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Portugal
Central Portugal
Lisbon District
Sintra Municipality
Sintra
Things to Do in Sintra
Sintra National Palace
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Sintra National Palace

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See all things to do
Sintra National Palace
4
5,154
#14 of 74 things to do in Sintra
Historic Sites • Architectural Buildings
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9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
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About
The National Palace of Sintra, located in the historic town centre, was inhabited for nearly eight centuries by the Portuguese monarchy and its court. It was much used, particularly during the Middle Ages, as a hunting retreat and as a refuge from outbreaks of disease in the capital, or as a summer resort, thanks to the town's more agreeable climate.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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The area
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Restaurants
302 within 3 miles
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Attractions
85 within 6 miles
Pelourinho Do Palácio Nacional De Sintra
3
89 ftHistoric Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks
Centro Histórico de Sintra
2,068
166 ftHistoric Walking Areas
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107
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26
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200 ftReligious Sites
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27
313 ftNatural History Museums
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113
367 ftVisitor Centers
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
5,155 reviews
Excellent
2,249
Very good
1,918
Average
765
Poor
146
Terrible
78
Emily
Antwerp, Belgium17 contributions
Underwhelming Palace Interior
Couples
The palace was a very underwhelming and disappointing experience, constantly waiting in queues.

If you still want to visit, don't bother with visiting/paying the palace interior as it is very plain and the queue to get inside is long (45min-1h) and once you're inside, you'll still be queuing. It's still worth it to stroll along the palace grounds for which there is no queue (just walk ahead of the line to the very top of the palace).

The walk to the palace entrance is only a 10-15 min walk and not 30 min as profiled, but it is uphill. We didn't think the bus ride between the main entrance and palace entrance was needed.

Overall my least favorite palace of Sintra, I don't understand the hype. The Regeleira and Monserrate were much nicer. With Monserrate winning in interior.
Written June 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Jemma G
London, UK668 contributions
Fun palace to visit
Couples
We visited on a weekday in May and found there were other tourists around but it wasn’t crowded and we didn’t queue. The Palace is interesting with plenty of information, and the route makes the move through time and different styles clear. It’s a 10 minute walk from the train station, and the weather is a little cooler in Sintra providing a break from the heat in Lisbon on hot days. At €10 per adult the entry fee seems in line with similar attractions, we didn’t visit the other attractions in Sintra to be able to compare. If you’re visiting Sintra this is well worthwhile :)
Written May 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Beth A
8 contributions
Pretty palace
Couples
We visited this first thing on a weekday, we hadn’t pre-booked tickets but there was no queue to buy them at the ticket office as it had just opened. The palace is bigger than expected and very interesting inside with lots of history to learn about. It took a couple of hours maximum to walk around. If you arrive later in the day there can be long queues to get inside
Written June 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
glowbe_trottah
Toronto, Canada321 contributions
Slow moving and busy place, but nice
Family
Purchase tickets in advance which will save time. Avoid bringing stroller as it’s steep hills. I had a big vehicle and parked in one of the parking lots close to the castle. Driving is fine, unless you are not a confident driver.

Inside the entrance, it’s about 15 min uphill hike to the castle. Then another long line to get into the castle which can be over 30 mins. Once inside the palace, it’s a slow moving line as people are taking pics etc and it’s all one-way. There’s a restaurant on terrace which is typically quite busy. And before getting to the castle there’s a small canteen too with shaded area to sit where we ate. We had several small kids so this area was suitable.

The castle line takes a long time so with small kids you can see if you can bypass the line.

Overall, it’s like many other castles around the world. Good information plaques on some of the walls and rooms. Lots of space to take pics on the terraces.
Written June 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Dylan S
Cairo, Egypt18 contributions
Very thoughtful curation
I recommend getting the audio tour to add to what you're seeing. I see reviews mentioning crowds - maybe I just went at a good time (2 pm), because it was only a few people at any time in a room and frequently no one else was in the room.

The curators have provided themes throughout the exhibit that show a careful thoughtfulness in what they're telling you - it encourages you to think a bit more critically about the space and the narratives.
Written September 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
John W
Salisbury, UK281 contributions
A lot bigger than you think. Steeped in History its well worth a visit for 10 euro.
What a great place to visit. Well worth 10 euro that goes towards restoration of the place.
Lots of history and culture and the place is bigger than you think. The flow takes you through many places within the Palace and you get to see lots of treasures from where people ate, slept, chilled, wined and dined to just strolling around the Palace gardens.
Takes a good few hours to get around the place with lots of signs up explaining what certain things/items are about (both in Portuguese and English). You can take photos at anytime or place. There is also a cafe and shop there.
Literally outside the place you have many restaurants and bars to chill afterwards
Written May 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Paula J
1 contribution
Very crowded, slow moving queue
Couples
Really beautiful interior almost worth the claustrophobic line that continues throughout the interior. Had pre purchased tickets with an allocated time. Still had to queue for at least 40 mins in a very slow moving line. Once inside I expected we could roam free but no, the queue continued oh so slowly around the entire interior. I have been to Versailles and other similar but nothing as slow moving and crowded as this.
Is still say it’s worth it. The ticket is not too expensive and the town of Sintra is so beautiful. But prepare to queue and if you are worried about the virus and close standing ppl this is probably is not for you.
Written September 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
DeniseReaves
Durham, NC270 contributions
Magical place
Couples
What a magical place. It's like stepping back in time. St the bottom of the hill is a cute little town with nice shoppes and restaurants. For the real reason to visit, take a tuktuk (motor bike dressed up as a golf cart) to the top of the hill and visit the Palace and/or Quinta da Regaleira. A round trip from Lisbon on the train is less than an hour and cost >$10
Written January 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
B1714D
Belgrade, Serbia14,596 contributions
Portuguese King palace built over the Moorish one
The most eye catching sight in Sintra downtown are two unusual huge conical chimneys rising over the kitchen belonging to the Sintra National palace.
The original palace here looked much different built in the 9c by the Moorish rulers, while their stronghold was up the steep hill next door - the Moorish castle.
After expelling the Moors, Portugal kings built this palace we see today for themselves, extending it from 12c onwards. Therefore, one can easily recognize architecture mixture of styles.
You can circle around for free to see the exteriors which are beautiful. However, likewise the Pena Palace, there was a big line for entering it, so we skipped.
Written August 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Sarah
Geneva, Switzerland151 contributions
Beautiful palace, worth a visit!
Solo
I liked every minute of my visit and this Palace was actually what I liked best in Sintra.
As it is older, I found it more authentic and less imposing than the Pena Palace.
Every room of the Palacio National is unique. The 10 EUR entry fee is slightly expensive but worth it.
Written February 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Sintra National Palace - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about Sintra National Palace
Sintra National Palace is open:
  • Sun - Sat 9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
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