
easy
7 hours
Suitable for most fitness levels; expect short uphill walks and stairs inside parks—basic mobility required.
A compact, seven-hour small-group circuit from Cascais threading Sintra’s palaces, the windswept cliffs of Cabo da Roca and the surf of Guincho. Expect palace terraces, subterranean gardens, and dramatic Atlantic viewpoints with practical stops for photos and local pastries.
You step off the train in Cascais and a salt-scented wind greets you, pulling your jacket toward the ocean as the guide raises a card and calls the group together. The minivan threads a ribbon of coastal road, and within an hour the hills of Sintra appear—green cliffs carved by centuries of rain and crowned by candy-colored palaces that seem to have grown from the rocks.

Arrive 10 minutes early; the guide meets in front of the main door with a Pipefly sign and departures are punctual.
Bring cash or card for optional admissions—Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira typically charge around €10–12 each.
Wear grippy, closed-toe walking shoes for stone terraces, steep steps and park paths at Pena and Regaleira.
The headland is exposed—carry a windproof layer and secure loose hats and cameras when photographing the cliff edge.
Sintra’s palaces grew from 19th-century Romanticism and royal patronage; the town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its cultural landscape.
Coastal cliffs suffer erosion and fragile plant communities; stay on marked paths and avoid disturbing nesting seabirds to limit impact.
Protects ankles and improves traction on stone steps and garden paths.
Keeps you dry in Sintra’s humid microclimate and blocks coastal wind.
fall specific
Hydration for walking around palace grounds and cliff viewpoints where services may be limited.
summer specific
Captures palace terraces, cliff panoramas and the surf at Boca do Inferno.