Is The Pena Palace Worth Visiting Inside?

The Pena Palace is one of those iconic Disney like castles that has drawn everyone's attention over the years. With the number of tourists that throng to the palace walls, the question that always arises is 'Is the Pena Palace worth visiting inside?'. If you've been asking yourself this, don't worry. You aren't alone.

We first visited Sintra and the palace right as covid struck. Unfortunately for us, the whole country shut down a day before we were due to visit the palace. Back then we were not too broken up because we were more concerned about heading home and staying safe. We did get to see the historic city from a different perspective because we drove around through empty roads and wandered around through deserted streets.

We booked our vacations around the Sintra area twice since but never ventured up because it involved a lot of walking and the kids were still young. This year we decided we would finally take the plunge and see what we could do. We planned out visit to Sintra while simultaneously contemplating 'Is Pena Palace worth visiting?' because honestly the cost of entering every monument adds up when its four of us.

We decided to do it because we were not sure if we would ever come back this way again (I say this every year when it comes to Portugal!). I also realized that if I was wondering if the interiors of Pena Palace was worth it, others were too.

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The lines getting into Pena palace after we had a prebooked slot

The Pena palace is beautiful. There is a certain magical moment when you first see it nestled in the hills. I think that its the moment that sticks with you whenever someone asks you about the palace. The yellow and red contrasts so strongly with the deep green of the trees around it.

But is the Pena palace worth visiting inside? Honestly if you ask me, I would say no. It surprises a lot of people. Don't get me wrong. There's a lot of history and culture to be seen. There are amazing views from many parts of the castle. You can click some insane photographs with the fairytale background.

So why would I say no? I think its largely because of the crowds. At the start, it really felt like we were in just one long unending queue. The palace does restrict the number of visitors that enter everyday but its still a lot. There's a lot of pressure (not by the staff but just because of the moving crowd) to move through the palace at a faster pace.

It gets better in the larger rooms and the further you move into the palace. There are larger spaces and a lot of outdoor spaces to explore. But if I'm honest, I would not go back because it felt too busy which took the magic away from the experience.

Note: I need to emphasize that I visited the Pena Palace during the peak tourist season in July. This could be one of the reasons why I was overwhelmed by the crowds.

Where To Stay When Visiting Pena Palace

You are spoilt for choice when it comes to accommodation near the Pena Palace. You can choose to stay in Lisbon or pick accommodation in Cascais or you could choose to stay in the National park just like we did. Here are a number of great places to check out if you are looking for accommodation.

Sintra Marmoris Palace (Luxury)
Valverde Sintra Palácio de Seteais (Luxury)
Villa Bela Vista (City Center, Mid-Range)
Chalet Saudade (Budget)

Is The Pena Park Worth Visiting?

I think that one of the biggest mistakes that you can make is underestimating the Pena Park. I honestly enjoyed this so much more than the Pena Palace itself. I would recommend starting off with the Pena palace and then walking downwards through the Pena Park. That way you won't exhaust yourself.

The Pena park is absolutely magical. It has so many old trees. Many of the smaller ecosystems in it are preserved. You can feel the magic in the forest (To quote my kids and I agree). I won't point to individual parts of the park but say that keeping your agenda lose is probably the most ideal thing. We wandered downwards such that we came out of the equestrian quarters. We could cross over and head up to the Moorish castle from there.

Is The Pena Palace Worth Visiting Inside - Underrated Experiences

One of the clearest pics I got inside the Pena palace which wasn't really clear.

Despite the crowds, there are still ways in which you can actually enjoy the Pena Palace. The idea is to slow down. Don't stuff a lot into your day.

Despite what everyone said about Sintra and Pena, I was completely taken in by the fear of missing out. I know that I'm not the only person who feels this.

So if you do decide to go ahead and visit the palace, keep these things in mind. It adds so much to the experience.

1. Pause At The Entrance Of Pena Park

Is the Pena Palace worth visiting? A lot of people don't plan in advance which is why the experience feels so meh. My advice... Get to Pena Palace early. Know that its going to take you a while to climb through the park and reach the palace. There's a line outside to check your tickets and then a line to enter the palace. Its the in between that's really pretty. Take your time climbing slowly and taking in the views of the palace in the background.

Most people head to the palace and realise that they have a ways to go before they actual reach the palace. So they rush through this part but it is incredibly beautiful. Is the Pena Palace worth visiting? I will say yes if you aren't focused just on the palace itself.

