Originally Posted by catgirl

Planning a trip to the Lisbon area for late November. We will be based out of an apartment in (central) Cascais for 6 full days, and I am seeking advice, insights, must-do recommendations, and cautions for our time there. Our plan is to spend some time in Cascais and also to make day-trips to other areas.

I have only just started researching the area, but it looks like 2/3 day trips into Lisbon should give us sufficient time for the city. I understand that Lisbon is a 30-minute one-way train ride from Cascais with frequent service. Also thinking 1 day to Sintra. What else? From what I've read, public transport seems to be plentiful and frequent, correct? We are not planning to rent a vehicle.

Our interests are hiking, culture, and food. While we enjoy history and architecture, we also have a tendency to get "churched-out" or "museum'd-out" if we have too many days in a row. We normally also enjoy kayaking but I don't think this is the right time of the year for water sports .

Is it worthwhile to take a "guided tour" for portions of our time there? I'm thinking specifically about the history/architecture parts since sometimes a guided tour with someone pointing out things to you can be more interesting than if you just wander around by yourself.

Advice and insights appreciated!