Ajuda Palace and the Royal Treasury, Lisbon

The Ajuda National Palace, on a hill above Belém, was the last royal residence in Lisbon. It has lavish 19th-century interiors that look as if the royal family just stepped out, and it’s home to the Royal Treasury Museum with Portugal’s crown jewels. It’s much quieter than the big sights.

Quick answer: the palace is in Ajuda, uphill from Belém. It’s usually open 10am to 6pm, closed on Wednesdays. The Royal Treasury Museum in the new west wing is a separate visit with its own ticket. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours for the palace, plus about an hour for the treasury. Take a tram, bus or taxi up from Belém, or walk (it’s steep).

Why go

Most visitors to Belém queue for the monastery and the tower and never climb the hill. That’s your gain. Ajuda lets you walk through real royal rooms, still furnished, often with few other people around. Add the crown jewels next door and it makes one of the most rewarding half-days in western Lisbon.

About the palace

After the 1755 earthquake, the royal family moved to a wooden palace on this hill, which burned down in 1794. Work on the stone neoclassical palace began soon after, but money ran short and the royal court left for Brazil in 1807, so it was never finished as planned. In the 19th century, King Luís I and Queen Maria Pia made it their home, filling it with furniture, art and fine decorative pieces. After the monarchy ended in 1910 the palace closed and later became a museum. The west wing was finally completed in recent years to house the Royal Treasury.

What to see

• The royal apartments: bedrooms, salons and dining rooms with their original furnishings. Look out for the room lined with Saxon (Meissen) porcelain.
• The ballroom and throne room: the grandest rooms, with chandeliers, gilding and painted ceilings.
• The Royal Treasury Museum: crown jewels, regalia and precious objects, displayed in a vault-like gallery. It opened in 2022 and shows hundreds of pieces of jewellery, silverware and gold from the old royal house. Usually open daily, with longer hours in summer.
• The Ajuda Botanical Garden nearby, one of Portugal’s oldest. It was founded in the 18th century and has terraces, old trees and views over the river. It has its own entrance and ticket.

Getting there

• Tram: tram 18E runs from Cais do Sodré to Cemitério da Ajuda, stopping near the palace. It doesn’t run often, so check times. See the Lisbon trams guide.
• Bus: Carris bus 760 runs from Praça do Comércio to Ajuda, and other Carris buses climb the hill from Belém. Check routes on the Carris website or a journey-planning app.
• Walk: from Jerónimos Monastery it’s roughly 20 to 25 minutes uphill. Fine on a cool day, hard work in summer heat.
• Taxi or ride-hailing: a short, cheap ride from Belém, and a good option for the uphill leg.

How long to spend

Allow 1.5 to 2 hours for the palace and about an hour for the treasury. The botanical garden needs 30 to 45 minutes.

A half-day route

Start at the palace when it opens at 10am, then see the treasury. Stroll down through the botanical garden and walk downhill to Belém for lunch. In the afternoon, visit Jerónimos Monastery or the National Coach Museum, which shows the royal carriages that once served this palace.

Food

Ajuda is a residential area with simple local cafés and tascas serving the dish of the day, grilled fish and bifanas. For more choice, head down to Belém. Don’t leave without a pastel de nata: the custard tarts sold at Pastéis de Belém, baking them since 1837, are famous for good reason.

Tips

• Combine with Belém. See Belém.
• Quiet: a great alternative when Jerónimos is crowded.
• Opening days: the palace is usually closed on Wednesdays and some public holidays, while the treasury is usually open daily. Check both websites before you go.
• Tickets: the palace and the treasury sell separate tickets. Children usually go free and there are discounts for seniors and students. Check current prices on the official sites.
• Lisboa Card: check whether your card currently covers the palace. See is the Lisboa Card worth it?

More: palaces in Portugal and the best museums in Lisbon.

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