Sintra, Pena Palace, Cabo Da Roca & Cascais Small-group Tour

Joao was a very good tour guide, his knowledge of the palace and Sintra in general was extensive and well researched. We were a little disappointed that the interior of the palace was not part of this tour but we knew from booking it that it was not part of the itinerary. The queue for seeing the interior was long and would require much time and patience. This tour is great to get an overall view of the palace and knowledge of the history behind it. Book a second tour to explore the interior as there is too much to see for one day. Sintra is an experience in itself; as if from a fairy tale it comes to life with locals wandering the throngs of tourists and the town center buzzing with activity. Be prepared for an explosion of sensory stimulation and if crowds aren’t your thing avoid the heavy tourist season and mid day hours.

We enjoyed our driver, Luis. He did an amazing drive navigating the traffic and crowds, explaining significant history and answering questions. It was nice to have a small group vs one of the larger tour buses. He provided ample water and bathroom breaks-this wasn’t our experience on some of the other tours we took in Lisbon which had inadequate drink and facility breaks. We didn’t enjoy the long lines at Pena Palace or the crowds in Sintra. This appeared to be unavoidable. We would have preferred to eat somewhere besides Sintra due to the huge crowds. The sights were beautiful. We wouldn’t have been able to see these on our own so having a “private” tour guide was a plus.

The tour was suppose to start 8:30am. At 8:27, I got a text to say, they are delayed - a max of 15/20 minutes. At 9:15, the driver showed up. A young man in his 20s (may be less), called out our name, and told us to get into the van. No mention of the delay, not one word of apology. Apparently, as I found out afterwards, they had a no show and a difficulty in the previous pick up. I understand. These things happen. However, I just thought it was odd that at the main site of the Pena palace, we were told we had 10 minutes to spend for free time. I messaged the organizer afterwards, I waited 3 days, but never heard back.

We had a lovely day with Juoan. He was efficient and knowledgeable in showing us the beautiful sights . I would highly recommend this tout

Goncalo was a perfect host. The trip to Sintra in the Mercedes Sedan was both serene and informative. Goncalo is extremely knowledgeable and provides useful and interesting info on both history and all the sites we passed. This is the only way to visit Sintra. He was able to drive us far higher up the mountain than is available as a normal visitor. At the Peña Palace , he was able to walk us by long lines of standard visitors that looked like 90 minute delays otherwise. He then dropped us at the village for some free time which we made good use of. I would highly recommend him for any of the tours he offers. We went as a Canadian couple , so just 2 of us on the tour.

Amazing day trip with excellent driver who was so knowledgeable and informed us as we drove! Just the best sights seeing and quaint villages

This is the first review I have ever done. As a father of now three grown daughters, my wife and I have traveled all over the world with our children and have done numerous guided tours over the years. This tour which was guided by Goncalo was by far the best due to his knowledge and personality. What a pleasant young man to speak to throughout the day and have some laughs with. My family agreed that he was “absolutely awesome!” What ever is above an excellent rating he deserves!

This tour is a must do! Goncalo was such a highlight of our Lisbon trip. He is so friendly, accommodating, and incredibly knowledgable about the monuments and history of the city. He answered all of our questions and completely customized the stops and time spent at each location to make sure we had the best experience possible. He also gave a ton of personalized recommendations for things to do in downtown Lisbon on our own time which was awesome. I could not recommend taking a tour with him as your guide enough!

Our guide Goncalo was fantastic. Friendly, flexible and knowledgeable. Truly a pleasure to spend the day with.

Like many Viator small group tours this was a very good experience. Fortunately, logistics made it a personal tour for our family which was an awesome bonus. Our guide/driver was Goncalo Cruz. He was a certified guide and shared all kinds of great information on our tour from the vegetation to the background of the development of the castles and the monarchy. He was friendly and super accommodating especially when our son became car sick. He had very good recommendations on what to see and where to eat. He made the tour personal and I felt like we made a new friend that day. If you are looking for an excellent visit to Sintra and surrounding areas book this tour. If possible request Goncalo!

Great visit to each of the sites. Nice to be able to see everything in one day. We enjoyed our trip!

Goncalo picked us up and was an excellent guide and historian highly recommend! He gets you right to the base of the palace and knows all the details

Our family went on a wonderful private tour with our informative and incredibly friendly guide Goncalo! We could not have asked for a better experience and we now want to have him help us explore more of Portugal!

Had an amazing time! Picked up right at our hotel and driven/guided by Goncalo on a lovely day to Sintra and beautiful round about way back to Lisbon. Got an excellent tour of the Pena Palace. Day was perfectly tailored to our family including a lunch in modern town Sintra at a great restaurant called Samuri on request. A perfect way to see the sites right outside Lisbon!

Very knowledgable, polite and professional. His comments made the tour very informing while lively. He made great recommendation for spots to snap photos , best routes for the tour avoiding usual bottle neck traffic. Made excellent recommendations for restaurants.

Our guide for this excursion was so knowledgeable about the areas we visited and we were introduced to many landmarks in a relatively short amount of time but we never felt rushed. We learned a lot and enjoyed ourselves. We had a great day!

