The National Palace is the less visited of the 2 main attractions in Sintra, therefore much less crowded than the Pena Palace. We were able to enjoy the palace at a leisurely pace. The collection of art, tiles and ceramics was excellent and the reception room was spectacular. The other advantage is it's right in the center of town, so no long bus ride is necessary. Definitely worth the visit if you go to Sintra.

The tickets can be directly used at the entrance and it is very convenient. As it was a Monday of October, there was no one but it was anyway good to arrive with the tickets. The Palace in nice and interesting to learn about the habits and daily life of our ancestors

We used our tickets to visit this palace much later in the day when the crowds had dispersed which made for a much more enjoyable time, the palace is open until 19.00hrs (please check, there may be seasonal variations!) so visiting at 16.00 hrs allows ample time and there are frequent trains back to Lisbon late into the evening.