Pena Palace is the most recommended monument for a first visit to Sintra, offering a perfect introduction to its history, architecture, and stunning views. However, the itinerary can be fully adapted, allowing you to visit another monument of your choice instead.
Admire the Moorish Castle from Sintra’s best viewpoints. Optional visit available as an alternative to Pena Palace.
Visit the historic village of Sintra and enjoy free time to explore its charming streets, with the chance to taste traditional pastries at the iconic Piriquita bakery.
It is located in the village of Sintra, possibility of visit by the customer during the time in the village, however not recommended to be able to explore the village.
Famous estate in Sintra known for its spiral staircase Initiation Well and underground tunnels. While a visit is possible, we recommend to focus on one interior visit due to the size of the properties, enjoying the others from the outside.
Pass by Monserrate Palace, one of Sintra’s most elegant Romantic estates. While it can be visited, we recommend to focus on one interior visit and admire the others from the outside to make the most of the tour time.
Visit Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of mainland Europe, and enjoy free time to take in the dramatic coastal views and capture photos.
On the way to Cascais, pass by Guincho Beach, famous for its wild and windswept coastline, where the Sintra mountains meet the Atlantic, creating a beautiful contrast between green hills and golden sand dunes.
Explore the center of Cascais, once a traditional fishing village and now an elegant seaside town favored by the Portuguese royal family. Enjoy free time to stroll its charming streets, relax by the beach, and take in the coastal views.
End the day with a scenic drive along the Estoril Coast, passing beautiful beaches until reaching the Tagus estuary, where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean.
Goncalo Cruz was our guide. His English skills were excellent and he was a wealth of information and history. We spent 8 hours with him and he was a delight. He picked us up in a Mercedes at our hotel and was a great driver. I would rate him A+
We had an absolutely wonderful day with Gonçalo exploring Sintra, Pena Palace, Cabo da Roca, and Cascais. He was an exceptional guide—knowledgeable, personable, and genuinely passionate about Portugal and its history. Gonçalo made the entire day feel effortless. He knew exactly how to navigate the crowds at Pena Palace, shared fascinating stories along the way, and took us to beautiful places we might never have discovered on our own. His enthusiasm and sense of humor made the experience even more enjoyable. From the beauty of Sintra to standing at the westernmost point of Europe at Cabo da Roca and exploring charming Cascais, every part of the tour was memorable. We never felt rushed, and Gonçalo did a wonderful job of making the experience feel personal to our group. We especially enjoyed our stop at Mar do Guincho, a spectacular waterfront restaurant where we had a truly special lunch. We highly recommend Gonçalo to anyone visiting the area. He made our day in Sintra one of the highlights of our trip to Portugal!
Gonçalo was truly exceptional—the kind of tour guide you hope to find but rarely do! His incredible knowledge, patience, and genuine kindness made our experience unforgettable. He took his time explaining every detail and thoughtfully answered all of our questions, never making us feel rushed. From the very beginning, Gonçalo made us feel completely comfortable and cared for. Honestly, it felt less like we were being driven around by a tour guide and more like we were exploring with a beloved family member or nephew. His warmth, sweetness, and personal attention made the entire day so special. I simply cannot say enough wonderful things about him. Gonçalo went above and beyond in every possible way, and he turned a great tour into one of the most memorable experiences of our trip. If you have the opportunity to book a tour with him, do it—you will be in the very best hands. Gonçalo deserves far more than five stars!
Amazing private tour today with Jay. He was very knowledgeable and friendly. We had a beautiful day touring Sintra and Cascais. Always he made reservations at an amazing restaurant for us.
