Castle entry costs €12 without a timed slot
Standard Moorish Castle entry costs €12 per adult? and covers the walls and archaeological remains?. There’s no timed slot: the ticket carries a visit date and permits entry during opening hours?. If you also want Pena’s rooms, my advice is to reserve Pena’s slot first and buy both tickets together.
The standard ticket covers the walls
The €12 entry ticket? covers the walls and the Interpretation Centre for an independent visit. A guided visit suits you if you want the history explained along the way.
| Visitor | Castle entry | Guided castle visit | Pena Trail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | €12? | €17? | €35? |
| Youth | €10? | €15? | €25? |
| Senior | €10? | €15? | €30? |
| Family | €33? | €53? | €115? |
Prices updated Oct 13, 2026??
For standard entry, the adult age band is 18 to 64? and the youth band is 6 to 17?. The senior rate starts at 65+?.
Children under 6 enter free?. The family tariff covers two adults and two youths, provided everyone belongs to the same household?.
The guided visit lasts 1 hour? in Portuguese or English and includes castle entry. Each booking is for a scheduled departure, with the group meeting at the outer entrance beside the road?.
The Pena Trail starts at the National Palace of Sintra and passes through Vila Sassetti before reaching the castle. Entry covers the National Palace and the castle, then Pena’s park through the Lakes Entrance.
Pena’s rooms are excluded?. I’d choose this ticket if you want the uphill walking route, which takes about 3 hours?.
The Amigo annual passes include the castle for repeated visits and are sold at staffed ticket offices?.
The castle keeps one published timetable
The regular opening hours are 09:30 to 18:00?, with no separate summer or winter timetable in the published schedule.
| When | Time |
|---|---|
| Regular opening | 09:30 to 18:00? |
| Last ticket and entry | 17:30? |
| Staffed ticket office closed | 12:00 to 13:00? |
| 11 November 2026? | Closes 14:00?; last entry 13:00? |
The ticket machine remains available during the staffed office’s lunch closure?, so tickets remain on sale during that hour. Holiday closures are 24 and 25 December, plus 31 December and 1 January?.
Last entry leaves little time for the walls.
Buy direct online or at the entrance
The official adult ticket costs €12? online at bilheteira.parquesdesintra.pt, or at the castle’s staffed desk or machine. Other sellers are intermediaries.
The Parques de Sintra website leads to its own shop, where online purchase avoids the ticket office queue?. The ticket still needs a date.
The advance booking guide explains which other Sintra tickets require a reserved time as well as a visit date.
Buy Pena and the castle together for a discount
Buying standard castle entry and Pena Essential together costs €30.40 per adult? when both tickets are in the same purchase. If you want the interior, the Pena ticket needs to include the rooms.
The reduction rises with the number of sites: 5% for two?, 6% for three?, 7% for four?, 8% for five? and 10% for six?. Regaleira is outside this scheme.
My allowance for the walk between the two gates is about 10 minutes?, plus 1 to 1.5 hours? for the castle visit.
With a morning Pena slot, I’d put the palace first so you don’t have to fit the castle in beforehand. With a later slot, the castle can come first if you leave 30 minutes from Pena’s park gate to its palace door?.
Residents and disabled visitors get reductions
The disability discount reduces castle entry by 50%?, with free entry for a companion when you bring supporting documentation?.
Portugal residents enter free on Sundays and national public holidays, with tickets issued at the staffed desk. You’ll need a Portuguese Citizen Card, or identification plus accepted residence documentation?, to collect the resident ticket.
The machine can’t issue it.
Online tickets can be changed before the visit
Online tickets can be moved until 18:00 on the previous day?, within 365 days of the original visit date?. Changes require the invoice number and email address used for the purchase.
Desk and machine tickets can’t be rescheduled?.
Strong wind can close the castle. The current Avisos on the Parques de Sintra website are the notices to check before you travel uphill?.
An extraordinary closure allows you to request a refund with your ticket and invoice?. You can follow the contact instructions in the FAQs or use the form on the closure notice?.
Questions
What are the best ways to buy tickets for the Moorish Castle and Pena Palace in Sintra?
The official shop at bilheteira.parquesdesintra.pt applies the multi-monument discount when both tickets are bought in the same purchase. Pena’s palace slot is the one to choose first because the castle only needs a visit date. The castle visit can then fit around Pena. Castle entry is also sold at the entrance, while buying online avoids the ticket office queue.
Can I get a combined ticket for both the Moorish Castle and Pena Palace?
Yes, the castle ticket and Pena’s Essential ticket bought together cost €30.40 per adult instead of €32, with the 5% reduction. Pena’s rooms and park are included. The separate €35 Pena Trail includes the castle and Pena’s park, with the National Palace of Sintra, but excludes Pena’s rooms.
Are there guided tours available for the Moorish Castle and Pena Palace in Sintra?
Yes, the official castle guided visit costs €17 per adult for 1 hour in Portuguese or English, with entry included. Its date and time are booked separately from Pena. Ó turista’s Private Tour includes both tickets from €110 per adult, with the Pena interior self-guided. Van Go Tourism includes guided visits inside both monuments.
How do I buy tickets for the Moorish Castle and Quinta da Regaleira?
The official ticket offices are separate: bilheteira.parquesdesintra.pt for the castle and regaleira.byblueticket.pt for Quinta da Regaleira. The ticket link on regaleira.pt leads directly to Regaleira’s shop. Regaleira is run by Fundação Cultursintra, so it falls outside the Parques de Sintra multi-monument discount. The castle visit can fit around the date and time selected for Regaleira.
How much are Moorish Castle tickets?
Standard entry costs €12 for adults aged 18 to 64, while ages 6 to 17 and visitors aged 65 or over pay €10. Children under 6 enter free. The €33 family ticket covers two adults and two youths, provided everyone belongs to the same household. The official guided visit costs €17 per adult, including entry to the castle.
Do I need to book Moorish Castle tickets in advance?
Standard entry has no timed slot, with tickets available at the castle as well as online for the chosen date. Buying online suits you if you want to avoid the ticket office or buy Pena and the castle together for a discount. The official guided visit has scheduled departures. You choose a time when booking that visit.
Can I change or get a refund for Moorish Castle tickets?
Online tickets can be rescheduled until 18:00 on the day before the visit, within 365 days of the original visit date. Tickets from the staffed desk or machine can’t be rescheduled. If an extraordinary closure affects your visit, you can request a refund with your ticket and invoice. Parques de Sintra’s notices are the place to check before you travel uphill in strong wind.
Official sources: Parques de Sintra, Horários e Preços · Parques de Sintra, official Moorish Castle ticket office · Parques de Sintra, FAQs and ticket conditions
