Family Adventure at Pena Palace in Sintra: Exploring Portugal’s Fairytale Castle with Kids

The famous Pena Palace appeared on the cover of a coffee table book in our home as one of the “must see” places in the world, and for good reason. The palace, built in the 1800’s, is incredible and unlike anything I have ever seen. The colorful walls, typical of the Romanesque Revival style, with textured entryways and ornate light fixtures, were so distinct. If I wasn’t also chasing a toddler and preschooler around, I imagine I could have spent a whole day there spying every intricate detail.

Even with little kids, Pena Palace is a marvel, and draws crowds of locals and tourists alike every year to walk its majestic grounds. No trip to Portugal is complete without a visit to this iconic castle.

Pena Palace is located in Sintra, a short 30-minute drive from Lisbon, atop lush hills that give it a view all the way out to the ocean. The castle is part of a National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

There were only a few other families with young kids at the National Park Palace of Pena when we visited. Here are nine tips to help you get there with your kids:

Trip Purpose

Spend a day in Sintra to visit the National Palace of Pena during our family's first trip to Lisbon

DESTINATION: Sintra, Portugal

AGE OF OUR KIDS: 2 years; 5 years

LENGTH OF STAY: 4-8+ hours

TIME OF YEAR: December

Before you go

The trip to Sintra from Lisbon is about 30 minutes by car or one hour by train. Click here for train times and to purchase tickets.
There is a free shuttle that transports visitors from the Sintra train station to the city’s historic center. From there you can catch a cab or bus to Pena Palace. Altogether, budget about 90 minutes to get from Lisbon to Pena Palace by public transport.
Parking is limited along the one-way road through the park and in the few tiny parking lots nearby.
View the map to get your bearings.

What we packed

Standard diaper bag essentials
Comfortable shoes, clothes, sunscreen, and hats
Baby carrier
Camera
Princess dresses

BASE COST

Tickets: Free for children 5 and under, 12,5€ for children ages 6-17 and seniors, and14€ for adults

Add-ons

2,85€/per person >6 years old for a round trip shuttle ride from the entrance of the park to the palace
1,09€ to rent an audio guide
Food from the café
Taxi ride

9 Tips for Visiting Pena Palace with Your Family

1. Buy your tickets in advance

About 400 people are allowed to enter Pena Park every 30 minutes, and tickets can sell out. Tour buses full of tourists come and line up to purchase tickets, creating a long queue to enter that your kiddos will not be happy to wait in. Avoid the queue, and buy your tickets here.

Tickets to the palace and park were free for children under six years of age, 12,5€ for children ages 6-17 and seniors, and 14€ for adults.

Tickets are cheaper if you want to skip the palace and just visit the park grounds.

Then, consider purchasing a shuttle ticket from the palace grounds entrance to the palace.

2. Research the ticket options before you buy

~30 minutes

You must decide first what you want to do and what your family will be able to handle before you purchase your tickets.

Purchase a ticket to enter the National Park to gain access to the palace grounds and miles of trails.

Entrance to the palace is a separate ticket that combines entrance to the National Park and palace for one fee. You cannot purchase a ticket to enter the palace alone.

Don’t be like us and purchase a ticket that only gives you entrance to the grounds, then walk uphill to find the palace, wait in line at the palace to enter, only to be told you could not enter because you did not buy the palace tour ticket—meaning you would need to bring your family back down the hill to wait in line to buy another ticket and start the process all over again.

3. Be prepared to walk a lot

The nearest parking lot is a five-minute walk from the entrance.

Once inside the park, it is about a thirty-minute walk uphill to reach the palace itself, followed by an hour or so of walking around the castle, with all of its rooms, floors, and balconies. After we finished exploring the castle, we were drawn to walk to see other structures and gardens in the park.

It was a lot of walking, so bring snacks for the kids to keep them moving, wear comfortable clothes and shoes, and have a positive attitude.

4. Find the special entry lane for families with young children

The majority of activities in Portugal offer a special entrance lane for people with kids ages two and under.

