The place itself is pretty stunning, but god the organization. To reach the entrance you have to either walk (unpleasantly) or pay for a taxi/uber/tuk tuk (I would recommend to get a bus or go there with a guide). Once at the gates you have to walk another 10 minutes: BEWARE, your scheduled time is related to your entrance in the actual palace, so consider arriving at the gates at least 30 min in advance (10 min walking + immense queue). Inside it’s a long queue… they should sell fewer tickets, it’s a slow, long, one way path, which could be pretty annoying. And it’s CROWDED (been in September during the week). Very poor organization since many details are NOT available when you purchase the tickets. I’m so sorry because the place is amazing, but it’s very poorly managed.

This was my second time in Sintra. The first one was 10 years ago, during a tour of Portugal, now on my own. We arrived from Lisbon by train. They run frequently - literally every 15-20 minutes from Oriente and Rossio stations, and also in the opposite direction. The journey takes about 50 minutes. We didn’t buy tickets - travel is free with a Lisbon card. Near the station, buses are already waiting for tourists, taking them up to the palace. The price is not small - 13 euros, to be honest, I thought it included entrance to the palace. But no, just a bus. In short, a tourist scam of pure water. So it is better to look for alternative transport, especially if there are more than 2 people. Moreover, the bus takes a very long time up, going around all the outskirts of Sintra, well, to make it clear what you paid for, the way back is 5 times shorter with a stop in the center of Sintra, so if you have other palaces in your plans, then further either on foot or by regular bus. Also keep in mind that these buses run until 18-30. While we had dinner after visiting Quinta Regaleira in the city center, their working day ended and a local regular bus brought us to the station, and did not take any money for the trip. Now to the palace - be sure (!!!!) to buy tickets online in advance, otherwise there will be at least a rather large queue, and at maximum you may not get into the palace at all, especially inside. When we “lost” our bus tickets and moved into the general (considerable) queue, I immediately went to the website to purchase tickets, where it turned out that we could only get to the chambers that day at 17:00 (the clock was 11:30 ). They scored both for the rooms (not in vain, we later saw these queues to enter in the heat, in April we were greeted by real summer in Portugal), and for the discount due to the Lisbon card. I quickly bought tickets and we went for a walk. The castle is beautiful, unlike anything else in the world, but either the heat or the huge crowds of people (a weekday, mid-April, it’s hard to imagine what it will be like there in the summer) blurred the impressions a little, but we had great fun walking around the park We walked for a couple of hours - shade, water, camellias and... When asked what she liked most about Sintra, my friend answered without hesitation: “Toad and strawberry.” We found these impressions precisely in the park of the Pena Palace. By the way, I don’t recommend spending money on an internal transfer to the palace - the climb is not difficult, with beautiful views. And we went down through the park and came out on the other side - where the bus makes its first stop near the Castle of the Moors. We didn't wait long for him, he took us quickly to the center, and then we went on our own, with our legs.

There is little to say, given the fame it has achieved, certainly deserved for the evocative views it offers, for the slightly Arabic and slightly fairy-tale shapes, for the bright colors and the rich decoration. The best of itself is outside, that is, the tour of its terraces and courtyards, where in every corner you are tempted to take a photo. Once you have entered the park, if you have the full ticket (which costs 20 euros; with 10 euros you can only see the park and the external building but not the terraces) you can freely wander around the courtyards, walkways and terraces (and also enter the chapel) while to see the internal spaces you must have already booked a time slot among those available and you cannot go astray (I recommend booking online, so you also get a small discount, and possibly choosing one of the early hours to avoid the inevitable crowds at peak times); regardless of the time booked you will find yourself immersed in the group of your visiting time, walking in line along the route as if you were in procession. In any case, in my opinion, more than the interiors as such (with some exceptions such as the cloister) what is interesting in the rooms are the furniture and furnishings. I reiterate, however, that the most scenic part remains the exterior of the building. The vast and wooded park should not be overlooked, which has its attractions, with various pavilions, lakes, streams, bridges, plants of all kinds, characteristic corners, longer and shorter itineraries towards panoramic points, and glimpses of the building. You can get to the latter on foot (but it's all uphill and takes about an hour; even more if you start from the station rather than the centre) or you can take bus 434 (in addition obviously to the usual taxis, tuc-tuc and uber) which will take about twenty minutes/half an hour but try to take one of the first rides in the morning to avoid the crowds and to try to make the journey seated. The day ticket is expensive and you will hardly use it conveniently unless you do a tour de force to see all the palaces of Sintra in one day, particularly if you also want to go to the Monserrate palace (the National palace and the Quinta da Regaleira I'm in the center). As an alternative, you can therefore get a return ticket or a one-way ticket and get off on foot (convenient solution if you have also chosen to visit the nearby Mori castle, which I recommend, and from which the convenient Cammino di Santa Maria starts which takes 25 minutes to descend in the center of Sintra). Please note that bus 434 stops at the ticket office of the building and from there to get to the building you still have to walk a bit inside the park (about 500 metres, uphill), or alternatively take the shuttle (also for a fee!).

