Sintra
Sintra from Lisbon with the Lisboa Card
Sintra from Lisbon is the classic day trip: palaces in green hills, a short train ride from the city. Pena Palace sits in red and yellow on its hilltop, a Moorish castle runs along the ridge, and at Quinta da Regaleira a well spirals down into the ground.
From Lisbon, the Lisboa Card makes the day easier and cheaper. It pays the train from Rossio there and back, as often as you like, and takes 10 to 15% off the palaces at their ticket desks. You can even buy it together with your Pena ticket.
Lisboa Card · Sintra
What to buy for Sintra
The Lisboa Card includes the train. Pena and Regaleira are sold on their own, with the card, or in a guided day.
Lisboa Card · Sintra
What the Lisboa Card gives you in Sintra
- IncludedTrain from RossioIncluded with the card, there and back, as often as you like
−10%Pena Palace€22.40€20.16
−15%Moorish Castle€13.20€11.22
−15%Monserrate Palace€12€10.20
−10%National Palace of Sintra€13€11.70
−10%Biester Palace and Park€16€14.40- IncludedSintra Mitos e Lendas
No discountQuinta da Regaleira€28- No discountBuses 434 and 435Up the hill to Pena and the Moorish Castle: a separate fare
Lisbon to Sintra by train
The train is the easy way in, since cars can’t drive up to Pena and the historic centre is closed to non-residents.
From Lisbon to the palaces
-
Rossio→Sintra
Every half hour at weekends
-
Sintra station→the old town
-
434 Sintra station→Moorish Castle and Pena
Loops back down through the town
-
435 the old town→Regaleira and Monserrate
Starts at the Lourel car park and stops by the National Palace
With the card you also skip the ticket machines at Rossio: you just validate it on the platform.
What to see in Sintra in a day
Pena and the Moorish Castle on the hill, then the old town and its National Palace, fill the day. Pena’s palace runs on timed entry, so book your slot first and fit the rest around it.
A day in Sintra
- Pena Palace → Take an early train and the 434 up, for an early slot. The palace door won't take you before your time, so walk the park while you wait. €22.40
- Moorish Castle → A signed path from Pena gets you there in about 30 minutes. The walls are narrow, with no railing in places. €13.20
- Sintra old town Back down on the 434 for lunch and the National Palace, with its two white chimneys.
If the well at Quinta da Regaleira is what you came for, go there instead of the castle, and book a time ahead: some days the tickets are gone by 10:00. Adding Monserrate, about an hour’s walk from the centre or a ride on the 435, means watching the clock all day.
Opening hours
- Pena
- Palace 9:30–18:30, park 9:00–19:00
- Moorish Castle
- 9:30–18:00, last entry 17:30
- National Palace
- 9:30–18:30, last entry 17:30
- Monserrate
- Palace 9:30–18:00, park 9:00–19:00
- Regaleira
- Apr–Sep 9:00–19:30, Oct–Mar 10:00–18:30
Sintra tickets and the Lisboa Card discount
The card’s 10 to 15% off works at the sites run by Parques de Sintra, among them Pena, the Moorish Castle, Monserrate and the National Palace. It only comes off at their ticket desks, on the day.
Regaleira is run separately, so there you pay the full price, whether on its own or in the ticket that pairs it with Pena.
Sintra day trips from Lisbon
If you’d rather not deal with trains and buses at all, the guided day trips from Lisbon do it for you, one of them with Cascais on the way back.
Queluz, on the way to Sintra
Queluz-Belas station is on the same Sintra line, so the card covers the ride. The National Palace of Queluz is about a kilometre on foot from it, opens 9:00 to 18:00 (last entry 17:30) and gives card holders 10% off.
The Portuguese School of Equestrian Art is based in the palace gardens, but its public shows are in Belém, at the Henrique Calado riding arena.
Tickets
Tickets for Sintra's top sights
Skip the queue at the ticket desk: book the time slot ahead.
Entry ticketQuinta da Regaleirafrom€28Buy→
Entry ticketPena Palacefrom€23Buy→
Entry ticketMoorish Castlefrom€14Buy→
Entry ticketMonserrate Palacefrom€12Buy→
Photos courtesy of Tiqets
See what you’d save (or not!)
Is the Lisboa Card worth it for your trip?
Pick how many days you’ve got and the sights you want to see. The calculator adds up the tickets and rides, sets them against the card and tells you right away whether it pays off, and by how much, at today’s prices. No email, no sign-up.
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How long, and who’s going?
People also ask
Frequently asked questions
Should I buy tickets to Sintra in advance?
For Pena and Regaleira, yes. Both sell timed entry, and Pena's palace tickets are limited, so on a busy day the slot you want can go. The train needs no booking: with the Lisboa Card you just get on.
How do I get from Sintra station up to Pena Palace?
The 434 bus loops from the station through the town to the Moorish Castle and Pena, but the Lisboa Card doesn't cover it. On foot, the quickest of the marked trails, Villa Sassetti, is 1.85 km and about 45 minutes uphill. Inside Pena's park, the palace is another 30 minutes' climb from the gate, or a shuttle ride.
Is Quinta da Regaleira included in the Lisboa Card?
No, Regaleira isn't on the card's list at all, not even with a discount. Its ticket comes with a digital audio guide, for a chosen day and time. From the station it's about 20 minutes on foot, or a ride on the 435 bus, which the card doesn't cover either.
When are the Sintra palaces closed?
The Parques de Sintra sites (Pena, the Moorish Castle, Monserrate, the National Palace and Queluz) open every day except 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January. Quinta da Regaleira closes on the same four days, and Pena, the Moorish Castle and Monserrate also shut in strong wind.
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