Sintra is full of interesting palaces to explore. While ambitious travelers could visit five palaces in one day, the vast majority of travelers will visit fewer than that. So which palaces should you visit and which should you skip?
This guide aims to help you answer that question. Learn a bit about each palace in Sintra and get my opinion on why you should visit or why you should skip it.
The Best Palaces in Sintra
Let’s talk about the five most popular palaces in Sintra. For each castle, I’ll talk a bit about the history and what a visit is like. I’ll give you reasons why you should add each palace to your list and why you might want to consider skipping it.
Pena Palace
If you’ve seen photos of Pena Palace, you’ll see a bright, colorful castle that can only be described as whimsical. Originally a monastery in the 1400s, the site has clearly grown. During the 1755 earthquake that destroyed much of Lisbon, the monastery also sustained significant damage. In the 1800s, the ruins of the monastery were acquired by the King and the palace we see today was constructed. While the bright colors did eventually fade, the palace was repainted in the late 1900s to match the original color design.
While a visit to Pena Palace can include the palace interior, the grounds are also impressive and a delight to walk through (plus certain areas of the grounds can be less busy than the palace itself). Visit the High Cross for views of the surrounding area (though unfortunately you won’t get a good view of Pena Palace from here) and down to the lakes for a more peaceful experience.
Why Should You Visit: Pena Palace is the most famous of all of the palaces on this list. Its colorful facade really help to make it stand out. Plus with its expansive grounds, there’s more to see than just the palace itself. Just with this one ticket, you can get get variety and that’s always great.
Why Should You Skip It: Pena Palace is the busiest palace on this list. While you’ll need to be concerned about crowds no matter which palace you visit, crowds here can get crazy. So if you hate crowds, consider skipping Pena Palace. Or, plan your day to try to minimize crowds here. Either arrive early in the morning (right when it opens at 9:00 am which will be too early for those relying on the public bus) or later in the day (crowds start to thin by 3:00).
Moorish Castle
Located just one hilltop over from Pena Palace sits the remains of the Castle of the Moors. The original castle was constructed in the 8th and 9th century when the Iberian Peninsula was under control of the Moors. The castle was eventually surrendered and taken over by Christian Portuguese forces who used it for centuries. The castle was abandoned in the 1600s and sustained considerable damage during the 1755 earthquake. In the 1800s and 1900s, several conservation efforts took place to preserve what is left of the Moorish Castle.
Why Should You Visit: The Moorish Castle is the most unique castle on this list. While all of the other palaces have at least some focus on the castle interior, the Moorish Castle is all about walking the ruins of castle walls. This adds fantastic variety to your day and on nice day, it’s a great place for a picnic or scenic snack break.
Why Should You Skip It: If you’re only interested in elaborate palace interiors, the Moorish Castle is not for you. Additionally, if you have mobility issues, consider skipping this castle. Your visit includes plenty of old stone steps lining the hilly terrain.
National Palace
The National Palace of Sintra has the distinction of being one of the best preserved palaces in Portugal (not just Sintra). This is because it was continuously occupied from the 15th century to the 19th century. Despite this, the palace is actually even older and was originally constructed during the Moorish occupation of the Iberian Peninsula. Much of what you’ll see at the palace though, is from that 500 year period from the 15th century to the 19th century.
Why Should You Visit: The National Palace was the least busy of the four palaces I visited (and I arrived at the National Palace as 12:00 pm). For those wanting to see elaborate decor and a room that will make your jaw drop with its beauty, this is the palace for you.
Why Should You Skip It: If you’re short on time, this is a palace to consider skipping. Yes, the interior is nice, but I think if you also do the interior at Pena Palace, you’ll be able to do something similar.
Quinta de Regalaria
While everything else on this list has been about royalty, Quinta de Regalaria is not. Instead, this was the residence of a wealthy family. Additionally it has a shorter history than many of the other entries having only been constructed in the very late 1800s. Ownership changed a handful of times, but the overall feel of the estate didn’t. That said, there were a handful of restoration efforts once the palace finally came into the hands of the Sintra Town Council nearly 100 years after the initial construction.
Why Should You Visit: The grounds and gardens are the highlight of Quinta de Regalaria. So, if you’re looking for a stroll with some unique architecture features, this might be for you. The outside of the palace is cool and unique, but don’t skip the wishing well or the Queen’s tower.
