In shortTwo timetables apply on the hill. The interior admits visitors from 09:30 and shuts its route at 18:30, with the ticket desk stopping at 17:30 and the final admission at 18:00. Around it the park works to a wider window, 09:00 to 19:00, where 18:00 is both the last sale and the last entry. Only four dates in the year fall outside that schedule: 24 and 25 December, 31 December and 1 January.
09:00-19:00Pena Park hours
09:30-18:30Palace interior hours
18:00Last admission, both
30 minMain gate to palace door
Pena Palace hours and Pena Park opening times
The Park of Pena opens at 09:00 and closes at 19:00. The palace interior opens at 09:30 and closes at 18:30, an hour later at the start of the day and an hour earlier at the end. There is one schedule, used all year, with no summer and winter switch on the official times.
That hour at each end is the whole shape of a Pena day. Arrive at 09:00 and you are in 85 hectares of park with the palace still shut. Come out of the interior at closing and the grounds are still yours for a while, which is when the terraced views from the park paths are least crowded.
Times do get changed by weather and works, so confirm them on the official notices the day before you travel.
| Park of Pena | Palace interior |
|---|
| Opens | 09:00 | 09:30 |
|---|
| Closes | 19:00 | 18:30 |
|---|
| Last ticket | 18:00 | 17:30 |
|---|
| Last admission | 18:00 | 18:00 |
|---|
Pena Palace last admission and the end of the day
For the palace, the last ticket is sold at 17:30 and the last admission is at 18:00, half an hour before the route closes at 18:30. For the park, last ticket and last admission are both 18:00, a full hour before the gates shut at 19:00.
Interior admission is tied to one exact date and time. You cannot go in before your slot, and there is no grace period if you are late, which is covered in detail on the timed-entry page of this site. An 18:00 admission is a real admission, not a token one, but it leaves nothing spare if the bus up is full or the climb takes longer than you planned.
One more clock inside the park: the Chalet of the Countess of Edla stops admitting visitors at 17:00 and closes at 17:30, so an afternoon built around a late palace slot will not fit the chalet in as well.
Sintra and Cascais in one day
Eight hours with a local guide and the Pena tickets included on the right option, which removes the one thing the opening hours cannot forgive: arriving at the door without a valid slot.
★ 4.8/5 · 8,054 reviews
Why the park gate and the palace door are half an hour apart
That half hour on the timetable matches the climb: the official site puts the main entrance about 30 minutes below the start of the palace route, and the figure is the same on foot or on the paid transfer, which comes round every 15 minutes. The how-long page sets out what the rest of the visit costs you in time once you are up there.
With an early slot that gap works in your favour. Be inside the gate at 09:00 for a 09:30 interior time and the walk up is the visit, not a rush: the Valley of the Lakes and the paths below the terraces are at their quietest before the first coaches reach the hill. Bus 434 has its first departure of the day at 08:50 and runs roughly every ten minutes from then.
A late slot gives you the same 30 minutes with none of the margin. If you book after 16:30 you are climbing against the clock, and the last 434 leaves the Pena stop around 19:00. The climb page explains what the approach actually involves, including the final 90 metres from the transfer stop at gradients of up to 18%.
Wind, closures and the four days the hill is shut
Four dates sit outside the schedule above: 24 and 25 December, 31 December and 1 January. Those four dates catch people out more often than anything else in the calendar.
Strong wind is the other thing that moves the hours. In high wind the park can be closed to circulation while the palace stays reachable only by the transfer bus, so the outdoor half of the visit disappears and the interior slot survives. Trees come down in these hills, so the paths close first and the transfer becomes the only way up to the door.
The 19:00 closure also caps evening photography: on any date when the sun goes down after 19:00, you will be off the hill before it happens. Plan evening light somewhere else in Sintra.
- Closed: 24 December, 25 December, 31 December, 1 January
- High wind: park paths can be closed, palace reached only by the transfer
- Sunsets after 19:00 fall outside park hours
Tours timed to the palace day
Pick the part of the day you want to be on the hill, then pick the departure that lands you there. Both tours listed here leave Lisbon in the morning and give you the hilltop well inside the palace clock.
The Sintra-Cascais-Pena Palace 8-People Small Group Tour from Lisbon is the one timed to the start of the day. It meets at 8:00 AM at Avenida da Liberdade 9, a minute from Restauradores metro, runs 9 hours with a maximum of 8 people, a local guide and driver, and includes the Park and/or Palace of Pena entrance fee if you choose that option. From €47, 4.9 ★ (1975 reviews), English only, free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
The Sintra and Cascais Small-Group Day Trip from Lisbon fills the same opening hours with more ground: 8 hours, air-conditioned minivan, local expert guide, meeting point in front of the Hard Rock Cafe. Pena Palace and Park tickets come with some options and not with others, and the no-tickets option carries a warning that same-day palace tickets may be limited or unavailable. From €49, 4.8 ★ (8054 reviews), free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
For a morning on the hill with the interior slot handled, take the 9-hour small group at €47 and select the entrance option when you book. If you want Cascais in the same day and the coast matters as much as the palace, the 8-hour day trip at €49 is the one, again with the ticket option selected rather than left open.
Questions people ask
Can I stay in Pena Park after the palace closes?
Yes. The interior route closes at 18:30 but the park stays open until 19:00. You cannot enter the park after 18:00, so this only works if you are already inside.
Are the opening hours different in summer and winter?
The official times are the same all year: park 09:00 to 19:00, palace 09:30 to 18:30. Weather and maintenance can change access on the day, so check the official notices before you travel.
What is the earliest I can be at the palace door?
The park gate opens at 09:00 and the palace at 09:30. Allow about 30 minutes from the main entrance to the start of the interior route, so a 09:00 arrival at the gate lines up with the first interior slot. Bus 434 makes its first departure at 08:50.
Does the Chalet of the Countess of Edla follow the same hours?
No. The chalet admits visitors until 17:00 and closes at 17:30, earlier than both the palace and the park. The park entrance nearest it also closes from 12:00 to 14:00, with the other entrances still in use.
Is Pena open on public holidays?
Yes, on all of them. The only closures in the year are 24 and 25 December, 31 December and 1 January. Public holidays tend to be among the busiest days on the hill, so an early slot matters more than usual.
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