The stunning Palácio Nacional da Pena is one of the finest and most famous tourist attractions in Portugal.

When I discuss with friends what they want to see within the Lisbon area, they invariably bring up an image of the colourful Pena Palace surrounded by the dense forests of the Sintra hills. There is no denying that it is an outstanding example of 19th-century Romanticism style of architecture, with its vividly painted terraces, ornamental battlements, and statues of mythological creatures.

Often the social media image I’m shown is only the manicured version of it, without the tourist crowds, and with no indication of the hassle of travelling up to the palace or the overly fussy timed-entrance tickets. Even with these warnings, not once in my five years of living in Lisbon and showing the city to friends and family has anyone been deterred. Its fame means it simply can’t be missed on any trip to Lisbon.

The stunning Pena Palace is always the highlight of any trip to Sintra

However, there is much more to the Pena Palace than the colourful terraces. The interior is as fascinating as the exterior, having been restored to how it was in 1910 when the Portuguese nobility fled to Brazil to escape the revolution, showing the personal side of the royal family.

The extensive gardens are often overlooked, with their lush forest paths leading to craggy viewpoints, or concealed water gardens along with ornamental buildings such as the Chalet of the Countess of Edla. Most friends insist on rushing to the next sight in Sintra on their day trip, but I have spent many enjoyable days simply wandering the grounds, which remain mostly free of tourists.

There are many guides to the Pena Palace, but this guide shares the advice and tips I've gathered from visiting for over 26 years.

 

 

The Whimsical Exterior: The outside of the Palácio da Pena is a marvel of ornamental stone carvings and vividly painted terraces, with the main entrance guarded by a mighty, snarling statue of Triton.

The Lush Forests of the Parque da Pena: The palace is surrounded by thick forests, purposefully planted to create a maze of footpaths and evoke feelings of Romanticism. There are refreshing fern and water gardens for hot summer days, as well as panoramic viewpoints such as the Cruz Alta, the highest point of the Serra de Sintra.

The Sumptuous Interior: The state rooms combine grandeur with surprisingly personal details, giving the palace a true lived-in feel. The layout is unique, as the palace was constructed around the ruins of the 16th-century monastery that originally stood here.

The Rarely Visited Alto do Chá (Tea Hill): The third-highest peak in the region provides, in my opinion, the finest view of the Pena Palace. This boulder-strewn hill is far from the palace itself, offering a peaceful atmosphere that is seldom found elsewhere in hectic Sintra.

The Chalet da Condessa d'Edla: A delightful mock-alpine chalet designed by Countess Edla in 1869. It is uniquely decorated with local cork, used both for insulation and as a beautiful design feature.

The Caminho de Ronda: The ‘wall walk' around the base of the palace follows the rocky outcrop on which the palace sits. It provides stunning views over the region and up to the palace.

The Palácio da Pena is not a place for an impulsive visit and, at the minimum requires a bit of planning the day before, especially if you want to view the state rooms and are visiting in the peak season, which unbelievably lasts from Easter until the end of October.

The key reason is that the interior tickets are sold with timed entry in 30-minute blocks, and entrance is strictly enforced. These strict entry timed-tickets combined, with the difficulty of getting to the palace from the train station or the Sintra town centre, mean a bit of pre-planning is needed.

There are two types of tickets to enter the Palácio da Pena: the full ticket (€20) or the park ticket (€10), and can be purchased from GetYourGuide. The park ticket permits access to the terraces surrounding the palace but does not grant entry to the state rooms.

There are a limited number of full tickets sold per day, and each ticket allows entry into the palace in a designated 30-minute time slot. These time slots are strictly enforced - do not miss your entry time.

The full tickets sell out quickly, and during the peak season (Easter-October) popular time slots such as mid-morning and after lunch sell out days before. Many of the tickets are sold in bulk to tour guides and coach tours operated by cruise companies. If you purchase your ticket at the palace on the day of your visit, be prepared for potential wait times of up to three hours for your designated entry slot-or possibly being unable to enter at all.

If you want to enter the palace, always buy your ticket at least one day in advance - tickets can be purchased from here.

The entrance to the Palácio da Pena is always busy, and there can be traffic jams and long queues for the ticket machines

The Stag Room was designed as a banquet hall, and a unique circular table wraps around the central pillar.

