Lisbon Pena Palace Tickets and Day Trips

Half an hour's drive from Lisbon is Sintra, a place full of castles and palaces declared a World Heritage Site and a setting worthy of a fairy tale. Its main attraction is the Pena Palace, Portugal's greatest exponent of romanticism.

The perfect choice

Sintra Pena Palace Tickets

Visit the Pena Palace in Sintra without queues or waiting time

Discover this magnificent work of architecture, a true reflection of Portuguese romanticism. A palace full of styles both in its decoration and in its collections. Explore its gardens and the mysterious villa of the Countess of Elda.

From £17 at Hellotickets

Surprise yourself with the originality of this palace, which was once a 16th century monastery and which Ferdinand II made his own. An eccentric mixture of Romantic, Renaissance, Manueline and Arab styles make it one of Sintra's main attractions.

Visit its 200 hectares of gardens where 500 species of trees from all over the world live together.

You can also visit the Countess of Elda's villa, which hides anecdotes and curious stories.

Recommended if... you want to ensure access to one of Portugal's most important monuments, which receives hundreds of visitors every day. If you buy your tickets in advance, you won't have to queue or wait, just enjoy yourself.

The Pena Palace is Sintra's main tourist attraction, but it is not the only one. This town has many more palaces and corners that are well worth a complete visit. Here is a guide to all the options for excursions to Sintra from Lisbon.

You have different options and of all prices; I recommend that you take a look and choose one that includes free time to visit the historic centre of Sintra at your leisure and a specialised guide who can enlighten you on the history of places such as the Pena Palace, the National Palace of Sintra, the Quinta da Regaleira or the Moorish Castle.

Day trip to Sintra and Cascais

Book your day trip to Sintra and Cascais from Lisbon. With this tour you will be able to visit the most important places of these emblematic cities. In addition to transport, the activity includes a local guide and the entrance to the National Palace of Pena.

This option is one of the most complete and the most suitable if you are looking to see Sintra in depth without missing its main sites. The best thing, without a doubt, is to have the services of an expert guide that will make you discover the Pena Palace in a very different way than if you visit it on your own, as well as the cliffs of Cabo da Roca and the beaches of Cascais.

Sintra, Cascais, Pena Palace, Cabo da Roca and Regaleira tour

With this tour you will visit the mythical cities of Sintra and Cascais, but you will also discover natural attractions such as the Cabo da Roca cliffs, Boca do Inferno or Praia do Guincho...

This activity does not include the entrance fees to the Pena Palace and the Quinta da Regaleira. However, you will explore both palaces on your own and the guide's explanations will focus on other tourist sites. This tour is ideal for small groups and for travellers who are short on time during their trip.

You can buy tickets for the Pena Palace for adults, children, young people and senior citizens at different prices depending on the season. With these tickets you will not have to wait in queues, but please note that they include only access to the Palace, without a guided tour.

If you are travelling to Sintra from Lisbon, it is best to book a guided tour of the Pena Palace online. These excursions include a return transfer from Lisbon, a visit to the Pena Palace (sometimes with or without admission) and a tour of other must-see landmarks in the region.

The Palace opens at 9am, although opening times may change depending on the season. If it is high season I advise you to arrive early to avoid queues. The risk of going directly to the ticket office is that the queue is too long, so I do not recommend this option. As for the price, tickets cost €14 per adult at the ticket office.

If you don't feel like visiting the inside of the Palace (which I think is a mistake, since you are there), you should know that there is the option of visiting just the gardens, the Da Pena Park. In both cases there are discounts for over 65s and under 18s and also a special price that combines tickets for two adults and two children for a reduced price.

How to get to Sintra from Lisbon

The Pena Palace is located in the town of Sintra, very close to Lisbon. If you are staying in the capital and want to get to Sintra there are two ways to do it: you can take the train from Lisbon's Rossio station and get to Sintra in 40 minutes for a price of five euros or you can hire an organised excursion that not only shows you the Palacio da Pena but also shows you the highlights of Sintra. You should bear in mind that the Palacio da Pena is on top of a hill. You can get there by bus from the centre of Sintra, but once there you will have to climb a steep hill (for two or three euros you can take a transfer). Private vehicles are not allowed to go up, only tourist vehicles.

Duration of the visit

The visit to the Pena Palace includes the interior, the exterior and the gardens. The gardens are immense, so if you want to see them properly, set aside about two and a half hours of your trip.

Visiting hours

The palace normally opens at 9.30am and the gardens at 9am. The park closes at 8pm and the palace at 6.30pm but the last tickets for both sites will be sold one hour before closing time. If you are going to buy tickets at the ticket office, I recommend you to go well in advance so you don't miss out or wait in long queues.

The Pena Palace with children

Children will have a great time touring the halls inside the Palace and they will also be impressed by the bright colours of the façade. Don't hesitate to take them on this visit, but be aware that they may not be able to handle the climb up the hill from the entrance, although they can always take a transfer.

The Sintra Palace was commissioned by Ferdinand II of Portugal on the ruins of an old monastery devastated by the earthquake of 1755. During a trip with his wife Maria II of Portugal, the monarch fell in love with the town of Sintra, and created this marvel of which I recommend you not to miss the following:

The exterior architecture of the Pena Palace

This is something that will not go unnoticed by visitors to Sintra. In addition to the fact that the palace is located on top of a cliff, which in itself is a visual attraction, there are also its striking and original colours. A spectacle to behold and a privilege for photographic lenses.

The Palace Gardens

It has more than 500 types of trees and plants from all over the world. Get a map of the gardens before you start your tour, because there are several fountains and buildings worth visiting. The most outstanding of all is the Chalet of the Countess or Casa do Regalo, a two-storey wooden building commissioned by Ferdinand II for his second wife.

Inside the Palace

As attractive as the exterior of the Pena Palace is, you can't miss the interior. If you go on an organised tour the guide will tell you everything you need to know for your tour, otherwise get a map at the entrance and hire an audio guide for two euros.

Old Hieronymite Monastery building

This is the first thing you will see once you pass the central cloister. Before it was a winter palace for the use of Portuguese monarchs, there was a monastery in what is now the Pena Palace and this is one of the few remaining rooms of that monastery.

Arab Hall

One of the most outstanding rooms of the Queen's quarters. Take all the time you need to contemplate its ceilings, and don't miss the Triton Window, designed as an allegory of the creation of the world. It's a sort of half-man, half-fish monster, and from the Queen's Terrace you'll have a close-up view of it.

Ana's Traveller Tip

From the ticket office to the entrance of the palace there is a steep climb, you can take a shuttle for 2-3 euros. Private cars are not allowed to drive up.