Full Day Private Tour - Sintra's World Heritage And Cascais

While planning for our trip, we were originally going to do Sintra by ourselves. Take the train from Lisbon and use the bus to get around there. We had hoped that by getting an early start we could see everything we wanted to get to. However, as our trip neared, we read a number of comments about how busy Sintra is already and it was only expected to get more crowded as the summer goes on. At that point we decided it was probably best to do a guided tour to optimize our time and maximize what we can see in the one day we had to see Sintra. Enter Francisco and Week Break Tours. The day when from potentially hectic and stressful to relaxing and informative. We had already visited Cascais earlier in our trip so Francisco was able to accommodate our request to alter the default trip. We also let him know that we're not opposed to getting an early start if that helps. Below is a brief outline of what we were able to see on our tour. (This review is already pretty long so I chose not to really review the sights themselves, there is plenty of other information available about them specifically) The day started at 8:15 am with Francisco picking up our family of five at the door of our Airbnb in a comfortable van with plenty of space for all five of the family members. With the early start, we were well on our way out of Lisbon before traffic slowed us down. First stop was Pena Palace. To free up time for other sites, we chose not to do the tour inside. Our visit was a perfect blend of guided tour with information and some 'free' time to wander around and take a million pictures. It was a bit foggy for part of our visit but I found it added a little mystic to the palace. Second stop was the Moorish Castle. We walked from Pena Palace to the Moorish Castle and Francisco pointed out various sites along the way. We spent a little time climbing the walls, admiring the views and again... taking a million pictures. After this it was time to drive back to Sintra. Here we had lunch, wandered the streets a bit. After lunch we stopped by a small bakery/coffee shop for a coffee/juice and some pastries. To our surprise it wasn't a pastel de nata, but two other types of traditional pastries which were delicious. Next stop, Quinta da Regaleira. We took a pleasant walk from Sintra to this next palace. We toured both the interior of the palace as well as the magnificent gardens. Once again, a million pictures later and we headed back to town to the van for a drive to our next palace. Final palace of the day was Monserrate Palace. It is much harder to get here and was also a driving factor in getting a guided tour of Sintra. Another stunning garden and palace. The plan was to make one more quick stop at Cabo da Roca and see the western most point of continental Europe. However along the drive there we encountered a traffic jam where a bus and car collided at a sharp turn. Having no other way over the mountain except for an hour plus detour we decided it was time to head back to Lisbon. Return trip back to Lisbon went smoothly and were were dropped back off where we started. There is no way we would have been able to visit all these places without the help of Francisco. We would have lost time figuring out where to go, how to get from place to place and what are the important things to see. In addition, we got so much more out of what we saw by having someone explain the history and significance of so many sights. If you haven't realized by now, I'll make it explicit. If you are looking for a tour in Portugal, give Francisco and Week Break Tours a call.

<p>We had a private driver and tour guide who was fabulous. He knew the history of both Spain and the places we were going to see. It was a completely customized tour. We were going to Sintra and then Obidos. But the day of I asked if we can instead go to Sintra and more of Lisbon. He was completely fine with the switch. He stopped all kinds of places just for the view or he thought we may like to see it. He knew the best place to buy tickets in Sintra for the lines. He talked us into trying some pastry delicacies that are integral to the area. We are not shoppers, but it was sweet how he wanted us to experience Lisbon and try everything it has to offer. He maximized our time in a way no other tour has in the past. Plus, he was simply sharing with us his love for his country, which was genuine. I would recommend this trip to anyone.</p>

<p>This was an excellent tour. Francisco was very knowledgeable, a good driver, and he made an excellent recommendation for lunch. We enjoyed visiting each of the stops on the tour and getting some history from Francisco on the way. The vehicle was very comfortable and it was fun to have WiFi access. This was definitely a highlight of our time in Lisbon.</p>