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Mafra and Sintra: Choose 3 of 6 Palaces to visit on private tour
5.0
22 Ratings
Queluz
Experience the opulence of Sintra’s luxurious palaces on a private tour. Choose 3 out of 6 amazing palaces, including Pena Palace and Regaleira Farm. Book now!
Duration:
10 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- National Palace of Queluz - The Palace of Queluz, adorned with exquisite decorations and valuable artifacts, served as the official residence for royalty, particularly the Portuguese prince regent, the future D. João VI, and his family until they fled to Brazil due to the French invasions. D. Pedro IV, also known as D. Pedro I of Brazil, was born here. The palace also discreetly housed Queen Mary I, “Mary Louca,” as her mental health deteriorated following D. Pedro’s death.
- Palacio Nacional de Mafra - In the village of Mafra, the grand Palace of Mafra, commissioned by D. João V in 1711, stands out. Known for its hospitality, it is also home to the famous Tapada de Mafra, a 1187-hectare area enclosed by a 21 km wall, rich in diverse flora and fauna. The palace, a luxurious Baroque national convent, also includes a Basilica and the Royal Library, which boasts a precious collection of over 40,000 gold-bound books, including the first edition of Luís de Camões’ Lusíadas. It also features a unique set of six organs, renowned for their size and beauty.
- Parque e Palacio de Monserrate - A haven for writers, Monserrate attracted numerous foreign travelers, especially English, who lauded its beauty in travelogues and prints. The site captivated Francis Cook, a wealthy 19th-century English industrialist and art collector, inspiring the creation of the Romantic masterpiece: the Park and Palace of Monserrate.
- Sintra National Palace - The Sintra Palace is a complex of royal palaces built, expanded, and modified over centuries, with the exact date of the oldest palace’s foundation still unknown. The first structure likely dates back to the 10th or 11th century when Sintra was under Islamic rule. By the late Middle Ages, the Paço de Sintra was a central hub managed by the Queens of Portugal and a favored retreat for Portuguese monarchs. The region’s abundant game, cool summer climate, and refuge from plagues in the capital made it a popular destination. The palace, rich in history and memories, offers visitors a chance to step back in time and experience a different era.
- Park and National Palace of Pena - Starting from your hotel, embark on an unforgettable day trip to Sintra, located 30 km from Lisbon. Sintra’s unique micro-climate ensures lush vegetation and a mysterious, romantic atmosphere. Key monuments include the Pena National Palace, Quinta da Regaleira, and Monserrate Palace. The Palácio da Pena, perched on a rock 500m above sea level, offers stunning views of the coast up to Lisbon. It is one of the finest examples of 19th-century Romantic architecture and Europe’s first romantic palace, predating Bavaria’s Schloss Neuschwanstein by about 30 years.
- Quinta da Regaleira - Situated in the heart of Sintra, Quinta da Regaleira is a monument steeped in mystery and symbolism. Its owner, Carvalho Monteiro, also known as Monteiro dos Milhões, was intrigued by alchemy, Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, and the Templars, transforming the estate into a mystical haven. Today, it is one of Sintra’s most visited attractions, offering a journey through secret tunnels, exotic gardens, lakes, caves, and structures like the famous Initiatory Well, a spiral staircase descending 27 meters into the earth.
What's Included
- Private transportation
- Pick up and drop off in the accommodation
- Compulsory insurance
- Private guide and accompaniment to all monuments
- In-vehicle air conditioning
What's Not Included
- Lunch
- Monument tickets
Additional Information
Choose 3 out of 7 stunning palaces for an unforgettable visit in Sintra. Experience the opulence of Portugal’s aristocracy with its lavish Palaces and Quintas, all set amidst lush greenery thanks to a unique micro-climate. Embark on a fantastic day trip from Lisbon to explore this paradise. Sintra showcases nearly every era of Portuguese history and even offers glimpses into the broader history of humanity. Mafra is renowned for its convent-palace, constructed in the 18th century following a vow by the young king for Queen Maria Ana of Austria to bear him heirs. The Palace of Mafra stands as Portugal’s most significant Baroque monument, featuring the Royal Palace, the Basilica, the Franciscan Convent, and a notable Library that encapsulates the encyclopedic knowledge of the 18th century. The palaces to choose from are: 1) National Sintra Palace 2) Monserrate Palace 3) Queluz Palace 4) Mafra Palace 5) Pena Palace 6) Regaleira Farm.
