Sintra National Palace
Sintra National Palace
4
Historic SitesArchitectural Buildings
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
About
The National Palace of Sintra, located in the historic town centre, was inhabited for nearly eight centuries by the Portuguese monarchy and its court. It was much used, particularly during the Middle Ages, as a hunting retreat and as a refuge from outbreaks of disease in the capital, or as a summer resort, thanks to the town's more agreeable climate.
Duration: 1-2 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Admission tickets
from $19.39
All you need to step foot in the door.
Top ways to experience Sintra National Palace
The area
Address
Reach out directly
See what travelers are saying
  • Dugan Stailer
    Ireland60 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Very Interesting Old Palace
    For a small fee (with family discount) the Sintra National Palace is yours to explore, with tours optional and many rooms, there’s lots to do, one of the most interesting parts was the huge kitchen that had two large chimneys for ventilation. All in all, It was a very cool palace. If you’re in Sintra than it’s definitely worth a visit.
    Visited April 2023
    Written April 9, 2023
  • S M
    Norwich, United Kingdom20 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautifully preserved palace
    Beautifully, preserved palace in Sintra, where every room tells a story. Signage good at explaining the history. The tiles and ceilings are stunning. Well worth a visit and excellent value for money.
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written April 13, 2023
  • Laura D
    Herndon, Virginia47 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful palace!
    Beautiful palace in the center of Sintra. Nice place to walk threw. The weather during this time of year I very nice the palace has many rooms open to look threw. It’s worth the visit.
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written April 20, 2023
  • Byron R
    Laguna Beach, California716 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Enjoyable visit to the past
    We hired a private tour guide who was able to point to the different stages of the palace as it was developed over time. Enjoyable for an hour or two. He pointed out that there was a room for gossip adorned with mag pies. The various tiles. By noon the crowds come!
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written June 6, 2023
  • Michael K
    995 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Interesting palace worth visiting
    The exterior of this palace is very plain, but the interior is more interesting than the Pena Palace. The memorable rooms include the self evident Swan Room and the Magpie Room, and the awe inspiring Coat of Arms Room. In the kitchen, the two holes at the end of a long tunnel as you look up are the chimneys that give this palace its landmark look.
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written June 20, 2023
  • mshapiro99
    Sterling, Virginia1,137 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mountaintop Views Above the Charming Town of Sintra
    Enjoyed our visit to explore the beautiful parklands and palace high above Sintra. Lots of great furnishings and traditional artwork to see to help understand more of the history of Portugal. Worth a visit!
    Visited November 2022
    Written July 8, 2023
  • calgaryguy
    Kelowna, Canada474 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Musr See Palace
    Another amazing place to visit. Not as jampacked as the palace at Queluz, but an interesting stop nonetheless. Lots of history, as told by an excellent guide. A sprawling place, it seemed to go on forever. Make a point of stopping by.
    Visited May 2023
    Written July 12, 2023
  • George P
    Minneapolis, Minnesota16 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    3rd on the list
    This palace is not as ornate as Peña or Regaleria, but still interesting. I would do the other two before doing Sintra Palace. We got there at 5 pm and it was MUCH less crowded than Peña and Regaleria were earlier in the day. This allowed us to go at a slow pace and read the information in each room, unlike Peña and Regaleria where we were rushed thru due to huge crowds. The gardens were underwhelming, but we were there in a drought.
    Visited August 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 14, 2023
  • Patty B
    Nashville, Tennessee1,472 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Interesting Town
    Our guide took us here after the National Palace of Pena. We may have enjoyed it more if we had not just been to the Pena palace. The structure was nice, gardens not so great, but OK. At least it was not as busy as the Pena Palace which wasso crowded. We did walk around the village, some streets very steep. It certainly is a nice town to visit.
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 17, 2023
  • Sintra Explorers
    Lisbon, Portugal166 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Must visit if Sintra
    A must visit of Sintra. This place is full of history. you can see symbols of different religions on the palace showing religions were respected and also shows the transitions from one era to another. You can see Islamic architecture along with crosses in the building.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled on business
    Written September 12, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles5,246 reviews
Excellent
2,279
Very good
1,955
Average
770
Poor
151
Terrible
91

TripRabbit
Virginia402 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
This was the highlight of our two-night stay in Sintra. Peña Palace’s architecture may be more playful, and it possess memorable views, but there is much more history, art and architecture here than anywhere else in the city. The audio guide was very helpful and is highly recommended. If learning more about Portugal is important, this is a must-see in Sintra.
Written June 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

polenasia
Jeonju, South Korea139 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
Picturesque palace, one of main attractions of Sintra. Our GPS was useless to get us there, spend over an hour driving, just to end up on blind road. Eventually end up at Sintra center's parking lot. Left car, took a bus 434, which get us to the palace in 15 min. Place is usually very crowded. Walk trough palace (no pictures inside allowed), in about 30 min. Outside many places for good photos, including wall walk, for those without hight phobia. I highly recommend it, if you can choose, sunny day would make a huge difference in quality of photos.
Written January 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Colette the traveller
Twin Waters, Australia8 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
I want to make it clear that the gardens, Penna Palace and its surroundings are beautiful and interesting.

