starting at €581 total, not per person

•  8-hour private driving & walking tour     

•  skip-the-line entry ticket fees excluded.

•  our guides take you inside the monuments

•  reservations required

belem, cascais, guincho beach, cabo da roca and convento dos capuchos

This full-day insider tour is a journey to locations lost in time. We start in the Belém area of Lisbon, where your guide can skip the ticket lines and take you inside the S. Jerónimos Monastery to explain the secret messages hidden in the exuberant Portuguese “Manueline-style” architecture. Unlike budget tour operators, we will not leave you to wander inside any of the sights on your own.

After this, we drop in next door to see the Church of Santa Maria with its breathtaking ceiling that spans overhead like a massive spiderweb. Inside are the important tombs of Vasco da Gama and King D. Manuel. From there, we pass by the Discoveries Monument, where the ships of great explorers set sail to trade with India and the Orient. Then to the Belém Tower, a formidable stone customs house, prison, and sea gate to Lisbon, fortified with 17 cannons. There is also an essential stop for our world-famous custard pastries, served warm from the oven at Pastéis de Belém, renowned for their savory, delicately light-sweet pastries in a light phyllo pie cup.

Then, along the scenic Tejo River to the medieval fishing village of Cascais for a look at the crescent-shaped beach and colorful wooden fishing boats in the bay. The charming cobbled streets of the historic center seem an unlikely place to hear details on James Bond. but, this area has been steeped in military and espionage activity throughout history.

A short drive up the coast and we arrive at the surfer’s paradise of Guincho with its vast swaths of golden beaches and wind-blown dunes. Towards the mountains, we reach Cabo da Roca, where rocky cliffs over 100 meters high give us an excellent view of jagged, crystalline megaliths jutting from the blue sea below. During the great Age of Discovery, this dramatic, westernmost point of Europe was literally “the end of the world” to both the explorers who set sail for unknown destinations and the slaves who were brought back for distribution throughout Europe. The famous Portuguese Poet Laureate, Luis de Camoes, wrote, "As onde a terra se acaba e o mar começa" (where the land ends and the sea begins).

Then our adventure reaches its apex as we wind our way through the Serra de Sintra mountain range, known to the Romans as "Lunae Mons" (Mountains of the Moon). A mystical place that is the perfect setting for a fairytale village carved from moss-covered boulders, with cork-lined roofs and walls. The Convento dos Capuchos (Convent of the Capuchin Monks), built in 1560, was a primitive home for friars who led monastic lives in perfect harmony with their natural surroundings. The half-sized doors and tiny stone corridors could easily double as a hobbit-like shire in a Lord of the Rings movie.

Then it’s a relaxing ride back to Lisbon as we meander our way through the mountains with Sintra’s dream-like Pena Palace and Moorish Castle visible on the peaks around us. 

_________________________________________________________

why do we use a dedicated driver and a separate guide?

We provide a luxury modern vehicle with heat and air conditioning, a driver, and an official guide who can take guests inside the monuments. Many budget tours have the guide double duty as the driver. This is something we would never do, and you will have a dedicated driver for 3 reasons.

1. We don't want our guests to wait for a guide to find a parking place before they lead guests inside the palaces. Parking. In Sintra, it can be hectic, and waits are common during high season.

2. We don’t want our licensed and insured drivers to be distracted by conversations with guests. Because Portugal has one of the highest accident fatality ratios per capita in the EU, we must keep our guests safe on the narrow mountain roads of Sintra, while our guides explain the sights, culture, and landscape.

3. The weather conditions in the Atlantic mountain, the micro-climate of Sintra, are very unpredictable. We encourage guests to bring windbreakers and umbrellas because the temperatures can vary dramatically in Lisbon, and the climate can change very quickly, bringing rain, winds, fog, or even hail. We like our guests to have the convenience of leaving their unused personal items, like packs, coats, or umbrellas, inside the vehicle with the driver monitoring it at all times. Vehicle burglaries are common in the parking lots of monuments in Portugal.

major highlights

closures

Mondays

January 1

April 25

Easter Sunday

May 1

December 25 and 31

start and end points

Starting at:

Hotel, apartment, or ship dock

Ending at:

Hotel, apartment, or ship dock

important details

Beware of budget tours

We use authorized guides, and you will go to the front of ticket lines. Many budget tour operators do not take their guests inside the palaces of Sintra, because they do not have authorization to speak inside as guides, and they cannot skip the ticket lines. They will simply park outside and wait while guests wonder the inside of the palaces and gardens on their own.

We will always be able to skip the ticket lines, but it is impossible for any guide to move head of the crowds passing through the palace chambers.

S. Jerónimos Monastery:

Exuberant Portuguese, “Manueline-style” architecture.

Church of Santa Maria:

A stunning ceiling, over the tomb of Vasco da Gama and kings.

Belém Tower: A formidable customs house, prison, and sea gate to Lisbon.

Discoveries Monument:

Departure point to explore and trade with India and the Orient.

Pastéis de Belém:

World famous custard tarts warm from the oven...we skip the line.

Lunch: At a restaurant popular with locals for Tejo River and Atlantic views.

Cascais Village:

A quaint fishing village where the Tejo River meets the Atlantic.

Guincho Beach:

Surfers paradise, with broad golden beaches and windswept dunes.

Cabo da Roca:

Dramatic cliffs at the Western most point of Continental Europe.

Convento dos Capuchos

A hobbit-like monastery carved from rock and lined with cork.

Serra de Sintra Mountains:

The lush green forest of Sintra with palace-topped mountains.

         ADD SERVICES

You guide will suggest lunch at a local owned family fish and seafood restaurant that will meet your tastes, and budget. There are a variety to choose from with views of the Atlantic Ocean.

.

         INCLUDED

Skip the ticket lines with an official tour guide.

Round-trip transfer in a luxury vehicle with a dedicated driver at all times.

Authorization to enter sights.

VAT tax.

.

        WALKING LEVEL

80% level ground with some upstairs and inclines. 20% in vehicle. No elevators available. Some cobblestones and unpaved paths on tour route. Many places to sit along the route.

.

          INFORMATION

Wear comfortable athletic shoes. Bring windbreakers or umbrellas.

There are stops for clean restrooms, and food & beverage breaks if needed.

.

        MEETING POINT

Hotel, apartment, or ship dock.

Meetings at hotels or apartments located outside of Lisbon can effect tour price because of fuel and time expenses.

.

         START TIMES

Tuesday to Sunday, year round.

Morning: 9:00am, 9:30am, or 10:30am

No additional start times available.

.

            TICKET FEES

We skip the ticket lines.

Ticket prices average €17 per person. There are discounts available for Students and Seniors at time of entry.

Child (age 12 and under) Free

.

          EXCLUDED

Ticket fees are additional.

Lunch is additional.

Audio headsets when required for parties of 12 or more. Headsets are €3.00 per person.

tours for the culturally curious traveler

Lisbon Explorer

• Tiered pricing at a flat fee

• Customizable

• Meets where you like

• Luxury vehicles and drivers

• Multi-lingual guides

• Flexible cancellation policy