Heading out on a Lisbon to Obidos day trip is something that we contemplated quite a bit. Our options included heading there as a day trip or just incorporating it as part of our road trip on our way north. One thing that both Shawn and I had consensus on was the fact that the walled historic city of Obidos looked really interesting and we were not wrong!
In retrospect, I can say that it was one of my favorite spots in Portugal by far and I wished that I had stayed in the neighborhood for longer. I probably will the next time I visit. The reason why I wanted to stay is not because there were things left to explore. It was because of the slow pace of the city that made me want to sink in and enjoy the vibe.
There’s plenty to see and do in Obidos and I’m here to talk about what a Lisbon to Obidos day trip will entail, what goes into the planning, the transport and if it is really worth it.
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Is Obidos Worth Visiting?
When it comes to a Lisbon to Obidos day trip, the first question that I get asked is, is Obidos worth visiting? In my opinion, Obidos is well worth the journey. It is not located very far away from Lisbon so you won’t spend very long getting there. Plus there are plenty of things to do in the town that will keep you busy through the better part of the day.
Don’t get me wrong. Obidos is small. You could breeze through the town in two hours or less. The town is very quaint. It kind off calls for more though. Walk peacefully along the walls of the city to explore it from above. Stop at one of the uber cute restaurants in Obidos where you can order a snack or meal while people watching.
enerally speaking Lisbon is one of the popular weekend trips in Europe. The Lisbon to Obidos day trip is meant for people who have time to spare in Lisbon. It isn’t something that you should embark on if you have just a day in Lisbon. G
Can You Spend A Whole Day In Obidos?
I know that I could easily spend a whole day in Obidos. The city has lots of things to do. What it does not have however is huge museums and plenty of activities. You wander around the narrow cobbled streets.
Enter the numerous souvenir shops, visit the gold and silver filigree specialty shop and click plenty of photographs. There’s even a castle that you can explore. One thing that you should know about Obidos is that it has some amazing restaurants and the food is delicious. We spent an afternoon just trying out regional delicacies.
One of the things that really intrigued us was when our food was served in a clay vessel that was very similar to what we would see in Goa. Obviously we then started up a conversation on the similarities.
If you do drink alcohol, Obidos is one of the best places to try and buy Ginja. This is a local cherry liquor that is made using sour cherries that are harvested in the region.
How To Get From Lisbon To Obidos?
The thing is, like many of the other capital cities in the world, Lisbon is placed pretty well. You can visit a number of cool places in Portugal as day trips. This is because of the great road network and because of the extensive public transport system.
Lisbon To Obidos By Bus
I’ll be honest. I haven’t used public transportation when traveling from Lisbon to Obidos. This is because we had our own car. I did however do my research on it to check and see if it was more convenient. We found the car more convenient since we were traveling with kids and stuck to that but the bus that plies between the two cities is also pretty good.
The bus is called Rapide Verde and it leaves from Campo Grande bus station to Obidos. It takes about an hour to reach there which makes the Lisbon to Obidos day trip extremely doable. There is a downside to this though.
The buses are less frequent when it comes to the weekend so make sure you plan your trip accordingly. It could take as much as 2 hours between buses so it isn’t quite the case if you miss one bus and you catch the next. This was one of the big reasons why we chose to opt out of this option since we had a car.
Just note that just because we did not use it, does not mean that it is not a viable option for you. If we did not have our car, we would probably have considered it.
Lisbon To Obidos By Train
While it may seem more logical to travel by train on your Lisbon to Obidos day trip, I would advice against it because the train journey takes a surprising 2.5 hours! Yes! The bus just takes about an hour. But if you are curious, know that the train leaves from Santa Apolonia station.
Lisbon To Obidos By Car
The best way to get about on your Lisbon to Obidos day trip is to drive. This is especially true if you are four people like we are because it becomes cheaper. A big bonus is that there is a huge car park right outside the walled city of Obidos and you can park here for free.
Best Tours To Obidos
One thing that being very clear to me is that unless you reach Obidos and take a tour there are no tours that take you just to Obidos. It does make sense in a way because most people want to combine Obidos with other cities and towns in the neighborhood. It helps optimize the time you have. It is perfect for people who want to explore the Portuguese countryside but are short on time.