Why Should You Skip It: Quinta de Regalaria is another very busy palace. The interior of the palace is not interesting, especially compared to several of the other options on this list. The highlight is the grounds and gardens, but these get very busy, even with the limited entrants per hour. If you don’t crowds, plan to arrive early in the day (right when it opens) or save for later in the day when crowds typically thin out.
It’s also worth noting that this palace is managed separately from the rest of the palaces on this list. While the other palaces will offer you discounts for booking early and booking multiple palaces, Quinta de Regalaria offers neither of those benefits.
Monserrate
Monserrate was a summer resort featuring an exquisite mansion and even more exquisite gardens. Like so many other places on this list (and throughout Portugal) it sustained serious damage in the 1755 earthquake which caused it to be unlivable. The property changed hands several times as improvements and upgrades were made. Finally, it was acquired by the Portuguese State in the mid 1900s who were able to finish the restoration and open it to the public.
Why Should You Visit: Monserrate is another palace that has a big focus on the fanciful interior. If it’s the exquisite architecture and decor that interests you most, this is a good palace to add to your list.
Why Should You Skip It: This palace is the furthest away from the city center of Sintra. While it is served by bus, the bus line only runs every half hour (compared to every 5-10 minutes for the bus doing the loop for Pena Palace). It’s the distance that cause most people (including myself) to skip this palace.
Which Palaces Should You Visit
First and foremost, I have to say that I only visited four of the palaces on this list. Monserrate just didn’t quite work out for me and while it looks beautiful, I can’t say definitively if it’s better or worse than any of the other palaces. That said, based on photos and my own research, I’d imagine that it would rank higher than at least one palace on this list.
Pena Palace is the busiest, but most iconic palace in Sintra. If you’re only picking one palace, I’d choose Pena Palace.
If you’re looking at visiting two palaces, I’d still pick Pena Palace as my first choice. Then I’d choose Castle of the Moors (for those who want something more outdoors and active) or the National Palace (for those who want a gorgeous interior with fewer crowds).
Next I’d look at Monserrate. Yes, it’s harder to get to, but that should mean fewer people which is always great on a Sintra day trip.
Yes, that means that Quinta de Regalaria would be ranked last. It’s not that I didn’t like it. The exterior was gorgeous and one of my favorites. However, you can see the palace exterior without purchasing a ticket. The grounds felt very crowded and I just didn’t find myself enjoying this as much as I did all of the other palace in Sintra. That said, I think if you visited Quinta de Regalaria at a less busy time of the day, you’d like have a better experience.
Which Palaces Should You Skip
While you can visit five palaces on a day trip to Sintra, it’s a busy day. So, which should you skip. Monserrate is the most palace to get to. Therefore, it’s the first that I recommend you skip.
If four palaces still feels like a lot, I’d skip Quinta de Regalaria. Again, the gardens and grounds just felt crowded and it just wasn’t my favorite.
How Many Palaces Can You Visit in One Day?
Technically you could visit all of the palaces on this list. You’d need to be efficient with your sightseeing and can’t linger too much. Additionally, you’d want to look into taking taxis to get around Sintra instead of waiting for the bus. Taxis are more expensive, but will get you where you need to get so much faster than the bus.
For a detailed itinerary featuring four palaces, check out my Sintra itinerary.
Getting Around Sintra
Outside of each palace, you’ll find taxis and tuktuks waiting to take tourists to wherever their next sight may be. For those more concerned with time than budget, this is what I’d recommend. You won’t have to wait for the bus and you can go exactly where you want to go, no matter which order you choose to visit the palaces. Budget about 15 euros per ride.
The other option is the bus. Scotturb runs two loops through Sintra. The first is line #434 which includes stops at Pena Palace, the Moorish Castle, and the National Palace (city center). This is the more popular line and it runs about every fifteen minutes. Bus line #435 connects the city center with Quinta de Regaleira and the Palace of Monseratte. Buses for line #435 run every 30 minutes.
Buses run in a loop, so they only go in one direction, so make sure you plan your day accordingly.