My wife, Liz and I were so lucky to have Gonçalo Cruz as our private tour guide. He was extremely friendly, knowledgeable and just so nice to be with. Upon his on time arrival, he really listened to what our expectations were for the day and fully delivered on everything we wanted to do and see. His knowledge of the area we toured was superior and at all of the stops, he knew the best entrance points, the best place to park and it was so appreciated that he was so efficient. We had requested a nice spot for lunch along the coast, which turned into one of the best lunches we ever had at Furnas Do Guincho. We had also asked Gonçalo for some Lisbon recommendations, which we followed and of course they were great. We really enjoyed Portugal and will be back and will schedule with our great tour guide again! Robert
We highly recommend Goncalo Cruz, whom we booked through Tours by Locals. He picked us up at our hotel and was with us even longer than the 8 hours we booked. He is extremely knowledgeable and personable. He took us to Sintra, toured Peña Palace with us, took us to Cascaus and Cape Roca, and arranged for a special dinner at a restaurant on the coast. We were very happy with our first day in Portugal because of this experience—a wonderful memory. We are 2 couples from the U.S. in Portugal for the first time as tourists.
Gonçalo was incredible! It was my Portuguese mother’s first time back in Portugal in over 40 years and the day could not have been more perfect The experience was wonderful, from the car, to Gonçalo’s deep knowledge of the history of Portugal. We were able to skip lines, traffic, get a gorgeous table for lunch and more. He tailored the day perfectly. It was truly a memory my sister, mom and I will never forget. This is the only way to see Sintra and Cascais!
Highly recommend! Goncalo has great energy, he’s super knowledgable about the area, and he knows the shortcuts!! Plus he’s honest about what’s worth seeing versus where a queue isn’t worth the wait. He’s a safe driver as well!
We can’t say enough about our tour with Gonzalo…it was perfect from start to finish. The passion, knowledge and kindness was so so much more than we could have expected… thank you Gonzalo and anyone that has the opportunity to have you as their guide will be in the best of hands!!!
Fabulous tour with Goncalo....he is knowledgeable, fun and speaks great english. He took us everywhere the tour outlines and gave our group of 6 ladies lots of free time to look around in each place. He has a great sense of humour and is very flexible with special requests (like bathroom breaks :). Nice, clean Mercedes SUV with free bottles of water in case we were thirsty - picked us up, on time, at our cruiseship port and dropped us back, right on schedule. Well worth the money. Highly recommend. We also did the 1/2 day Lisboa tour with him the next day and he took us all around Lisbon, showing us the various highlights of the city and allowed us time to shop. In all, a fabulous day and a half. If you are going all the way to Lisbon, you may as well let Goncalo show you around. Very informative and enjoyable tours. Thank you Goncalo!
We had a wonderful day with Gonçalo. Each stop on the tour was unique, we enjoyed getting to experience the different sites and villages both with him and when we went off on our own with some recommendations from him. At each stop and while traveling between Gonçalo shared a wealth of information about the site, history, and culture. When we encountered some road closures that impacted the plan for the day he quickly came up with options for us and we continued on our way having a great day. We highly recommend any tour led by Gonçalo!
Amazing views and an incredibly pretty town to spend time in. It is ridiculously popular. Our guide Goncalo knew the perfect ways in and out and the right times to avoid peek traffic while we still feel like we got the full Sintra experience. You will get all of the information and more on this tour and come out amazed and educated!
What a joyful day! Gonçalo showed us around and knew exactly how to avoid big waiting lines and show the nice places of the area. He was very knowledgeable about historical facts, and most important a nice guide to talk with. We've had a relaxing day and seen a lot of beautiful places. Thanks for the great tour.
This was the most informative and welcoming tour we had so far. Gonzalo was not only very knowledgeable about all the history details and local culture but also went above and beyond to make us feel welcomed and at home. From offering to taking pictures of us, to pointing to the best places to eat and see he was always looking out for us. The areas you explore are beautiful, full of history and are complemented by nice people. Fully recommend this tour to anyone,
We ran into Goncalo Cruz at a bifana place in the back of Time Out Market. We started chit chatting and found out he's a tour guide. We wish we knew about him before we booked all of our tours. Our guide we booked the day before didn't inform us much about Fatima so Goncalo explained everything we missed out on. He is very nice, has great energy, a wealth of knowledge, and a great driver. We witnessed him drive and park in a very narrow spot with a crowd around him while waiting in line for our bifanas. Coincidentally, we ran into him giving a private tour to a couple the next morning at Pena Palace. We will definitely book him if we return to Lisbon!
