Byron Queens Mist and Mysteries Self Guided Tour of Sintra

A Brazilian millionaire once had a single key that opened three locks: his front door in Sintra, his palace in Lisbon, and his tomb. He is one of five outsiders drawn to this mist-wrapped mountain forty minutes from Lisbon, and somehow none of them ever really left. An English poet. A German prince. An Italian opera designer. A Dutch consul. This self-guided audio tour walks you through their stories in the Tourific app, no live guide required. Over two to three hours, you will pass a palace ceiling of 136 painted magpies, a bakery nicknamed by a king, a Moorish fountain that isn't Moorish, and an inverted tower spiralling nine storeys into the earth. You will hear which Sintra legends are true and which ones locals quietly debunk. Start whenever you like, pause for a travesseiro, resume when ready. The Sintra walking tour works offline once downloaded. Over 20,000 travelers have used our self-guided tours, and this one comes with a full refund guarantee.

1. 1

   Sintra Railway Station

   Pass by

   Step off where a forty-minute train ride once transformed a royal retreat into everyone's afternoon.

2. 2

   Stop 2

   Pass by

   Look up at a ceiling where a Roman god shares space with the logo of a cheese tart.

3. 3

   Camara Municipal de Sintra

   Pass by

   Spot the tiled spire that was built to pick a fight with the palace chimneys across town

4. 4

   Stop 4

   Pass by

   Notice a shop that packed up its entire recipe when the train station stole its customers.

5. 5

   Stop 5

   Pass by

   Feel the temperature drop five degrees as you step into a park planted to cure a civic embarrassment.

6. 6

   Fonte Mourisca

   Pass by

   Stand before a Moorish fountain that has no actual Moors in its story.

7. 7

   Stop 7

   Pass by

   Taste the pastry a king called a pillow, named for a baker he called a parakeet.

8. 8

   Stop 8

   Pass by

   Pause in the square where Portugal's last queen once tried to shield her sons with flowers.

9. 9

   Sintra National Palace

   Pass by

   Decode a ceiling of 136 magpies holding roses that nobody can actually explain.

10. 10

    Igreja de Sao Martinho

    Pass by

    Enter the church a king ordered rebuilt because he was tired of passing its ruins on his commute.

11. 11

    Stop 11

    Pass by

    Consider the hotel where Byron may or may not have slept, and why the uncertainty only makes it famous.

12. 12

    Fonte dos Pisoes

    Pass by

    Search the tiles for cherubs drinking water beside a Latin word meaning hail.

13. 13

    Quinta da Regaleira

    Pass by

    Cross the gate into the estate of a millionaire whose single key opened his home, his palace, and his tomb.

14. 14

    Capela Da Quinta Da Regaleira

    Pass by

    Look down at a chapel floor where a Templar cross sits among pentagrams and sunwheels.

15. 15

    Initiation Well

    Pass by

    Descend nine flights into an inverted tower that may or may not have hosted blindfolded initiates.

16. 16

    Stop 16

    Pass by

    Walk through a triumphal arch praising a king who would flee his country within five years.

• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.