National Palace of Pena

Indeed I can admit it's impressive! You feel exactly like in a fairy tale. The castle is huge, beautiful and outstanding! The interior also does not disappoint because the rooms are magical. The staff is highly organized a d helpful. Please bare in mind to buy tickets in advance and always I mean always arrive at the time you selected when buying the tickets, otherwise you will wait hours because they don't let you go inside any time earlier. They are very strict with the timing. I can't blame them because there are hundreds of people waiting to get inside at any hour. Overall it was a very nice experience, one of the top 5 from Lisbon and surroundings.

This was the highlight of our trip- we visited in May on my birthday and it was the perfect outing for someone who enjoys history and the outdoors. There was no queue when we arrived and I would recommend (if you’re staying in Lisbon) to get an uber from Lisbon to Palace of Pena and then walk back down because once you’ve made a trek up then then you have the rest of the park to visit which is quite large! Some beautiful views and very peaceful in some areas, I would love to visit again one day.

The Sintra Palace and Gardens are truly magical! Walking through the palace feels like stepping back in time — every room is full of history, color, and stunning details. The architecture is breathtaking and so well preserved. But the real surprise was the gardens — peaceful, lush, and full of hidden corners to explore. The whole place has a fairytale vibe that makes it unforgettable. An absolute must-see if you’re in the Lisbon area — it’s worth the trip! 🌿🏰✨

TL;Dr: Decent experience! Really pretty. Some construction work and lots of people, but very orderly. MAKE SURE YOU GET THERE EARLY! There’s a walk up to the palace entrance itself and the staff are very strict with the timing. It’s a stunning place and they have a lot of areas for you to read information about the rooms and palace itself. Negatives: - you will have to wait in line for each room (it’s an orderly line and most people are good with waiting) - some parts of the palace are under construction, and you’ll see it in the photos

It was fun to see a different color of a palace. Far away looked nicer than closed up. A lot of renovation is going on. Buy tickets online, and also buy the shuttle bus tickets at the same time. If you do not want to walk from the entrance area to the Palace main entrance, about 20-30 minutes walked with hills.

Was incredible! Purchased the €10tickets for the Pena Gardens and Palace (external only) and thought that was enough. The wait time for tickets for inside palace was WAY too long! But the Palace was beautiful! Vibrant colours and excellent views! Very well maintained and a must if visiting Lisbon.

The National Palace of Sintra is a beautiful and historically rich site — definitely worth seeing at least once. However, be prepared for large crowds and long wait times, even if you purchase your tickets online. The area is extremely busy, especially during peak season, which can make the experience feel a bit overwhelming. Additionally, transportation to and within Sintra is quite expensive, and prices in the area, in general, are on the higher side. Don't get me wrong — the palace is impressive — but the overcrowding takes away from what could be a more enjoyable visit. I recommend going early in the morning and with plenty of patience.

We’re so glad we visited Sintra and had the chance to see this breathtaking palace. The architecture is beautiful, both inside and out. Be sure to allow enough time—about 20 minutes—to walk up to the entrance. We spent around 1.5 hours exploring the interior and another 30 minutes outside taking photos. Overall, an excellent experience at this UNESCO World Heritage Site!

Went here on a recent trip to Sentra. Which is the town where National Palace of Pena is located. Getting to this palace is quite a trek up a mountain. I drove it but beware if you are not comfortable driving in extreme steep mountains you might want to take a bus or taxi up from the town below. Once there you have to park which is also a little bit of a bear. Overall once you get to the Palace it is beautiful and has stunning views. The Palace was very busy while we were there and a bit windy so do take a jacket. On the top of the Palace there is a small deli style restaurant which we ate a sandwich at. I did find a larger sit down restaurant inside which would allow you to not be blown around by the wind but the view from the roof top dining area was beautiful. Definitely worth the hike as long as you don't have mobility issues.

I visited this Palace because of so many good reviews and oh boy such a disappointment. 1st thing we bought xtra shuttle to take us up and they only have 2 shuttles so we had to wait for a long time. Then of course we had to wait again to go to the palace and that was another disappointment. They are so greedy by over selling tickets so the palace was so packed. You literally packed like sardines in a can. It was beyond ridiculous. The palace was not well maintain so it smelled awful and the things in there are collecting dust. I never been to a Palace that I just wanted it to end as soon as possible. For sure not recommended Don't let those pictures from instagram fool you. Even on the outside the walls were not well maintain and they looked awful. Save yourself time and energy and go to Quinta da regalerai instead. At least that place is huge and you don't get packed like sardines.

AMAZING PARK SURROUNDING PENA PALACE IN SINTRA, PORTUGAL ========================================================== I love a beautiful park like the next person and I feel fortunate to have been able to explore this one a second time on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The first time I visited this park was about six years ago before a family member's wedding in Sintra. This park is spectacular and not to be missed. It is shaded by all sorts of trees and there are ponds and all sorts of cool medieval type buildings. First we visited the Pena Palace and I felt nauseous the whole time because of driving on that windy road up to the palace. I should have known better and taken a Dramamine ahead of time. After our self guided tour of the palace we walked down the hill through the park. Breathing some fresh air while strolling through the gardens did the trick and I felt so much better. We met our driver for the day at the bottom. I would definitely recommend booking a driver for the day while you are in Sintra so you don't have to deal with parking.

