Sintra

Sintra itinerary: one day with the Lisboa Card

This Sintra itinerary starts at Pena Palace, high on the hills, with its terraces and views, and walks on to the walls of the Moorish Castle before lunch. The afternoon is the old town and the National Palace. The 24-hour Lisboa Card includes the train from Rossio and takes 10% off Pena and 15% off the castle.

Last updated: 25 October 2026

Day by day

Sintra

Up the hill in the morning, down to the old town for the afternoon, and back to Lisbon on the same card.

CP train from Rossio, 40 minutes, included with the card. The 434 bus up the hill is a separate fare.

Morning Morning−10% with the card Pena Palace Book an early slot: the park opens at 9:00 and the palace at 9:30. €22.40
Late morning Late morning−15% with the card Moorish Castle About 30 minutes on foot from Pena by a signposted path. Walls and views over the town, Pena and the Atlantic. €13.20
Lunch LunchFree entry Sintra old town Back down on the 434. Wandering the old town's streets costs nothing.
Afternoon Afternoon−10% with the card National Palace of Sintra Right in the old town, 10 to 15 minutes' walk from the station. Its gardens are free. €13
Late afternoon Late afternoonIncluded Sintra Myths and Legends The one Sintra entry the card covers in full. Good for the last hour, or for rain. €4

Lisboa Card 24h€31

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TipTo see Quinta da Regaleira, swap it in for the Moorish Castle. It's down near the old town, on the 435 bus, and the card gives nothing off.

Pena Palace: book the time before you go

Pena is the palace at the top of Sintra’s hills, and the one stop where the clock matters: the palace only lets you in at the date and time on your ticket. Buy it before the trip, pick an early slot and arrive about 30 minutes ahead, since a missed slot isn’t refunded.

The Essential ticket covers the palace’s new wing, the whole park and the Chalet of the Countess of Edla, a chalet lined with cork. The terraces are where the views are. From the park entrance up to the palace there’s a shuttle every 15 minutes, and the ticket below can include it.

The card’s 10% only works at Pena’s ticket desk, not online. So the choice is a sure slot booked ahead at the full price, or the desk on the day with the card, when the slot you want may be gone.

Buying the Moorish Castle ahead helps too, at the full price. Its ticket office, like the National Palace’s, closes from 12:00 to 13:00, about when you’ll get there.

The 434 bus up to Pena and the Moorish Castle

Cars can’t drive up to Pena or the castle, so the 434 does the climb. It leaves from Sintra station, stops at the Moorish Castle and Pena, and comes back down by the National Palace, about every 10 minutes from 8:50 to 18:40.

The Lisboa Card doesn’t cover it. The 24-hour ticket for the 434 and the 435, the line out to Regaleira and Monserrate, costs €10.96:

Entry ticketSintra: Hop-on Hop-off Bus to Castles & Palacesfrom€11Buy

Sintra gets very busy in summer and at weekends, and the 434 can be full by the time it reaches the centre. The early train and the first slot at Pena are the way around it.

The train to Sintra and the Lisboa Card

CP trains from Rossio take 40 minutes to Sintra. Without the card, a return ticket is €5.10 (2026 fares).

24-hour Lisboa Card in Sintra

CP train from Rossio: Included, both ways
Sintra Myths and Legends: Included
Pena Palace, National Palace: 10% off
Moorish Castle: 15% off
Quinta da Regaleira: No discount
434 and 435 buses: Not covered

The 24 hours start at the first validation. Tap the card at Rossio in the morning and it still works on the metro and trams that evening and into the next morning.

It has to be the physical card. An online voucher is swapped at an Ask Me Lisboa desk, and the city-centre desks open at 9:00 or 10:00 (the airport one at 7:00). Swap it the day before an early train.

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

Card and combos

Lisboa Card options

Pick the one that fits your trip. Prices are per adult, and you choose your dates on the next page.

Frequently asked questions

How many Sintra palaces fit in one day?

Two on the hill, and one in town. Pena and the Moorish Castle are about 30 minutes apart on foot, and the National Palace is in the old town where you have lunch. Add a third and you run short of time: the monuments open at 9:30 and the last tickets go at 17:30.

Does the Lisboa Card get you into the Sintra palaces for free?

It gives 10% off Pena, the National Palace of Sintra and Biester Palace, and 15% off the Moorish Castle, Monserrate and the Capuchos Convent. Quinta da Regaleira has no card benefit. What it covers in full is the train from Rossio and Sintra Myths and Legends.

Is the 434 bus included in the Lisboa Card?

The 434 and 435 aren't on the Lisboa Card, and a 24-hour ticket for both costs €10.96. What the card covers is the CP train from Rossio to Sintra, there and back, and again if you need it within the 24 hours.

Pena or Quinta da Regaleira if I can only do one?

Pena is the palace on the hilltop, with the terraces and the views: €22.40 for the Essential ticket, and 10% off with the card at the ticket desk. Regaleira is the well and the gardens, down near the old town, €28 with the audio guide and no card benefit. Pick Regaleira when the well is the reason for the trip.