Ajuda Palace and the Royal Treasury, Lisbon

The Ajuda National Palace, on a hill above Belém, was the last royal residence in Lisbon. It has lavish 19th-century interiors that look as if the royal family just stepped out, and it’s home to the Royal Treasury Museum with Portugal’s crown jewels. It’s much quieter than the big sights.

Quick answer: the palace is in Ajuda, uphill from Belém. It’s usually open 10am to 6pm, closed on Wednesdays. The Royal Treasury Museum in the new west wing is a separate visit with its own ticket. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours for the palace, plus about an hour for the treasury. Take a tram, bus or taxi up from Belém, or walk (it’s steep).

Why go

Most visitors to Belém queue for the monastery and the tower and never climb the hill. That’s your gain. Ajuda lets you walk through real royal rooms, still furnished, often with few other people around. Add the crown jewels next door and it makes one of the most rewarding half-days in western Lisbon.

About the palace

After the 1755 earthquake, the royal family moved to a wooden palace on this hill, known as the Real Barraca, which burned down in 1794. Work on the stone palace began in 1795. The first plans were baroque, but the architects José da Costa e Silva and Francisco Xavier Fabri redesigned it in the neoclassical style. Money ran short and the royal court left for Brazil in 1807, so it was never finished as planned.

In 1862 King Luís I and Queen Maria Pia made it their home, filling it with furniture, art and fine decorative pieces. After the monarchy ended in 1910 the palace closed, and it reopened as a museum in 1968. A fire in 1974 destroyed part of the north wing, including the king’s painting gallery. The west wing was finally completed in recent years to house the Royal Treasury.

What to see

• The royal apartments: bedrooms, salons and dining rooms with their original furnishings. Look out for the Saxe Room, where the furniture is decorated with Saxon (Meissen) porcelain, and the Winter Garden with its marble fountain.
• The state rooms: the Throne Room and the Banquet Hall are the grandest, with chandeliers, gilding and painted ceilings.
• The Royal Treasury Museum: crown jewels, regalia and precious objects, displayed in a vault-like gallery. It opened in June 2022 and shows about 1,000 pieces of jewellery, silverware and gold from the old royal house, set with more than 22,000 gems. The collection sits on three floors inside a giant strongroom. It’s usually open daily from 10am to 6pm, and until 7pm from May to September, with last entry an hour before closing.
• The Ajuda Botanical Garden nearby, one of Portugal’s oldest. It was founded in 1768, on the orders of the Marquis of Pombal, and has terraces, old trees and views over the river. Look for the huge dragon tree, said to be around 400 years old. It has its own entrance and a small fee.

The riding school below the palace

The Portuguese School of Equestrian Art trains its Lusitano horses at the Henrique Calado riding ring on Calçada da Ajuda, the road that climbs from Belém. On weekday mornings you can buy a ticket to watch the horses being prepared and the riders, in period costume, training to music. It also stages occasional evening galas. It’s a good plan B on a Wednesday, when the palace is closed. Book through Parques de Sintra, which runs the school.

Getting there

• Tram: tram 18E runs from Cais do Sodré to Cemitério da Ajuda, stopping near the palace. It doesn’t run often, so check times. See the Lisbon trams guide.
• Bus: Carris bus 760 runs from Praça do Comércio to Ajuda, and other Carris buses climb the hill from Belém. Check routes on the Carris website or a journey-planning app.
• Walk: from Jerónimos Monastery it’s roughly 20 to 25 minutes uphill. Fine on a cool day, hard work in summer heat.
• Taxi or ride-hailing: a short, cheap ride from Belém, and a good option for the uphill leg.

How long to spend

Allow 1.5 to 2 hours for the palace and about an hour for the treasury. The botanical garden needs 30 to 45 minutes.

A half-day route

Start at the palace when it opens at 10am, then see the treasury. Stroll down through the botanical garden and walk downhill to Belém for lunch. In the afternoon, visit Jerónimos Monastery or the National Coach Museum, which shows the royal carriages that once served this palace. Belém Tower reopened in May 2026 with timed entry, so book a slot if you want to add it.

Food

Ajuda is a residential area with simple local cafés and tascas serving the dish of the day, grilled fish and bifanas. For more choice, head down to Belém. Don’t leave without a pastel de nata: the custard tarts sold at Pastéis de Belém, baking them since 1837, are famous for good reason.

Tips

• Combine with Belém. See Belém.
• Quiet: a great alternative when Jerónimos is crowded.
• Opening days: the palace is usually closed on Wednesdays and on 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 13 June and 25 December. The treasury is usually open daily except 25 December and 1 January. Check both websites before you go.
• Tickets: the palace and the treasury sell separate tickets. In 2026 an adult ticket costs about 15 euros for the palace and about 11 euros for the treasury. There are discounts for children, seniors and students. Check current prices on the official sites.
• Lisboa Card: check whether your card currently covers the palace. See is the Lisboa Card worth it?
• Rainy day: almost the whole visit is indoors. See Lisbon on a rainy day.

FAQ

Is the Ajuda Palace worth visiting?

Yes, if you enjoy grand interiors. It’s one of the best-preserved royal homes in Portugal, it’s rarely crowded, and the crown jewels next door add a real highlight.

Is the Royal Treasury included in the palace ticket?

No. The palace and the Royal Treasury Museum sell separate tickets and keep different opening days, so check both before you go.

What day is the Ajuda Palace closed?

The palace usually closes on Wednesdays and on a few public holidays. The treasury is usually open every day except 25 December and 1 January.

How do you get from Belém to the Ajuda Palace?

Walk about 20 to 25 minutes uphill from Jerónimos, or take a Carris bus or a short taxi ride.

More: palaces in Portugal, the best museums in Lisbon and Queluz Palace.

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