Very cool palace, quite the hike to get up. We didn't have to pre buy a timed ticket there were plenty at our time. You're kind of herded through the inside like cattle to see the interior rooms, it gets packed!Definitely worth a stop!

Definitely a good idea to pre-purchase tickets online. We visited in December, so it wasn't too crowded but if you're visiting during peak season, you want to make sure you've secured your tickets and for an early time slot to try to beat the crowds. We booked a 10 AM time slot and also paid a few euros extra to take the shuttle up. I believe you have a half an hour grace period but if you go past that, they'll turn you away. The layout of the palace has foot traffic going in one direction. So it's not really like a museum where you can go back and look at things. You kind of have to just follow the flow. It took us a little over an hour to walk through everything, which includes photo ops. Getting here was a little bit annoying. The train is convenient. It takes about an hour to get here from Rossio Square. However, it's a hassle when you arrive. The castle isn't close to the train station so you'll need to take a bus. But the only bus available is a hop on/hop off bus that stops at other castles, and it's €13.50 per person (you can use this to get back to the station as well). We didn't realize until after we had already paid for bus tickets for 5 people that it would have been WAY cheaper and quicker to just take an Uber. So we paid €60 something to sit on a hop on/hop off for half an hour, when it could have cost us probably less than €10 for a 15-20 minute Uber. So don't make the same mistake we made. In fact, when chatting with an Uber driver later on, he mentioned that it probably would have been cheaper for us to Uber straight from the city centre rather than take the train. Something to look into if you plan on visiting the palace. Aside from the transportation mishap, it was still a nice visit. The castle is beautiful and so colorful - even on a rainy/cloudy day. Definitely a must see when visiting Lisbon!

Gorgeous palace that certainly looks like it inspired many Disney movies. The colors are vibrant and architecture magnificent. The combination of architectural styles and details are awe-inspiring. I am so disappointed that both time and weather prohibited us from viewing the inside and balconies of the palace. We instead purchased tickets for the grounds, as we saw reviews stating that you can still enter the balconies and courtyard and that the palace tour is slow and crowded. The ability to view the balconies and courtyard was unfortunately not the case for us in Nov. 2022. Once we arrived at the top of the hill/palace entrance, there was a line where you had to scan your additional palace ticket to enter other spots. Perhaps there were other areas accessible? We were unable to see much of the ground due to the insane rain the day we went on our Sintra adventures. I know that many say to go first thing in the morning, but when we went to pre-purchase tickets there were far less people going right after lunch and right before close. This is likely because the bus loop and tour groups tend to start here. Worth a stop, but I would definitely make sure the weather is on your side for exploring Sintra.

Pena Palace is a magnificent, stunning castle that overlooks the entirety of Sintra. It is a must-visit when in town and really makes you feel like you've entered into a fairy tale. Access is available via the tourist bus or by hiking up the very steep hill to get to the sites. When you are at the foot of the palace, there are kiosks to purchase a ticket (along with other nearby attractions). Note: if you just want to visit the palace and the grounds, you ONLY need to pay for the Pena Palace park ticket which is cheaper than the interior tour. Those snappy shots in front of the beautiful palace itself? Yep, you only need the park ticket, not the inside tour. After going inside, I can honestly say that it's passable if you've already visited other famous castle sites. Hopefully when you visit the weather will also be nice. When matched with a gorgeous sunny sky, it is simply captivating.

This is an absolute must see when in Sintra Portugal and Lisbon Portugal. Just 45 minutes away by train from Lisbon it's like visiting the Disney castle! Get tickets in advance and group them with the Moorish Castle which is basically next door. The building/castle is the best part. Colors look awesome and the views are great! Just don't wander around in the park too long... you might get lost like we did and we were not prepared to hike that long in dresses and sandals. Wear hiking shoes! So many hills. Stay on the WIDE paths. That's my advice. And just skip the park and go straight to the castle, because when you exit the castle you could go through the gardens anyway on the way to Moorish castle...

The palace has an amazingly eclectic collection of decorative arches, tile, ornate windows, detailed ceilings. (Don't forget to look up when you visit!) It was commissioned in 1854 by King Ferdinand II, and served as a summer residence for the royals until they fled Portugal during the revolution in 1910. Today, it has UNESCO World Heritage status and is of the Seven Wonders of Portugal. A must see on your next visit to Sintra!

Portugal is still trying to figure out tourism. Spending 2+ hours to get here, having purchased "time slot" tickets and finding 3 places to purchase tickets that day made this a horrendous experience. Timed tickets mean limiting the number of people who enter. Portugal let's in anyone who pays, so lines are massively long everywhere and you move through the palace at a snail pace or less. Took most of the day to do just this place. Until Portugal understands timed tickets so you are not waiting hours to get in, hours to get there and hours to be moved through a site, this is no fun, nothing useful and no staff to help or clean anything. Plus it is massively expensive to get up and down there from the train station. Just go hiking and enjoy nature.

Definitely have to come here once if you're in the area. Pro tip to get early tickets to beat the crowds. Fun to walk around the grounds in the exterior and learn about a bit of history of Portugal.

This is a must do day trip from Lisbon. The architecture of the castle is amazing and the views from the castle were breathtaking. It's best to pre-purchase a ticket online. The ticket will get you in anytime however you can only enter the castle during your reserved time. Reserved times are every 30 minutes. We drove there however you can get from Lisbon to Sinatra by train and take a tuk-tuk or I believe a taxi to the castle. You should be in decent shape as the ascent up is about 0.5 miles. Once in the castle, there is a gift shop, cafeteria and restrooms. There is an outside part you can roam freely. There is a queue for going to the inside part of the castle.

