UltimateCity Guide Lisbon
Our favourites

Beyond Lisbon

Sintra: palaces in the forest

In depth·Sintra

The back story

The red and yellow Pena Palace on its wooded peak above Sintra
Photo CreditImage courtesy of © Jakub Hałun · CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

About Sintra: palaces in the forest

By the ULTIMATE Lisbon Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

UNESCO listed the Cultural Landscape of Sintra as a World Heritage site in 1995. In the misty hills above the town stand the Park and National Palace of Pena, the Moorish Castle, the Park and Palace of Monserrate and the National Palace of Sintra in the town itself, all run by Parques de Sintra (parquesdesintra.pt), and the Quinta da Regaleira with its initiation well.

Getting there

By CP train from the Rossio station to Sintra (cp.pt). Driving is hard work: parking near the palaces is very limited.

Looking down the spiral staircase of the initiation well at the Quinta da Regaleira
Looking down the spiral staircase of the initiation well at the Quinta da Regaleira
Photo CreditImage courtesy of © Maria Eklind · CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The palaces

Pena and the Moorish Castle on the high ridge, the National Palace of Sintra in the town, Monserrate to the west, and the Quinta da Regaleira, run separately (regaleira.pt). Book timed tickets on parquesdesintra.pt.

The white façade and conical chimneys of the National Palace of Sintra
The white façade and conical chimneys of the National Palace of Sintra
Photo CreditImage courtesy of © Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
CP trains run from the Rossio station to Sintra; local buses climb to the palaces.

Lunch

At the Penha Longa resort, LAB by Sergi Arola and Midori each hold One MICHELIN Star in the 2026 guide.

Our advice: pick two palaces, not four, and start with Pena at opening time.

Why it's on our list

  • Getting there
  • The palaces
  • Lunch

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Sintra: palaces in the forest before you go.

What’s nearby

Distances from Sintra: palaces in the forest are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 12 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.

Key sights

  1. The Jerónimos Monastery20 kmCar or taxi 71 min
  2. The Tower of Belém20 kmCar or taxi 71 min
  3. Lisbon Airport20 kmCar or taxi 72 min
  4. The Gulbenkian20 kmCar or taxi 73 min
  5. The Castelo de São Jorge23 kmCar or taxi 83 min
  6. The Praça do Comércio23 kmCar or taxi 83 min
  7. The Oceanário24 kmCar or taxi 84 min

Railway stations

  1. Rossio station23 kmCar or taxi 81 min
  2. Cais do Sodré station23 kmCar or taxi 82 min
  3. Gare do Oriente23 kmCar or taxi 82 min
  4. Santa Apolónia station24 kmCar or taxi 85 min

Location

The ULTIMATE letter

Lisbon in your inbox

An occasional email with new places, events, neighbourhood guides and our latest in-depth articles. No spam, ever.