When we arrived at the palace entrance and began to join the queue, a few National Park staff approached me and asked how old my toddler was. Upon hearing her age, they shooed us to the exit lane which allowed us to bypass a line of almost 100 people snaking up the road to the palace.

I felt like royalty.

5. Bring a child carrier and keep a close eye on your kids

Strollers are not allowed in the palace.

As we entered the palace itself, we were herded down a flight of stairs to follow a self-guided tour, leading us from room to room to see the entire castle. The walk was lined with ropes to keep visitors on a specific path, preventing them from turning around and causing a traffic jam.

My toddler, however, insisted on walking when we entered the palace, and caused a major traffic jam due to her much slower toddle. Many tourists behind us were obviously impatient with our toddler’s pace, so I often had to wave them along or pick up my resistant toddler and carry her against her will to keep her moving.

Thank goodness I had a baby carrier to put her in when necessary.

6. Stop to enjoy the views from the palace

~30 min

There are turrets and towers to climb to see the surrounding hills and lands to the east. Try to find the crocodile statue jutting out of one of one of the towers.

Walk through King Triton’s gate to see the majestic courtyard, full of brilliant colors and picturesque archways with views of the west.

Stop to take pictures; it will be worth it.

7. Explore the palace grounds

~1 hour

The palace grounds are made up of 500 acres of gardens, forest, fountains, and buildings. We had fun following random trails, seeing what waited around each tree-lined corner, and running down some of the steep roads.

8. Grab a bite to eat at Pena Palace

~30 min

The on-site restaurant served cafeteria-style warm food indoors, which was a wonderful surprise for my family on the cold winter day of our visit. I would have opted for a quick meal at the café on the patio if my cold children and I weren’t looking for a reprieve from the chilly winter winds.

Since it was cold outside, our family was happy to enjoy the mediocre but warm food, and the uncharacteristically bland space. The bathrooms, however, were top notch! Clean, spacious, and line-free. Priceless.

If the weather was warmer, I would have opted for a picnic!

9. Consider a side trip to the Moorish Castle

~2 hours

If you still have energy after walking around Pena Palace all day, consider adding a side trip to the Moorish castle, just a ten-minute walk from outside the entrance to Pena Palace.

You will probably notice the ancient castle perched atop the hill just north of Pena Palace – it is hard to miss!

Buy your tickets for the Moorish Castle at this castle’s entrance and plan to spend 1-2 hours walking around the grounds. Read our blog to find out more about adding this castle to your Sintra trip.

Pena Palace was as beautiful as my coffee table book said. The history was interesting too, and the many phases of this seemingly modern palace made me curious about the Portuguese Revolution of 1910 that caused the palace to be abandoned by its royal owners.

Although I enjoyed visiting Pena Palace with my family, it was a challenging activity for my two- and five-year-old children. Although the staff were friendly, and my kids enjoyed the gardens and elements of the castle, it still felt challenging to keep up with the speed and pace of the rest of the tourists flowing through the castle tour.

Also, the castle grounds were so big and hilly, which made it difficult for our kids to walk the entire day on their own. This activity was not designed with kids in mind – they had to walk miles, at an adult’s pace, while being quiet, and were not allowed to touch or play with anything. It worked out fine, but if I were to do it again, I would not have gone into the palace itself and just enjoyed the palace grounds.

But, it is so hard to travel to places like this and not do the most popular activities, isn’t it?

Have you had to make a decision to not see a popular historic site or tourist activity because it wasn’t kid-friendly or would be extra difficult with kids in tow? Share in the comments below.

This post is part of a series of posts about visiting Portugal with kids. Continue the adventure with us here:

How to visit Quinta da Regaleira with kids

Our favorite activities in Sintra with Kids

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Angel

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Puerto Rican & Indigenous mama of two. Bay Area native. Salsa dancer. Backpacker. Doula. Angel (she/her/hers) is a co-founding member of the Beautiful Brown Adventures team. She has traveled to over 30 countries and loves to explore the world with her two daughters & partner - one ice cream shop at a time.