The exterior colors of this castle and its architecture make it worth the trip! The three bits of information you must know: 1) I recommend only going to into the park and checking out the exterior (and not going inside) 2) Go as early as possible and avoiding waiting in like 5 queues (train, bus, another bus, entrance, etc.--it's ridiculous) 3) If you're in a group of 3-4 people and coming from Lisbon, consider just taking a taxi back/forth which may be cheaper/faster and more comfortable than the train/bus We took the advice of many people are decided to not go into the castle that is apparently lackluster. It seems that in many European castles, it's really just the outside you need to see. Lisbon is one of the best cities in Europe and close-access to this park/palace makes it even greater!

The Palácio Pena is the top tourist spot in Sintra for sure (and there are a wealth of gorgeous & interesting sites). That means it's crowded no matter the season. I offer some tips to perhaps make it easier: *Go early! Grab the train that will get you there as the palace opens. It gets exponentially more crowded as the day goes on. *Consider taking Uber or Bolt up instead of the bus especially if you're more than 2 people. It will be the same price or maybe cheaper and then you're not fighting with a whole bus of people. *Buy tickets ahead of time including the shuttle. Once you arrive get in that shuttle line ASAP as it's small and it gets packed up. You could always walk up too but IMO it's a steep 20min walk (with more uphill walking when you get there). Save your legs - you'll need them later. *Consider touring the interior immediately especially if there's no line. The inside is small and passages are tight - the earlier you do this the better. The interior is worth seeing IMO - it's unique and very beautiful and surprisingly intimate. *If you aren't afraid of heights there's a wall walk that gives you incredible views. If you are afraid, there are still fabulous views from the many terraces. Be prepared for the Insta-folks that are oblivious to everyone around the attempt to get the perfect shot. *The grounds are absolutely massive - you could easily spend all day exploring them. This was a really cool spot for sure! IMO there's more history at the Palácio National in the center but Pena is more visually striking.

As far as palaces go around the world, the interior of Pena Palace definitely lacks that wow factor. Our guide even warned us of that. But it's the most famous thing to see in the area for good reason. The exterior has a stunning variety of architecture from different eras, and the view of the valley and the Atlantic Ocean from the patio is astounding. As a pro tip, be among the 5% of visitors who access the palace via a steep but rewarding walk through the woods, rather than riding to the top and waiting in a long line at the main gate. You'll have to buy your tickets online to be afforded this secret route since there is a guard but no ticket taker at this entrance. But you'll probably be all alone on the walk up if you take this stroll in the morning. Let the rest of the crowd line up at the main gate while you leisurely walk through a forest with water features and delightful songbirds.

It is very disappointing to buy your tickets ahead of time for a time slot, get there 30 minutes early, and still be told there will be a 3 hour wait, that they are that far behind. Clearly they oversell in the extreme and it isn't an appropriate business practice and makes for a lousy day when you plan to see things. We did still see beautiful things at this site but waited in line for everything and decided not to go inside due to the very long wait. They need to stop overselling and find a way to honor entrance times. The history and architecture here is amazing. It is a shame that they run it so poorly. It is worth going to just to see the outside and don't waste your time trying to go in unless you want this to be your entire day. We did stand in the line to see the well (Actually our private driver for the day stood in line while we explored and then he texted us when he was getting close). This was still annoying despite having this luxury. The well if worth climbing down and having a tour guide to explain all the history and imagery at this site is a must. There is so much you would miss or not understand without one. The caves are fascinating, all made, not natural, and the stories behind the eccentric owner are amazing. Go, it is worth going, but temper your expectations and decide what you want to wait in for and what you don't. For us, waiting 3 hours to go in despite having a time slot was not worth it but waiting for the well was.

This is in my view the most important monument in the Lisbon area, as you feel like you're in an otherworldly place. Since we went there in the low season, we didn't encounter any of the horrors that others experienced with large crowds and slow movement of the line for entry and visit. We spent more than 2 hours inside the palace. After you finish with the palace, don't forget to visit the park, which is beautiful and also magical. Since we have four people, we just took a car for hire (Bolt) there quite inexpensively.

This magnificent Palace sits in a picturesque park overlooking Sintra. Built in the late 14th century is the only surviving royal palace from the Middle Ages. It combines Moorish, Gothic, and Manueline architecture. It is an incredible look into how the Royal family lived. The furnishings and art work are amazing in addition to the rooms and their décor. One of the highlights of our visit to Portugal.

We had the most magical visit here! I was skeptical when I saw pictures of the striking yellow and red, thinking it might look a little garish, but it was stunning in person. Judging by the other reviews here, it does seem like your experience may vary depending on when you go, so here was what worked for us: 1) visiting during the off-season, 2) visiting towards the end of the day when the crowds are the lowest and the golden hour sun makes all the photos gorgeous, and 3) buying tickets at the entrance to just tour the grounds rather than the interior, which we had been told by our local guide were not really worth the price of admission. The end result was a really fantastic hour and a half visit with no line and very few people around in general. Don't miss the chance to walk around the palace walls--the views of Sintra were breathtaking. This was the most memorable part of our trip to Portugal.

