National Palace of Pena

As the next part of our tour, the Pena Palace, should also not be missed. The story of it creation is fascinating. The fact that the materials to build it had to be hauled up some of the steepest and most windy roads I have travelled makes it even more impressive. Luckily for us, it turned out to be one of the best weather days the guides could remember, so the views were stunning.

Really beautiful from the outside, inside is decent too. You follow a routed pathway to see everything. The queues were massive, we booked at 1pm. Still there’s a 10-20 minute up-hill walk to get to the pena palace entrance from ticket entrance.

Recommend tickets in advance.

Please buy tickets at least 2-3 days in advance as these are timed and they run out very quickly.

Beautiful beautiful palace, definitely go inside and explore the rooms, the terrace.
Even explore the gardens, I walked to the High Cross, didn’t get the view of the castle as it was covered with trees but the walk was worth it for the view I got.

Beautiful Palace. Very good walk through the rooms of the Palace and amazing views inside and outside the Palace. Not much of a wait to get in. The grounds/gardens are vast. You can easily spend all day there. Cafe and restaurant at the Palace also which were ok.

This place was amazing. We went early Sunday morning in January and had no trouble parking and walked right in through the gardens. We had a little mix up and didn't get to see the inside but that was fine. Tickets are cheaper if you buy online at least 3 days in advance.

We did a one day trip from Lisbon to Palace of Pena. We took a taxi from Lisbon and luckily he dropped us at the main entrance. We need to walk up only 10 mins so we make it on time for our ticket to enter. We need to wait about 10 mins to enter the castle.

The castle is very colorful. The tiles and interior inside are very nice. You can spend as much time as you need for the visits but it also depends on how crowded that time. Each room, there is a description to read.

You can spend the whole day here. The park/garden are very nice to walk around and rest. You can also see the birds, ducks and etc.. The flowers are blooming which you can enjoy the peaceful and beautiful moment.

The National Palace of Pena is truly a mesmerizing sight. It's like a gem in the hills of Sintra, blending Gothic, Moorish and Manueline elements in a unique and captivating way. The palace's exterior is like something out of a fairy tale. The garden is absolutely massive and deserves at least a full day to explore. This palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to its diverse flora and fauna, which includes rare species and exotic trees from all over the world. The scenery is simply spectacular. I highly recommend visiting this enchanting place and experiencing its beauty for yourself. 🤎

Amazing castle 🏰 with colors that are not common among other castles in Europe. I enjoyed my visit here. You can see the moors castle on the way along with the gardens of the Pena castle. There is a train 🚊 station. If you are traveling from Lisbon, a train ride will get you to the foot of the castle. Then there is a bus 🚌 to take you to the castle. Note that there is some hiking involved to get the caste. So be prepared. If want to go inside the castle then buying the ticket online is strongly recommended for the particular time slot

Amazing! One of the best sights I've ever seen in my life. It was rainy and foggy, which made the whole experience even more unique, although we couldn't see clearly, but still, the castle was amazing. Make sure you book your visit early in the morning. The mini bus that takes you from the entrance to the palaces is very crowded, but just go with it, it's totally worth it.

Due to it’s popularity, there can be a lot of people. The best tip is to book your ticket in advance, so you don’t need to queue up for hours for getting a ticket. When we came out, I saw a 100, 150 meters’ queue.
The interior is interesting, however, if you’ve been to many palaces in Europe, I would just recommend to see the palace from the outside, there’s no need to queue up for the interior visit during the reserved time slot. Another tip is to arrive early and get close to the castle and take pictures from the top, so you can avoid the crowd.

Stunning! Definitely must visit specially in a sunny day. Bust view from the top of the hill (mountain, depending where you are coming from).
Was reasonably busy when we visited (Early January) but we could manage to get the tickets at the door. Worth visiting rooms and the palace itself and not just the garden)

Amazing Palace! The view from there is also incredible! The price was 14€ per ticket per adult ( November 2023 ) For the Palace of Pena only.
The inside was nice but not breathtaking in my opinion but still pretty and interesting of course. It doesn't take a lot of time to visit everything. I recommend it.

Visit data: 12/21/2022.
We were on a tour and spent ~2 hrs. It was worth it, take your warmer jacket with you. It's beautiful inside and outside, worth a visit.
Tickets: purchased ahead online, download the file so you won't need working internet to get in. They check the tickets 3 times, so save that file somewhere safe.

Ride up & down the hill: do that if you have young children with you, it's too much to expect them to do all unless they're pro hikers.

Visited here on a tour. It was pretty good! Make sure to check out the chapel, as our guide did not point it out. Free and clean toilets, a cafe we didn't check out, and a kind of disappointing gift shop. Our weather was very misty and foggy which added well to the atmosphere. Oh, free toilets and (not free) vending machines with decent selection at the bottom of the hill, right after the parking lot.

Well worth a visit. You will be stung on the bus to get upto the entry for the Palace. It is €14 from Sintra Station. From the gates of the palace grounds to the palace is about a 30 minute up hill walk. There is a return bus for another €3. So be mindful when booking a palace entry time. It is advisable to leave plenty of time and book in advance. Once you enter the palace there are a number of brilliant rooms to view and it will take about 45 minutes to complete the walk through. When in the cathedral use your phone camera too zoom into the window of the castle. You will find the glass contains the same images as the entire stained glass windows

Beautiful place to visit, must visit on any trip to Lisbon!!
Easy to reach by train or Bolt (and cheap), be there at opening time for no crowds and beautiful pictures. Some parts are recently renovated and repainted.
Definitely worth a visit!!
Buy tickets in advance and be sure to arrive on time according to the hour on the tickets.
Big car park nearby and shuttle service available or you can do a little hike to the entrace of the palace.

Standing on the wall walk, and taking the trip through the castle, you can feel the grandeur that the Portuguese Royalty lived in. You can see the Moors Castle and the surrounding townships. The road up is wider than many Lisbon streets. It's a great experience!

I recently visited the Pena Palace in November and I was pleasantly surprised. Despite it being a very popular destination, the atmosphere was not too overwhelming and there were many areas where I could find some peace and quiet. The view from the palace was stunning; the surrounding landscape and architecture were breathtaking. The wind was cold and chilly, but it didn’t take away from the beauty of the place. I would highly recommend this place if you’re looking for a place to escape to for a while.

Gorgeous historical site. Colorful and rich with history and awe inspiring views. We bought tickets the day before online. Decided to get the 5:30pm slot for lesser crowds. Enjoyed walking through the interiors and taking lots of pictures around the outside of the palace. Sunset was incredible. Definitely plan on wearing comfortable shoes.

The palace is amazing. If you can, i strongly recommend the hike up from Sintra through the park and Pena Park. The walk is about 1 hour but well worth it. It is steep so be prepared.