Castles in Portugal to Visit
85 listings across Sintra, Lisbon and Porto, 42,662 reviews, a median of 80 EUR against gate prices of 5 to 20. Five managing bodies, no national pass, and one printed time slot that decides the day.
Six monuments, five owners, and no card that crosses them. The Palácio Nacional da Pena belongs to Parques de Sintra, which runs eleven sites on that one hill. The Quinta da Regaleira sits on the same hill and belongs to a different foundation, so it is not one of the eleven. The Belém Tower and the castle at Guimarães are state property. The Castelo de São Jorge is the city of Lisbon's. The Palácio da Bolsa in Porto is owned by a merchants' association and can only be seen in a guided group. That arithmetic decides what you can buy: the Lisboa Card walks you free into two of the six and is worth ten percent at a third. Against that background this catalogue rarely sells an entry at all. The median listing runs 480 minutes, and 46 of the 85 last eight hours or more.
The cheapest listing on the Portuguese side of this catalogue costs 2.99 EUR, and it is not a ticket to anything. It is a tip-based walking tour of Belém with a token booking fee, one of two here priced under ten euros, and with 1,924 reviews it is also the most reviewed product in Lisbon. Take those two out and the median is 80 EUR, with the first quartile at 54 and the third at 130. Two listings run past 250 because they are private cars with a driver. Set that range against the gates: 5 EUR at Guimarães, 15 at the Belém Tower, 17 at São Jorge, 20 at Pena, 20 at the Regaleira. The distance between 20 and 80 is not a markup on a door price. It is a vehicle, a driver and a whole day of somebody's time.
Who is selling it matters as much as what it costs. Eighty of the 85 listings come from Viator, four from Tiqets, one from Civitatis, so 94 percent of Portugal here rests on one supplier. That shows up in the terms as well as in the risk. Free cancellation runs at 84 of 85, better than the 84 percent across this whole site, while instant confirmation runs at 5 of 85, far below it. In practice you can change your mind late and you cannot decide late.
The 85 listings split three ways: 37 for Sintra, 28 for Lisbon, 20 for Porto. The money splits three ways too, and not in the order most people guess. Porto is the dearest of the three at a median of 119.50 EUR, and it is the one city here with no castle of its own.
Choose a destination in Portugal
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Sintra
Two estates on one hill, two owners, and no combined ticket: 20 EUR at Pena and 20 at the Quinta da Regaleira, bought separately.
37 experiences in 2 destinations -
Lisbon
Two fortifications inside the city and one hill outside it. Of the 49 listings that say Lisbon, 28 are about Lisbon and 21 leave for Sintra.
28 experiences in 2 destinations -
Porto
Porto has no castle of its own: the 20 listings here drive to Guimarães and Braga, at a median of 119.50 EUR against a 5 EUR entrance.
20 experiences
Castles Experiences in Portugal
Sintra with the Detour to Penedo, the Village Off the Circuit
The road from Pena turns off to Penedo, a mountain village outside the tourist circuit, with the Moorish Castle in view the whole way. Two pickup points.
Sintra with Three Pena Ticket Options and Regaleira You Book Yourself
Choose at booking between the Pena interior, the terraces and park, or no ticket at all. Regaleira is booked separately by you, for the 11.30 slot.
Two Hours by Private Electric Tuk-Tuk, Downtown to Belém and Back
Two hours, one tuk-tuk, no other passengers: the river road west to the Belém Tower, built between 1514 and 1520, and back to the same spot in the downtown.
Guimarães Alone in Half a Day, Privately, with the Carmo Church
Braga is left out entirely: half a day on Guimarães alone, the castle inside, the ducal palace from outside, and the 17th-century Carmo church few tours reach.
Guimarães and Braga with Five Pickup Points Across Porto and Lunch In
Five pickup points across Porto to choose from, the included lunch has a vegetarian option, and Bom Jesus has the oldest water-powered funicular in the world.
Half Day in the 2012 Capital of Culture, with the Pilgrim Square to Compostela
A private half day in the 2012 European Capital of Culture, castle guided from the walls, ducal palace from outside since admission is not included.