Palace Review Upon hearing a very convincing recommendation from our driver, we decided to check out the Palace de Penha. Arriving by car, the winding roads through scenic, hilly terrain was the last remaining enjoyment of our day. Once we reached the drop off point, we were appalled to see thousands of scrappy tourists fighting over a spot in line. The erratic and senseless vision of people didn't deter us, but would prove to be an ominous omen of confusion and wasted time. Finally, we determined that there were two ticket lines- one via kiosk and one via human agent. There were also QR codes scattered around the Palace entry, encouraging people to book tickets online. The sheer mass of crowded visitors resulted in a lack of internet connection. We finally secured a spot at the kiosk where confusion continued. I decided to click a few features as prompted, and eventually my tickets printed on a variety of random papers. Next, the line to present tickets at entry awaited us. We tried to shimmy our way near the beginning of the line only to be barked at by a glorified Portuguese bouncer. "Respect the line" he shouted at me as I humbly tried to show him our receipts. Defeated, I shifted back a little ways, trying to decipher the beginning of the absolute cluster fuck in which he dubbed a line. No real queue or organization left less aggressive folks in a purgatory of time. Eventually my confident presentation of our tickets snagged us a spot in the next line. Following the entry to the next palace portal we tried to figure out where to begin. The lack of signage or maps around this property made the lost people all around us act in what I can only describe as bleak submission. We hypothesized that a lone sign read "525 meters" to the palace. We began our walk but the steep incline deterred our "less than spry" leg situation. We discovered there was some type of waiting area for bus transit to the top of the hilly terrain. Waiting with the nearest crowd of tourists, we presented our tickets to the bus driver. Unfortunately, the foreign kiosk proved too clever for me and I had to purchase additional transit tickets for our group. The crowded bus required face coverings, but was one of few spots to do so. After a brief but bumpy drive to the drop off spot, we exited the bus and looked ahead towards our destination. Thousands of people walked and stood mindlessly snapping photos and climbing their way to the next hill. As we finally made our way to the palace entrance we found ourselves in an even more intimate cluster fuck of sweaty peasants. The sheer scale of the palace was impressive and foreboding, however the dirty walls and faded paint were more disturbing up close. There was still no indication of where to go, despite a line longer than the Appalachian trail. With desperation and confusion my friend was able to find a helpful, English speaking tour guide. Briefly interrupted by an ambulance that parted the crowded seas of people, she asked him for some information. The guide advised us that the line was for viewing the interior of the castle- pointless and not worth the wait. "I've been doing this every day for seven years" he noted, and told us the better option was to walk the outdoor perimeter, walls and gardens. We took his advice with relief, and headed through a gift shop to the rooftop access point. We saw an option for a restaurant and stopped for some wine. I waited in yet another, infuriatingly slow line to get a bottle of asinine white wine to share with my friend. We drank the sour concoction and headed to the top of the walls. The view itself was grand and idyllic, despite being filled shoulder to shoulder with tacky tourists posing with selfie sticks. We walked around, finished our wine and made our way back to the bus transfer line. In summary, the palace was a morbidly disappointing experience. The crowds. The lines. The confusion. It Left us all in disbelief that this popular destination couldn't be organized to a slightly more efficient degree. This dirty tourist trap is a vile and unimpressive way to waste your day in Portugal.

Pena Palace is at the top of any Sintra itinerary, and for good reason. It's a Disneyland-esque absurdly colored and decorated getaway palace for the old Portuguese royals. It's situated on the highest hill and offers vast views stretching from the Atlantic (to the west) to the outskirts of Lisbon (to the east). The palace gardens themselves are ginormous and worth visiting even if you don't go inside the palace. You can go on lots of hikes (if you're ready for lots of steep inclines) and enjoy being in the woods. That said, it's extremely touristy and busy. Your whole palace experience will be waiting in lines. You need to arrive at least 30 minutes before your ticket time in order to ensure you'll enter on time. And even once you're inside, it's just one massive queue throughout the palace (like being on a moving walkway from which you just see the sights as you go along). It was still fun for me, but definitely takes a lot of time and can be frustrating for some.

Beautiful castle at the top of a very steep hill. The winding roads aren't for the faint of heart. There's transportation available most of the way, but you'll still need to do some steep climbing.

A Portugal Cinderella castle. I look at this castle and it give me a big thought about this castle like LEGO color castle. This castle has a lot of acute corners and pop up structure. That make the unique of this castle. It is one of the symbol for Portugal and classify as seven wonders of Portugal. It was monastery in late 14th century and become ruin from fire and earthquake. It was rebuilt and completed in middle of 18th century. The old chapel is still intact from 14th century. It is UNESCO heritage site. The visit to inside of the castle was not allowed to take pictures. The castle is build for defend and advantage for the soldier inside. Not sure this castle has face the war. But it is a summer palace for the king of Portugal's that time.

