Wheelchair Accessible Sintra Palaces and Towns Tour — Approx. 8 Hours

About this Wheelchair Accessible Sintra Palaces and Towns Tour

This private full-day tour is designed for wheelchair users, scooter users, and travellers with reduced mobility who want to experience the very best of the Sintra region at a comfortable pace.

From a royal palace interior to a UNESCO listed fairy-tale village and stunning Atlantic coastline views, you will experience this all with your local driver guide. He will meet you at the cruise port or your local city centre accommodation.

Queluz Palace

Your day starts at Queluz Palace. Built from 1747 onwards as a summer getaway for the Portuguese royal family, this palace eventually became the full royal residence after fire destroyed the Palace of Ajuda in 1794. The royal family lived here until 1807, when Napoleon’s troops marched on Lisbon and the entire family packed up and sailed to Brazil, taking much of the furniture with them.

The rooms are truly stunning, with beautifully detailed walls and ceiling paintings that tell the story of the palace and the people who lived in it. The palace gardens, with their fountains and sculpted hedges, offer an impressive view of the palace. It is the perfect place to soak up your surroundings.

Accessibility of Queluz Palace

Queluz Palace is one of the most wheelchair-friendly palaces in Portugal. The interior is accessible throughout, with ramps and lifts. The gardens are also accessible via ramps. Note that there are cobblestones at the entrance of the palace and in some areas of the gardens. The garden paths are even and consist mostly of gravel. Mobility equipment, including Swiss-Trac traction devices and foldable wheelchairs, is available on site and must be reserved in advance.

Tickets are not included in the tour price and must be paid on the day.

Sintra

From Queluz, the tour heads into the hills of Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Lord Byron, a famous English writer, called it the garden of Eden. Once you are there, you will find it hard to disagree.

Next, you can spend time in the historic village centre, where the Sintra National Palace overlooks the main square with its two iconic white chimneys. The medieval palace has been a royal court since the 10th century, and nearly every Portuguese king contributed to the rich history of the palace.

Accessibility note: Praça da República, the main square, is flat but has a cobblestone surface. The streets around the square are flat, but the side streets of the village have more gradient. Your guide knows exactly which routes work best.

Enjoy the Portuguese cuisine in Sintra

Sintra is also a place that’s known for its food. Your guide will know the best spots to try Queijadas, the small crispy cheese tarts that have been made here for centuries, and Travesseiros, soft almond and egg custard pillows dusted with icing sugar. Together with the iconic pastel de nata, they make Sintra an tasteful stop in this tour.

After Sintra your guide will drive you through Sintra Natural Park and will point out the colourful towers of Pena Palace sitting high above the hills and the ancient outline of the Moorish Castle below it. You will also pass Quinta da Regaleira, an early 20th-century estate full of hidden tunnels and Freemason symbolism, and Monserrate Palace, a romantic retreat with beautiful arches and stunning gardens.

Local Lunch in Cascais

From Sintra, the tour goes down through the hills and to the Atlantic coast, arriving in the seaside town of Cascais. This is your stop for local lunch, and your guide can point you towards a good local restaurant with accessible facilities. Lunch is not included in the tour and is to be paid directly on the day.

After lunch, you have free time to explore Cascais at your own pace. This elegant town has been a favourite of the Portuguese royal family since the 19th century, and during the Second World War it became a safe haven for exiled European royalty from across the continent. Today it has a warm, sunny atmosphere. The harbour is full of colourful fishing boats, the pedestrian streets are filled with cafes and local shops.

The seafront promenade running between Cascais and Estoril is barrier-free, making it an accessible stop along the tour.

Estoril & and Coastal Drive

A short drive from Cascais brings you to Estoril, a beautiful seaside town with one of Europe’s largest casinos. During the Second World War, a British intelligence officer named Ian Fleming spent time here, and what he witnessed at the casino’s baccarat tables became the direct inspiration for the iconic James Bond film Casino Royale.

Today Estoril is a relaxed coastal town with palm-lined streets, grand early 20th-century villas, and a string of cafes and restaurants along the water. The 3-kilometre Passeio Marítimo, the flat promenade connecting Estoril to Cascais, is barrier-free and offers stunning views of the Atlantic coastline.

From Estoril, the tour follows the coastal road back to Lisbon, with the Atlantic on one side and golden beaches on the other. It is a fine way to end the day.

Looking for a shorter tour?

If you are looking for a shorter tour in Sintra, our half-day tour focuses on the three coastal towns of Sintra, Cascais and Estoril. You will still see the UNESCO village and enjoy the scenic coastal drive back to Lisbon, all in around 4 hours.