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Is Pena Palace worth entering?

If you have the time, this is a great chance to tick off one of Portugal's best attractions. Pena Palace was the highlight of my trip to Portugal. It's not often that you'll get to see architecture on display at the Pena Palace, so visiting the palace was a unique memory that sticks out in my mind.



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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.

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If you arrive at the Palace of Pena after the time slot you booked, you will not be able to enter and your ticket cannot be refunded (see the general sales conditions here). Plan your trip ahead, to ensure you do not get late.

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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.

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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.

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Starting your day before 9 a.m. is ideal! (The buses in Sintra start running between 9:15 and 9:30 a.m., so if you can be there around that time, it will be less crowded than later in the day.)

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How to Get to Pena Palace
  1. STEP 1: TAKE THE TRAIN. There's a direct train that connects Lisbon to Sintra's central hub so head to Rossio Train Station, located downtown just off of the famed Plaza Rossio (AKA King Pedro IV Square). ...
  2. STEP 2A: TAKE THE BUS. ...
  3. STEP 2B: TAKE A TAXI. ...
  4. STEP 2C: TAKE A TUK-TUK. ...
  5. STEP 3: BUY YOUR TICKETS.


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Don't be like me—wear sneakers, or at least sturdier sandals. Due to its altitude and location closer to the coast, Sintra is often chillier than Lisbon, which was definitely the case when we visited. I recommend dressing in layers, and bringing a light jacket or sweater.

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A castle ? Pena Palace ? sits very high up on the hill above Sintra. So high, it's not easily seen from town. Constructed in the 1800s, it's considered one of the world's great examples of Romantic architecture. Up on that same hill, there is an 10th century fortified wall and battlement built by the Moors.

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It's historic center is famous for its 19th-century Romanticist architecture, historic estates and villas, gardens, and royal palaces and castles, which resulted in the classification of the town as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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It became the summer residence of the Royal family. Under his explicit command, the monastery was painted in red and the new building in yellow. In 1994 the original colours, which disappeared with time, red for the former monastery and yellow for the new palace were restored.

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Skip-the-line tickets to Sintra attractions In this case, to visit the main attractions of Sintra we recommend that you buy individual tickets online; Being among the most visited attractions in Portugal, buying your ticket online in advance will allow you to skip the lines at the ticket offices and ensure your visit.

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There are tours you can book that will take you around Sintra for the day (like this one), but I recommend making the trip independently if you can so you can see things at your own pace. Read on for all my tips for planning an epic day trip to Sintra on your own!

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Sintra in half a day No matter what you've seen or read, half a day is not long enough to fully appreciate Sintra. Three hours is only just enough time to see the historic centre and the Quinta da Regaleira (or Palácio Nacional de Sintra).

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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.

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Many people head to Sintra, Portugal to see famous sites like Pena Palace and the Moorish Castle. But another site well worth seeing is Quinta da Regaleira. Included under Sintra's UNESCO World Heritage Site designation, this 4-hectare estate is absolutely magical.

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We took the Uber to Pena Palace last month, it is the best option if you have 2 or more people. The uber ride costed around 7 Euro. The bus driver charged you $4 per person for one way ticket. The Uber will send you to the ticket booth at the Palace entrance ( exactly the same place where the bus will drop you).

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If visiting the Sintra region during the summer plan to head to Sintra either early or late in the day to avoid the crowds and the intense sun. Weekends tend to be busier than weekdays and all of the main sights of Sintra are open every day during the high season.

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