Fronteira Palace, Lisbon: Gardens, Tiles and Tours

Fronteira Palace (Palácio Fronteira) is a 17th-century country house on the north-west edge of Lisbon, famous for its tiled gardens. It is still a family home, so you see the rooms on a guided tour and explore the gardens on your own.

Quick answer: a guided tour of the palace and gardens costs €17, or €8 for the gardens alone (€10 with an audio guide). It opens Monday to Saturday and on public holidays, and is closed on Sundays. English tours run at 10am, 11:30am, 1pm, 2:30pm and 4pm. Take the blue metro line to Jardim Zoológico and walk about 15 minutes.

What Fronteira Palace is

Dom João de Mascarenhas built the palace from about 1670, the year he was made the first Marquis of Fronteira for his part in the Restoration War, which confirmed Portugal’s independence from Spain. It began as a summer retreat outside the city and is often described as a hunting pavilion. After the 1755 earthquake the family enlarged it and made it their main home.

His descendants still live here. The 12th Marquis, Fernando Mascarenhas, set up the foundation that runs the visits in 1987. The palace has been a National Monument since 1982.

The gardens and the tiles

The garden is the main reason to come. Most of the tiles are outdoors, set into walls, benches, stairs and pools. Look out for playful scenes too, such as monkeys playing trumpets.

• The formal garden: a parterre of clipped box hedges with five fountains, framed by low tiled walls.
• The Kings Gallery (Galeria dos Reis): a raised terrace lined with busts of the kings of Portugal, leaving out the three Spanish Philips who ruled from 1580 to 1640.
• The Knights’ Tank (Tanque dos Cavaleiros): the long water tank below the gallery, with big blue-and-white panels of horsemen, said to be family ancestors, and three grottoes decorated with shells and broken glass.
• The upper garden: the shadier Venus Garden, with exotic trees and the Casa do Fresco, a grotto-like water house.

Inside the house

The tour covers the state rooms and the library. The highlight is the Battle Hall (Sala das Batalhas), lined with lively, almost cartoon-like tile panels of Restoration War battles, including Montes Claros in 1665. You also see the Panels, Four Seasons and Juno rooms, then step out onto the tiled Terrace of the Liberal Arts, which leads to the chapel. Its front is studded with shells, glass and pieces of porcelain; a popular story says the china was smashed after a banquet so nobody could eat from it again.

Tickets, times and rules (2026)

Ticket	Price
Palace and gardens (guided tour)	€17
Gardens with audio guide	€10
Gardens only	€8

• Days: Monday to Saturday and public holidays. Closed on Sundays, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and Easter.
• Gardens: 10am to 6pm, last entry 5:30pm (5pm with the audio guide).
• House tours: English at 10am, 11:30am, 1pm, 2:30pm and 4pm; French at 10:30am, noon, 1:30pm, 3pm and 4:30pm; Spanish at 12:30pm and 5pm; Portuguese at 11am and 3:30pm. Each lasts about an hour.
• Discounts: under-6s free, half price for ages 7 to 25, 20% off for students, with proof.

Book on the foundation’s website, fronteira-alorna.pt. Tours have about 20 places, so book ahead in summer. House tours are sometimes cancelled for a day, leaving only the gardens open (as on 6 October 2026), so check the visits page first. The foundation doesn’t publish photo rules, so ask your guide before taking pictures indoors.

How to get there

• Metro: take the blue line to Jardim Zoológico, use the Jardim Zoológico exit and follow the green line painted on the ground, about 15 minutes on foot. A single costs €1.90, or €1.72 with zapping credit.
• Bus: Carris bus 770 stops outside (Palácio Fronteira stop), about every 30 minutes.
• Train: Sete Rios station, on the Sintra line, is about 20 minutes’ walk.
• Car: a small free car park opposite the entrance has about 30 spaces.

The entrance is at Largo São Domingos de Benfica 1. For fares and passes, see the Lisbon public transport guide.

Combine it with

• Lisbon Zoo: right by Jardim Zoológico metro and open every day; adults pay €31 in 2026. See the Lisbon Zoo guide.
• Gulbenkian Museum: two metro stops away at São Sebastião; about €10 for adults, closed on Tuesdays. See the Gulbenkian guide.
• Monsanto Forest Park: Lisbon’s big wooded park lies close to the palace, with free trails.

A simple plan: the 10am English tour, half an hour in the gardens, then the Gulbenkian for the afternoon. That works any day except Tuesday and Sunday.

Who it is for

Tile lovers first. These 17th-century panels are still in place, and the National Tile Museum has been closed for restoration since November 2025 with no confirmed reopening date. Garden lovers will enjoy it too, and it is far quieter than Belém. Young children may find an hour-long house tour slow, so families might prefer the gardens-only ticket.

Paint your own: a tile-painting class in central Lisbon takes about 2 to 3 hours, and you keep your tile. See tile-painting workshops in Lisbon.

FAQ

Can you visit Fronteira Palace without a guided tour?

Yes, but only the gardens: €8, or €10 with an audio guide. The rooms of the house are shown only on guided tours.

How much does Fronteira Palace cost?

In 2026 the guided tour of the palace and gardens costs €17. Under-6s go free, and ages 7 to 25 pay half price.

Is Fronteira Palace open on Sundays?

No. It opens Monday to Saturday and on public holidays, and closes on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and Easter.

How long do you need at Fronteira Palace?

About two hours: an hour for the house tour, plus 30 to 60 minutes in the gardens.

More: where to see azulejos in Portugal and the best palaces in Portugal.

See also: unusual things to do in Lisbon, Lisbon museums and tile-painting workshops in Lisbon.

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