Is Pena Palace the same as National Palace?

Sintra National Palace vs Pena Palace In short: Pena Palace is more famous, but Sintra National Palace is more impressive inside. You still need to check out the Pena Palace from outside. The majority of the tourists arrive on a day trip and don't have enough time to visit all the palaces in Sintra.



People Also Ask

Do not make the common mistake of missing Sintra National Palace while visiting Sintra. It is the best but the least-known palace there. Learn here why it is worth the visit. Just one day to visit Sintra, Portugal is not enough to explore all the wonders this town offers.

MORE DETAILS

To reach the Palace of Pena, follow the signposted footpath as far as the main entrance to the Park of Pena and then climb to the Palace. This walk takes around 30 minutes.

MORE DETAILS

How long to spend in the Palacio da Pena? A visit to the Palacio da Pena will take at least two and half hours, and could be much longer. The staterooms and interior of the palace take 40 minutes to fully appreciate, while the terraces need another 30 minutes.

MORE DETAILS

In my experience it's best to visit Pena Palace in the morning as it gets packed, while the other attractions have more manageable crowds. Ensure you book the tickets to Pena Palace online in advance to save significant time. The visit will take you around two hours.

MORE DETAILS

How long to spend in the Palacio da Pena? A visit to the Palacio da Pena will take at least two and half hours, and could be much longer. The staterooms and interior of the palace take 40 minutes to fully appreciate, while the terraces need another 30 minutes.

MORE DETAILS

Weekends tend to be busier than weekdays and all of the main sights of Sintra are open every day during the high season.

MORE DETAILS

All around the Pena Palace you'll find many terraces, all perfect spots to take good pictures and gaze at breathtaking views. NOTE: you cannot access these terraces without a palace and park ticket!

MORE DETAILS

Even though magnificent royal residences in the Romantic style are often to be found in 19th and 20th century Europe, Sintra is a pioneer work of European romanticism, bringing together its incredible botanical richness and a diversity of monuments and buildings from a long period of history.

MORE DETAILS

Another bus you can use is the 435. It departs from Sintra station and goes to Sintra's National Palace, Quinta da Regaleira, and Monserrate Palace, before returning to Sintra station. Tickets for both buses can be bought directly from the driver and you only need to pay once for each route per day.

MORE DETAILS

Sintra is a hilly town and since some palaces and castles are located a bit far away from each other, it's not always possible to walk everywhere. For bigger distances, you can use local buses, tuk-tuks, and taxis.

MORE DETAILS

As Pena Palace is the most visited palace in Portugal, which offers beautiful scenery with changing seasons, it is recommended to visit the place early in the morning after its opening, as it offers you more time to explore all the aspects of the attraction from the palace's interiors to its parks and surroundings.

MORE DETAILS

A typical visit to the Castelo dos Mouros lasts 60-90 minutes, and is a surprisingly large complex. The peak hours are the early afternoon (12:00-14:00) just after everyone has had their lunch in Sintra town and then head into the hills, where the Pena Palace and Moors castle are situated.

MORE DETAILS

A paid transfer service (which you can choose when buying your ticket), that brings guests from the Park Entrance to the Palace. The service runs every 15 minutes and is wheelchair accessible. A free hop-on hop-off transfer service that runs between the Palace and the Chalet of the Countess of Edla.

MORE DETAILS

The visits are provided by specialised guides and last for around 1h30. The free visit of the National Palace of Pena last about 1 hour and the visit of the Park of Pena lasts about 1h30. For the visit of the Park there is an hop-on/hop-off service available.

MORE DETAILS

If you take an uber straight to the Pena palace, that would definitely be easiest (We drove from Lisbon and had to find parking in town and a way to get up the mountain because there is not much parking up there). I would get there 45-60 min before your scheduled time. Then you can walk down to the Moorish castle.

MORE DETAILS