The best day trips from Lisbon

Lisbon is a fascinating city and you can easily spend many days exploring its different neighborhoods, museums, historical sights and trying the delicious food. But if you want to go beyond and explore a bit more of Portugal, we’ve made a list with the best day trips from Lisbon.

Sintra

The most famous day trip from Lisbon, Sintra is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Portugal and once you arrive here, it’s easy to understand why. With its exotic landscape and climate, it became the place where the nobles and aristocrats from the XIX century started to build their summer palaces. Classified as World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995, Sintra attracts thousands of tourists all year around.

We recommend visiting the Pena Palace, the Moorish Castle, the Quinta da Regaleira, the National Museum of Sintra, the Montserrat Palace and to try the delicious queijadas and travesseiros de Sintra at Piriquita shop.

How to get there: you can take a train from Rossio Station and get off at the last stop, Sintra. The journey takes around 40 minutes.

Another good option is doing a tour that offers Sintra and Cascais on the same day so you can see both places and save time.

Cascais

A former fishermen’s village, Cascais became Lisbon’s most famous coastline destination in the 40’s. The short distance from the capital (located just 25km away), the XIX century architecture in the downtown area, the beautiful beaches and pleasant weather are among the main reasons for that. Nowadays is one of the most expensive places in Portugal, with many mansions sitting by the cliff on the way to Praia do Guincho.

We recommend visiting Boca do Inferno (Hell’s mouth), relaxing in one of the beaches between Estoril and the downtown area of Cascais and if you have the energy, to rent a bike and ride to Praia do Guincho.

Another place we recommend is Cabo da Roca, located between Cascais and Sintra. It’s the most western point in continental Europe and it was considered the end of the World until Christopher Columbus discovered America.

You can take a bus from Cascais otherwise, most tours to Sintra include this stop.

How to get there: you can take a train from Cais do Sodré Station and get off at the last stop, Cascais. The journey takes around 40 minutes.

Óbidos

One of the most famous medieval villages in Portugal, Óbidos is also considered one of the 7 wonders of Portugal. The historical area and the castle are located inside an ancient wall that was originally built by the Moors in the X century. To wonder around its streets is like going back to the Middle Age.

Don’t miss the opportunity to try the famous Ginjinha de Óbidos, a famous liquor made out of “ginja”, a sour cherry typical from the region, infused in aguardente (fire water), sugar and cinnamon.

How to get there: you can take a bus from Campo Grande Station and get off at the old town in Óbidos. The journey takes around 60 minutes.

Évora

Évora is the capital of the Alentejo region and one of the most historical cities in Portugal. Its downtown area is classified as World Heritage Site by UNESCO and known as the “City Museum”.The city was also a favorite among the Portuguese Royal Family since the XV century, where they used to spend some time in the D. Manuel Palace.

We recommend visiting Sé Cathedral, the Roman Temple, one of the only constructions remaining from this period in Portugal, St Francis Church and the impressive “Bones Chapel”, built by monks with real human bones in the XVII century.

The Alentejo region is also famous for being the biggest producer of wine in the country. If you want to visit a winery for a wine taste, we recommend visiting Cartuxa, one of the most famous wineries in Portugal.

How to get there: you can take either the bus or the train from Sete Rios Station. Both journeys take around 1:30 hours.

Nazaré

Nazaré became very famous in recent years for the big waves that normally happen in winter season but the city offers much more than that.

Its charming historical area is located on the top of the cliff, not far from the famous lighthouse where people normally gather to watch the surfers trying to ride the massive waves.

The long sand beach is also a very pleasant place to relax in the summer and you’ll find many restaurants offering delicious fresh fish and seafood with very good price.

How to get there: you can take a bus from Sete Rios Station. The journey takes around 1:30 hours.

Fátima

The most famous Catholic Sanctuary in Portugal, Fátima attracts more than 4 million pilgrims a year.

In 1917, the Virgin Mary appeared for 3 children who used to live in the area several months in a row. The last time, a crowd with thousands of people witnessed the miracle. The news spread very fast and soon the village started to attract a lot of believers.

Among the Popes who have visited Fátima are Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II (3 times), Pope Benedict XVI and in 2017, Pope Francis visited the Sanctuary for the centenary of the apparitions, celebrating a mass in her honor.

We recommend visiting the Chapel of the Apparitions, the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, the Basilica of the Holy Trinity and the Museum of the Sanctuary.

How to get there: you can take a bus from Sete Rios Station and get off at Fátima Station. The bus runs every 30 minutes and the journey takes around 1:30 hours.

Costa da Caparica

Costa da Caparica is the place where Lisboners normally go on weekends to enjoy a day at the beach during the summer time. With 26km, it extends along the western side of the Setúbal Peninsula with beautiful sandy beaches surrounded by nature, making this place perfect to relax.

The main city is also called Costa da Caparica and that’s where most people ended up visiting as all the buses coming from Lisbon stop here. It’s also a very good spot for surfing, for both experienced and beginners.

Beware that in the summer, it might take a long time to cross the 25 of April Bridge because of traffic.

How to get there: you can take a bus from Areeiro and get off at the downtown area of Costa da Caparica. Unfortunately, to explore further down the coast, it’s possible to do only by car. Another way to go is taking the ferry from Cais do Sodré to Cacilhas and then a bus to Costa da Caparica.

From Cacilhas, you can also take a bus to Cristo Rei, the big Christ Statue on the other side of the Tagus River and enjoy the magnificent view of Lisbon.