Pena Palace and Park Entrance Ticket Sintra

Pena Palace, the jewel of Sintra

Pena Palace stands on a rocky peak almost 500 metres high in the Sintra Hills, its yellow and red towers visible from miles around. It was created in the mid-19th century by a royal patron who bought the ruins of a 16th-century monastery and transformed them into a summer residence in the Romantic style, mixing Gothic, Manueline, Moorish and Renaissance details in a building that looks like a fairytale castle.

The palace is part of the Cultural Landscape of Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995, and it is often called the finest example of 19th-century Romanticism in Europe. Is Pena Palace worth visiting? Even with the crowds, the answer is yes: the terraces, the carved stone gateway guarded by a mythical sea creature and the views over the hills and the ocean are unforgettable.

Inside the palace: cloister and royal chambers

Your full-route ticket opens the interior of the palace, where the visit begins in the old monastery wing. Its small cloister, covered in 16th-century tiles, and the chapel with a remarkable alabaster altarpiece survived the great earthquake of 1755 and became the core of the later palace. From there the route leads through dining rooms, bedrooms, offices and kitchens.

The royal private chambers are furnished as they were when the last royal family used the palace in the early 20th century, with original furniture, porcelain, stucco ceilings and painted walls that imitate exotic fabrics. Highlights include the great hall with its stained-glass windows and the kitchens with their copper pans. Rooms are narrow and the visit follows a one-way route, so your time slot helps keep the flow manageable.

Pena Park and the Chalet

Around the palace spreads Pena Park, more than 80 hectares of forest planted in the 19th century with trees from around the world, including giant sequoias, tree ferns from Australia and New Zealand, cedars and camellias. Winding paths lead to ponds with ornamental duck houses, a valley of ferns, fountains, grottoes and viewpoints such as the High Cross, the highest point of the Sintra Hills at 528 metres.

In the western part of the park stands the Chalet, a romantic Alpine-style cottage built for the palace's royal patron and his second wife, decorated with cork details and surrounded by a garden of rare plants; entry is included with your ticket. Allow at least an hour for the park: it is cooler and much quieter than the palace and one of the most rewarding parts of the visit.

Planning your visit to Pena Palace

Pena Palace opening hours generally run daily from around 9:30 to 18:30, with the last entry an hour before closing; your ticket gives a fixed entry time for the palace, while the park can be explored before or after. The best time to visit Pena Palace is the first slot of the morning or late afternoon, outside summer weekends. Fog is common on the hill, so a clear day gives the best views.

If you are wondering how to get to Pena Palace, take the train from Lisbon to Sintra, about 40 minutes, then the hop-on bus that climbs to the park gate. From the main gate it is a steep walk of about 15 minutes to the palace, or a shuttle runs for a small extra fee. Combine your visit with the Castle of the Moors, just a short walk away along the same ridge.