Our trip ended up being a private tour for three. Our guide was so knowledgeable about everywhere we went! We learned so much throughout the day and it made the time fly by. Highly recommended. PS …we skipped going inside palace and believe it was the right choice. The crowds got heavy and to enjoy it, we just kept moving.

We had a great day with Goncalo! He was very informative. Since it was only our group in the tour, he was very accommodating and allowed us to spend more time at the places we wanted to see the most. Pena Palace is beautiful even in the rain. Cape Roca was gorgeous! Note, even though it says it in the details, tickets for admission to the palace are NOT included. Also, you should definitely try a "pillow" pastry at Piriquita pillow. It is delicious!

A great day of seeing the Peña Palace, walking the shops of winding streets in Sinatra, and driving along the Atlantic Ocean. Got to view great examples of historical architecture, visit scenic forest area reserves and experience a wonderful lunch in Cascais. Goncalo added his expertise to the day and brought everything to life.

Gonçalo was a fantastic guide, both knowledgeable and entertaining throughout the day. He planned the day perfectly, so that we could enjoy our time in the many locations and not have to wait in line anywhere. Gonçalo's personal tour of the Pena palace was a highlight!

Goncalo's passion as a tour operator bubbled like a lively mountain river. His commentaries were top-notch and insightful on culture, climate, politics, history of Portugal and so on. It is clearly his person that makes ANY tour a unique experience. We were exceptionally pleased with the quality of what was offered. Goncalo is one of those people who touches a stone and makes it a jewel. Our congratulations! Goncalo, your future is bright.

Gonçalo is the absolute best. He has facts about every inch of Sintra and perfectly matches the energy of the groups that he’s with. Not to mention that he is absolutely hilarious. If you’re choosing a different tour provider, you’re making the wrong choice.

Goncalo impressed us as a very knowledgeable energetic person, very well planned, experienced and most of all, service oriented and a perfect gentleman. We had a “value for money” day tour, leaving us smiling at the end of it. Highly recommend!!!

What a day! Our guide, Gonçalo was professional, knowledgeable, friendly, fun and flexible. He lead the way to adventure and it was clear their goal is to ensure we had the best experience and he succeeded. Some of the castles have very large ques and he got us through quickly which added to the experience and allowed us to make the best use of our time. The car was pristine and he was a great driver. The whole experience exceeded our expectations. I recommend this to anyone considering a trip to these breathtaking places. Don’t hesitate! Thank you Gonçalo for a wonderful day and the everlasting memories.

Great tour guide it was catered for us and we got to see all the sights. Goncales is very knowledgeable and helpful. The car was very comfortable unlike the TUk tuks. We all enjoyed our day thoroughly and would recommend this trip. You can be put off at the station by the many guides so perhaps think about booking with Goncales ahead. Thank you for a great experience. Jane, John, Nicola & Dave.

Best tour guide I have ever had! We would have never seen the beautiful Cape Roca or Cascais or learned so much about Portugal and Sintra without Gonçalo!!! Wish we could've had him with us for our whole week in Portugal! He truly cares about giving his customers the best experience possible and he is super friendly, welcoming, and knows everything there is to know about Portugal (and has perfect English!). He has amazing lunch, pastry, dinner, and bar recommendations at every spot. Completely worth every penny and best day of our trip!

What an amazing day! Thanks to Gonçalo ! Very knowledgeable, fluent in English and understanding . We are glad to have found him. He is a friendly and genuine person who was caring and attentive to our needs . Answered all our questions patiently and was happy to accommodate . I will highly recommend him ✈️

Excellent information given by Goncalo,very friendly and helping guide,explained all the details about the places visited.Would highly recommend him and his car was also comfortable.

Goncalo found us at the train station and took us on this beautiful trip around Sintra and the region. He showed us a very nice local spot for lunch with the best fish ever. He knows a lot and explains the history behind every place you see. If you want to visit all those places in go, he is your guy!

Goncalo was an excellent guide. We took a personal tour and spent several hours visiting sites in Sintra. Goncalo was so very knowledgeable about the history and gave us such a good experience. He told us where the best place to get a treat in Sintra was. He was right! I recommend him as a tour guide for any experience in Portugal. + excellent driver + super helpful + very knowledgeable + clean vehicle + Fun and funny

First time visiting Lisbon over a quick layover. So glad I joined this wonderful small and intimate tour led by Goncalo. He was full of knowledge and history. I peppered him with a million questions. Nothing he couldn’t answer. I highly recommend especially if you are short on time. Can’t wait to return to Lisbon with my family.

Goncarlo offers an informative, friendly and comfortable experience for a small group of travellers. We were a group of five. One additional traveler joined our tour. I highly recommend this experience for newcomers to Lisbon. This was our first visit, and the tour offered a comfortable, friendly way to see key attractions of the region outside the city.

It was a nice day tour when we were at Portugal . Goncalo is a super funny guy. He gave us very detailed explanations about all the spots we stopped, and tried his best to fullfill what we needed. He’s a friendly guy too. The whole day we had a lot of fun. Will definitely join Goncalo’s tour again if we go back to Portugal, and will also recommend our friends!

