Adult
Ages 18–64
€30
- Full palace entry (all 14 rooms + kitchens)
- Skip-the-line priority queue
- 5-minute audio history sent before your visit
- Flexible rebooking if we can't secure your slot
Step inside Portugal's oldest royal palace, in the heart of Sintra
Sintra National Palace skip-the-line — twin conical chimneys, 500 years of Portuguese kings, Mudéjar and Manueline tilework you'll find nowhere else. In Sintra's old town, not on the hilltop.
See ticket options- 12th c. Continuously used royal palace — oldest in Portugal
- 33 m Height of the twin conical kitchen chimneys
- UNESCO Sintra cultural landscape, 1995
- 700 K / yr visitors to the palace
Choose your ticket
Youth
Ages 6–17
€25
- Full palace entry
- Skip-the-line priority queue
- Free under age 6 at the gate
Senior
Ages 65+
€25
- Full palace entry
- Skip-the-line priority queue
- 5-minute audio history sent before your visit
Family
2 adults + 2 youths
€110 €78 Save €32
- Palace entry for the whole family
- Under-6s free at the gate — we handle the paperwork
- Skip-the-line for all
- Save €32 vs buying separately
Rotterdam, Netherlands
“Easy mistake to make — we booked the wrong palace first time. This is the one in the town, not on top of the hill. Both are worth it; if you only do one, do both. The kitchens with the 33m chimneys are nuts.”
Cork, Ireland
“The Hall of Swans has 27 of them painted on a gold ceiling, one for each of João I's daughter's years. Stood in that room longer than I've stood in anything in three decades of travel. Worth the skip-the-line on its own.”
Utrecht, Netherlands
“Did the combo with Pena. Morning here (cooler, quieter), lunch in Sintra old town, afternoon up to Pena. The combo ticket saved us €10 and one queue. Easily the best day of a 10-day Portugal trip.”
- Refund if we can't deliver Full money back if your slot can't be secured
- Real humans, not bots English-speaking concierge, not AI
- Pay in your local currency Same price at checkout · no FX surprise
- No hidden fees Total shown upfront · what you see is what you pay
About Palácio Nacional de Sintra
The Palácio Nacional de Sintra sits in the old town of Sintra, at the foot of the Sintra mountains — not to be confused with the yellow-and-red Pena Palace that tops the hill above it. This was the royal summer residence continuously from the 12th century until 1910, which makes it the longest-used royal palace in Portugal. Every king of Portugal stayed here; Catherine of Braganza was born here.
Architecturally it's a layered thing — Moorish bones from before the Christian conquest, a core built by João I in the 14th century, major expansion by Manuel I in the early 16th. The result is an astonishing blend: Mudéjar azulejos that predate anything Spain kept, Gothic vaults, Manueline windows, and the only surviving major painted ceilings of the medieval Portuguese court (the Hall of Swans with 27 gold-crowned swans, the Hall of Magpies with 136 birds on the ceiling).
The twin conical chimneys are a 14th-century industrial-kitchen solution to feeding the court — they vent a pair of three-storey kitchens big enough to roast whole oxen. They've become Sintra's silhouette: you can see them from the train window on the approach from Lisbon.
Practical information
- Opening hours
- Daily 09:30 – 18:30 (last entry 18:00). Closed 25 December and 1 January.
- Address
- Largo Rainha Dona Amélia, 2710-616 Sintra, Portugal
- Getting there from Lisbon
- Train from Rossio station to Sintra (40 min, every 20 min). From Sintra station, the palace is a 15-min walk (mostly downhill into the old town) or bus 434/435 in 5 min.
- Where it is
- In the historic centre of Sintra, at the base of the hill. Pena Palace is on top of the hill (different palace, same operator). You can see both from town — make sure you're going to the right one.
- Time needed
- Allow 1.5–2 hours for the full palace circuit. The audio guide loop is 90 minutes at a steady pace. If you're doing Pena the same day, arrive early here first.
- Accessibility
- The palace has multiple levels and staircases; there is no lift. Ground-floor rooms are accessible. Contact us before booking if mobility is a concern.
- Photography
- Permitted without flash or tripod. The Hall of Swans ceiling and the Hall of Magpies are the most-photographed; morning light is best for both.
- Nearby
- A 10-minute walk from Quinta da Regaleira (same UNESCO listing, same ticket operator). A 20-minute shuttle-bus ride up the hill to Pena Palace. Half the joy of Sintra is doing 2–3 palaces in one day.
About our service
Sintra National Palace Tickets acts as a facilitator to assist international visitors in purchasing skip-the-line tickets directly from Parques de Sintra – Monte da Lua S.A., the official operator (the same operator that runs Pena Palace, the Moorish Castle, and the Monserrate estate). We do not resell tickets — we provide a personalised booking and English-language support service. Our concierge service fee is included in the displayed price. For those who prefer to purchase directly, the official ticket site is parquesdesintra.pt.
Frequently asked
Is this the palace with the yellow and red towers on the hill?
No — that's Pena Palace, on top of the Sintra mountain. This is the Palácio Nacional de Sintra, in the old town at the foot of the hill, with the twin white conical chimneys. Different palace, same official operator. Both are UNESCO-listed. If you're only doing one, most visitors pick Pena for the views and this one for the interiors.
What's included in the skip-the-line ticket?
Priority entry to the palace bypassing the ticket-office queue, plus the full 14-room circuit: Hall of Swans, Hall of Magpies, Blazons Room (with family crests of Portugal's nobility), the chapel, the royal apartments, and the medieval kitchens under the twin chimneys.
How long does a visit take?
1.5–2 hours for the full palace at a steady pace. An audio guide is available at the entrance (self-paced, 90 minutes, 8 languages). If you're combining with Pena Palace, start here in the morning.
