Visiting the Sintra National Palace

With its two giant white conical chimneys, the Sintra National Palace is the landmark of Sintra’s old town. It’s the best-preserved medieval royal palace in Portugal, famous for painted ceilings and some of the oldest tiles in the country. It’s right in the centre, so it’s the easiest palace to visit. Here’s what to know.

Quick answer: the palace is in the old town square, a 10 to 15 minute walk from Sintra station, with no bus or hill climb needed. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours. Highlights are the Swan Room, the Magpie Room, the Coat of Arms Room and the huge kitchen chimneys. It’s usually quieter than Pena. See Sintra National Palace tickets.

Why go

Pena gets the postcards, but this is the palace where Portuguese kings actually lived for centuries. It’s a short walk from the train, it doesn’t need a bus up a mountain, and its rooms tell the story of Portugal’s royal court better than any other building in Sintra. If you only have time for one palace and want history over fairy-tale colours, choose this one.

About the palace

A royal residence probably stood here in Moorish times, around the 10th or 11th century. Most of what you see dates from two big building phases. King João I rebuilt it in the early 15th century, and King Manuel I added more wings and tiles between about 1497 and 1530, paid for by the wealth of the Age of Discoveries. Portuguese kings and queens used it as a summer retreat into the 19th century.

The result mixes Gothic, Manueline and Moorish-inspired styles. Its walls hold one of the richest collections of early tiles in Portugal, including Mudéjar tiles made in Seville. It’s part of the Sintra UNESCO World Heritage site.

What to see

• The Swan Room: the old banquet hall, with a ceiling painted with swans, each in a different pose.
• The Magpie Room: a ceiling of 136 panels, each with a magpie holding a rose and the motto “Por bem”. Legend says King João I had them painted to silence gossip after Queen Philippa caught him kissing a lady-in-waiting.
• The Coat of Arms Room: a domed gilded ceiling with the arms of the king, his children and Portugal’s noble families, above walls of blue-and-white tile panels showing hunting scenes.
• The kitchens: step inside the two conical chimneys, about 33 metres tall, and look straight up.
• The Arab Room and courtyards with early geometric tiles in green, white and blue.
• The chapel: a painted ceiling and a floor of early tiles.
• The gardens: small terraced gardens beside the palace. Entry to the gardens is free.

Queen Philippa was English, the daughter of John of Gaunt, so the Magpie Room story gives this palace a link to English history too.

Getting there

• By train: CP trains run from Lisbon’s Rossio station to Sintra in about 40 minutes. From Sintra station, walk 10 to 15 minutes along the road into the old town. See Lisbon to Sintra.
• By car: about 30 to 40 minutes from Lisbon, but parking in the old town is very limited. Leave the car on the edge of town or use the train.
• On foot from other sights: Quinta da Regaleira is about 10 minutes away along a gently rising road.
• Going on to Pena: private cars can’t drive up to Pena, so take the 434 bus from the old town. A 24-hour ticket for the 434 and 435 buses costs about €13.50.

Tickets and opening hours

The palace is run by Parques de Sintra. It’s open daily from 9.30am to 6.30pm, with last entry at 5.30pm. It closes on 24 and 25 December, 1 January and the afternoon of 31 December. Check the official site before you go, as hours change for holidays and events.

• Essential Visit: €13 for adults in 2026, €10 for ages 6 to 17 and over-65s, and free for under-6s. A family ticket for two adults and two children costs €35.
• No time slot: unlike Pena, you don’t book a set entry time here. Buying online still saves time at the desk.
• Lunchtime: the ticket office closes from 12pm to 1pm, but ticket machines keep working.
• Guided visit: a one-hour tour in Portuguese and English, usually at 3pm, costs about €45. It includes Queen Maria Pia’s Residence, a private wing recently restored and not on the standard route.

A half-day route in the old town

• Morning: arrive by train, visit the National Palace when it opens and before the tour groups arrive.
• Late morning: walk to Quinta da Regaleira for its gardens, grottoes and Initiation Well. Its tickets cost about €20 and are sold in 30-minute time slots.
• Lunch: eat in the old town lanes, then pick up pastries for the train home.

With a full day, add Pena and the Moorish Castle up the hill by bus. See Sintra in one day.

What to eat

Sintra has two famous pastries. Travesseiros are puff pastry “pillows” filled with almond and egg cream. Queijadas are small tarts made with fresh cheese and cinnamon. Piriquita, a bakery near the palace that has been selling both since the 19th century, often has a queue. It moves quickly.

Tips

• Visit first or last: it’s a good choice for late afternoon after the hilltop sights, or on a misty day when Pena is in cloud.
• Combine with Quinta da Regaleira, a short walk away. See the Regaleira guide.
• Snack: try a travesseiro pastry nearby.
• Accessibility: it’s more accessible than the hilltop palaces, though some rooms have steps.
• When to go: weekdays outside July and August are calmer. In winter Sintra is often damp and cool, which makes an indoor palace a good choice.
• Look up: the ceilings are the highlight, so don’t rush through each room.
• Stay over: the old town is quiet once the day-trippers leave. See where to stay in Sintra.

FAQ

Do I need to book the Sintra National Palace in advance?

Usually not. There is no set entry time, so you can buy on the day, though buying online saves queuing in summer.

How long do you need at the Sintra National Palace?

Allow 1.5 to 2 hours to see the rooms, the kitchens and the gardens without rushing.

Is the Sintra National Palace worth it if I’m seeing Pena?

Yes. Pena is a 19th-century romantic fantasy, while this palace shows how the royal court lived in the Middle Ages, and it’s right by the station.

Can I visit the National Palace and Pena on the same day?

Yes. See the National Palace first or last, and take the 434 bus up to Pena with a timed Pena ticket booked ahead.

More: the Pena Palace guide, palaces in Portugal, visiting Sintra and Queluz Palace.

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