Everyone talks about going here first to avoid the crowds. I wondered if anyone had gone late in the day and how that worked out. We went to the castle in Edinburgh as soon as it opened but some colleagues of mine went later in the day and had fewer crowds than we did first thing.
I basically was thinking of reversing the itinerary to end at Peña Palace rather than begin there.
We will be there mid October on a week day.
Thoughts?
Here is a copy of a post I wrote in Sept 2022:
I visited the Pena Palace yesterday. The owner of the guest house where I am staying had recommended that I either book the very first time slot or the last time slot for Pena. I booked at 4:30 pm. 5pm would have been better. I agree that walking through the palace was not a pleasant experience. My queue was nowhere near as bad as you described, but it was still jammed pack and took just under an hour to get in and through the palace portion. I moved through the palace at a snail’s pace. Once you are in the palace it is virtually impossible to move any faster than the people ahead of you. While I had bought the audioguide and downloaded the cloudguide software, I gave up on it after listening to two of the descriptions.
I very much enjoyed the walk after I got out of the palace down through the gardens and past the “Valley of the Lakes”. I took a tuktuk to and from the palace and this was a far more enjoyable experience than riding the bus would have been.
I had gone to the Quinta da Regaleira in the morning and really enjoyed the gardens there. It was nowhere near as crowded as the Pena Palace.
Here is the entire thread:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/portugal/sintra-pena-palace-beware
Obviously, things can change and I hope your experience at Pena Palace is more enjoyable than mine was. I think the main reason the first time slot is suggested is that no one is in front of you.
I do see the problem. I had also read to not go inside but rather just enjoy the gardens and view from the outside. This strategy was based on the opinion that the time could be better spent elsewhere in Sintra. So maybe need to decide to see outside only if going later in the day. What you describe does not sound very enjoyable at all.
Beth, I will add that 2022 seemed to be a particularly bad year for crowds given all the post-pandemic travel. I think I was more sensitive to the crowds then; I was wearing a mask in crowded places and felt some sensory overload. I did enjoy seeing the terraces, but the Pena Palace was not the highlight of my stay in Sintra.
Laura,
What did you enjoy the most in Sintra?
Beth
I went to Pena Palace around 4 or 430 on a weekday, the first week of October, 2022.
As described above, the inside was miserable. I shuffled along behind the person in front of me for a couple of rooms and finally couldn't stand it. I squeezed and pardoned my way along the rest of the shuffling queue and got the heck out of there. I don't remember a single thing from inside the palace, other than the shuffling.
Once back outside, visiting the terraces and viewing the palace from the outside was much less crowded.
Same experience as the previous posters. We went late in the afternoon. Loved the colorful terraces and the views. Got fooled into changing my mind and touring the inside, because there was no line to speak of outside the entrance. But inside was a miserable, shuffling, single file line. Wish I’d stuck to my original plan of terraces only
Well, I am glad I asked. You all saved me a lot of frustration!!
Skip inside visit for Pena Palace.
Ground ticket actually covers 80 pct of terraces and 100 pct of the views and you don't need a timed ticket nor having to stand in lines
Hello,
I am visiting Sintra this summer with my family of four, including two young children (12 and 9). Reading through these posts, I am thinking that entry into Pena Palace isn't as exciting, or worth it, as it is to just view the palace from the outside and visit the gardens inside. I definitely do not want to torture my children with a massively long queue to get it, and then move like snails throughout.
Does anyone feel like they would echo my sentiment; pass on the interior tour and stay outside?
Many thanks!
Going in September and definitely skipping the inside of Pena. Would the outside gardens and terraces be less crowded first thing in the morning or later in the afternoon? Or is there no real difference?