For a full day, hop on-hop off on both lines, it will cost 13.50 (though you can save a euro or two if you purchase your ticket online in advance). Personally, I think this ticket is excessive for most visitors. Using my four palace itinerary above, you really only need two rides: one ride to Pena Palace and a ride back from Pena Palace.
This is what I attempted to buy, but before I realized what happened, they had already charged me for the 13.50 euro ticket. That was a little annoying as I said I just wanted a return. Honestly, I’d suggest buying a one way ticket as needed and hopefully this will get your point across and save you a few euros.
Tips for Managing Crowds
Sintra is busy. It is the top day trip for tourists in Lisbon and it shows. Buses can be packed, even in the low season and in some ways it just feels like herding cattle. So how do you deal with this?
First and foremost, you need to pack your patience. There will be loads of other people in Sintra and you need to accept that. Try to give yourself extra time to get wherever you are going.
Next, many of the museums in Lisbon close on Mondays making Mondays the most popular day for day trips to Sintra. If possible, try to go on another day of the week (I’d recommend Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday).
Lastly, plan out your day to minimize visitors. The two busiest palaces are Pena Palace and Quinta de Regaleira. They are busy first thing in the morning and stay busy until the afternoon. Usually around 2:30 or 3:00, crowds will start to thin out. Keep this in mind as you plan your day. It may make more sense to make one of your visits in the late afternoon instead of the early morning.
Budget Tips
The more palaces you visit, the more money you’ll spend. That much is obvious. But as I was planning my own trip to Sintra, I laid out everything and saw that I could save a bit of money by booking early and booking several castles (that I knew I wanted to visit) at once. Rather than just talking in hypotheticals, I’d like to layout actual numbers.
As a note, this is based on my own trip which included the Pena Palace gardens (I skipped the palace interior), the Moorish Castle, the National Palace, and Quinta de Regaleira. Quinta de Regaleira is managed separately from the rest of the palaces in Sintra and there aren’t any discounts. So, we’ll look at my costs strictly for the Pena Palace gardens, Moorish Castle, and the National Palace.
| Palace | Cost Without Discounts | Early Booking Discount (15%) | Multi-Ticket Discount (6%) | Early Booking & Multi-Ticket Discounts |
| Pena Palce – Gardens Only | 10 | 8.50 | 9.40 | 7.99 |
| Moorish Castle | 12 | 10.20 | 11.52 | 9.59 |
| National Palace | 13 | 11.05 | 12.22 | 10.39 |
| Total | 35 | 29.75 | 33.14 | 27.97 |
So based on this, if you book your tickets more than 3 days in advance for all three palaces, you’ll save seven euros. This is not a lot of money but the 7 euro that you save should account for transportation ticket (so long as you don’t purchase the 24 hour ticket and instead just get tickets as needed).
It’s also good to keep in mind that if you also add on a ticket for the Palace of Monseratte, your multi-ticket discount will go up to 7%. This palace is not covered by this itinerary but the base ticket is 12 euro.
When to Visit Sintra
Sintra can be visited all year round. Peak tourist season is during the summer months. Low season is during the winter months, but don’t expect to have the sights to yourself. This may work in other destinations, but in Sintra (and Lisbon), you should expect crowds all year round (though they are more pronounced during the summer months).
In terms of weather, summers can get very hot. Winters are cooler and can have rain. If the weather is the biggest concern, I’d recommend looking to travel in late spring or fall. This should help reduce tourist crowds as well.
Final Thoughts
There’s no doubt that you’ll visit at least one palace on your visit to Sintra. The real question is how many palaces can you reasonably visit without going completely overboard. That depends on the traveler, but my hope is that this guide helped to make that decision process easier.
Continue Your Adventure
Lisbon: Start your planning with my one day Lisbon itinerary. For those with more time, try my two day itinerary. Don’t miss some of its great day trips like Sintra. Check out my budget breakdown to get an idea of what your trip will cost and don’t forget to read my top travel tips for Lisbon.
Spain: Portugal shares the Iberian Peninsula with Spain. Take in the architecture of Barcelona, the Alhambra of Granada, the relaxed vibe of Sevilla, or one of the great day trips from Madrid.
More Palaces: If you love visiting palaces, don’t miss a trip to the France’s Loire Valley. Despite what people may tell you, you can travel the Loire Valley by train.