The 'Park Ticket' is the more affordable option which only allows access to the grounds of the Palácio da Pena. This ticket is a good option if you have little interest in visiting the staterooms or if all of the full price timed tickets are sold out. The park ticket can be purchased from GetYourGuide for €10 here.

This ticket grants access to the terraces surrounding the palace; however, during extremely busy periods, this policy may be subject to change.

Insight: Up until Autumn 2023, the 'Park Ticket' did not include access to the terraces. There is a possibility that Parques de Sintra (the organisation managing the Palácio da Pena) may revise their policy again if the terraces become overly crowded in the summer. It is advisable to check before purchasing this ticket, as the palace was barely visible from the former access area.

Insight: An advantage of buying tickets from GetYourGuide is the ability to make purchases in your home currency, avoiding conversion fees or unfavourable exchange rates. Tickets purchased from GetYourGuide.com are priced the same as those bought directly from the ticket office at the palace entrance.

If you have time to explore the Parque da Pena, the Chalet of the Countess of Edla is worth a visit

There are huge boulders dotted about the forests of the Parque da Pena

Generally, most visitors do not plan enough time to visit the Palácio da Pena and its grounds.

Visitors who tend to spend the least time here are often the ones who complain the most about overcrowding or not enjoying their experience. Do not make this mistake and plan at least half day within the complex.

At the bare minimum, you will need two hours. The staterooms and interior of the palace take 40 minutes to visit, while the terraces and chapel usually take another 30 minutes as you’ll probably take lots of photos here.

The south facing Terraço da Rainha (Queen’s Terrace) is always a popular location for photos

The steep uphill walk from the ticket office to the palace takes around 15 minutes, and you will be standing in queues for at least 15 minutes (either to enter the palace or to show tickets at the entrance). The remaining 20 minutes could be used to briefly see the grounds, have a drink on the terrace, and include the walk back to the entrance.

Exploring the Parque da Pena will greatly extend your visit and enjoyment of the Palácio da Pena. Close to the palace are the ornamental lakes (Vale dos Lagos), the Warrior Statue and the Feteira da Rainha (Queen's fern garden), all connected by shaded footpaths.

Further out are the Cruz Alta peak (603m), the Alto do Chá (Tea Hill - the best viewpoint of the region), and the Chalet da Condessa d'Edla, an enchanting Alpine-inspired chalet.

Insight: For a longer visit, I recommend exploring the palace's terraces twice: once at the beginning of your visit and again before you leave. The terraces can become quite crowded, especially during peak hours. By visiting twice, you increase your chances of experiencing these stunning viewpoints when they're less busy.

Pátio dos Arcos (Courtyard of Arches) with its views over the hills and out to the Atlantic Ocean. The red building to the rear is the old chapel that was here prior to the construction of the palace.

The dining room on the lower level of the palace was converted from the refectory in the original convent

If you miss your time slot, you will be denied entry into the palace state rooms (but not the grounds). This is strictly enforced, as the palace can legally only accommodate so many visitors.

When booking a time slot, ensure you can make it. Factor in how long it will take you to travel to the palace, and to Sintra if you are travelling from Lisbon or the coastal towns.

The 434 bus from Sintra train station up to the Palácio da Pena takes at least 30 minutes, and there can be awful traffic through the town mid-morning. Taxis and Ubers may be more convenient but follow the same route as the bus and will get stuck in the same traffic (full details of travel up to the palace are provided here).

Once at the palace, it is a 10 to 15-minute uphill walk from the ticket office to the palace (and official documentation states 30 minutes). I recommend joining the timed queue at least 10 minutes before your scheduled entry, as each time slot accommodates up to 300 visitors.

Insight: It is recommended arriving at the entrance to the Palácio da Pena one hour before your time slot. This allows time to enter, walk up to the palace, wander the terraces and be near the front of your timeslot queue.

The palace and grounds will be very busy during the peak season (Easter to October). It is recommended to visit the palace as late in the day as possible and avoid the peak hours of 10:30 to 15:00.

A statue of Triton guards the entrance into the palace

During any visit to the Palácio da Pena you will be walking up a lot of steep hills, climbing steps and traversing uneven surfaces, often under the intense Portuguese sun. Even the most fit visitor will find a visit to the Palácio da Pena draining.

If you have limited mobility or fitness consider if a visit is really for you – Monserrate Palace is much more accessible and equally beautiful.