This tour was the highlight of our trip!! Goncalo is by far the best tour guide we have ever had (and we have done a lot of tours all over Europe). He knows all the tricks to avoid traffic, wait in the shortest lines possible and make the day as enjoyable as possible. He also is a wealth of knowledge and knows so much about the area and history. It was the perfectly timed day and we got to see pena palace, sintra, cabo de roca and Cascais all in one day without feeling rushed. Thank you, Goncalo!
This was an absolutely fantastic tour! Gonzalo is so knowledgeable, energetic, generous and kind. He went out of his way to make sure our Sintra experience was top shelf. He picked us up in a very comfortable, new Mercedes sedan. Gonzalo joined us on our Pena Palace tour, which was awesome because we would have missed so much. Other people were sticking close to us so they could hear what he was saying!! During the full day tour, in addition to sightseeing, Gonzalo brought us to a wonderful pastry shop and then small local restaurant where the food was delicious! We would highly recommend booking this tour. Thank you so much, Gonzalo!!!!
Gonçalo was terrific! The day trip was so much more than we thought it would be - a full day from Lisbon to Sintra stopping along the way at Cabo de Roca for amazing photos by the ocean and Cascais for pastries. He is so knowledgeable and insightful, we were delighted by all he had to teach us.
Gonçalo is like a walking history book, but fun. He knows a lot about Lisbon, including the general to minute details of its history. You would miss out on the perfect Lisbon experience if you don’t hire him. He is friendly, accommodating, funny, and knowledgable. Portugal might be my favourite European country so far because of all I’ve learned and seen. :) — and that’s because of him.
We started our day at Sintra Village and had breakfast at Casa Piriquita where you must try their pastries - Piriquita pillow and cheeses of Sintra. Anything recommended by Gonçalo is legit. When he says it's good, believe it. Then we had a guided tour at Pena Palace. He knows the palace really well and the good spots for pictures! We headed to Colares for lunch at Toca do Júlio (again superb lunch). Cabo da Roca, the Edge Of The World And The End of Europe - was just breathtaking! We ended the tour at Cascais, a quaint little town.
The one thing you must do when visiting Portugal is to hire Gonçalo! He is the absolute best, incredibly knowledgeable, knows the best ways to avoid traffic and long lines, suggests delicious local restaurants.
Goncalo, our guide, was extremely informative. He also accommodated our wishes in terms of the experiences we wanted to have. And he gave great lunch advice. Highlights were the Peña Palace(definitely get tickets in advance to avoid the LONG lines) and hanging out at the beach in cascáis. Si tea was really pretty but way too crowded to enjoy. Gave it four stars because of the crowds.
Excellent tour hosted by Goncalo. His knowledge of the area and his ability to get us around the crowds and in to see what we wanted to see made it a really good time for us. We highly recommend using this company for any of your touring needs in and around Lisbon.
This was the best tour on our trip and we highly recommend it. Our guide was really interesting and helpful.
Goncalo is extremely knowlegdable and a great guide. He was able to skip all the lines and made the best out of the available time. Would highly recommend him to anyone!!
He is excellent tour guide .Goncalo Cruz is very professional and very much well versed with the history. Will recommend to my family and friends who are planning to visit Portugal
Gonçalo was a wonderful guide full of enthusiastic knowledge for each of the beautiful and historic sights! Very nice van and ride for our group of 6.
Goncalo was the most amazing tour guide! Friendly, professional, & knowledgeable. We were on a girls trip with sisters, aunts, & cousins and it was the best day of our entire trip. The van was very clean. Goncalo explained everything, helped us avoid lines, and had an incredible historical knowledge. 100% reccomend this tour.
