Quinta da Regaleira is beautiful, mysterious and a little eerie. With underground tunnels, a Gothic-style palace, a chapel, and gardens full of symbolism, it feels like something out of a fantasy film. Was it all coded messaging from a secret society, or just a rich man’s imagination? The only way to find out is to visit it and there’s no easier way than on a guided tour from Lisbon. This guide will show you how to plan your trip to uncover the secrets of this UNESCO-listed estate.
This iconic spiral staircase descending deep into the ground is both eerie and beautiful. Said to symbolize a journey into the underworld, it’s the most photographed and mysterious part of the estate. Walk the mossy spiral and exit through a hidden tunnel beneath the gardens.
An ornate, neo-Manueline mansion with Gothic towers, carved stonework, and extravagant interiors. Explore the chapel, balconies, and intricate detailing that reflects Portugal’s romantic and spiritual influences.
A maze of underground tunnels links the estate’s most iconic spots like the spiraling Initiation Well, the hidden waterfall at Lake of the Waterfall, and the myth-inspired Leda’s Grotto. Walking these dimly lit passageways feels like stepping into a real-life fairytale or secret society ritual.
Located just beside the main house, this small but stunning chapel features stained glass, religious iconography, and esoteric symbolism. It’s part spiritual site, part artistic showcase.
Designed as a symbolic journey, the garden is filled with lakes, grottoes, towers, and pathways that blur the line between nature and architecture. Don't miss stepping stones across the lake or the hidden benches under ivy-draped pergolas.
Getting to Quinta da Regaleira is a two-part journey: first, travel from Lisbon to Sintra; then make your way to the estate using Bus 435, a short taxi ride, or on foot. Here’s a look at your options:
Once you arrive at Sintra Station, the easiest way to reach Quinta da Regaleira is via Bus 435. This hop-on-hop-off style tourist bus connects key attractions around the town center, including the National Palace, Quinta da Regaleira, and Seteais Palace.
All tours include:
Quinta da Regaleira is located in Sintra, about 30 km (19 miles) from Lisbon. By train and local bus, the journey takes around 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes in total.
The most convenient way is to join a guided day tour with round-trip transfers. If traveling independently, take the train from Rossio Station to Sintra, then hop on the Bus 435 which stops near the estate.
Yes, tours often combine other top sights like Pena Palace, the Moorish Castle, Cabo da Roca, and Cascais, making it a well-rounded and efficient day trip. You also benefit from expert guides and skip-the-line access (depending on the ticket).
Absolutely. While guided tours offer deeper insight into the estate’s rich symbolism and history, you can buy entry tickets separately and explore on your own.
Most tours also include Pena Palace, Cabo da Roca, Cascais, or the Moorish Castle. Some offer optional upgrades for monument entry, while others include all fees upfront.
It depends on the tour. Some include entry as part of the package, while others offer it as an optional upgrade. Always check the “inclusions” section of your chosen tour before booking.
Typically, you’ll get around 1 to 1.5 hours to explore the estate during a guided visit. It’s enough to see the highlights like the Initiation Well, chapel, and underground tunnels.
Unfortunately, we couldn't visit the palaces as planned. There was a fire hazard on the mountain due to the drought. We visited other palaces. It was also beautiful but also a bit disappointing.
I had not written details of my trip and called cs for help. They were professional and resolved my issue. Guides were informed and fun!
Nelson was awesome guide. He managed to get us through all the places, gave us free time and recommendations of local specialities. Thanks a lot!
I liked the organization and especially the guides Maira and Marta! They are excellent people who helped me a lot to find a group where I could understand the language better! One point for improvement is to make it more visible on the ticket that the tour is run by Buendia, because I got lost at the meeting waiting for people from Headout! Maira was sensational in explaining the history of the place and was also concerned about our safety during the tour! Buying the tour from Headout was easy and practical!
The tour in itself was good. Howeer the guide was a bit rude
I have nothing positive to say except the tour guide Gui was lovely and tried his best to make us happy but honestly this was the biggest scam and rip off I ever experienced. You knew 90% of the chance that the Pena Palace and Quinta Regaleira will be shut due to the fire hazzards and you still sold the tour without being able to get refund and instead replaced those 2 most popular touristic spots with another boring two palaces, also the entry fee to those two palaces are half price than what I have paid for Pena palace and Quinta Regalaria and apparently I am not getting the difference in price back ? Honestly- very disspointing experience. I would not recommend to anyone buying anything through Headout
Very well organized, started on time. The tour guide was so informative! Highly recommended!
Wonderful! So much historic information! Good pace we got to see a lot in a short period of time!
Robinson el mejor guía!!! Estuvo padrísimo y muy interesante. Gracias
All inclusive, super organized, the guide did an excellent job and showed knowledge. A great experience.
Sintra, Cabo da Roca, and Cascais: The best of Portugal packed into one hassle-free day-trip.
Inclusions
Day trip to Sintra, Cascais, and Cabo da Roca
Round-trip AC transfers
Pick-up from Lisbon
Guided walking tour of: Pena Palace, Pena Park, and Quinta da Regaleira (as per option selected)
Tickets to: Pena Palace, Pena Park, and Quinta da Regaleira (as per option selected)
Expert Portuguese, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and English-speaking guide (as per option selected)
Headsets for clear guide audio
Exclusions
Luciana
Markus
Jana
Hugo was an incredible tour guide with tons of knowledge to share! Really learnt a lot about Sintra and the surround areas.
Our tour guide Susan is considerate and responsible. She detailed all information for tourist. And controled schedule well. We accidenatally lost our cell phone in during the trip, but she managed to resolve that issue for us in a short time. We appreicate her dedication.
Great experience, awesome guide, Catarina is so much fun, told us a lot of about the places we visited, made us feel really welcome and was super helpful.