At Pena there is a bus service which transports visitors from the ticket office to the base of the palace’s entrance. This costs €3.50, but like everything associated with the Pena Palace there can be long queues as the small bus fills up. For most fit and able visitors, there is no need for this bus.

If you are travelling with young children, also be prepared for the steep climbs and the cobbled paths around the palace. There are particularly challenging for buggies with small wheels.

The bus from the ticket entrance up to the palace

The magnificent palace perches on the second-highest point of the Serra de Sintra hills

If you have limited time to explore Sintra, it's understandable to try and fit in as much as possible.

A typical day trip route includes the Palácio da Pena, Castelo dos Mouros (optional), the historic centre of Sintra, and either Quinta da Regaleira or the Palácio Nacional de Sintra in the afternoon. This route is convenient as it follows the direction of the 434-tourist bus and starts and ends at Sintra train station. For this suggested day trip, lunch would be taken in Sintra town centre after visiting the Palácio da Pena or Castelo dos Mouros.
Insight: I recommend spending at least two days in Sintra.
Related articles: Day trip to Sintra

All of the copper utensils in the kitchen have PP (for Palácio da Pena) stamped on them to prevent theft!

A day trip to Sintra often involves considerable walking and waiting for public transport. Joining an organised tour of the region can be a much more enjoyable experience. I have partnered with GetYourGuide.com for the past seven years, and some of their best tours of Sintra include:
• Sintra Highlights Full-Day Tour
• Sintra, Cabo da Roca and Cascais Full-Day Tour from Lisbon
• Pena Palace and Regaleira Guided Tour from Lisbon
• Sintra, Cascais and Cabo da Roca Coast Day Tour

The Palácio da Pena sits atop a jagged rocky outcrop – the second highest peak (480m) of the Serra de Sintra hills.

The site was originally a Hieronymite monastery, which had been abandoned for a long time by the time Fernando II purchased the area in 1838. Sections of the original monastery can still be seen – the main courtyard is a two-storey Manueline cloister, and the Nossa Senhora da Pena chapel has remained largely unaltered since the 16th century.

The chief architect of the Palácio da Pena, Wilhelm Eschwege, a German national, took inspiration from the Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, as well as from his travels through Asia, Africa, and Portugal itself.

The rose-red painted tower shares many characteristics with the Torre de Belém in Lisbon, while the spikes on the gateway resemble those of the 16th-century Casa dos Bicos in Lisbon's Alfama district.

The red tower and the Torre de Belém have many similarities

The central courtyard of the palace was the cloister in the monastery

The brilliant colours of the palace had gradually faded since their original application in the mid-19th century, and by the 1990s, the palace's appearance had become rather drab and dreary.

In 1996, the Pena Palace underwent an extensive restoration project, which included repainting the exterior walls in their original colours. This vivid colour scheme initially horrified some of the more conservative residents of Sintra. Fortunately, the work to reinvigorate the building continued, allowing the palace to be viewed in its original splendour once again.

The Palácio da Pena sits high above Sintra (390m higher than the train station), and it is a very demanding uphill hike along the Caminho de Santa Maria footpath footpath to reach it.

The recommended means of travel from the train station is by the 434 tourist bus, which follows a one-directional loop from the train station to the Castelo dos Mouros, Palácio da Pena and Sintra town centre, before returning to the station.

A single ticket costs €4.55 or there is a 24-hour ticket for €15. This 24-hour ticket is actively pushed by the bus company, but two singles (up to the palace and down from it) at €8.20 is all that is needed by most visitors.

Never plan to drive to the Palácio da Pena or Sintra, as there is very little car parking. During the summer, the town becomes completely gridlocked as frustrated drivers search for car parking spaces.
Related articles: 434 bus - Lisbon to Sintra

While you may grumble about the high entrance fees, the non-profit organisation Parques de Sintra reinvests all revenue into the region's monuments. Over the last fifteen years, there have been notable improvements in facilities, restoration, and maintenance in Sintra, all funded by tourism.

Cruz Alta viewpoint – While this is the highest point of the Serra de Sintra hills, from the top of the rocky outcrop, the Pena Palace is not visible. Many visitors leave Cruz Alta feeling that the 20-minute walk from the palace was not worthwhile. For a much better view, go to Alto do Chá.

The disappointing tree blocked view from Cruz Alta

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