How To Get To Pena Palace From Lisbon (2025)
Are you planning a day trip to the fairytale-like Pena Palace? If so, this article’s for you.
The Pena Palace is a colorful Romanticist castle perched high up in Sintra’s mountains, only 40 minutes outside of Lisbon. It’s easily accessible by public transportation, but with it being such a popular attraction, there’s a few important things to know before visiting.
This article will cover exactly how to get to the Pena Palace with public transportation, group tour options, and how to avoid long lines once you’re there.
Here’s everything to know before visiting the Pena Palace.
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How To Get To The Pena Palace From Lisbon
The Pena Palace is located in the hills of Sintra which is only 40 minutes outside of Lisbon. To get to Sintra, you can take the train, drive, or join a group tour from Lisbon. I took the train to get to Sintra and it was very straightforward.
The train (Comboios de Portugal) leaves Rossio station in Lisbon, every half hour from around 5:30am to 1am. The last train from Sintra to Lisbon leaves around midnight (12:20am), so you don’t need to worry about missing the train on the way back.
From Rossio station, you can purchase train tickets at a self-serving kiosk, and there’s no need to purchase tickets ahead of time.
The Rossio train station is a few blocks down from the metro station, on the opposite side of the square. You’ll know you’re at the right place when you see a Starbucks on the first floor, and the train is on the second floor.
The train ride to Sintra only took 40 minutes, and Sintra was the end of the railway. The second to last stop is called “Portela de Sintra”, so just make sure to avoid getting off at that stop.
Once you exit the train station, it’s a short walk to a main square, and around a 10 minute walk to the historic center.
If you don’t want to take the train, you can join a full day tour from Lisbon. These group tours are a great option if you have limited time, and want to see more of the sites in a day.
If I could redo my trip, I would definitely join a full day Sintra and Cascais tour, so I would have an extra travel day in Lisbon.
These are some of the top-rated tour options available.
- Most Popular Sintra Cascais Tour (w/ Pena Palace tickets included): Full day group tour to Sintra, Cascais, and Cape Roca
- Private Sintra Tour: Full day private tour to Sintra, Cape Roca that passes by Cascais
- Cheapest Sintra Cascais Tour (without Pena Palace Tickets): Full day group tour to Sintra, Cascais, and Cape Roca
How To Visit The Pena Palace
The Pena Palace is located at the top of the hill, around a 45 min-1 hour hike from Sintra’s historic center. The best way to get to the palace is to take the 434 bus from the historic center to the entrance.
This bus costs €13.50 for an all day use ticket, or €4.55 for one ride. Keep in mind that the bus is very busy, so you can expect to be crammed in with dozens of tourists.
There are also taxis and tuk tuks available, but they’re considerably more expensive than the bus.
At the Pena Palace parking lot, there’s ticketing booths, and a line to enter the palace. There’s typically very long lines at the ticketing booths, so you’ll want to purchase tickets beforehand online. Plus, you get a 15% off discount when purchasing online!
Pena Palace Tickets
- Adults (18-64): €10
- Children (6-17) & seniors (65+): €9
- Bus transfer: €2.85/person
- Purchase online beforehand here
From the entrance/parking lot, it’s a 15 minute hike, or 5 minute bus ride to the actual Pena Palace. The bus transfer only costs a few dollars, and it’s worth buying, as it can be easy to take the wrong trail on the way back.
My Experience Visiting The Pena Palace
When I visited Sintra, I walked from the train station to the historic center, which had a variety of cafes, little shops, and restaurants. From the historic center, I hiked up to the Moorish Castle and Pena Palace.
I followed the trail markers starting at the historic center, and it ended up taking me over an hour to get to the top of the mountain.
This is a scenic, but very steep and rigorous hike that ends near the Moorish castle at the top of the mountain. From the Moorish castle, it was just a 15 minute walk uphill to reach the Pena Palace.
Here’s a few pictures of the trail from the historic center.
I don’t recommend this hike for anyone, unless you’re looking for a good workout. After visiting the Pena Palace, I hopped on the 434 tourist bus to get back to the historic center.
If you want to maximize your time, it’s best to use the 434 tourist bus to get to all of the attractions in Sintra. It runs every 15 minutes, from around 8:50 am to 7pm.
Best Time To Visit The Pena Palace
The best time to visit Pena Palace is on a sunny day, so you can enjoy a clear panoramic view of the city from the top of the mountain.
The Pena Palace is one of Portugal’s popular attractions, so you can expect it to be crowded almost any time you visit. If you visit later in the day, however, you may be able to avoid some of the crowds from group tours.
I visited in early March, and it was very crowded, whereas the Moorish Castle down the street had no lines. However, the lines moved fast, and it only took around a half hour to visit, so it was still worth seeing!
Pena Palace FAQs
How far is the Pena Palace from Sintra’s historic center?
The Pena Palace is a short 5 minute drive from Sintra’s historic center. You can take the 434 bus, taxi, or tuk tuk to get there.
Alternatively, you can do a very steep and strenuous hike that takes over an hour. If you plan on doing the hike, make sure to wear comfortable, sturdy hiking shoes, and bring lots of water. Also keep in mind that there’s little to no cell service on the trail.
How long does it take to tour the Pena Palace?
It only takes around 1-2 hours to tour the Pena Palace and grounds, if you purchase tickets beforehand. I didn’t purchase tickets beforehand, and it only ended up taking me around 2 hours to visit both the Moorish Castle and Pena Palace.
What else is there to see in Sintra?
Sintra has palaces, castles, parks, lush gardens, beaches, and more. Here are some other attractions to check out while in Sintra beyond Pena Palace.
These attractions are spaced out, so it’s best to hop on and off the 434 tourist bus to reach them. The bus visits all of these attractions, with the exception of Cape Roca.
- Moorish Castle: Medieval 8th century castle with stone walls, and a panoramic city viewpoint
- Quinta da Regaleira: Fairytale like castle with a spiral staircase tower you can climb inside of
- Sintra Palace: Early 15th century royal palace with historic rooms and furniture
- Cape Roca: Beautiful coastal viewpoint with a lighthouse, and the westernmost point of Europe!
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