Let me start by saying we had a very good day in Sintra despite the fact it was windy with very heavy showers. And granted nothing looks its best under these conditions.The palace's architecture is lovely and I have no doubt the views are amazing when it isn't misty and pouring down but in all honesty the outside the palace and the toilet areas we visited are sadly neglected and desperately in need of attention and a coat of paint. For me black mold and  walls bare of paint doesn't conjure up my idea of a fairytale castle - maybe my OCD kicking in!!!! We took an early train from Rosso station to Sintra - it takes about 45 mins. I would suggest the 8.10 am or 8.40 at the latest to avoid very very long queues for the attractions in Sintra.  Once we arrived in Sintra station we made our way to the local bus stop just outside the station. The bus is mainly advertised as a hop on hop off which costs around 14 euro but as we were only going to Pena and back to town we bought a single for 4.50 euro up and another at the top to come down. Unless you are particularly keen to walk up very steep narrow roads I would advise against trying to walk up or even down the mountain although I believe there is a forest pathway.  Also BEWARE! A man stopped us on our way to the bus stop. He asked if he could help us and then proceeded to tell us he would take us up to the palace for 10 euro each but leave us the mountain to walk down. We declined his offer. The walk down is not the 25 mins he stated -  I read 45 mins  with lots and lots of steps.  It may well be a pleasant walk on a nice day and if you have the best part of an hour to kill. The bus drops you close to the gate of the palace but be aware that once inside the gates it is a fair climb up to the actual palace. We managed the climb ok but if you have any health or mobility issues it may be best to buy a ticket for the shuttle bus which unfortunately means yet another queue!!! Sintra itself is a pretty  enough little town but even around 11am/noon and with terrible weather it was very busy. Do look out for the wee place at the top of the steps selling samples of Ginjinha served in a chocolate cup. It's amazing.!!! The port sample comes in a small plastic cup its nice but the Ginjinha was our favourite and I love a nice port. Because of the weather our visit was shorter than expected so we decided to catch the train back to Oriente station and visit the Oceanarium in the afternoon. All in all we were on the go for 10 solid hours and we stil had to shower and change to go out for dinner. It was a very nice day despite the weather.

