From Lisbon: Sintra Full Day Pena Palace, Regaleira & Monserrate

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Josephine W.

November 18, 2025

Some people told me it's not that good, but I think it depends on the weather. It was a good day so I really enjoyed it. However there is no point using the shuttle bus if you are worrying about the "30 minutes walk". It didn't take us 30 minutes. I am collecting tile patterns in this trip and it full of beautiful tiles!

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Bianca G.

November 09, 2025

The Pena Palace is absolutely stunning! I chose to visit only the exterior since our guide mentioned that the interior is quite narrow — apparently, the corridors are about as tight as a bus aisle. It’s definitely a must-see when visiting Lisbon and Sintra. Tip: buy your ticket in advance — you get a small discount. If you’re planning to see the inside, be prepared for long queues. To get there, you can either hike up the mountain trail (around 40 minutes) or buy the hop-on-hop-off bus ticket (~€13.5) which is valid all day for Sintra’s attractions. There are also tuk-tuks, but I’ve heard there are lots of scams, so I’d personally avoid them. I took a Bolt/Uber instead — it cost me only about €6 to reach the top. From the palace entrance, there’s still a 15-minute uphill walk to the palace itself, but you can take their shuttle bus for €4.5 if you prefer. I walked up and enjoyed the beautiful scenery all the way. On the way down, I also chose to walk — the forest and park surrounding the palace are absolutely magical. When I return to Portugal, I’ll definitely spend 2–3 full days in Sintra just exploring all the castles hidden in the forest — they’re true hidden gems!

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Cerys B.

November 09, 2025

Following the advice online we only purchased garden tickets and had a really lovely day out. We got the train from Lisbon, walked up the hill from the station (which was tough but fun) and entered the gardens. Walking around the palace was a bit crowded but not too overwhelming, and walking around the gardens we were often alone and it was quiet. So quiet in fact a fire salamander came out to say hello to us. You can also find lots of mushrooms if you look closely. But there aren’t too many exciting plants or flowers. There is a small cafe where we could get a vegan seitan sandwich. There are also vending machines at the entrance but be weary as these took payment but gave no item, still waiting to see if I will get refunded here. We also overheard they served coffee with no actual coffee, only milk. So perhaps plan ahead and take a packed lunch. It seems they sell hundreds of tickets per session to enter the castle and the queues are long, but the gardens are recommended for exploring at your own pace.