Fátima, Batalha, Nazaré, And Obidos Tour
⭐️ Rating: 4.7/5 (518 Reviews) Price: $78 per person Duration: 9 hours 📍Meeting Point: From your hotel lobby Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!
One of the most popular tours takes you through four very iconic towns in Portugal. I’ve already spoken about Obidos. Fatima is a famous pilgrimage spot especially among the Roman Catholics. I grew up in a catholic school so I added this to my own Portuguese bucket list though I did it as a separate trip.
Fatima is famous because it is believed that Mother Mary (Mother of Jesus) appeared to three children here. You can visit the place where she appeared, join in for mass and light some candles. There isn’t a lot to see and this stop generally does not take a lot of time.
Batalha is a lesser visited and rather spectacular city. It has a gorgeous cathedral that has stood the test time and is located right in the heart of the city. I spent a whole day here with my brother capturing us on film because the cathedral made for a great photoshoot backdrop.
“Tasia was an excellent guide, provided lots of interesting background information at each of the places visited. She was quite flexible in adjusting times at the sites to our preferences. Being in a small group certainly has its advantages.
The sites visited were all amazing in their own way but Nazare was absolutely the best. I would recommend this day trip at 110% and without hesitation!!”
Sami (read more reviews now!)
Lastly, Nazare is known for its steep cliff faces and it humongous waves. Most people go to see the waves and the people surfing them. Now it is important to know that the biggest waves are seasonal so you may not always see them.
As you can see, there is a lot packed into this tour. It is totally doable though but after 9 hours you will be exhausted. Trust me, the exhaustion will be worth it!
Mafra And Obidos
⭐️ Rating: 5/5 (23 Reviews) Price: $111 per person Duration: 6 hours 📍Meeting Point: Flexible meeting point Details: Read more on Viator!
If you like traveling off the beaten path then Mafra is definitely the place for you. I noticed the Mafra palace when we first visited Portugal a couple of years ago.
We were driving along the highway and heading to Ericeira in the night when I noticed the Mafra palace illuminated in the distance. I was intrigued by the huge palace back then and put it on our itinerary this time.
The Mafra palace is huge and it is perfect for one of the rainy days in Lisbon because you can spend a couple of hours exploring the inside of the palace.
It is also a great addition when it comes to a tour to Obidos because the combination of the two locations makes for a pretty unhurried pace.
Obidos & National Palace of Mafra were simply incredible. Thoroughly enjoyed our private visit of each amazing place with our wonderful tour guide, Rodrigo!
Rod made the day trip for us, spending a few hours at Obidos & Mafra Place and sharing his excellent knowledge of each as we toured the walled city of Obidos and the spectacular Mafra Palace. Everything was just perfect!!
Marianne (read more reviews now!)
This is definitely more my kind of tour because I like to take things slow. BUT I generally plan long vacations so I can afford to travel slow. At the end of the day, it all depends on what you want from the day and how much you want to cover.
Lisbon To Obidos Day Trip Itinerary
As I mentioned before, if you are headed on a Lisbon to Obidos day trip, you don’t really have to plan the itinerary much. The walled city is small and if you want you could breeze through it in under 2 hours. If you do need an overview of the itinerary, you can check out mine below.
Porta Da Vila
It is quite hard to miss the Porta Da Vila. Its a double walled gate that you will walk through when you enter the city. Since the middle of the gate is shaded, you will often find street performers here. Their music echoes down the cobbled streets.
Listening to the street performers is something that you should not miss during your Lisbon to Obidos day trip because music (and food!) is the soul of Portugal.
Walk Along The Wall
I would recommend taking a short walk along the wall because you that’s where you will get to see the best views of the city and the countryside. It’s not a long one and you can click some incredibly pretty photographs. Now just don’t walk here in the afternoon because there is absolutely no shade.
Stroll Through The Gorgeous Streets
The best part about Obidos is Obidos itself. The gorgeous cobblestoned streets flanked by the cute blue and white houses is something that you don’t see everywhere. It’s got its unique charm. I would recommend walking down some of the lesser populated streets too. That way you can see what Obidos is like without the tourists.
Castelo De Obidos
As you walk through the streets, head towards the Castelo de Obidos. A Medieval castle that is pretty prominent even from the distance. The castle is free to enter unless there is an even going on. The walls of the city end on either side of this fortress.
