In a nutshell
- Do you already know the best places to visit in Lisbon? Then it’s time for day trips around Lisbon!
- The most popular day trips from Lisbon are the town of Sintra with its many fairytale castles and the coastal town of Cascais.
- If you don’t want to travel that far, you can head to the other side of the Tagus River and visit the Cristo Rei or enjoy a day at the beach in the Lisbon area.
- That was a little taste of what you can expect in this article. Now let’s get started with all our tips for places to visit around Lisbon.
Sintra: fairytale castles and mountain landscapes
How much time should you plan for a day trip from Lisbon to Sintra? At least 5 hours.
Sintra is a small town only 25 kilometers west of Lisbon and is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. It’s teeming with magnificent palaces and castles, which – as if their inherent fairy-tale flair wasn’t fabulous enough – are embedded in a truly fairy-like rich green landscape.
No wonder Sintra used to be the summer residence of Portuguese kings for 800 years. Today, the town has become a real tourist magnet, so be prepared for tons of tourists.
The absolute highlight is the Palacio Nacional da Pena with its colorful facade, little towers and battlements. You should check out some other sights though too, like the Quinta da Regaleira and the Monserrate Palace.
How to get from Lisbon to Sintra
You can get to Sintra by CP train from Rossio station. The trip takes about 40 minutes and trains leave every 30 minutes. You can get a ticket for 2.40 euros. If you have a Lisboa Card, the ride is included.
Important: Don’t go to Sintra by car. Traffic jams, the search for a parking space and the one-way streets are simply not appealing.
Guided tour from Lisbon to Sintra
It is worth booking a guided tour to Sintra. The city is very hilly and the bus is overcrowded. With a tour, your transportation is taken care of, you have a guide with you and visit the most important highlights.
Small group tour from Lisbon to Sintra
Private tour of Sintra from Lisbon
Cascais: a day trip from Lisbon to the sea
How much time should you plan for a day trip from Lisbon to Cascais? At least half a day, preferably a whole day.
One of the greatest places to visit around Lisbon is the town of Cascais. No wonder because the combination of sea air and pretty little town is easy to fall in love with.
We are big fans of Cascais and many others feel the same way. In fact, the fishing village has become one of the most popular attractions in the Lisbon area.
How to get from Lisbon to Cascais
You can make the trip from Lisbon to Cascais by train. There is a train from Cais do Sodre station every 20 minutes. The ticket costs 2.40 euros and you can pay for it with your Navegante card. If you have a Lisboa Card, the journey is included.
The journey takes around 30 minutes. If you sit on the left in the direction of travel, you can enjoy the view of the coast – absolutely beautiful!
Guided tour from Lisbon to Cascais
You can combine a trip to Cascais with Sintra and Cabo da Roca (we’ll introduce you to these in a moment). You can choose between the cheaper option of a small group or a private tour.
Cascais group tour from Lisbon
Private tour to Cascais
Cabo da Roca: A trip from Lisbon to the westernmost point in Europe
How much time should you plan for the day trip? About 30 minutes.
Cabo da Roca is the westernmost point of Europe. The beautiful landscape, the sea breeze blowing through your hair, and the lighthouse right by the steep cliffs that drop down vertically into the sea make Cabo da Roca worth a trip – especially at sunset!
Most visitors just have a quick look at the view. But if you have a little more time, you will also find great hiking trails and beaches in the area, such as Praia da Ursa.
How to get from Lisbon to Cabo da Roca
You can reach Cabo da Roca from Sintra and Cascais on bus line 1253, which takes around 40 minutes from both directions. The connections are shown on Google Maps.
Guided tour from Lisbon to Cabo da Roca
The trip to Cabo da Roca is best combined with Cascais and/or Sintra. Then it’s really worth booking a guided tour.
Guided tour do Cabo da Roca incl. Sintra and Cascais
A trip to the beaches around Lisbon
How much time should you plan for the trip? Half a day to a whole day.
A city trip to Lisbon simply has to include a trip to the sea, as there are many beautiful sandy beaches around the city. Some of them are easy to reach using Lisbon’s public transport system.
If you don’t want to travel far, we recommend Praia de Carcavelos. You can get there from Lisbon in about half an hour by train.
Carcavelos beach is a great place to learn to surf – the sport is a fun thing to do in Lisbon. Or you can simply lie down on the sand and watch the whole thing from there.
Book surf lessons in Carcavelos
Trip to Almada and the Cristo Rei
How much time should you plan for this trip? At least 3 hours.
The beautiful city of Almada is only a short ferry ride from Lisbon. The boat trip in Lisbon is already worth the trip because you will have a fantastic view of the city.
The main attraction on this side of the river is clearly the 28-meter-high statue of Christ the King (or Santuário de Cristo Rei in Portuguese), one of Lisbon’s most beautiful scenic viewpoints. It stands tall on a 75-meter base, built at an altitude of 113 meters above sea level, making it one of the tallest monuments in Portugal.
You can visit the area around the foot of the statue for free, but we would definitely recommend an elevator ride to the top of the base. For 8 euros you will have a stunning view of Lisbon.
How to get to from Lisbon to the Cristo Rei
Take the green metro line to the terminus at Cais do Sodré. Once at the station, simply follow the signs to the ferry terminal.
From there, take a ferry to Cacilhas. They run every 15 minutes or so and the crossing takes around 15 minutes. The one-way trip costs 1.50 euros and you can pay with the Navegante card.
On the other side of the Tagus, we recommend walking to the statue of Christ – you can walk along the river.
Nazaré: A trip to the Surf Mecca of Europe
How much time should you plan for your trip from Lisbon to Nazaré? A day.
Nazaré is a small fishing village north of Lisbon and is known for its monster waves. In 2024, Sebastian Steudtner from Germany set the world record for big wave surfing in Nazaré: 28.57 meters – simply unimaginable!
It’s a pure spectacle of nature to watch these giant waves on the rocky outcrop – even if you’re not a surf fan. However, it is therefore almost always full of tourists eager to take photos.
The best time to watch the monster waves is during the winter season from October to March. This is when the waves are at their biggest and the international surfing elite flock to the Nazaré coast.
How to get from Lisbon to Nazaré
Nazaré is located approx. 120 kilometers from Lisbon. The easiest way to get there is by rental car. It takes about 90 minutes.
Another option is to take a Rede Expressos bus. Tickets start at 4 euros and you’re on the road for about two hours.
Guided tour from Lisbon to Nazaré
Alternatively, you can book a guided day trip from Lisbon and visit other beautiful places in Portugal along the way: Óbidos, Batalha and Fátima.
Day trip from Lisbon to Nazaré
Porto: A trip to the second-largest city in Portugal
How much time should you plan for your trip? At least one full day. Two or three days are better.
Porto is less well known than Lisbon, but has at least as much to offer. We recommend staying overnight in Porto to make the trip really worthwhile – but you can also take a day trip from Lisbon.
Porto and Lisbon are a good 3 hours apart by train. If you travel in the morning and return in the evening, you can use the day to explore the city center of Porto.
If you are staying overnight, we recommend the Baumhaus Apartments. We’ve stayed there ourselves and loved it.
How to get from Lisbon to Porto
The easiest and most convenient option is to travel by train. You can book tickets at the station or online in advance. Tickets are usually available for as little as 30 euros, and you’ll be on the road for a good three hours.
What was your favorite place to visit around Lisbon?
Have you ever been to Lisbon and know some great places to visit in the area? Is your favorite day trip on our list? Please let us know in the comments below!