Private day tour of Obidos and Sintra from Lisbon
Description
During this tour, you will discover the magic of Portuguese castles from the medieval to the romanticism period. Sintra is the starting point of this tour. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the capital of romanticism, just 16 miles from Lisbon, Sintra has housed the royal family’s summer palaces since the 14th century. You will have the opportunity to visit one of these royal Palaces of Sintra. If you have a sweet tooth you must taste the traditional pastries. One hundred km north of Sintra, our tour will reach Obidos, a charming medieval village within defense walls. Here you can taste the typical liqueur of the region, The “Ginja”, served in a chocolate cup. Obidos is the best example of medieval cities in Portugal. As we enter its walls, we go back in time, as we walk the ancient stone alleys, facing houses with their white-painted secular facades, the ever-active trade and the countless churches built over the centuries.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Sintra is without a doubt one of the most extraordinary places in Portugal. Its microclimate transforms this small town situated on the slopes of the mountain range “Serra de Sintra” and next to the Atlantic into a major attraction for visitors who go there to admire its famous castles and palaces or simply taste the traditional food, pastries and sweets. And let’s not forget the souvenir shops selling typical local items. We will stop in the historic center where you will have time to try the famous “travesseiros” and “queijadas” in the Piriquita Pastry Shop and explore the narrow streets of the most romantic town in Portugal. Visit one of these palaces: National Palace of Sintra, National Palace of Pena, Quinta da Regaleira, Palace of Monserrate.(Optional - entrance fees apply)
The town of Obidos is an ancient Roman city that continued flourishing even after the fall of the empire due to the huge commercial activity through the sea port. During the Middle Ages, a wall was built around it after being conquered by the first king of Portugal, Afonso I. Obidos is the best example of a medieval village in Portugal. We go back in time as we walk through this walled town, with its narrow cobblestone alleys, houses with secular facades painted in white, a lively shopping area, and a number of churches that were built throughout the centuries. We get the sensation of the battles fought here for every square foot of land. We won’t leave without tasting the famous “Ginga de Obidos”, a local sweet liquor served on a small chocolate cup.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Your assigned driver-guide will meet you at a place designated by you, within the city of Lisbon.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(13)
Vasco our guide was very flexible with time at each stop. He gave us suggestions about what to see. He also gave us a very good history of Portugal.
Thank you , Michael, for your input.
We had a wonderful tour with Rodrigo as our guide. Six friends on vacation for our 40th birthdays. It was a rainy day but he designed the tour so that we got the best weather and he was flexible with where we wanted to go. We didn’t feel rushed and still got to see so much. Lots of laughs and the perfect balance of giving us facts and history but still letting us do our own thing. A memorable trip, would recommend!
Dear Emily, Thank you so much for your review.
Sandra is an excellent tour guide and driver. She is very knowledgeable, thoughtful, and friendly. Highly recommended.
Thank you, Kate, for your review. We're very proud to have Sandra as part of our team. She is one of the best driver-guides in the country.
We had a great day trip to Obidos and then Sintra. Vasco from Premiere Tours was our guide and driver. He picked us up at our hotel and we set out for Obidos. Along the way, he did a great job of sharing information about life in Portugal, the history of the area and where we were going.We arrived in Obidos before it got crowded and could really enjoy the village while it was still quiet. Vasco showed us the castle and how to walk to the ledge at the top of the castle wall. He then showed us around town and then took us to a shop where authentic, ginja is made. That was a highlight, and we bought some ginja to take home. After Obidos, we drove on to Sintra. We walked around the town and then took a tour of the Pena Palace. The palace was very interesting. There’s a lot to see in Sintra, but we only had time for a couple of places. We returned to Lisbon later that day. The day was very nice.
Thank you so much for your review
We had a lovely day with Vasco with our driver. He accommodated every aspect of our day. Just wish we had more time. Sintra was very rushed to no fault of Vasco the day just ran away on us. Over all great day.
Laura, Thank you so much for your review. Good things go by so fast, but the memories stay for a long time.
Ricardo was full of historical facts about the area we visited. Pace of schedule was great. Got us back to our hotel on time.
Thank you so much for your preference with Premiere Tours Portugal.
We are very seasoned travelers visiting over 70 countries. We travel frequently with another couple and are extremely discrete and particular about our guides and our drivers. After a great deal of research we chose Premiere Tours due to their outstanding recognition as best tour company in Portugal as well as a phone call I made to the owner to insure we were getting not only a qualified driver but an outstanding English speaking driver. We had very specific things we wanted to see and hired Premier Tours for a customized 9 hour tour. Our driver was a certified Official Portuguese certified guide and he was an amazing driver. We hired a Mercedes Van and the car was clean and comfortable. Our guide spent the entire day informing us of so many amazing fact and showed us many “unknown” secrets of Portugal. We had an amazing day. I would highly recommend Premier Tours without any reservations. You will be thrilled if you are lucky enough to have the experience we had during our amazing day together.
Such kind words, John. We cannot thank you enough...
Renato was our private tour guide to Sintra and Obidus. He was wonderful, very personable,. He was very knowledgeable and gave us a lot of history of the places we visited and answered all of our questions. We had heard that the Pena Palace is usually very crowded. When we were there it was very foggy. We didn't have any view from the Palace, but we also were able to get in without having to stand in line forever. This tour does not give much time to explore the town of Sintra, but with the bad weather it didn't matter to us. Renato was very accommodating, a very good driver. The van was very comfortable for the five of us,
Thank you so much Sidney for your review.
Had a wonderful time! Óbidos was charming and Pena Palace in Sentra was beautiful. Really enjoyed our driver , Anthony, who provided great cultural and historical insights as well as tips for the rest of our travels in Portugal.
Thank you so much for your review. We hope to see you back soon.
Our guide, Vasco was a knowledgeable and personable young man. The scenery and sites are magnificent. Looking at the history around this beautiful part of the world was a day to remember. We would passionately recommend this tour to anyone whom may consider it. Having a personal guide made the experience so much more enjoyable.
Dear Cheryl, Thank you so much for your kind words and for electing Premiere Tours as your private tour company in Portugal Kind regards, Jorge Bras