We had an excellent day trip! Everything was very well organized, and the experience exceeded our expectations. Our tour guide was truly outstanding—knowledgeable, friendly, and passionate. Unfortunately, I don’t remember his name, but he had blue eyes and short, darkish hair. He made the day not only informative but also really enjoyable. The places we visited were absolutely incredible, and thanks to his recommendations, we were able to discover some hidden gems we wouldn’t have found on our own. I highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for a memorable and enriching experience.
The guide was great... enjoyed his humour. The palace is just so average... I can't believe people pay all that money for that.
Our guided tour with Headout to Sintra, Cascais, and other stunning spots was fantastic. Mario, our guide, was incredibly informative, had a great sense of humor, and drove expertly. His knowledge and personality made the experience memorable. Highly recommend this tour for a fun and insightful day trip from Lisbon!
Our guide Hugo was the best! He was charismatic and very knowledgeable, giving us plenty of history to understand more about the places we were going. I would highly recommend this tour. It was a small group and the van was very comfortable. The locations we went to were stunning.
I thought the booked tour was more guided and the two speech tour was also a little bit boring. Sorry I would not recommend this tour
Everything was great, guide Ivo was awesome !
There was no indication of the final march to the Pena castle. Way too far & steep to walk for seniors. It would have been good to know how far & steep that final climb was going to be round trip. Guide was very good but focused on the front of the bus. We ended up sitting near the back & 2 women continually talked the whole time. It was difficult to hear the guide.
We couldn't go as I was sick. We reached out to see if any refund would apply but no reply. So thanks.
We didn't once feel rushed. When I told the guide I couldn't hear as we were at the back he put the microphone on.
A full-day tour of Sintra, along with breathtaking views from Europe's westernmost point.
Inclusions
Full-day trip to Pena Palace, Sintra, Cabo da Roca, and Cascais
Experienced local guide in a language of your choice
Guided tour of Sintra and Guincho Beach
Free time in Sintra and Cascais
Round-trip transfers from Lisbon in an AC coach
Entry to Pena Palace & Park (based on option selected)
Exclusions
Food & drinks
Tips
Monica
Mr
Hsu
Enjoy views of Sintra's hills from the Moorish Castle & explore two of its unique UNESCO Sites.
Inclusions
Exclusions
Small group, we were 5. Friendly guide, Sofia, accommodating up to 4 languages.
Tour guide was awesome. Very professional and a great driver.
A blend of history, spirituality, and charm—all combined in a single, convenient day tour.
Inclusions
Full-day trip to Sintra, Pena Park, Nazaré & Fátima
Expert guide in a language of your choice
Entry to the Pena Park
Guided tour of Pena Park, Nazaré & Fátima
Free time at the Pena Park, Nazaré & Fátima
Round-trip transfers from Lisbon in an AC coach
Exclusions
Food & drinks
Tips
The tour came as advertised. It was well organized, people assembled at the location and were divided into groups by language. The tour guide gave out information at both sites ( could have added more while we were driving to the site). We had 90 minutes on our own at lunch time, which was good.
It was all good, the guide was friendly and solved all our doubts. He was with us the whole time. We really liked his explanations. The trip was good too.
Andrea was a great guide! She gave great information with a good mix of free time. We enjoyed our day with her and were super happy that of the two groups our bus was divided into, we were in Andrea's group! Just a heads up for future travellers, the Pena Palace is an extra 10 euros that is not included in your tour price.
The guides were good....enthusiastic... and knowledgeable. They knew their stuff.
The guide was very attentive and friendly. He let us enjoy the tour without overwhelming us.
The tour in the palace was too crowded and needed the tour guide present to discuss the rooms
We had a misunderstanding about the tickets but in the end they solved it.... the visits were very good and the guide was a 10.
We liked everything, and especially the guide. Damián was a charm !!!!
Good tour. Well organized. Wonderful guide Mario. But he walked too fast.
Experience the best of Sintra with a guided walking tour and AC transfers from Lisbon.
Inclusions
Full-day trip to Sintra
Round-trip AC transfers
Pick-up from Lisbon
Guided walking tour of Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira with tickets (as per option selected)
Expert Portuguese, Spanish, French, and English-speaking guide (as per option selected)
Headsets for clear guide audio
Exclusions
It was beautiful to see Sintra and surrounding areas. Especially around Lisbon Belem etc If I were to go back I would visit some more sights which I didnt get too but at least I could see with the guide. It was a lovely small group too which made it even nicer. I loved the custard tarts everyone of them delicious. The guide was chatty, funny and nice taste in music for the tour.
The tour guide was awesome!!! Very informative and friendly.
The only tour covering both Sintra and Lisbon and the Belém Tower & Pena Palace.
Inclusions
Full-day trip to Sintra, Pena Palace, Belém Tower, Cascais & Lisbon
Ticket and guided tour of the exterior of Pena Palace & Pena Park
Expert guide in a language of your choice
Belém Cake Tasting
Round-trip transfers from Lisbon in an AC coach
Exclusions
Food & drinks
Tips
Inclusions
Guide available in English, French, Spanish & Portuguese
Admission to Cathedral
Admission to Chapel of Bones
Wine tasting
Exclusions
Hotel transfers
Lunch (if no lunch option is selected)
Inclusions
Guided experience
Transfers from Lisbon, Setúbal, and Sesimbra
Support boat
Harness
Helmet
Life jacket
Wetsuit
Personal accident insurance
This ticket has the following options that you can choose from:
Inclusions
Multilingual local guide
Transfers (optional)
Personal accident insurance
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
Inclusions
Guided tour
Electric tuk-tuk tour
Exclusions
Entrance fees to the attractions
Gratuities
Personal expenses
