Sintra National Palace and Gardens Entry Ticket

A thousand years of history in Sintra

The National Palace of Sintra stands on the site of a residence of the Islamic governors of the region, built when Sintra was part of the Moorish world of the Iberian Peninsula. After the Christian conquest in 1147 it became a royal property, and from the 14th to the 16th century successive monarchs rebuilt and enlarged it, mixing Gothic, Manueline and Mudéjar styles. Royal families used it as a summer residence until the end of the 19th century.

The result is a palace unlike any other in the country: a cluster of wings, towers and courtyards that follow the slope of the hill, dominated by two white conical chimneys about 33 metres high that ventilate the great kitchen. The palace is part of the Cultural Landscape of Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is the oldest of the town's monuments still standing complete.

The great halls and their painted ceilings

The palace is famous for its ceilings. In the Swan Room, the ceiling is covered with painted swans, each wearing a golden crown around its neck. The Magpie Room shows dozens of magpies holding a ribbon with the motto Por Bem, linked to a royal legend about gossip at court. The Galleon Room is decorated with sailing ships, a reminder of Portugal's seafaring age.

The most impressive is the Coat of Arms Room, crowned by a golden wooden dome painted with the coats of arms of noble families, above walls lined with blue-and-white tile panels of hunting scenes from the 18th century. Nearby, the Arab Room has a central fountain and walls of geometric tiles, and the Palatine Chapel keeps a remarkable carved wooden ceiling in Mudéjar style.

Tiles, royal apartments and the immersive route

The National Palace holds the largest collection of Mudéjar tiles in Portugal, made in Seville in the late 15th and early 16th centuries with raised geometric and plant patterns in green, blue and gold. They cover walls, window frames and benches throughout the palace, and they explain why this building is essential for anyone interested in the art of tiles.

In the default option your ticket also opens the royal private apartments, the 19th-century rooms furnished for the last queens who spent summers here, with period furniture, portraits and personal objects. Along the route, the new immersive experience presents short films and video portraits of people who once lived in the palace, from cooks to queens, adding a human side to the visit. The free audio guide app completes the stories.

Planning your visit to the National Palace of Sintra

Sintra National Palace opening hours are daily from 9:30 to 18:00, with last admission at 17:30. Your ticket is valid for the chosen date, so you can enter any time within opening hours; arriving at 9:30 is the best way to see the halls before the tour groups. Allow about 90 minutes with the royal apartments, then explore the old town around the palace square.

The palace is in the main square of Sintra old town, about ten minutes' walk from the railway station, and trains from Lisbon take about 40 minutes. This makes it the easiest Sintra monument to reach and a good start before going up to Pena Palace or the Castle of the Moors. Afterwards, try the town's famous puff-pastry pillows and cheese tarts in one of the bakeries near the square.