I know that I tend to love just about everything, so you might be thinking, "Wow, something else Niki says she likes. How surprising." This place, however, gains a SIXTH STAR in my book. It's probably my favorite discovery of all time while travelling. I've never felt so much like I'm in a fairytale and am still in shock that this place is real. The area of Sintra (where this palace is located) is about an hour outside of Lisbon, Portugal. You can take a bus for a day trip and explore the many magnificent castles scattered throughout the hills. These castles are no ordinary castles though - they are absolutely magical. This one in particular seemed the coolest, so it's the one we chose to visit (we only had time for one - so sad). This place is like if Disney World had a baby with King Ferdinand II in the 16th century had a love child. This palace seems to be way before the King's time, complete with it's hugely bright colors, extremely funky designs and interesting layout. It's like the 16th century was prepping for an Instagram age. I've never seen anything like it. Once you pay your entry fee and climb the steep hill to the castle, you are open to exploring the castle at your own pace. There are also tours, but since we had limited time, we explored on our own. I could've spent hours here, but we probably did the whole thing in an hour and a half (it was about to close). The views of the sprawling land from the balconies and windows are spectacular and looked out over the other castles scattered throughout the land. You will literally have to pinch yourself to remind yourself that it's real. I'm always surprised that I don't hear about more people visiting this place, as it's truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. If you have more than a few hours, be sure to tour the other castles in the area. They're all fairly close together and are each EXTREMELY different in terms of styles, colors, time periods, etc and it's fascinating that they all coexist in such near proximity yet look so starkly different. While in quarantine, start researching a future trip to Sintra!

Parque e Palácio Nacional da Pena is a beautiful palace in Sintra. Although there are tons of landmarks and tourist spots in Sintra, I would definitely recommend coming to Pena Palace. I took the bus up since it's really high up on a hill but after getting tickets, there is still a short uphill to get to the actual palace. The palace is made up of walls with different colors on each side. From the different angles of the outsides of the castle, you get to see views that are really nice. I also went into the palace which had a guided direction of rooms to go through. It was unique learning about the different rooms where the royalty stayed in but they restrict you from taking photos of the inside. If you're coming here, I would recommend buying a ticket for just the outdoors. Although it was cool checking out in the inside of the palace, the space around the palace was definitely better. The views are great and the colors are perfect for cute photos. There's also lots to see, including gardens that you have to walk to, so it is pretty time consuming but it's worth it.

We booked our visit through Trip Advisor and paid for a private tour with hotel pickup and entire day of personal service. It included the Skip the Line ticket. The entrance gate opens at 10am. We arrived at 9:30am and the line already had approximately 100 people. By 10am several large tour buses arrived and the line grew to several hundreds. We recommend to arrive early and pay for the Skip the Line ticket. The weather was perfect today, January 5th Sunday for our visit. It was 62 and bright and sunny. This attraction is very hilly. We were grateful for the cool but sunny weather because this place would be potentially hot and miserable during summer. Despite our visit today technically being low season we were in shock at the thousands of people arriving. It was quite crowded in all areas of the castle complex however it was not miserable. I recommend to visit during low season. Many of the designated walkways both indoor and outdoors are very very narrow and we encountered multiple traffic jams of adults and children in strollers. More reason to visit off season as this would be a nightmare with high season crowds. The palace and grounds are well maintained and absolutely stunning!! Our private car service and guide allowed us to enjoy the complex at leisure without being rushed. To best experience indoors and the various walking paths you need to budget approximately four hours. The views are stunning. Check the weather and book this place for a sunny day. Bathrooms were small but clean. Men's bathrooms all had waits of approximately five minutes. Women's bathrooms had long lines at all locations. Guards were enforcing gender for the bathrooms and not allowing women to use the stalls in the men's room so monitor your water intake and plan bathroom stops carefully. The complete experience was incredible!!!! We highly recommend this historic landmark !!

Pena Palace is a 'MUST SEE' tour if you are in the Lisbon area! It is approximately 25-30 minutes from downtown Lisbon! Tip: Arrive when the palace opens because there will be tourists arriving 'ALL DAY' and if you are not there early enough..wait times in line can be up to 60 minutes! Warning: Be prepared to walk! There are many steep hills to get to the palace if you don't pay the $3 Euros for the shuttle bus..but there are even more hills and steps within this large palace..dress comfortably and wear sensible shoes! Now...the place ..it was taken over by A young King who was only 19 years old! He was a visionary and it is a true honor to see in person all that he conceived and planned for the grounds; the palace itself and how it has been kept up all these year later! I really enjoyed this tour because our tour guide was enthusiastic and shared many significant facts about the young king..his queen and the history of Portugal!

If you want to take photo inside the palace with no one in your picture, be sure to go early. We took the 8:11am train from Rossio station to Sintra then transferred with bus 434, got there around 9:20am with the park opening at 10am, there were already over 50 people in front of us. There is a 10-min up hill walk to the palace and I saw a lot of people decided to take the intra-park shuttle bus which didn't start right away when the park opened, in order to beat the crowd, walking up is the quickest and when I reached the famous terrace there was zero person there for a good 10 mins! Took a lot of pictures immediately. One down side to go that early is that it's very foggy in the area which kind of block the colorful view of the palace - I wonder if it would be the same in the summer (we went towards end of November). We decided to walk from the palace to northern side of the park by foot - it took a good 30 mins but well worth it, the scenery is amazing and everything is well maintained. Definitely do some good planning to add Pena Palace and Park part of your Lisbon visit!

