7 of The Best Day Trips from Lisbon You Will Love

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These seven day trips from Lisbon are great additions to your overall travel itinerary – all for different reasons. Whether you’re interested in seeing historic quaint towns or the remnants of opulent country estates, you’ll find something on this list that appeals to you.

1. Sintra

Sintra is one of the most popular day trips from Lisbon, and it’s easy to understand why. It’s just forty minutes away from the city by train and there is plenty to do there to fill up your itinerary.

Make sure you take time to visit the Palácio da Pena. This Romanticist castle is noted for its vivid yellow, red, and gray exteriors as well as it’s position on the top of a hill in the Sintra Mountains. It has long been one of Portugal’s most visited monuments and has been carefully restored over the years. The palace was constructed as a royal summer residence and was home to many notable members of the royal family over the years. Queen Amelie, the last reigning monarch of Portugal, spent her final night as royalty in this palace before leaving the country.

If you’re interested in something a little more mysterious, you’ll likely enjoy a tour of Quinta da Regaleira, the former home of Portuguese businessman, Antonio Augusto Carvalho Monteiro. It was designed by Luigi Manini, an Italian architect who was known for his work in opera stage design. While the magnificent five-story castle is impressive in itself, the unique nature of this estate comes from it’s outdoor parks which include tunnels, grottoes, and initial wells that are linked to Tarot mysticism. You can take a guided tour, a self-guided tour, or access an augmented reality experience by using an app on your smartphone. 

2. Batalha

Batalha is your best option if you’re interested in a short day trip from Lisbon that is still worth your time. The most famous monument and the main reason to visit is the Mosteiro da Batalha, a monastery that was built to commemorate the 1385 Battle of Aljubarrota. This was one of the most important conflicts in Portuguese history – it was fought between the Kingdom of Portugal and the Crown of Castile as the latter was making an attempt to take the Portuguese throne. Despite being significantly outnumbered, Portugal emerged victorious and further established their independence.

Construction began on the monastery the year after the battle and went on for quite some time. Today you can visit the beautiful structure and see the final resting place of King John I of Portugal, who commanded the Portuguese army through the previously mentioned battle, and many members of his family including his wife, Phillipa of Lancaster.

There are several buses that can take you from Lisbon to Batalha throughout the day but the schedule for those routes may vary and can be quite limited. Your best option is to join an organized tour that will provide transportation to and from Batalha or to rent a car and drive as that can give you flexibility and the opportunity to explore sites like the battlefield, which is a few miles out of town.

3. Cascais

If you’re interested in relaxing on the beach and experiencing a coastal retreat, Cascais will be a great day trip for you. It’s just about a half hour car ride west of Lisbon or an hour long train ride so if you start your journey early you’ll get a long day of relaxing or enjoying the sights.

Cascais is truly beautiful which means that it may be quite crowded on weekends, especially during the summer. But that means you get to enjoy all of the benefits that come with that as well which include a vibrant nightlife scene and plenty of other things to do.

4. Obidos

The small town of Obidos is about an hour away from Lisbon by car. It’s one of the iconic walled cities where you can wander through the charming cobblestone streets and marvel at the fascinating medieval architecture. Although Obidos is small, there is plenty to do and an ideal destination if you’re interested in a leisurely day shopping, exploring, and grabbing a bite to eat.

One of the most unique aspects of Obidos is the number of bookstores present throughout the storybook town. There are fourteen bookstores that you can step into, but what makes the town so unique are the number of hybrid bookstores, which are historic buildings and local businesses that sell books as well.

5. Évora

The city of Évora is known for its many attractions including the Roman Temple, the Bone Chapel, and the Gothic Cathedral. The city is also known for it’s incredibly well preserved

You can take a train to Évora or you can drive – either way you’ll be there within an hour. Once you arrive you should plan on spending at least six or seven hours exploring when you arrive. It can get moderately busy during the weekends, especially during the parts of the year that see an influx of tourists like the spring or summer.

