Days trips from Lisbon: 6 amazing options!

Front Door Marketing
May 9
4 min read

Portugal is a relatively small country and, in approximately 8 hours of driving, it’s possible to go from the southernmost part all the way to the far north. From the Portuguese capital, you can explore several interesting cities, and in today’s post, I’ll tell you about the 6 best day trips from Lisbon!

Before I share my list of the 6 best day trips from Lisbon, let me tell you which cities are not worth visiting as a day trip, ok?

The first destination I don’t recommend for a day trip is the Algarve region. Why? Because there are several interesting cities there, like Faro, Albufeira, and Lagos, and one day is not enough to enjoy them all. Another place that deserves more than a day trip is Porto, which also has many cool attractions that require more than a day to really enjoy.

Shall we get to the list of the best day trips from Lisbon?

Best day trips from Lisbon

As I already mentioned in the post I wrote about day trips from London, for a day trip to be worthwhile, travel time shouldn’t be too long, after all, you need time to enjoy the city you’re visiting. So, the tip is to choose destinations that are no more than 2 hours and 30 minutes away from where you are.

Another cool thing is that you don’t need a car to do day trips from Lisbon. You can take several great trips by train (or “comboio,” as it’s called in Portugal) or bus! If you’re traveling with a group of 4 or 5 friends, renting a car may be more cost-effective and a fun adventure.

Sintra

The first destination on the list of best day trips from Lisbon is Sintra, a classic. Many travelers who visit Lisbon take the opportunity to explore Sintra as well.

Distance from Lisbon: approximately 30 km, about 1 hour by train or 40 minutes by car. The city is part of the Lisbon metropolitan area.

When to go: it’s possible to visit any time of the year. If possible, avoid July and August, as they are the busiest months.

What to do: visit the Pena Palace and the Moorish Castle, which are the two most famous tourist attractions in the city. Set aside at least two hours for each of them. Some travelers like to combine the day trip to Sintra with a visit to Cascais, yes, it’s possible. But in that case, my suggestion is that you leave very early!

Cascais

Cascais is a coastal city located very close to Lisbon. As mentioned above, many tourists like to combine a day trip to Cascais and Sintra on the same day. However, if it's summer, my tip is to dedicate a full day just for Cascais, so you can also enjoy the beach!

Distance from Lisbon: approximately 30 km, about 50 minutes by train and 30 minutes by car.

When to go: you can visit any time of year. If you go in June, July, or August, you’ll be able to enjoy the beach.

What to do: stroll along the boardwalk, rent a bike and ride around the town center, enjoy a warm day at the beach. In the evening, it’s worth trying a traditional Portuguese dish at one of the local restaurants.

Fátima

This is one of the best day trips from Lisbon, especially if you’re interested in religious tourism, but even those who are not very religious are often touched by the place.

Distance from Lisbon: approximately 130 km, about 1 hour and 20 minutes by car or 2 hours by bus. There’s also the option of going by train, but the bus station is closer to the Sanctuary, allowing you to walk there.

When to go: any time of year. However, May is the busiest month since it was when the Virgin first appeared. July and August are also very hot and crowded.

What to do: visit the Sanctuary of Fátima, the two main places you need to see are the Chapel of the Apparitions and the Basilica of Our Lady.

Coimbra

The city was once the capital of Portugal and is full of narrow, charming alleys!

Distance from Lisbon: approximately 200 km, about 2 hours by car and, on average, the same by train.

When to go: any time of year, but in spring you’ll find milder temperatures, fewer crowds, and a lower chance of rainy weather.

What to do: visit the University of Coimbra, one of the oldest in Europe.

Batalha

Another day trip that definitely deserves a spot on your list of best day trips from Lisbon! However, in this case, I only recommend visiting Batalha if you’ve already had time to do at least the day trip to Sintra, which I find more interesting!

Distance from Lisbon: approximately 130 km, about 1 hour and 30 minutes by car. In fact, if you’re driving, you can plan to visit Fátima on the same day trip. The Lisbon–Fátima–Batalha–Lisbon route will take approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes of travel time.

When to go: any time of year.

What to do: visit the Batalha Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal.

Nazaré

To wrap up the list of the best day trips from Lisbon, my final suggestion is Nazaré.

Distance from Lisbon: approximately 125 km, about 1 hour and 30 minutes by car or bus. If you’re driving, you can plan to visit Alcobaça on the same day trip, since the famous monastery is less than 15 km from Nazaré.

When to go: any time of year.

What to do: stroll through the charming historic center on foot and catch some waves if you enjoy surfing. Some people even refer to Nazaré as the Hawaii of Portugal.

That’s my list of the 6 best day trips from Lisbon! Tell me, which suggestion did you like the most? If you have any questions or cool tips, drop them in the comments below! I hope this post was helpful!

A big kiss and see you around the world!