Travel through a thousand years of history in the oldest palace in Portugal
Located in the centre of Sintra, defining its landscape with the unmistakeable silhouette formed by its two conical chimneys crowning the royal kitchen, there stands the only palace that spans the entire history of Portugal.
The current Palace of Sintra emerges out of many royal palaces. This is a set of buildings that were constructed, added and adapted over the course of many centuries with the actual date of the founding of the country’s oldest palace a question that still remains to be resolved. In all likelihood, the first building was constructed in around the 10th or 11th century when Sintra was under Moorish rule. At the end of the Middle Ages, the Palace of Sintra was at the heart of a large territory under the care of the Queens of Portugal while also one of the preferred destinations for Portuguese monarchs. The abundance of hunting in the region, the freshness of the climate during the summer months and the need to take refuge during periods of plague in the capital all contributed to turning the Palace of Sintra into a regular destination. A guardian of memories and witnessing some of the most defining episodes in the history of Portugal, the Palace of Sintra provides its visitors with the opportunity to take a tour through time and set out in search of other lives so very different to our own.
PALACE
LAST TICKET AND LAST ADMISSION 06:00PM
GARDENS
LAST ADMISSION 06:00PM
Ticket office closed from 12 pm to 1 pm. Automatic ticket vending machines available
PALACE
Buy your tickets online to have a 15% discount
GARDEN
How to Get There
Lisbon > Sintra: Train (CP) – Sintra Line
(Departure stations: Oriente; Rossio; Entrecampos)
Sintra (train station) > National Palace of Sintra: Buses 434/435 (Scotturb)
We emphasize that Parques de Sintra's responsibilities are limited to the parks and monuments under its management, and is not responsible for any circumstances occurring outside the heritage sites, namely, access and transport to reach said sites.
You can reach the town of Sintra using:
- IC19 (from Lisbon)
- IC30 (from Mafra)
- EN9 (from Cascais, via the A5)
The National Palace of Sintra is located in the historic centre (at Largo Rainha D. Amélia).
Coordenadas GPS: 38º 47’ 50.50” N 9º 23’ 25.87” W
Please note that the circulation of private vehicles in the historic center is limited to residents. The use of the car parks available and then travelling to the historic center on foot or by public transport is recommended.
We emphasize that Parques de Sintra's responsibilities are limited to the parks and monuments under its management, and is not responsible for any circumstances occurring outside the heritage sites, namely, access and transport to reach said sites.
Sintra train station – National Palace of Sintra (10-15 minutes)