Should I combine with Pena Palace?
Yes — it's the classic royal-Sintra same-day pairing. Our combo ticket covers both with secured timed slots at each, saving €10 over buying separately. Morning here (cooler in town), lunch in Sintra old town, afternoon shuttle to Pena.
How bad are the queues?
Peak-season weekends (May–Sep) queue 30–45 min at the main entrance in the square. Mornings (09:30–10:30) and late afternoons (after 16:30) are quietest. Skip-the-line cuts any queue to under 5 minutes.
Can we change the date?
Two situations trigger a full refund: (a) we cannot secure your chosen slot, or (b) the palace closes (rare — mostly 25 Dec / 1 Jan). Outside those, tickets are non-transferable once issued. Reply to your confirmation email 48h+ ahead and we'll try.
Is it suitable for children?
Yes — kids enjoy the painted ceilings (magpies, swans, deer), the medieval kitchens, and the chapel. Under-6s are free at the gate; the family tier bundles the paperwork. Strollers struggle on cobbled stairs — a carrier is easier.
Is photography allowed?
Yes, without flash or tripod. The Hall of Swans ceiling is the most-photographed; best light is between 10:00 and 11:30. Drones prohibited.
What is the Sala dos Cisnes (Swan Room)?
The Sala dos Cisnes — Swan Room — is one of the palace's most famous interiors. Its panelled ceiling is decorated with 27 painted swans, each individually styled, commissioned in the early 15th century during the reign of King João I. Tradition links the swans to a gift made to João's daughter, Infanta Isabel, before her marriage to the Duke of Burgundy in 1430. The room was the venue for state banquets and royal receptions. Best photographed mid-morning when daylight reaches the ceiling.
What is the Sala das Pegas (Magpie Room)?
The Sala das Pegas — Magpie Room — is decorated with 136 painted magpies, each holding the motto 'por bem' (for honour) and a rose. The story goes that King João I had it painted to silence court gossip after the queen caught him kissing a lady-in-waiting; the magpies represent the chattering ladies of the court. Whether the legend is true or not, the room is one of the most-photographed interiors in Portugal and a highlight of the standard circuit.
Are the gardens free to visit without a ticket?
Yes — the outer gardens of Palácio Nacional de Sintra are free to enter and don't require a palace ticket. They are smaller than Pena's mountain park but offer a quiet alternative if you only have 30 minutes in Sintra and want to see the famous twin chimneys from outside without committing to the full interior visit. The ticketed circuit is the palace interior — the 21 rooms — which is the experience most people travel for.
Is there a lunch break in the ticket office?
Yes — the on-site ticket office at Palácio Nacional de Sintra closes from 12:00 to 13:00 daily for staff break, even though the palace itself stays open. This catches walk-up visitors out: arriving at 12:15 without a pre-booked ticket means waiting until 13:00 to buy one, then joining the entry queue. Concierge-booked tickets bypass this entirely — you arrive, show the booking on your phone, and walk straight to the entrance regardless of the ticket-office hours.
Can I visit the palace on a Monday?
Yes. Palácio Nacional de Sintra is open every day of the year except 25 December and 1 January. There is no weekly closure day, unlike many European royal residences. Hours can shorten on 24 December and 31 December, and operations are sometimes affected by severe weather or state events — confirm on the Parques de Sintra website the morning of your visit if your trip dates fall on a holiday or near one.
Is the palace cooler than Lisbon in summer?
Yes, noticeably. Sintra's Atlantic-facing microclimate runs 5 to 8 degrees Celsius cooler than central Lisbon in summer, and the thick stone walls of the palace keep the interior cooler still. This makes Palácio Nacional an excellent midday stop on a hot August day when Lisbon is uncomfortable. Bring a light layer in shoulder seasons (April–May, October–November) when fog and drizzle roll in from the coast within minutes — it can be sunny in Lisbon and damp in Sintra on the same morning.
What languages are spoken at the entrance?
Front-of-house staff at Palácio Nacional de Sintra speak Portuguese and English fluently, with most staff also able to handle basic Spanish, French, and (often) Italian. The audio guide covers eight languages including German, Dutch, and Mandarin [VERIFY 2026 language list]. Our concierge service is English-language, available before and during your visit if anything needs sorting on the day — we coordinate with the operator in Portuguese on your behalf.
Can I get a refund if I change my mind?
Concierge tickets follow the operator's non-refundable policy once your slot has been collected from Parques de Sintra and confirmation has been issued. The two automatic refund triggers are: (a) we cannot secure the date you requested — full refund within 24 hours, no questions; or (b) the palace closes on your booked date due to an unforeseen event — full refund automatically. For changes of plan more than 48 hours before your date, reply to your confirmation email and we'll attempt a date swap, subject to availability.
Is it busier than Pena Palace?
Generally no — Palácio Nacional sees substantially fewer visitors than Pena Palace. Pena draws around 2 million visitors a year (the highest paid-monument footfall in Portugal); Palácio Nacional is a quieter, calmer experience [VERIFY current annual visitor figures from Parques de Sintra annual report]. This makes Palácio Nacional the better choice for visitors who want a less crowded interior experience, photographers wanting clear shots of the painted ceilings, and families with young children who find Pena's narrow palace corridors stressful in peak season.
Where exactly is the entrance?
The main visitor entrance is on the south side of the palace, facing Largo Rainha D. Amélia — the main square of Sintra's historic centre. Look for the twin white conical chimneys overhead and the Parques de Sintra signage at the door. The entrance is fully signposted from the train station and from every direction in the historic centre. If you're using Google Maps, search 'Palácio Nacional de Sintra' (not 'Sintra Palace' — that returns mixed results for both this palace and Pena Palace on the mountain).