Arriving in Lisbon 2 days before tour begins - should we go to Sintra to the Pena Palace?

Pena is quite different and IMO, not in a good way. It’s not really historic like the ones you mention. The inside was quite disappointing to me. It’s a bit gaudy, painted in very bright colors. But, it is very unique and some people love it.

I much prefer Montserrat to Pena. It’s quite Morrish and very lovely. And, the big draw is fewer crowds. Pena is quite a challenge because of the huge numbers of tourists. Monserrat is a bit out of town and much quieter.

I’m pretty certain you will get responses that are the opposite of mine. I’m not a huge fan of Sintra, and mostly due to the crowds.

It’s difficult for me to answer these “must see” questions (of which “not to be missed” is a variation); I find that the real issue is usually whether a given visitor will be able to appreciate a place. I didn’t visit Sintra on my one trip (so far) to Lisbon, but I know very well what’s there — mostly grand fairly-tale palaces for effete nineteenth-century aristocrats, as well as huge tourist mobs much of the time. Neither phenomenon is of much interest to me, though for those many tourists whose travels center around Grand Visual Spectacles, I’m sure Sintra is very worth-while.

But there are alternative ways to spend your short time in Lisbon. Tourists more like me (though you may not be one of them) might want to get pleasantly lost among the narrow streets of Lisbon’s medieval Alfama district, among which there are several historically interesting sights; and which if followed uphill will take you to the St. George Castle, from where you get great views over the entire city. Or in the central Chiado district, check out the classic A Brasileira Café, where the acclaimed poet Fernando Pessoa was accustomed to hang out. I found a visit to the ruins of the Carmo convent, along with the associated museum and a stroll around the neighborhood, to be very pleasant. For the earlier Manueline Architecture, and a dose of Age-of-Discovery history (and, I'll add, Pessoa's tomb), consider a day trip out to Belém.

I love Disney and Pena Palace is Disneyesque, so I really liked it. My favorite thing in Lisbon (I went twice) is the Aquarium.

We just got back from Lisbon four days ago. A day trip to Sintra is worth it - very pretty town - but we decided to skip Pena Palace given all the negative reviews on line. We did take the hop on, hop off bus and went to the Moorish Castle partway. Back in Sintra we decided to go into the National Palace and enjoyed ourselves as we wandered through the rooms. No crowds, reasonable entrance fee and interesting features. Be prepared for lots of hills and cobblestones in much of Portugal so perhaps your day might be better spent overcoming jetlag in Lisbon.

Sintra is worth a day trip, but look into the details of Pena Palace. It is not like the grand palaces in other parts of Europe. We took the train for the day and went to the palace in town and the castle ruins. We did have time to see Pena as well but it wasn't the highlight. We enjoyed walking around Sintra and the restaurants. There are other day trips in the book that are probably not a part of the tour, so look into those as well.

We were just at the Pena Palace last week. We chose to buy tickets in advance for the Park of Pena and not the inside of the palace. We were able to bypass the long lines to the palace and walked left to see all of the outdoor terraces and walk the palace wall and go to the cafe. The views are wonderful.

We took an Uber from our hotel in Lisbon to the main gate of Pena Palace. Aim to arrive just before 9:00 am when it opens. We then got in a short line for the shuttle up to the palace which we had pre-purchased shuttle tickets to avoid the steep climb up.

Afterwards we took an Uber from the Pena Palace to Monserrate Palace. The exterior of Monserrate is currently covered and under reconstruction. We enjoyed the lovely gardens and cafe in the garden as well as the interior of the palace which has gorgeous intricate ornate ceilings and grillwork.

These sites are not as expansive as Versailles and other chateaus in France. Sintra is a lovely hilly forested area away from Lisbon.

Staying in Lisbon the day after arriving to get over jet lag would also be fine. We liked the Praca do Comercio square and Arch near the waterfront as well as the pedestrian street Rua Augusta. Wishing you a wonderful trip!

We arre on RS portugal tour now with our wonderful guide Maggi. We arrived 2days early. Took metro from Lisbon airport to Orient station. From there easy 45 min train ride to Sintra, less than 3euro each. Walked around corner to prebooked Chalet Saudade (in RS book). Lovely, convenient, 140euro per night. Nap.
Followed forum advise: 3:30-4pm, when less crowds,
Bought Pena Park Only (b/c inside under construction) and 24hr bus 434&435 tickets at little Cafe across from train station, about 5 shops to the left. Took 434 bus up and back, Pena, was beautiful and views amazing! Well worth it.
Next morning uber to Cascais, Walked promenade to Estirol, Uber back. Then bus 435 to Monserat (do not recommend at all, only a steep park walk, palace under construction in and ouside). Had timed ticket for next morning to Quinta da Regaleira (before our train to Lisbon) Regaleira is 20 min walk from train station area or 10min walk from downtown. Best attraction in Sintra!!. So much to see. Wish we had skipped Monserat and had more time to spend at Regaleria. I would recommend prebooking an afternoon ticket to Regaleira forday after you arrive.

Semi-local here, having lived in Portugal (45 minutes north of Lisbon) for almost 4 years now.

As others have noted, the Pena Palace is not particularly old, but it is quite photogenic. (Can anyone find a guidebook to Portugal that does not feature photos?) Sintra is also home to the Moorish Castle, a National Palace, Montserrate Palace and the Regaleira Estate (with its famous "well"). Spend some time on the internet to truly understand what is out there. We usually take visitors to Sintra at least one day.

While we have gone DIY (booking tickets, taking public transit - rail, etc.), We took a tuk-tuk to the Pena Palace, then walked to the Moorish Castle and then all the way down back to the train station. But one of the more enjoyable visits was by booking a day tour from Lisbon. But there are many of these available and a lot depends on what you want to see/do and what is actually included in the price, so look carefully. Do they pick you up at your hotel; if not, how close is the pick up to your accommodation? Are entry tickets included? Is entry to the interior of the particular sight included or just to the outside? One tour we took included a trip out to Cabo da Roca (westernmost point of continental Europe), with a stop for lunch (the seafood rice was great)!

Obviously, there is plenty to do in Lisbon and you may have jet lag, but Sintra's sights always come up for visitors to Portugal when recounting their trip.