day.
After meeting your licensed guide at the Lisbon cruise port, you drive about 18 miles (29km) northwest into the forested hills of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, a landscape of estates and gardens that has drawn Portuguese royalty and artists for centuries.
Your visit starts with a walk through Pena Park, the woodland surrounding the palace, past hidden lakes, exotic trees, and quiet trails. The highlight of the day is the guided visit inside the National Pena Palace itself. Commissioned by King Ferdinand II and built between 1842 and 1854 on the ruins of a monastery destroyed in the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, the palace is considered one of Europe's finest examples of Romantic architecture, part of the UNESCO listed Cultural Landscape of Sintra since 1995. Its colorful towers and Moorish inspired terraces were designed by Prussian architect Wilhelm Ludwig von Eschwege, and your guide explains the history behind its unusual mix of Gothic, Manueline, and Moorish styles as you explore the royal rooms.
After the palace, you continue to the historic center of Sintra, with free time to browse boutiques, sample Portuguese pastries, or have lunch on your own (meal not included) among its cobblestone streets and cafes.
In the afternoon, you drive through Sintra Natural Park, passing several of the region's celebrated estates, including Quinta da Regaleira with its mysterious gardens and initiation well, the Seteais Palace, and Monserrate Palace. Depending on timing, your guide may also add a stop at Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe, where cliffs rise about 140 meters above the Atlantic.
Review Location- Lisbon 