Pena Approached on Foot Through the Gardens, Away from the Gate Queue
The group walks up through the park to reach Pena and skips the crowd at the main gate. That walk makes it unsuitable if you have trouble on foot.
Private Belém in Three and a Half Hours, with the Tropical Botanical Garden
Three and a half hours, out by tram from Rossio, and the one Belém route that goes into the Tropical Botanical Garden. Jerónimos is outside unless it is open.
Private Braga and Guimarães Run on Free Time, Hotel Door to Hotel Door
Collected and returned at your hotel, and each stop is free time rather than a guided march: Sameiro, Bom Jesus, the castle and the Palace of the Dukes.
Private Regaleira with the Ticket in Hand, and the Sintra Historic Centre After
A private guide, the entry ticket already bought, and the story of António Carvalho Monteiro, who had every corner of the estate built to an esoteric plan.
Private Sintra Where You Pick Three Monuments Out of Six
Six monuments are proposed and you choose three, including Monserrate and the Moorish Castle. The skip-the-line option puts the Pena ticket in the price.
Sintra by Electric Van, Ending at the Belém Tower and the Pastéis de Belém
The van is electric, Regaleira is guided privately, and the last stop is Belém, for the pastéis and the 16th-century tower, before the drop-off at your hotel.
Sintra Guided Twice Over: Regaleira and the Pena Gardens and Terraces
A guide leads the group through Regaleira and then the Pena gardens, terraces and palace. Lunch is entirely your call, suggestion only, no fixed restaurant.
Twenty-Four Stops by Tuk-Tuk, Four Viewpoints, Alfama to Belém
A tuk-tuk with a guide covering twenty-four stops, four of them viewpoints, from the cathedral in Alfama to the LX Factory and the monastery at Belém.
You Drive the Twizy, the GPS Does the Talking, Alfama to Belém
A two-seat electric Twizy you drive yourself, with a GPS audio guide doing the commentary through Alfama, Graça and Belém. No guide, no group, no schedule.
Belém Reached by Boat Down the Tagus, After the Tram, and Inside the Tower
Three ways of moving in one day: on foot through Alfama, then a tram, then a boat down the Tagus to Belém, where the visit actually goes inside the tower.
Braga and Guimarães from Porto, and the Water-Powered Funicular of 1882
The Bom Jesus funicular still runs on water, 300 metres in three minutes, and Braga's cathedral was consecrated in 1089, decades before Portugal existed.
Guimarães at Dusk or by Day, with the Granite Tanning Vats of Couros
Bookable for sunset as well as daytime, and it goes into Couros, where the granite tanning vats are, then up Penha for a view running some forty miles.
Medieval Lisbon for Families, with Games Between the Cathedral and the Castle
Built for children: games and trivia between the Saramago Foundation, the cathedral and the castle, with skip-the-line tickets for São Jorge at the end.
Pena Park and Regaleira Both Guided, Palace Interior as an Upgrade
Tickets and guiding are included for the 85 hectares of Pena Park and for Regaleira. The palace interior is an upgrade arranged with the guide on the day.
Private Belém with the Jerónimos Ticket, at the Tombs of Camões and da Gama
A private guide, the monastery ticket included, and the two tombs that matter inside it: Vasco da Gama and the poet Luís de Camões, in the same church.
Regaleira First Thing in the Morning, Then the Town and Pena Palace
The order is the point: Regaleira as the light comes up, lunch in the town, then Pena. Departure from the Parque Eduardo VII viewpoint in an air-conditioned van.
Sintra and Regaleira, Then the Coast Road to Guincho, Cascais and Estoril
The coast half runs past Guincho to Cascais and on to Estoril, its casino among the oldest in Europe. Departure is 08:00 sharp from Rossio, no late arrivals.
Sintra and the Inverted Towers of Regaleira, on Foot in Under Four Hours
Two and a half to three and a half hours on foot, taking in the Palace of Sintra and the Moorish Castle before the wells Regaleira calls its Inverted Towers.
Ratings collected by Viator, Tripadvisor, Tiqets and Civitatis