Location
National Palace of Queluz
Largo do Palacio
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(22 Ratings)
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Margaretmey
Jul 8, 2024
Great experience - Our guide, Joao, was extremely enthusiastic, knowledgeable and dedicated to making our tour a wonderful experience. We saw so much and it was an extremely well-planned itinerary. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Obnurse44
Apr 5, 2024
Great Tour - Loved our guide John. Extremely knowledgeable about Portuguese history. We were so impressed. The places we visited were lovely and John Taylor’s it to our pace. It was a lovely fun day. I highly recommend him!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Helene_w
Apr 5, 2024
Outstanding tour - Our tour guide “John” was extremely knowledgeable about Portuguese history. His knowledge was impressive along with many details. He was responsive to our needs and paced the tour accordingly. A very enjoyable interesting day. I would highly recommend him and this tour. Nice to have the choices.
Review provided by Viator
Csdtravel
Sep 22, 2022
Flexible "Choose Your Own Adventure" Sintra Palaces Tour - We chose this tour with Joao's Kitzel Tours because it gave us the flexibility to focus on the sites that were most important to us. Many of the Sintra tours allow for less palace time and include a visit to Cascais, which we did not feel was necessary. I am so glad that we chose this private, "choose your own adventure" tour!
Joao was friendly, polite, thoughtful and so knowledgeable! We chose to visit Mafra, Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira. Each palace was intriguing in a unique way and it was an excellent combination of sites.
The price was reasonable and we saw and learned so much more than we would have if we had visited Sintra on our own. I highly recommend Joao and his Kitzel Tours Portugal!! Joao, thank you very, very much!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mohammad_e
Jul 4, 2022
Palace tour - This was a very informative and scenic tour of multiple palaces. Our guide did a great job of giving us the history behind all of them.
Review provided by Viator
Johntz6535mr
May 5, 2022
fantantic - The experience was incredible. John is the best guide tour. He is friendly and courteous. He is very knowledgeable about the history and places we were visited The tour was amazing. The conversation with him was spectacular. I highly recommend this tour and company.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
F7960wojennifers
Apr 26, 2022
John and kitzel the best of Portugal - John!! Thank you for a relaxing day filled with great adventures and information about your beautiful country of Portugal.
I loved this tour and its ability to customize it to our liking.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Barbaratu9765qq
Feb 3, 2022
Kitzel and john on this great day - We took this tour with john and we were very pleased. There were three of us on the tour and john was very patient and attentive to our desires to see.I would change nothing about this tour or the guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Garypm51zy
Dec 7, 2021
Great day !! - The trip was amazing. We were very lucky to have John as our tour guide. Not only is he really friendly, but he is also super helpful. Thanks to him, we managed to visit all the places that are on the list. It is one of the most fulfilling day trip we have ever taken. If we ever visit Portugal again, we would definitely want to try another day trip that are arranged with Kirzel Tours Portugal
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fredericsikvass
Jul 8, 2021
Another super amazing day - We did love so much the sintra and cascais tour we want to make another tour with Joao and he did told us to see the other museums close to sintra, since we did stay in Cascais for 2 days. We love the Queluz Palace and his beautiful garden likes you are in Paris for visiting Versalhes. In Mafra the last Unesco Place Portugal did take so amazing. They have the biggest number of Italian estatos outside of Italy. Guess who who told us all this great information lol. We did a super lunch close to Beach and visit the great monserrate. The gardens are so beautiful. Two great days with my new good Portuguese friend. looking for a great company and great tour guide. Kitzel Tours and Joao the best choice.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