6. Setubal

For an authentic and charming experience, head to the small town of Setubal. It’s about thirty miles south of Lisbon and you can either drive or take a train to get there. Either way, it will take you about 40 minutes to arrive.

One of the perks of visiting Setubal is how few tourists venture there. You’ll get to see a side of modern Portugal that not many visitors see. For example, you can stop by the Mercado do Livramento, a historic fish market that has been taking place for over 150 years. Shop at any of the hundreds of stalls for fish and other food items.

7. Palácio Nacional de Queluz

One of the last great examples of Rococo architecture in Europe, the Palácio Nacional de Queluz is a great place to visit to get a glimpse of the opulence and splendor of Portugal’s past. It was built in the 18th century as a summer retreat for Dom Pedro of Braganza and his wife, Queen Maria I. In the 20th century it became a property of the state and today one wing of the palace is used as the official state guest house. Apart from that, the palace is a major tourist attraction.

The Palácio Nacional de Queluz is very close to Lisbon so it’s a great option for a last minute day trip. You can take standard public transportation to get there which normally takes 45 minutes or more but if you can rent a car or hire a taxi, that will be your best option as that journey only takes about 15 minutes. 

Video Guide: 7 Best Day Trips from Lisbon

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Need help planning a trip to Lisbon?

Want to plan a trip to Lisbon with some of the best day trips from Lisbon but don’t know where to begin? If you find this type of multi-city trip planning to be too complicated to plan on your own, we’re here to help!

At MultiCityTrips, multi-destination travel and complicated itineraries such as a trip to Lisbon, day trips from Lisbon, or trips that include visiting multiple cities, countries throughout Europe are our specialties. Contact us today to learn more about how one of our experienced travel experts/destination specialists can personalize your multi-city European trip and craft your European vacation package at the best price.

Don’t want to start from scratch and need some trip inspiration? Check out our marketplace for customizable pre-designed packages available right now for many amazing destinations in Europe.

To learn more about how our process of trip planning works in detail, please see our “How It Works” page or check out our video on “How to Plan a Multi-City Trip to Europe in  5 Easy Steps”  here.

Have questions for us? Schedule a FREE Call with us here or contact one of the travel experts/destination specialists at [email protected], call/text us at (888)223-2316 today

Private Travel Coaching & Consulting Call

Want to plan and book your upcoming trip yourself? If this is your first time traveling to any of the European destinations or you are new to multi-city, multi-country travel but prefer to manage every part of your trip on your own, this option is for you! 

For just $150 per hour, our destination expert can answer any questions you might have as you plan and book your dream trip. From assisting with route planning, and destination selection, recommending the best areas or places to stay, the best transportation options, things to do and see, saving tips and so much more! 

Ready to plan your trip with our help? Book your private coaching session with our destination expert now and we’ll confirm your appointment within 24 hours!

Travel Resources for Planning Your Own Trip

To make planning your European trip on your own easier, in addition to what already mentioned in our travel guide, we included some of our recommended travel resources below. You can search and find the best flights, transportation options, hotels to stay in, tours/activities, and things you can do in any destination using these travel resources:

European River Cruises:

Uniworld River Cruises: The world’s best and most awarded luxury river cruise line—offers itineraries in spectacular destinations throughout Europe, Russia, Egypt, Asia, and Peru. The company’s European fleet features luxurious ships with an average capacity of 120 guests, the highest staff-to-guest ratio in the river cruise industry, enticing shore excursions, world-class gourmet cuisine, impeccable hospitality, and numerous other all-inclusive benefits.

Pre- and Post-cruise/Tour Extensions: Uniworld curated pre-and post-cruise/tour extensions make it easy to add a few days to the front or back end of your trip while leaving the planning to them

The packages include a variety of hotel options, transfers, and a dedicated destination expert to escort you along the way.

Flights: 

Agoda: Search thousands of destinations around the world & quickly compare prices to find amazing deals on the best flights.