A full day of wonderful experiences as we toured from one amazing site to another. Gonçalo was a very enthusiastic and energetic guide who kept us engaged throughout the trip. He adapted the tour to our pace.
Goncalo gave us a terrific experience, he speaks fluent English and was excellent in showing the sites and putting it in a historical perspective . The most pleasant person who catered to everyone's personal preference. Highly recommend.
Great tour! Goncalo is a passionate and knowledgeable tour guide! We had a great experience, couldn’t have asked for a better one. I would HIGHLY recommend booking with him, you won’t regret it.
The guide is extremely considerate, and informative. Detailed explanations of the sites were given. In addition, excellent recommendations for routes and restaurants.
Excellant private tour in Lisbon with LusoXperience .. Our tour guide was incredibly knowledgable, very friendly and funny, He knows every part in the city so he took us to some hidden gems. We learnt about history, art, culture and more, also we tried some traditional food which was amazing .. Overall it was a memorable day and I can't recommend them enough .. And definitely i'll take another tour with our tour guide Goncalo in my next visit to portugal 🌟
Goncalis is a very nice guide very helpful, he is trying his best to make your tour as good as it can be , i really enjoyed the trip and the whole day.
We had a wonderful experience with Gonçalo. Very detailed and interesting guide and explanations about the history and highlights. Reasonable schedules. Would definitely recommend! Thank you Gonçalo!
Wonderful guide, great service! Very knowledgeable guide ✌🏽🔥 we really enjoyed the tour. Very recommend
Gonzalo is an amazing caring well informed and flexible guide. He is impeccable all around. Love it!
Goncalo was amazing, super knowledgeable and lots of personality. This tour was amazing, lots of history and beautiful sights. I highly recommend this tour, it poured rain the day we went and our guide Goncalo was awesome he made the tour amazing even though the weather didn’t cooperate.
Wonderfull day at Sintra, Cabo da roca and Cascais! Our guide Goncalo, was amazing and provided very detailed explanations. He also made few stops along the way that were not included in the tour to show us more great things! I recommend!
We made three tours with Gonçalo and the experience was simply impeccable. It brings together everything you expect from a high-level guide: a guide, a driver, a historian and a photographer, always attentive to the details and comfort of the travellers. We met the Castle of Sintra, with rich explanations about the history and the local context, and had lunch in an excellent typical restaurant, very well chosen. Then we head to Cascais and Cabo da Roca, always with interesting information, historical curiosities and great suggestions along the way. The tour allows you to know many places in a short time, without rush, with total comfort and organization. Ideal for those who want to get the most out of the region without worrying. It is very worth it and I recommend without reservation. Unforgettable experience!
Everything in general I found very nice and didactic Simtra has a lot of history and also we could visit cascais
Very nice person, very attentive and made us know unique places. Fantastic places and helped us avoid queues of peronnas
A very good and pleasant guide, a pleasant trip through the most beautiful areas of Lisbon, accompanied by curious data and many recommendations 100%
Great experience with Gonzalo the guide, was explaining a lot of historical and curious data of each place we went, super recommended.
We are 6 friends and spent a whole day with Gonzalo Cruz, visiting lovely places that will remain forever etched in our memory. Gonzalo was really TOP, he explained a lot about both the various places visited and his nation. He is a passionate person of his work and knows how to tell with professionalism, the history, customs and local customs. He was also great at driving his Vito Mercedes, carefully extricating himself even on the most winding roads. Very good Gonzalo, we absolutely recommend to tour with him. We are 6 friends and we spent a whole day with Gonzalo Cruz, visiting fantastic places that will remain engraved in our memory forever. Gonzalo was truly TOP, he explained a lot to us about the various places visited and about his country. He is a person who is passionate about his job and knows how to tell the history. He was also great at driving his Mercedes Vito, carefully navigating even the most tortuous roads. Very good, we absolutely recommend taking tours with him.
Monday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm EST
Reach us by phone
Reach us by email