However the public transport system and crowd control measures are woefully inadequate. We bought the combo package that included gardens, palace and bus trip between the two sites.

We left our accommodation in Lisbon at 0930 and arrived at the Palace gates at 1.30 pm. The train trip was 40 minutes and the transport from Sintra station to Palace gates was 30 minutes. The rest of the time was spent trying to secure train tickets (90 minutes), wait time for train 20 minutes and the rest of the time was spent shuffling in endless queues towards our destination.

We made it to the palace 1 minute before our allocated time slot of 1.30. We entered the palace proper at 2 pm.

We missed the park because by the time we emerged from the palace at 3.30 pm we were too exhausted to bother with the gardens.

We did this on the last day of October so I would hate to think how hot and hectic this would be in high summer.

My advice is to go at 0900 hours or don’t bother.
Written October 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

vivi_rasia78
Lisbon, Portugal77 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2019
If you do not have much time, I'd advise you to choose your favourite Palace to visit instead of planning all of the palaces at once. It is usually not full of tourists, but it contains loads of history of Portugal. It is in the heart of the historical centre. Beautiful view and a great time inside.
Written January 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jemma G
London, UK823 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022 • Couples
We visited on a weekday in May and found there were other tourists around but it wasn’t crowded and we didn’t queue. The Palace is interesting with plenty of information, and the route makes the move through time and different styles clear. It’s a 10 minute walk from the train station, and the weather is a little cooler in Sintra providing a break from the heat in Lisbon on hot days. At €10 per adult the entry fee seems in line with similar attractions, we didn’t visit the other attractions in Sintra to be able to compare. If you’re visiting Sintra this is well worthwhile :)
Written May 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Helene G
Iroquois, Canada193 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
I would recommend going somewhere else. It cost 16€ each to get in. 10€ each to take a small taxi to the top and 5€ each to come back down, the ride takes approximately 15 minutes so walking to the castle uphill would take a lengthy period of time, we were told to walk back down would take 45 minutes. Then you need to take a bus at 3€ each to get to the admission gate (that’s for both ways) or walk an additional 1/2 hr. You buy your tickets for an allotted time so better to book in advance online. There are lineups for everything, you are herded like cattle, you take mini steps throughout the whole castle. I hated all of it. So in total it cost for a couple 68€, that’s approximately $100 Canadian. You can only park at the bottom, you can’t go to the top with your own car, only buses and taxis can.
Written October 31, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

sandra n
Sun City, AZ1,281 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2019
While visiting Sintra, Portugal we spent time at this wonderful historic palace. I have such beautiful memories looking at all the wonderful photographs allowed to be taken here. Each room and area strolling through brought an interesting desire to soak in the colors, textures and wonderful architecturally interesting designs of a well built and decorated palace. I just loved the blue and white rooms, the tiles were exquisite! Another favorite was admiring the Majolica tiles. I collect Majolica and just love the warmth of this very old artistic medium. Loved that they used it heavily throughout. As much as there was a lot of decor and design to enjoy everywhere, never felt overwhelmed or smothered by it. ( I felt that way at Peles Castle in Transylvania, in comparison). The views from up high are really nice looking over the town of Sintra, which is a nice town to visit also. Check it out!
Written January 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jonahNJ
Pennington, NJ11,562 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2019
This National Palace in Sintra can best be identified by the two very large cone shaped chimneys that rise from the building. The other distinction with this palace is that it was constructed with a Moorish influence which is distinct from the gilded and more “fanciful” accents found in some of the other palaces and historical buildings I visited in Portugal. While the décor clearly has detailed designs, there is a gorgeous simplicity which I found provided a peaceful vibe.
Written March 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

glowbe_trottah
Toronto, Canada321 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Family
Purchase tickets in advance which will save time. Avoid bringing stroller as it’s steep hills. I had a big vehicle and parked in one of the parking lots close to the castle. Driving is fine, unless you are not a confident driver.

Inside the entrance, it’s about 15 min uphill hike to the castle. Then another long line to get into the castle which can be over 30 mins. Once inside the palace, it’s a slow moving line as people are taking pics etc and it’s all one-way. There’s a restaurant on terrace which is typically quite busy. And before getting to the castle there’s a small canteen too with shaded area to sit where we ate. We had several small kids so this area was suitable.

The castle line takes a long time so with small kids you can see if you can bypass the line.

Overall, it’s like many other castles around the world. Good information plaques on some of the walls and rooms. Lots of space to take pics on the terraces.
Written June 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Beth A
8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Couples
We visited this first thing on a weekday, we hadn’t pre-booked tickets but there was no queue to buy them at the ticket office as it had just opened. The palace is bigger than expected and very interesting inside with lots of history to learn about. It took a couple of hours maximum to walk around. If you arrive later in the day there can be long queues to get inside
Written June 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 1,837
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

Sintra National Palace - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Frequently Asked Questions about Sintra National Palace

Sintra National Palace admission prices can vary. Entrance tickets currently cost $19.44, while a popular guided tour starts around $3.32 per person.

According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience Sintra National Palace: