Visiting Pena Palace: Tickets, Tips and Getting There

Pena Palace is Portugal’s most famous sight: a red, yellow and blue Romantic fantasy perched on a peak above Sintra, surrounded by a vast wooded park. It’s also one of the busiest, so a little planning makes a huge difference. Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Pena Palace.

Quick answer: book a timed palace ticket online and choose the earliest slot. Take bus 434 from Sintra station, a tuk-tuk or a taxi up the hill rather than driving. Allow 2 to 3 hours for the palace and park. Weekday mornings outside summer are quietest. See Pena Palace tickets and tours.

About Pena Palace

King Ferdinand II built the palace in the 19th century on the ruins of a monastery, mixing Manueline, Moorish and Gothic styles into a Romantic masterpiece. It’s part of the Sintra Cultural Landscape UNESCO World Heritage site. Inside, the rooms are kept as they were when the royal family last used them in the early 20th century.

Tickets

• Palace and Park: includes a timed entry slot for the palace interior. Book online, as slots sell out in busy months.
• Park only: the gardens, the terraces and the exterior views, without the interior.
• Tours: guided tours include transport and tickets, which takes care of the logistics. See the best Sintra tours.

Getting there

• From Lisbon: train from Rossio to Sintra (about 40 minutes). See Lisbon to Sintra.
• Up the hill: bus 434 runs a loop from the station to the old town, the Moorish Castle and Pena. Tuk-tuks and taxis also go up.
• Walking: a steep hike of about an hour from the old town.
• Driving: not recommended. Parking near the palaces is very limited.

Tips

• Go early: the first slot of the day is the calmest.
• Allow walking time: it’s an uphill walk (or a shuttle) from the park entrance to the palace.
• The best view of the palace is from the High Cross (Cruz Alta) or the Moorish Castle.
• Weather: Sintra is often misty and cooler than Lisbon, so bring a layer.
• Combine with Quinta da Regaleira and the Moorish Castle. See Sintra in one day.

More: the Quinta da Regaleira guide, Sintra’s best photo spots and where to stay in Sintra.

See also: the Moorish Castle.

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