Fact: Tickets have time slots and being late is not tolerated. If your ticket says e.g. 9.30 am, you need to enter the palace interiors between 9.30 and 9.59. Opinion: If you know when you are going to visit, buy the ticket in advance from the website, it is also cheaper. Facts: Train from Lisbon to Sintra takes around 40 minutes and costs for example 2.40 euros with CP app or 2.00 euros with Navegante travel card. You can reach the palace from Sintra train station by walking, bus 434 or private transportation (taxi, tuktuk etc.). One way bus ticket is 4.55 euros, cash only. Driving yourself is not recommended. The palace is located 390 meters higher than the train station and the walking distance is 2.5 - 3.0 kilometers. Opinions: I walked up and took the bus down, as the bus was not running early enough for me. Walking took me 1 hour 40 minutes with breaks, so I recommend reserving two hours to not make it too stressful, unless you want to do it as an exercise. The route is mostly clear and marked but do your research beforehand and use e.g. Google Maps to make sure that you’re going in the right direction. There are at least two different walking routes, I did the Caminho de Santa Maria route with thorough planning beforehand. The walk was doable, but if you have any doubts about your stamina or mobility, or the weather is too warm, don’t walk. Facts: There is still a steep hill to climb from the palace grounds entrance gate to the actual palace, so be at the gate at least 30 minutes before your time slot. There is a shuttle bus available, price is cheaper when you buy it online. Opinions: I took the shuttle up and walked down. Those who walked up did not look happy with their choice. I think the shuttles leave every 15 minutes, and the walking time up is between 10 and 30 minutes, so you might beat the shuttle in time, but my suggestion is to save your breath for the palace. Fact: When you reach the palace itself, there is a queue to enter the interiors. Those who have ticket to the next time slot can join the queue (look for the sign), others need to wait elsewhere. Opinions: Like many are saying, the palace is more interesting from outside than inside, but if you came this far, why not go inside too. I had the earliest time slot on a Monday, so it was not too crowded yet. The palace is definitely worth seeing! Facts: There are free toilets at the entrance gate and at the palace.

A very nice place to visit, if you go to Sintra, you have to enter the Palace. We walked up from the park to the Palace, inside the little forest there. You can also walk along the road, which is straighter and there are no stairs, everything is more of a ramp. You can also get on the bus or by tuk tuk, which is where we got on (for the second time) and what I recommend, because the driver explains a little to you (which is appreciated and so you know more about the place and the history that there is behind) and you see everything better. It costs the same as the bus more or less, we paid €5 per person in the tuk tuk. And Nuno, our driver, was super friendly and told us things of interest. (Then we called him to pick us up). For the palace, something we didn't know, you have to buy a timed ticket to the palace. That is, you can enter the enclosure, so to speak, but to enter the palace that is higher up, it is at the time you reserved when purchasing the ticket. You can buy it once you arrive at electronic ticket offices or buy them online. I recommend the second option, since we bought it once there and had to wait 2 hours because they were sold out by the time we arrived. You do have to keep in mind, depending on the time you have the entrance, that from the bottom, the park, to the top, the palace, it can take more than 1 hour. (Depending on the pace, the route up, photos and more... I recommend going with plenty of time so as not to be in a hurry, and above all with good footwear) once inside, until the time of entry to the palace (if you arrive early), You can walk, take photos and visit a lot of places. We arrived almost just to enter the palace and left the surroundings and the lakes for later, which I also recommend visiting before leaving completely. (Once inside, you have to see EVERYTHING). And above all, if you can take a guide or a tour or something like that to explain it to you, you will like everything much more, because you will understand more things, more history, and it will become much more interesting.

This palace is fabulous and a worthwhile day trip from Lisbon. The colorful exterior is the highlight with architecture that makes it look like an imposing castle. The interior however was more modest and less overwhelming. And unfortunately, despite timed tickets, the interior was crowded and ended up being a one-way path following crowds that often consisted of large tour groups. Photography is allowed both outside and inside the palace. Tickets are required to visit either the park or the interior. Visits to the palace’s interior require a timed ticket. We bought our tickets in advance to ensure we got an early time slot. Note that the time slot is to enter the palace and not the grounds of the park. From the park’s entrance, give yourself at least 30 minutes to either walk uphill to the entrance or take the shuttle if you bought the optional shuttle ticket. The shuttle buses were pretty compact and crowded though. As the gates opened at 9:00am, we opted for the 10am tour so we had a more relaxed trip to the entrance. Once you enter the palace, there is no restriction on how long you can stay. You can purchase an audio guide separately to use on your own phone. However, the app was unstable on our Android device and we found it challenging to listen to everything with all the crowds moving along. Would suggest bringing headphones with you to make it easier. Close to the entrance of the palace is a building that houses a gift shop on the bottom floor, a cafe on the second floor, and a snack shop on the top floor. We ended up eating lunch at the cafe which we found acceptable, though hot dishes were not available until a little after 12:00 pm. We did a lot of research on how to arrive here from Lisbon. The original plan was to take the train from Sintra and then take the 434 bus from the station up to the palace. However, we read many horrible reviews about the 434 bus including overcrowding, long waits, and poor service. Even though we were visiting at a quieter time of the year, we opted to not take our chances and instead took an Uber directly from central Lisbon to the palace’s entrance. The trip cost less than 30 Euros and took around 40 minutes with only some traffic as we arrived closer to Sintra. As we were waiting for the gates to open, we noticed at least 4 more ride shares dropping people off, but no sign of the 434 bus. We were concerned about how we would leave, but managed to quickly snag an Uber from the park’s entrance to our next stop at the National Palace of Sintra, which is close to town and walkable to the train station. Note that Pena Palace is up on a hill and is chiller than Lisbon. An extra layer or scarf was needed in November.

