Photo: Jorge Lobo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Monserrate and the gardens of Sintra with a botanist
Your local guide
Helena Duarte
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Highlights
- Tree ferns from Australia and New Zealand
- The Mexican garden and the rose garden
- Monserrate Palace's restored main gallery
- Cork oaks, camellias and rhododendrons explained
- How the gardens were rescued after years of neglect
About this tour
This session walks the gardens around Monserrate Palace in Sintra with a botanist as guide, from the fern valley to the Mexican and rose gardens and the palace itself. The camera takes in tree ferns from Australia and New Zealand, cork oaks, camellias and rhododendrons, and finishes outside the restored palace façade. It is a plant-focused walk through one of Sintra's romantic gardens rather than a tour of the town.
After a sound check, the botanist leads the walk garden by garden, naming plants and their origins as the camera reaches them, with questions welcome throughout. A short list of the plants and gardens covered is sent once the call ends.
This suits anyone interested in gardens and plants, or anyone who wants a calmer, greener session than a typical city walk.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 7 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Sintra before heading out.
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The fern valley 21 min
In the fern valley, the botanist guide points the camera at tree ferns brought from Australia and New Zealand, explaining how the garden's damp microclimate lets them grow this far from home.
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Mexican and rose gardens 21 min
The camera moves from the Mexican garden into the rose garden, passing cork oaks, camellias and rhododendrons along the way, with the botanist explaining where each species originally came from.
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Monserrate Palace 21 min
From outside Monserrate Palace, the camera takes in its façade and the restored main gallery visible through the entrance, and the botanist tells the story of how these gardens were brought back after decades of neglect.
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Your questions 14 min
Time to ask anything about Sintra: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 6 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Travesseiros and Sintra Town Centre, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Lisbon time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 10 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Sintra, showing you Monserrate Palace and Pena Palace live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk Sintra live with my phone and you ask anything as we go.
Times shown in Lisbon time (WET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Thu 29 Oct · 10 seats left From 24,00 €
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