The national park and Peña palace is one of the most beautiful places in Portugal that you have to visit. The palace is not very far from Lisbon airport, so I took an Uber from the airport to the palace and it cost about 30 euros, just make sure that you're putting the right address for the palace on your Uber app. You can buy the tickets online or at the park gate. I bought my tickets from the gate, just make sure you check online to see how many tickets are available for the day you're visiting. On the website they tell you it takes 30 minutes to get from the park gate to the palace and they recommend you buy a bus ticket. It took me 5 minutes to walk from the gate to the palace and it was a nice walk. However, if you have kids or elderly people with you, then you might wanna get the bus tickets. It will take you at least 3 hours to see the palace, after that you can take a bus back to the city of Sintra which is only few minutes away in the bus. A very beautiful city with multiple restaurants and gift shops. From Sintra, you can take the train back to Lisbon. I don't recommend eating at the Peña palace cafe.

When you've been to Europe too many times, a lot of the architectures (cathedrals, palaces, castles, etc) start to look the same. They start to merge together in your mind in a big glop of memory such that it's hard to recall certain places. This Pena Palace is no such place. The palace is high up in a hill. If you read blogs and travel websites, they all recommend you to take the bus up. I, on the contrary, recommend that you take Uber right from when you get out of the Sintra train station. So much faster. If you buy 2 Sintra attractions or more online, you can save 5% off each ticket. However, as mentioned above, I wasn't interested in seeing a lot of architectures, unless they were super famous... Therefore, I went to Sintra only to see Pena Palace. When the driver dropped us off, you'd have to hike up a tiny little hill to get to the palace. As the Palace came into our view, I was taken aback. It was so colorful and picturesque. It definitely did not resemble anything I've seen before. There were many photo ops. However, I must say there were also tons of inconsiderate people who hogged the same spot for so long even though they were aware there was a queue waiting to take the same photos. Tips: 1) I'd recommend just buying the Park ticket instead of the Park + Palace. If you've been to other palaces such as the Versailles, then this palace would probably be a "meh" to you. 2) go to the Park as early as you can to avoid tourists. We were there by 10 am and there were a lot of people already. By the time we left 2 hours later, the queue to get in the Palace was even longer, not to mention how much larger the crowd had become in the park.

If you're in Lisbon, definitely make a day trip to Sintra. There are several impressive palaces in Sintra including the Parque e Palacio Nacional da Pena. We also had our best dinner in Sintra out of five other cities in Portugal so there's that too. Some other Yelp reviews have touched on the long wait times to get in but we didn't experience this on a Friday afternoon in September. I was a little worried going in but it wasn't an issue at all and we didn't wait to enter. The Palacio is stunning from the interior with it's colorful walls and elaborate architecture. Spend some time exploring the interior. There are also a bunch of photo opps and nice views of the area from the Palace.

Absolutely stunning palace in Sintra Portugal! I took the train from Lisbon to Sintra to visit this place and it was breathtaking. To get to the actual palace you can take a taxi, a tuk tuk, or a sight seeing bus. I opted to take the hop on hop off sight seeing bus which comes every 15/30min depending on the line and costs 20 euro for the entire day. Sintra is very hilly, so be prepared to hike a bit after you get off the bus. The place complex is HUGE, it consists of not just the palace but several small houses, the chateau and lots of different gardens. It will take several hours to visit the entire grounds. The actual palace sits on the hilltop and is visible from miles away. It's yellow and orange vibrant colors pop out from the green lush surrounding landscapes! Inside there are many many rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, grand halls, libraries, guest rooms etc. nothing short of luxurious for the monarch and their family members. The history about this place involves nothing short of a lot of drama and love affairs. I highly recommend reading about the history before going. Now, there's and audio guide you can purchase that explain some of the history and how each room was used by the royal family. Overall, an amazing place and a must see if you are in Sintra!

Really awesome experience. The tile was really gorgeous and there's lots to explore. Worth the wait and climb.

This is a wonderful and colorful place to visit but only go when it opens first thing in the morning or you will be stuck in massive crowds. You will waste a lot of time. We read many reviews of how bad it can be in summer and even though we visited in late September we heeded the warnings. We caught the earliest train from Lisbon to Sintra, we got in line for the first 434 bus up to the palace (9:15am - though finding the bus was a bit confusing) and we bought our tickets on-line ahead for time. The bus arrived at the palace ticket office about 15 mins after the 9:30am opening - we had our tickets so no wait to buy them. After hiking up hill (we did not wait or pay for the small bus to take you up the last 1/2 km or so) we took a few outside pictures and then we immediately got into the palace tour line. Even then with it being relatively empty we got stuck behind tour groups and had to shuffle through. By the time we were back outside the crowds were swarming. By 11am the line into the palace snaked almost down to the palace gate - people were going to take 2-3 hours to do what we did in 30 mins or less. It is a stunning palace inside and out and thus why it is so popular. We chose to walk back down to town via the Moorish ruins - there is a very good path so it is a nice shady walk.

Truly, amazing! Better than the pictures! We hiked from a small pastry place in Sintra. Not a bad hike. There were some steep areas, but it was so lush and beautiful. It felt like an enchanted forest. You don't have to do the hike though you can take a car to the top. Our guide, Paulo Rente, Was amazing! He knows the pads and the history very well! He helped us get past the lines and into the amazing palace area. The views are absolutely breathtaking. One can see from the ocean on one side to Lisbon and the river on the other side. There's a café there that's also not bad. Dress in layers as the temperature seems to change by the minute. It was never really cold or really hot, but a 10° change wasn't unusual during the hike and in and around the palace. 100% worth the trip from Lisbon. Another world altogether! Totally accessible to all ages, but if you're up for a little adventure, the hike was worth the trip all by itself.

