Is Sintra expensive? What things really cost in 2026
Short answer
Sintra is moderately priced, similar to central Lisbon for rooms and food: a budget day is about €96 per person and a mid-range day about €175. The big cost is palace tickets, which add up quickly if you try to see several in a day; food away from the palace streets is good value.
Daily budget: backpacker, mid-range, luxury
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | €40 | €80 | €170 |
| Food & drink | €25 | €45 | €80 |
| Sights & tickets | €25 | €35 | €50 |
| Local transport | €6 | €15 | €40 |
| Per person, per day | €96 | €175 | €340 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Sintra day-cost table.
What things cost
| Item | Typical price* |
|---|---|
| Train Lisbon Rossio–Sintra, one way | about €2–3 |
| Pena Palace and park | about €20 |
| Moorish Castle | about €12–14 |
| Quinta da Regaleira | about €15–20 |
| National Palace of Sintra | about €13 |
| Travesseiro or queijada at a pastry shop | a few euros |
| Set lunch (prato do dia) away from the palaces | about €10–14 |
| Old town hotel, double | about €110–200 |
* Approximate prices, October 2026. They change with season and exchange rates.
Where the money goes
Tickets are the main daily cost: Pena (about €20), Regaleira (€15–20), the Moorish Castle (€12–14), the National Palace (€13) and Monserrate (€12) add up to well over €70 if you see them all. Rooms near the station cost about €60–110 a double and in the old town €110–200. Food is reasonable away from the palace streets, and transport is cheap thanks to the train from Lisbon.
When it is cheaper
November to March is usually cheaper for rooms than summer, often by roughly 20–30%, and queues are much shorter, though palaces have shorter hours and it rains more.
How to spend less
- Pick two or three palaces rather than all five; Pena and Regaleira are the usual first choices.
- Take the train from Rossio with a rechargeable card instead of a tour.
- Walk between the old town, the National Palace and Regaleira, which are close together.
- Share a tuk-tuk or taxi up to Pena when the 434 bus queue is long.
- Eat lunch in São Pedro de Sintra or away from the palace streets for set menus at €10–14.
- Stay near the station for lower room prices and easy trains to Lisbon.
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Common questions
Is Sintra expensive?
Moderately: about €96 a day on a budget and about €175 mid-range. Palace tickets are the biggest cost.
How much are the palaces in Sintra?
Roughly €12–20 each: Pena about €20, Regaleira €15–20, the Moorish Castle €12–14, the National Palace €13.
How much is the train from Lisbon to Sintra?
About €2–3 one way from Rossio, around 40 minutes.