Note that you can only wander through a part of the castle because a part of it is renovated and is currently Pousada Do Castelo De Óbidos, a luxury hotel. One that is worth checking if you want to stay longer in the city.
Now these are the main attractions to visit when you head on a Lisbon to Obidos day trip. There are plenty of things to do in Obidos that you can add on to your itinerary depending on how much time you have.
Obidos Or Sintra?
I find this a rather hard question to answer because both Obidos and Sintra are pretty scenic. On one side Sintra is pretty accessible with trains plying straight out of Lisbon. The train to Obidos isn’t great but there is a bus that can take you from Lisbon to Obidos easily.
When it comes to parking, you will find that Sintra is harder to get parking at while Obidos has free parking right outside the city. This makes a Lisbon to Obidos day trip super easy by car,
Both cities are very touristy but in Sintra you have to book your ticket in advance. Obidos on the other hand is free to enter and you don’t have to book it in advance unless its a tour. Both of these locations are beautiful but I think Sintra has more to see in terms of historical monuments.
I’ve visited both spots on separate trips so I can say this, if you have time to plan things out and have your ticket booked in advance choose Sintra. If you are the spontaneous type, go for Obidos. Either way you won’t be disappointed. If you can, do them both!
Is Staying In Obidos A Good Option?
Obidos is a great place to stay if you like the slow pace of life. Its a pretty city but after a day of exploring there isn’t much left to do other than to relax and enjoy the environment around you. For me, I found that it was the perfect place to unwind which is why the next time I’m headed to Portugal, I’m going to take some time off here.
There are even some luxury hotels here. I mean you can stay inside an actual castle! How cool is that?
Pousada Do Castelo De Óbidos
⭐️ Rating: 8.3/10 (848 Reviews) Price: $284 per night 📍Location: Paço Real, Óbidos Details: Read more on booking.com now!
Ever wanted to stay in a castle in Europe? If you want to extend your Lisbon to Obidos day trip a bit more then you could choose to stay in Pousada Do Castelo De Óbidos. It is part of the Castelo de Obidos which has been renovated. Not only does it retain the 14th century of the castle, it also is refurbished to have all the modern amenities. So you can expect large rooms with air conditioning.
Each room has a gorgeous ensuite bathroom that will make you feel like a king. Let’s not forget that the castle is located at a height so the views from each of these rooms is particularly breathtaking.
“Fabulous location and amazing stay. Room was comfortable and clean abs had everything we needed. Breakfast was lovely.”
Brenda (read more reviews now!)
The downside however is that you have to climb stairs to reach this. Now I did not mind but I would think that it would be challenging for older people who find stairs difficult.
There is even an in house restaurant where you are serve your breakfast but you can eat your other meals here too. The food is supposed to be excellent. I can’t comment on it though because we did not eat here.
Casa S. Thiago Obidos
⭐️ Rating: 8.8/10 (1,693 Reviews) Price: $107 per night 📍Location: Largo De S. Thiago, 1, Óbidos Details: Read more on booking.com now!
Now staying a castle may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Let’s face the facts. Its expensive and some of us prefer the more budget solutions when it comes to hotels in Obidos. I found that the Casa S. Thiago Obidos is one of the best options if you are looking for a homey place to stay. Its run by a local family and has spacious rooms with air conditioning so that you can beat the summer heat if you are visiting in the summer.
In the winters there is a nice living area with a fireplace where guests meet up to socialize. Its used in summer too but its much cozier when the temperatures are lower.
The rooms are decorated with old Portuguese antiques including furniture. You will even sleep in a rather cool antique four poster bed.
“It is full of character and its location within the walls of Obidos was perfect for enjoying this historic place when the tourists had gone home. We loved sitting by the bedroom window enjoying a beautiful view across gardens and the village.”
Paul (red more reviews now!)
One of the big benefits is that the room rate includes a hearty breakfast. It is made with the local seasonal ingredients which gives you a taste of what seasonal food in Portugal is like.
And there you have it. This is all the information that you could need to make your Lisbon to Obidos day trip a success. Its a chill day if you do it on your own and the city is so beautiful that I could spend hours wandering on my own.
Have you headed out on a Lisbon to Obidos day trip? Are there any tips you would add to this list? Let me know in the comments below.
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