4 Days: Lisbon, Sintra and Cascais
Four days turns Lisbon into a proper Portugal trip: the city core, a full Sintra day, and now a whole day on the Cascais coast too. Tighter on time? Drop to 3 days . Have a fifth day? Add Setubal here .
Book these before you go:
- Book Pena Palace tickets , timed entry, sells out in peak season
- Skip the line at Belem
- Check hotel rates in Chiado
| Day | Focus | Cost to expect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baixa, Alfama and the Castle | ~15 EUR (castle) plus meals |
| 2 | Belem, two sites, not one | ~18-33 EUR (monuments) plus meals |
| 3 | Sintra, booked ahead | ~20-34 EUR (Pena Palace + bus) |
| 4 | Cascais and the Estoril coast | ~2.45 EUR (train) plus meals |
| Destination | Distance from Lisbon | Travel time | One-way fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sintra (Pena Palace) | ~28 km | ~40 min by train (Rossio) | 2.45 EUR |
| Cascais | ~30 km | ~40 min by train (Cais do Sodre) | ~2.25-2.45 EUR |
Day 1: Baixa, Alfama, and the Castle
Land, take the Red Line metro from the airport to Alameda, switch for Baixa/Chiado, about 25-30 minutes for roughly 2 EUR, and skip any taxi rank tout pushing a flat fare. Lisbon taxis are metered, full stop. Walk Rossio and Baixa’s grid, then climb into Alfama via Tram 12E rather than the pickpocket-prone Tram 28, same tangled alleys and river glimpses, far fewer sticky fingers. Sao Jorge Castle tops the hill for about 15 EUR, and the sunset from up there is the best fifteen minutes of your first day. Dinner: a real tasca, cash-friendly, bacalhau on the plate, and remember the bread on the table is couvert, a charge, not a gift, so send it back if you don’t want it.
Day 2: Belem, Two Sites, Not One
Belem sits apart from the center, a tram ride away. Jeronimos Monastery brings the Manueline stonework and Vasco da Gama’s tomb for 18 EUR monastery-only. Ten minutes further along the river, Belem Tower is a separate fortress on its own ticket, reopened in May 2026 after a year of conservation, running timed slots capped near 900 visitors a day for 15 EUR. A combined ticket for both runs 33 EUR, not really a saving, worth it only to skip a second queue. Eat your pastel de nata warm at Pasteis de Belem, the original, line included, and if you had Manteigaria back in Chiado, you now understand why this rivalry never really settles. Time Out Market in the afternoon, before noon or after 9pm for a seat, then an evening drifting into Bairro Alto.
Day 3: Sintra, Booked Ahead
Rossio Station to Sintra is about 40 minutes, roughly 2.45 EUR one way. The one rule that matters: book Pena Palace’s timed entry online before you leave home. Walking up without a reservation in high season (Easter to October) risks hours in line or a sold-out day entirely, and it’s the most avoidable mistake in all of Lisbon tourism. Palace-plus-park tickets run 20 EUR, park-only 14 EUR, and bus 434 (Scotturb) links the station to the gate for 4.10 EUR one way, 7.10 EUR round-trip, or 13.50 EUR for an unlimited day pass (about 12.40 EUR booked online ahead). Get there as early as you can stomach.
Day 4: Cascais and the Estoril Coast
Here’s a detail that trips people up constantly: Cascais is not on the Sintra line. It’s a separate train, running from Cais do Sodre station, not Rossio, roughly 40 minutes along the coast. Get this wrong and you’ll be standing on the wrong platform wondering why nothing matches the schedule you memorized. Once you’re there, Cascais trades Lisbon’s hills for cliffs, beaches, and a genuinely different rhythm, closer to a resort town than a capital. Walk the coastal path toward Estoril, grab lunch near the marina, and if the weather’s holding, this is the day to actually get in the water rather than just look at it from a viewpoint. Estoril itself feels quieter and a touch more old-money than Cascais, worth the extra twenty minutes on foot if you want a slower afternoon rather than another crowded beach.
Getting Around and Staying
Baixa or Chiado again for your base, close to transit and walkable to most of the city-core stops. Check hotel rates in Chiado before you book. Load a Navegante card (0.50 EUR) with Zapping credit, it covers metro, tram, bus, and both the Sintra and Cascais trains at a better rate than single fares, and skip Aerobus altogether, it’s been gone since 2022.
Book Cascais and Sintra as two separate train trips from two separate stations, and confirm which platform you need before you’re standing on it with five minutes to spare.