Do not miss this one when in Sintra! Stunning and complete with furnishings. The kitchen was just spectacular with all the copper implements!

This place is just so magical. Our tour guide who we got from the Airbnb experience took us to a different route (I say different bc when I went last year we took the crowded way) up to the Palace via the forest. The lush vegetation originating from all over the world with the foggy weather was a great way to get a feel for the mystical palace. With so much to see the uphill climb was bearable. Tip- if you're there for the pictures and views, skip the €15 ticket (which includes the palace interior) and just purchase the €7.50 (I believe that's the price) to roam the palace grounds. You'll also skip that long line that circles around outside the palace and instead be able to sightsee the grounds. I went last year into the interior and don't remember it being so crowded or having to wait awhile, but from what I was told you could wait up to an hour during peak hours 10am-3pm). Come early or opt to go w a tour guide that way you won't have to worry about parking or figuring out how to get around.

a 12-Euro ticket only gets you inside the grounds that surround the itself, not inside the palace itself. Prepare for long lines because tour buses can drop people off right at the gate. Tickets are arranged in half-hour slots because of how busy it gets. When we arrived at noon on a Wednesday, the line was possibly 200 people long. We were able to buy tickets online to bypass that, but when we saw that there was another line to enter the palace, we passed on buying the additional tickets. The palace itself is fascinating but seems to attract a larger-than-normal number of selfie-takers. many of whom are apparently more interested in using the palace as a backdrop than they are in exploring...and this means you either choose to wait until they get that just-right shot or walk right through. I'd only recommend going if you or your children just love palaces and castles.

This palace is great for photos because its candy color is so beautiful against Portugal's azure sky. The inside of the palace is relatively new, and not as impressive or grand as the ones I've seen in France and Germany. The best part is outside the palace - the exterior itself with its colors and interesting construction, the beautiful view from the balcony/courtyard, and, if you have time, the park/garden surrounding it. Except to do quite a bit of walking in Sintra. So, save some energy and get the bus from the entrance to go up the hill.

Beautiful palace with characteristic yellow and orange walls, intricate details, and exotic plants. The interior is set up in the same way that royalty left it. Interesting to walk though and get an explanation of each room. The only two down sides? Be prepared to climb uphill for a while, consider taking the 434 bus to get you a big part of the way from Sintra (we didn't but should have). Also, be ready to wait in an insufferably long line to explore the interior during peak hours.

This is a classic tourist trap. The line to get in was over 1 hour long. Once inside the palace, the guests are herded single file through a few rooms with old furniture off the small courtyard. Absolutely nothing remarkable in most rooms. No pictures inside rule strictly enforced because otherwise it would be known to all that there is nothing to see. On the outside, if I wanted to see a castle painted in unnaturally fresh and bright colors, I could have gone to Disneyland. We have been in Porto and Lisbon for a over a week. So many better points of interest.

Five stars is the only choice here. Amazing palace perched on huge boulders at the top of the peak. It's a difficult walk up- so take the tram (it runs up and down the very steep path). The castle is huge with many photo opportunities- inside and outside. It's an intentional mix of styles and is very lovely. It will be incredibly crowded in summer- it's even crowded in the winter. Great toilet facilities- and facilities for the handicapped. Though I don't see how a handicapped person could tour the palace. If you're in Sintra, don't miss this.

From the Palace of Pena, Palacio Nacional da Pena takes about 40 mins to walk on some serious inclines. The easy way up is to take the local buses, paying 5 EUR for a round trip ticket. Palacio Nacional da Pena not only is a palace but a park where a lot of adventure time can happen. Since time was against us our group went straight for the palace itself. The Palace was nice and multicolored. The different levels expressed their heights and showed much detail to its exterior. The highest point walkable is the wall of walk. The overlook has a beautiful view of Sintra and its out skirts. I personally can't believe the altitude was so high that it shows us above the clouds. AMAZING! Here is a clip of the view. https://youtu.be/9r4Pl5pmINA

Talk about heaven... Once you make your way into Sintra, an old village with about 5 different national sites you take an extremely long winding and steep road up to the top of the mountain where the most heavenly castle lies. Dating back to the 1500's, it was the home to the last monarchy in Portugal which lush and vegetated surroundings all in a perfectly manicured setting. This is the most lavish of the options that you can tour. Once you wait in line and pick which sites you'll visit, you pay for your entrance based on what you chose and start exploring. Photography is allowed but obviously touching the artifacts inside the home are strictly prohibited. Quinta De Regaileira is the second one you cannot miss. I know the walk is hefty and steep but it's such a magical and almost fairytale-like setting brought to life in the most impressive way I've ever seen demonstrated. There was a picture I took where the clouds are actually underneath me and it gave a hazy effect to the villages below.

Let me start off by saying this place was beautiful and the staff was quite nice. HOWEVER, it was so disorganized. We got to the top and made the line since we got our tickets online. We then got on the transfer bus and let me tell you the mess we encountered was SO BAD. There were people everywhere and there was no sense of direction whatsoever. Everyone was so confused and had no clue where they were going or what was going on. We had the 4:30 time slot so we frantically tried to find the 4:30 line. There were two lines towards the front of the castle. There were only two men and they looked at us and asked us what time. We said our time and they pointed to the left of the sidewalk where people were frantically trying to pile through. The castle was beautiful and it took about 30 mins to walk through it at a leisure pace.