CheapOAir: You can find airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, and vacation packages all on one site!

Kiwi.com: What we like about Kiwi is the fact that they are able to create combinations of flight, train, and bus tickets and offer them in a single itinerary. Also, Kiwi has what they called “Nomad” which helps you find the best way of visiting multiple destinations, saving you time and money.

JetRadar: You can search and compare airfares from 726 airlines and dozens of travel agencies and systems.

Hotels

Agoda: Agoda is one of the world’s largest online travel accommodation platforms with a network of over 2,000,000 vacation rentals and hotels worldwide.

Hotellook: They have more than 250,000 hotels in 205 countries, working with data from more than 10 online booking systems, such as Booking.com, Agoda.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, and others.

Airport Transfers & Transportations: 

Airport Transfers: GetTransfer offers both airport transfers & car rentals with a personal driver. Other airport transfer options are KiwiTaxi and Viator.

TrainEuroRailTrainline, or RailEurope are all great sites for train tickets as well as Rail Passes if you would like to add more flexibility to your trip. They are good for most trains throughout Europe. For trains in Italy, we like and recommend ItaliaRail. As for Portugal, you will need to go to the official website for Comboios de Portugal (the Portuguese train company) to book your train tickets when traveling in Portugal.

BusFlixbus: Very affordable (as low as $6) and convenient way to transfer between cities in Europe.

CarRentalsAutoEuropeEconomyBookings, or  GetTransfer (transfers & car rentals with a personal driver)

Bike RentalBikesBooking is a great site for bikes & scooter rentals

Transportation ComparisonOmio (search, compare, and book tickets for buses, trains, and flights all in one site)

Tours & Activities:

TakeWalks (WalkofItaly): This is our favorite site for walking tours & day trips.

Tiqets: Great site for entrance tickets. It offers directly bookable, instantly available, and completely mobile tickets for museums, shows, and attractions all over the world.

Musement: They have good activities and tours in Italy and Spain, also many great day trips you can choose from.

GetYourGuide: A large number of tours, excursions, and other travel activities

Viator: The largest one. It has everything from tours, attractions, shore excursions, and private guides in over 2,700 destinations worldwide. It also has many transportations and transfers options and some unique experiences we didn’t find anywhere else.

Travel Insurance:

Travel Guard:  Their comprehensive travel insurance programs, starting at $30, include per-trip & annual plans, coverage for trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, medical expenses, baggage loss & more! Travel Guard provides 24/7-customer service with a personal touch through its World Service Center.

DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links, MultiCityTrips may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you.

Trip by Travel Experts

Need help planning a trip and find the best vacation package for your multi-city trip to Europe? If you find this type of trip planning to be too complicated to plan on your own, we’re here to help!

At MultiCityTrips, multi-city, multi-country European vacations, and complicated itineraries are our specialties. Contact us today to learn more about how one of our experienced travel experts/destination specialists can personalize an amazing multi-city trip to your dream destinations in Europe.

Ready for a trip? Check out our planning options and get in touch with us today!

Featured Pre-Designed Packages

These air-inclusive, pre-designed multi-city European vacation packages can be personalized to suit your needs!

Private Travel Coaching & Consulting Call

Want to plan and book your upcoming trip yourself? If this is your first time traveling to any of the European destinations or you are new to multi-city, multi-country travel but prefer to manage every part of your trip on your own, this option is for you! 

For just $150 per hour, our destination expert can answer any questions you might have as you plan and book your dream trip. From assisting with route planning, and destination selection, recommending the best areas or places to stay, the best transportation options, things to do and see, saving tips and so much more! 

Ready to plan your trip with our help? Book your private coaching session with our destination expert now and we’ll confirm your appointment within 24 hours!

Schedule a FREE Consultation

Not sure or can’t decide which planning option is right for you? Schedule a free 30-minute call with one of our travel experts to discuss your travel needs today!