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The red clock tower and yellow walls of the Pena Palace in Sintra under a deep blue sky

Sintra, Portugal · Independent visitor guide

The Pena Palace, on time and without the guesswork

Which ticket to buy, how the timed entry works and how to get up the hill from Lisbon, checked against the official Parques de Sintra website.

The one rule

Your ticket time is your entry time at the palace door, about 30 minutes’ walk above the park gate. There is no tolerance for delays and a missed slot is not refunded. Six mistakes to avoid

Four things to know before you go

Most problems at Pena come down to one of these. Each links to the full answer.

  1. 01

    Pick the right ticket

    The park-only ticket (€12) skips the palace rooms. The Essential Visit (€20) covers both.

    Which ticket to buy
  2. 02

    Your time is at the palace door

    Allow about 30 minutes uphill from the park gate. Early is not let in, late is not refunded.

    Timing mistakes to avoid
  3. 03

    Leave the car behind

    Private cars can’t drive up to Pena. Train from Lisbon to Sintra, then bus 434.

    Getting there from Lisbon
  4. 04

    Give it half a day

    Plan about 1.5–2 hours for the terraces and the outside, 2.5–3 hours with the palace rooms, longer to explore the park. The park is huge and the chalet is down the hill.

    Hours and last entry

Palace and park

What you’ll see

A Romantic palace built by King Ferdinand II in 1842–1854 on top of a monastery ruin, and a park of over 200 hectares around it.

Red and yellow walls, a clock tower and walkways with views to the Atlantic on clear days.
01 The terraces and towers Red and yellow walls, a clock tower and walkways with views to the Atlantic on clear days.
A sea creature carved under a window, holding up the bay above him.
02 The Triton arch A sea creature carved under a window, holding up the bay above him.
Part of the New Palace wing, on every palace ticket.
03 The Great Hall Part of the New Palace wing, on every palace ticket.
Down in the park, included in both palace and park tickets.
04 The Chalet of the Countess of Edla Down in the park, included in both palace and park tickets.

On your own, or with a guide?

On your own

€20 + train and bus

Book a timed ticket on the official website, take the train from Lisbon to Sintra and bus 434 up to Pena. The cheapest way, and the palace route is easy to follow. Official ticket website

The ticket guide

With a guide

€22 to €148.61

Tours from Lisbon handle the transport and often book your palace slot. The catch: many cheaper tours only enter the park and terraces, not the palace rooms. We mark which ones do.

All tours compared

Tickets and tours, from the lowest price

Some links are affiliate links: if you book, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How this works

Sorted by price, lowest first. Prices and inclusions from the Viator or GetYourGuide listing; the price at checkout is the one that counts.

Stay one step ahead

Six mistakes that ruin a Pena visit

None of them is hard to avoid once you know about it.

How to avoid each one
  1. 01 Arriving late for your palace time
  2. 02 Expecting to go in early
  3. 03 Planning to drive up to the palace
  4. 04 Hoping to buy the park shuttle on the spot
  5. 05 Buying the park ticket and expecting the palace
  6. 06 Assuming every ticket shows the royal apartments

The guide

Every page shows when it was last checked.

Questions visitors ask

All questions
How much is the ticket to Pena Palace?

The Essential Visit, which covers the palace and the whole park, costs €20 for adults aged 18–64 and €18 for youths and seniors; children under 6 enter free. The park alone costs €12, and the Complete Visit with the Private Apartments €45.

Do you need to book Pena Palace in advance?

Palace tickets are always for a set date and entry time, so booking online ahead is the safe way to get the slot you want. Bought online in advance, they can be rescheduled on the Parques de Sintra website within one year.

What happens if you are late for your Pena Palace time slot?

You will not get in. The official rules say palace tickets are for one date and entry time; there is no tolerance for delays, you cannot go in early, and a missed slot is not refunded. The time is for the palace door, which is about 30 minutes uphill from the park entrance.

How long do you need at Pena Palace?

Plan about 1.5–2 hours for the terraces and the outside, 2.5–3 hours with the palace rooms, longer to explore the park: the walk up from the park entrance alone takes about 30 minutes, then the palace route, the terraces and the park, which covers over 200 hectares.

How do you get to Pena Palace from Lisbon?

Take CP Sintra Line trains from Lisbon’s Rossio, Oriente or Entrecampos stations; about 40 minutes from Rossio to Sintra, then Scotturb bus 434 from Sintra station to Pena. Private cars cannot drive up to Pena from Sintra’s historic centre.

What is the difference between the Essential and the Complete Visit?

The Essential Visit (€20) includes the New Palace wing of the palace (self-guided, at a booked time) and the whole Park of Pena, including the Chalet of the Countess of Edla. The Complete Visit (€45) adds the Private Apartments, at fixed times (11:15, 14:15, 15:00, 15:45, 16:15 and 17:00), maximum 20 people, with a Parques de Sintra visitor assistant.