If you enjoy crammed buses, insufferably long lines, not being able to walk on paths, having zero personal space, and close to zero photo opportunities... this just may be the place for you! Just as I suspected, Pena Palace has gotten too popular for its own good. Pics of it have been plastered everywhere -- such as the front of travel brochures and websites -- making people think it's one of the "must-do" things in Portugal. It isn't. Visiting Sintra IS, but people don't seem to realize there are other great palaces, gardens, and estates here. Even with two overpriced, jam-packed tourist buses running nonstop from the train station, the queues are so long people start getting grouchy and impolite, then they have to either stand in somebody's armpit on the bus for 20 minutes, or stand on the sidewalk for 20-40 minutes because the bus was too full and you have to wait for the next ones. Of course, you could always opt for an overpriced tuktuk or an expensive tour, or to walk it (it's only a few kilometers... straight uphill the whole way, trying to avoid being hit by tuktuks and the massive sardine-can buses.) Either way, you are still stuck in the crowds once you get to the park... especially once you get to tour the interior of the palace. Which some people say isn't worth it, but I actually found it quite nice... or I WOULD have, if I weren't in the middle of a literal herd of people stampeding through all the rooms just to say they did. If it weren't for the crowds, this place would get 3 or 4 stars, because it IS unique and does have nice views (but the views are just as good from the Castle of the Moors nearby, and it's a little less crowded), however the grounds/park here are pretty lame, and even the palace is not the best. The two best sites in Sintra are probably Quinta da Regaleira (whimsical gardens/park with grottoes, towers, neomanueline palace and chapel) and Monserrate (the most beautiful palace of the bunch, with romantic Romanesque and Arabic influences, plus quite nice gardens and grounds to meander. Oh, and NO CROWDS OF PEOPLE! In fact, at around 10 am, we had the place practically to ourselves!) BOTH of those sites (plus the Sintra Palace, which is not as interesting) can be easily accessed via the 435 tourist bus... which has no lines, plenty of seating, quite comfortable. People are suckers. They fall for this Pena Palace tourist trap and then feel the need to give it 5 stars on here just to prove they were here or to convince themselves that the experience was worth the money and time they wasted, when it isn't.

STUNNING. If you come to Lisbon and don't take time to come out to Sintra to see the Palácio, did you really experience Lisbon? It's a quick 20 minute Uber ride from downtown Lisbon and it cost about €20-25 to get here. You can also opt for tour buses or a train, but this was more my style to get there and be my own tour guide. The trek up is pretty intense, make sure you bundle up if it's winter time AND BRING GOOD STURDY SHOES! Our Uber left us at the main entry to the Castle and we bought our tickets for €22/each to see both the Castle and the Palace. We walked up the steep and cobblestone filled hill to get to the main entrance of the palace. Disclaimer: you can be dropped off right in front of the entrance to the walk up to the Palace! That's a better option, we just didn't know better. Once you get to the main entrance, you can either hike up the long roughly 2 mile hill to get to the Palace OR save your energy and pay the €3/person to take the round trip bus to the actual Palace. We paid because the hike looked a bit too intense for our jet lagged souls and I'm glad we took the lazy way because there is so much walking and climbing required when you actually get into the palace. The palace is so amazing! It was very eerie and foggy the morning we went, but it added to the charm of the place. The views from up top are beautiful when you can peep out between the clouds. Lots of great photo ops and you can walk into certain parts of the palace and see some of the amazing interior. You cannot miss this opportunity! Come during off season if at all possible because You don't want to feel rushed by tourists shoving their way so they can take selfies. Really just so much to soak in!

It was quite a journey to get here from the center of Lisbon. I bought a round trip train ticket from Lisboa Rossio train station (worth 5 euros) to Sintra. After I got off at Sintra, there were some volunteers helping out tourists and visitors. A volunteer told us which way to walk for the 434 bus. It was just a few minutes away from the station and the buses were pretty frequent. I paid the driver 6,90 euros for a hop on hop off ticket (can get on and off anytime, anywhere as much as you'd like). The drive up to the Pena Palace was a fun ride. There were a lot of uphill, winding roads so be sure to hold on! Once I got off the bus, there was a short line to buy tickets. It was 7,90 euros (includes tax) just for the park, but technically you still get to stand on the castle and take pictures, which I thought was enough. It costs 14 euros (not including tax) for the park and palace. I bought just the park ticket and still had to walk up a slope for 10-15 minutes to reach the palace. It's definitely a sight worth seeing! The colors are so vibrant (yellow=new palace, red=old palace). You really can't take pictures with such a background, in such a palace elsewhere. Sadly, it was really foggy (and cold) the day we went, so there wasn't much of a view to see but still super cool to be so high up and not be able to see anything in front of you. There were also a lot of high parts that made me legs quiver.

Great Day Trip from Lisbon: We booked this destination as part of a larger day-package in a "Small Group Tour" from Lisbon -- so glad we did! We did not spend time in the Park grounds but entered the Palace and toured at our own pace (1-2 hours). Our day-guide actually had us arrive after lunch as the crowds have begun to thin out at this time --- a short wait for the shuttle bus up the mountain, no lines for entry and not crowded inside. The colorful exterior of this Palace is so integrated into the mountain that it appears to have been carved from it rather than built on it. The views are outstanding and the detail and preservation inside is very good; a surprisingly large portion of the interior is available to the public. It's definitely worth including as part of a visit to Sintra.