The Most Beautiful Palaces in Portugal

Portugal’s palaces range from the candy-coloured fantasy of Pena to vast baroque palace-convents, Moorish-inspired summer houses and royal residences full of gilded rooms. Here are the most beautiful palaces in Portugal, with 2026 prices.

Quick answer: the must-sees are in Sintra: Pena Palace (from €20, timed entry), Monserrate (€12), the Sintra National Palace (€13) and Quinta da Regaleira. Near Lisbon, visit the huge Mafra Palace (€15) and the Ajuda Palace (€15). In the north, the Palace of the Dukes of Bragança in Guimarães and the Bussaco Palace.

Sintra

• Pena Palace: the red-and-yellow romantic palace on a hilltop. From €20 for the palace with a timed slot; the park only is €12.
• Sintra National Palace: in the town square, with its two giant chimneys and beautiful tiled rooms. €13.
• Monserrate: a Moorish-inspired summer palace in exotic gardens. €12.
• Quinta da Regaleira: a mysterious mansion and gardens with the Initiation Well.
• Palácio de Seteais: now a palace hotel with gardens and views. See where to stay in Sintra.

See Sintra in one day and Sintra’s best photo spots.

Lisbon area

• Mafra National Palace: a vast palace, basilica and convent with a magnificent library (where bats protect the books). €15. UNESCO World Heritage. See Ericeira and Mafra.
• Ajuda National Palace: a royal residence with lavish 19th-century rooms. €15.
• Palácio Fronteira: a 17th-century palace with famous tiled gardens.
• Queluz National Palace: a pink rococo palace with formal gardens, between Lisbon and Sintra.

The north and centre

• Palace of the Dukes of Bragança, Guimarães: a 15th-century palace with dozens of brick chimneys. See Guimarães.
• Bussaco Palace: a neo-Manueline royal hunting palace in an enchanted forest, now a hotel. See where to stay in Coimbra.
• Palácio da Bolsa, Porto: the stock exchange with its Arab Room. €14. See Porto museums.
• Palácio de Estoi (Algarve): a pink rococo palace, now a pousada. See Faro.

Tips

• Book Pena’s timed slots ahead, especially in summer.
• Mondays: some national palaces close, so check before you go.
• Stay in a palace: Seteais, Bussaco and the pousadas. See a romantic trip to Portugal.

More: the best castles in Portugal and Portugal’s UNESCO sites.

Prices and details change, so please double-check before you travel. Spotted something out of date? Tell us in the groups.