The building features a colorful exterior and beautiful interior, which can be said to be the highlight of Sintra tourism. A reservation is required to visit the interior, and although I made a reservation online the day before, I was only able to get the 4pm slot. It seems that you can get a 15% discount if you make a reservation online three days in advance, so if you have already decided to visit, I strongly recommend making a reservation in advance. The Peña Palace is in a different area from the other attractions, and it takes about an hour by bus from the station to get there on a winding road with heavy traffic. It also takes 30 minutes from the entrance to the starting point of the tour inside, so it is better to leave Sintra Station 90 minutes before your reservation time. Inside the palace, there are rooms with beautiful Islamic-style geometric tile decorations, rooms with Gothic decorative decorations, and a girly tea room with a strawberry pattern interior. The combination of these things is a mix of various tastes. There is also a long line from the entrance to the entrance for the time slot, and inside. It's not easy to get there, so it's probably best to allow at least 2 hours for just touring the interior. The bus fare from Sintra Station to the Pena Palace was 13.5€ round trip, and there was no option to buy just a one-way ticket. The minibus from the palace entrance to the entrance for the internal tour was 3€ one way, and it was a pretty steep climb, so it would be much easier if you could just get on the bus to get there.

Nice place, but getting up there is awful. We went by train from Lisbon to Sintra and it was quite quiet, but with a crowded train. Arriving in Sintra you have to take a bus for 13,50 euros and stay in a huge queue until you enter. They sell as being a "hop on hop off" but in fact it is a bus that saw stopping in the tourist attractions, but without any information. There are Tuk tuks and other services that are also rising, but we're worried about security. What happens is that the traffic to the rise is terrible, and by what we saw there are even demonstrations from the local population against the excess of vehicles going up and causing a CAOS in the city. Pay attention to the scheduled time of your entrance to the Castle, as we thought it would take time, but we had to run to enter and left after we explained that we were not informed at the entrance to the park and neither at the purchase of the entry restriction outside the scheduled time. Also, prepare to climb a lot until you get to the palace. The palace is beautiful, but I'd say it's more beautiful on the outside than on the inside. The center of the city is worth a visit, without much expectation.

We went up on foot from the station: sporty but very pretty, but very poorly indicated. Turn right in the climb where there is a sign "danger". This is the right way. Being well put on, it goes up dry and it can slip if it is wet. Upstairs, around 11am, a crazy world!!! We have followed the advice read here: avoid automatic cash registers, less people at traditional cash registers, it goes faster. You have to pass the queue for the automatic checkouts and you will see a sign saying “entry without ticket”, the classic checkouts are just after on the right. we visited only the park, (accessible to the first terrace of the castle) magnificent, huge, plan the pic nic. Few people in the romantic alleys and small corners of the park. The chalet is worth a look but everything will have to go up in the opposite direction because the exit to the chalet is very dangerous on foot and no bus on this side. To get back down to the station, surprise, impossible to buy a single bus ticket, I confirm that the purchase of a 24h ticket at 13€50 is imposed. We found a lady who drives tourists in her van for 5€/pp. it seemed “regular” with a Sintra tourist guide number displayed on the windshield. Tip: if you are team hiking, plan the pic nic because once at the castle there is the restaurant (12€50 per plate of cod parmentiere ). Otherwise have lunch in the center, dish of the day around 16 €, then go for a walk. There were significantly fewer people when we left around 3:30 pm.