Monserrate or Pena? Do both — and here is how they differ
The two tickets
| Ticket | Price | What it covers | Ratings on the platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monserrate | €12 | The palace and the park, on one admission | 1,428 |
| Pena, park | €12 | The park, the terraces and the Chalet of the Countess of Edla | 20,963 |
| Pena, park and palace | €20 | The palace interior, on a timed slot | — |
Those are Parques de Sintra’s own rates for both monuments. At Monserrate there is no park-only tier to choose by mistake. At Pena, the listing on the platform is the park ticket: the park, the terraces and the Chalet of the Countess of Edla, with the palace interior as the operator’s dearer product on a timed slot with no tolerance for a late arrival. Decide which Pena you want before you book it, and book the slot for the morning.
Every Sintra ticket on this site, side by side
Five of these six are Parques de Sintra monuments on one ticket line — a fast-track ticket and a free app audio guide in Portuguese, English, Spanish and French — so one download covers the lot. Regaleira is privately run and looks different for that reason.
| Monument | On the platform | What the listing covers | Ratings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monserrate Palace and Park | €12 | The palace and the park | 1,428 |
| Pena Palace and Park | €12 | The park; the palace interior is priced separately | 20,963 |
| Castle of the Moors | €12 | The castle | 3,457 |
| National Palace of Sintra | €13 | The palace and gardens | 1,306 |
| Quinta da Regaleira | €27 | The estate, privately run | 4,776 |
| Queluz National Palace | €6 | The palace and gardens | 557 |
How to do both in a day
Pena first, because the palace interior runs on a slot and the crowds build through the morning. Then the train-and-bus, or the day trip, to Monserrate for the afternoon: the park is open until 19:00 and the palace until 18:00 with the last ticket at 17:00, and there is no slot to make. One listing on the platform puts a clock on the Monserrate visit — entry and about an hour and a quarter from midday, then Regaleira from three — and that is a fair shape for a full day with both palaces in it. How long you need, and what else fits.
If you would rather be driven, the busiest day trip that calls at Monserrate does exactly this pairing: a small-group van from Lisbon with an expert guide at Pena and at Monserrate and free time in Sintra, with the two gate fees paid on the day. Every day that calls here.
And the Castle of the Moors?
The third name in the same breath, and on the same ticket line: the Castle of the Moors shows the same price as Monserrate on the platform, carries 4.6 from 3,457 ratings, and is the walk along the walls above the town that is in every Sintra photograph. It is a different kind of visit from either palace — ramparts and views rather than rooms and a garden — and it fits a Pena morning naturally, since the two are neighbours on the hill.
Palace and park, fast-trackSintra: Monserrate Palace & Park Ticket
Do both: Pena’s ticketSintra: Pena Palace and Park Entrance Ticket
Same ticket line: the MoorsSintra: Castle of the Moors Skip-the-Line Ticket
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Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Monserrate or Pena?
They are different visits rather than better and worse, and most people do both. At Monserrate one ticket covers the palace and the park; at Pena the park and the palace interior are priced separately, with the interior on a timed slot. Pena is the famous, busy building; Monserrate is the quiet garden. Pena in the morning and Monserrate after lunch is the day that works.
Which is better, the Moorish Castle or Monserrate Palace?
Different kinds of visit. The Castle of the Moors is ramparts and views above the town, on the same ticket line at the same price; Monserrate is a palace and a park. The castle pairs naturally with a Pena morning; Monserrate takes the afternoon.
Do Sintra day trips include Monserrate?
Six days out of Lisbon on this site call at Monserrate, and two of them include the ticket. The classic Sintra circuit — Pena, Regaleira, Cabo da Roca and Cascais — is a first day; Monserrate is the second, or the afternoon after Pena.
Is Pena’s ticket price for the palace or the park?
At the operator’s own rates the lower figure at Pena is the park; the palace interior is the dearer ticket on a timed slot. Check which option you are buying before you pay. At Monserrate one ticket covers both.