Goncalo is an energetic and informed guide . Friendly and takes a lot do interest to give all the information and history. Very much recommended ! Enjoyed the trip due to all the information and explanations.

This was a wonderful experience! Goncalo was a fantastic guide. He is incredibly knowledgeable, gave lots of history and fun facts throughout the day and also gave us plenty of time to explore on our own. The day was well structured and made seeing these incredible sights so easy. I would 100% recommend him again!

Gonçalo was an amazing tour guide. He had so much knowledge about the history of the locations we visited. He told us about different architectural styles and influences from other countries. Each place we stopped He gave us recommendations of places to visit on our own and restaurant recommendations. I would highly recommend this tour.

Goncalo knew his stuff...history, architecture, the Lisbon and Sintra Streets, and how to skip the line at Pena Palace. His private tour of the palace was awesome. He never stopped talking while he was driving. And he was informative and entertaining.

Informative, fun and safe tour! Goncalo went above and beyond to make everyone comfortable. He was alot of fun . Highly recommend. Beautiful way to see these sites in one day!

We enjoyed our day trip to Sintra, Cabo da Roca and Cascais. Our guide, Gonçalo, was excellent. We had plenty of time to see everything and also had time on our own. Highly recommend!

Gonçalo was the friendliest and most knowledgeable tour guide you could ever want. He had extra tips at each stop to make sure that we got the most out of our day. He clearly loves his job and he even stayed on an extra hour on a Sunday to make sure that we got everything we could out of the day. If you’re going to Lisbon, then one of Gonçalo’s day tours is absolutely not to be missed. Obrigado Gonçalo!

Goncalo has been very helpful throughout the whole day, he did share a lot of history with us about the places we've been to. Not only that, he shared with us best places to eat, go to for souvenirs etc. Overall an amazing experience, and would definitely recommend anyone to go with him.

I booked our day trip tour to Peña Palace, Cabo da Roca and Cascais based on a rave review I read for Gonçalo. They weren’t wrong! Gonçalo is entertaining, friendly, funny, and just an all-around great guide! His enthusiasm is contagious. He’s the type of person that says hello to many workers along the way--which might be useful when you’re going to crowded places! And he’s full of interesting little tidbits that will keep you engaged on your tour. Gonçalo told us that he plans to expand his tour business across Portugal. If he’s guiding a tour to someplace you want to go, stop looking at different options, and book him. We loved him, and you will, too!

Gonçalo was an excellent guide. Very knowledgeable (he has many years of experience) and was warm and accommodating to everyone on the tour. Great way to see the sites and meet people as a solo traveller.

Goncalo was our guide and driver. Very friendly and personable. Very safe driver. He went out of his way to make the trip comfortable and enjoyable. He was truly knowledgeable and we had a great time learning about Portugal and the towns and sites we visited. He had the sequence of visiting the different sites adjusted to avoid long wait times and that worked. He had our tickets pre booked and we were able to zip into Peña palace without any waiting. Fluent English. Highly recommended.

We had a great day in Sintra and a few other areas with Goncalo, who did a great job. Beyond the Pena Palace, which was spectacular, we also really enjoyed the other side trips. Highly recommend!

Goncalo was absolutely amazing! My friend and I booked a last minute trip to Lisbon and an even more last minute full day trip to Sintra with Goncalo. From the very start of the day he was attentive, considererate and super-knowledgable!! The Tour started with us being picked up at one of two easy to reach locations in the city and we were introduced to the small ground (2 other couples) that we would be travelling with. Goncalo informed us he had reversed the itinery from the trip to make better use of the day and avoid long queues as the season had run on a little longer than usual. This type of consideration for our experience on the day was shown thrghout the tour. From the western-most point in Europe through to beautiful palace gardens and finally the stunning Sintra itself, we were given the very best tips to see the best spots and a wonderful overview of each area - including exciting little bits of information you simple won't learn by wandering around yourself. Goncalo went above and beyond even de-touring at the end of the day to drop us back off at our individual locations as opposed the meeting points as well us giving us a fabulous suggestion of where to eat out that evening. Cannot recommend enough!

We had a really great experience at Sintra! Gonçalo was very knowledgeable about the history of the places we were touring, answered all our questions and kept us interested and entertained from start to finish. It made for a really immersive experience! Even though he was only subbing for another tour guide, he still went above and beyond to make us really feel and get to know more about each destination. We very much appreciated the suggestions and recommendations he gave and also, for patiently waiting for us at each stop. Overall, a great experience and highly recommended!

The tour guide was full of information and very entertaining. He was well versed on the areas we visited. Would absolutely use this service again.

Had such a great day traveling around portugal! My favorite was the most western part of Europe which was so beautiful to see! The tour guide Gonçalo was super knowledgeable and answered any questions we had! He also gave us free time at each place to walk around and see what we wanted to see! The tour was very organized and the travel van was comfy with air conditioning. after the most western point was the Peña Palace which was super cool!! (The order of the tour may vary depending on time of year) we did Peña palace last since mondays in the morning it’s packed. Truly no complaints from me, 10/10 would recommend!! Thanks for a great experience!