2. Head To The Restaurant In The Palace

Once you are done with touring through the Palace, you'll see that there are a number of tables arranged where the Palace cafe is. These seats are always full and its hard to find a place to sit. The views are incredible though. We decided to enter and go down the spiral staircase to the restaurant indoors. Here you can look out the arched windows at the park below and enjoy a meal.

The Pena Restaurant is less crowded and is cool. There are toilets right next to it. Its quieter and away from the crowds. They have a limited menu to choose from but the food was good. They even had a vegetarian option. If you don't want a full meal, you could choose a soup, a cake or just have a drink. This is honestly one of the best spots in the palace and if you decide that Pena palace is worth visiting, make sure you stop here.

3. Explore The Pena Park

You don't have to spend hours in the park if you don't have time but I recommend spending some time in it. There is something deeply soothing about resting here. Without my time in the park, I would have definitely answered no to the question 'Is The Pena Palace worth visiting?'.

Picking The Right Pena Palace Tickets

Before we delve into the question 'Is Pena Palace worth visiting inside?', I would like to talk about the options that you can choose from where the tickets are concerned. The right choice makes a big difference in how your day goes.

Pena Palace & The Pena Park

⭐️ Rating: 4.3 /5 (21,435 Reviews) Price: $14 per person Duration: Valid for 1 day Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!

This is the most common ticket that everyone will see. It allows timed entry to the Pena palace and access to the palace grounds and park. If you have time on your hands and aren't rushed then this ticket is perfect. We were traveling with two kids aged 5 and 6 years. Given how steep the slopes of Sintra are, we were concerned about how much we would manage to cover. That is why we choose to go with this ticket.

I would recommend buying this ticket in advance because the Pena Palace is very popular. The tickets sells out weeks in advance during the peak season. If you put this off for too late, you may not get to visit the interior of the palace.

The ticket says skip the line but note that it is skip the ticket line. You still have to queue to get into the garden and the palace. There's no escaping that. There's a free audio guide that you can use so don't forget to carry your headphones / earphones.

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Sintra, Pena Palace & Quinta Da Regaleira

⭐️ Rating: 4.7 /5 (2,344 Reviews) Price: $74 per person Duration: Valid for 1 day Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!

This is a whole day tour that departs from Lisbon and covers the most iconic spots in the Sintra. It includes the historic city, entry into the Pena Palace and the famous Quinta Da Regaleira. I'm adding this in because of a number of great things about this tour.

Your pickup is from Lisbon which makes it great if you are staying the capital city. You don't have to worry about transport at all.
You start off with Quinta da Regaleira in the morning when it is quieter. You have a guided tour here which takes about an hour and a half.
You have an hour and a half at Sintra to explore the city at your own pace and enjoy a meal.
Last is Pena palace
The tour is a whole day which spans about 8 hours or more and is unrushed compared to the half day hours which pack everything in 4 hours.

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Things To Know Before You Visit The Pena Palace

Timings Are Everything At Pena Palace

When you book your entry into the Pena Palace, you have to book a time slot. I always like to arrive early and I thought that I had 30 minutes leeway but as it turned out, we landed up there right in time. This was because the queue assembles in front of the entrance 15 minutes before.

Parking At The Pena Palace

Parking is not available at the Pena Palace. You have to park close to the city or at one of the other parking lots in the National park. You can then either walk or take the bus. We stayed close by and took a cab to the Palace but caught a bus on the way back.

Is the Pena Palace worth visiting? I think that the palace in itself is beautiful but honestly the crowds are a big detractor. They have tried to make the experience as seamless as possible with the timings but it still feels rushed.

If you are considering the palace for the views then you should definitely consider it because the viewing platforms definitely have more than enough space for everybody. The outdoor spaces are definitely a highlight of the experience. So yes is the Pena palace worth visiting? I would say yes but it isn't something I would do again.

Renting A Car

You could also choose to rent a car. I recommend using Discover cars because you can compare across a number of the world renowned car rental agencies like Hertz, Avis, Sixt etc and see which one fits best with the dates you are traveling on.

Some people say that it is cheaper booking through individual companies but I find that it is a lot of hassle figuring out which one gives the lowest rates. And when I finally narrow down on one, Discover Cars usually beats that rate because it doesn't have any hidden additional charges.

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