When checking out and reviewing the palaces we could check out in Sintra, I didn't really see too…read moremany people talking about Monserrate Palace. I looked at pictures online and the architecture looked pretty nice, so I decided that it was worth seeing while we were here - a decision that I'm glad I made. After visiting Regaleira in the morning, we took an Uber here. You can also take the bus but we were on a time crunch and decided an Uber was pretty worth it. It's honestly not that expensive so I'd even recommend that option. This palace is pretty far from the rest of the mainstream castles and palaces like Pena, Moorish, and Regaleira so a bus would definitely take some time. We had already pre-purchased our tickets online so they scanned it from our phones and off we went. Even thought the line for buying tickets was nonexistent there, I totally recommend doing this as you get a small discount from buying online beforehand. We headed straight for the palace. It truly is one of the underrated palaces. It's no Moorish Castle as it's not big nor grand, but it's quaint and charming in its own way. There's way less people here so it's not as chaotic, and you could take nice pictures. It has a beautiful hallway, and I absolutely love the ceilings. Always remember to look up at these types of structures because the ceilings may surprise you with beautiful designs. Aside from the palace, the garden is also nice to walk around for a bit. Again, I like how quiet and peaceful it was compared to the other castles and palaces. It felt serene to walk around the park. The lawns were so green and lush. There were a few ponds as well as mini waterfalls. Although, the gardens are definitely skippable if you're on a time crunch. I don't think it's an absolute must-see, but if you have the time, I would definitely recommend a stop at this palace. As a tourist, you're only here once right?

Wow While the…read morepalace was amazing, the gardens were spectacular. Definitely a must see when in the area. When we come back, we will come back to this as well. Definitely one of the reasons people fall in love with Lisbon

What a lovely respite in the middle of Belém. Quiet. Huge. Interesting collection of trees and…read moreplants. Inexpensive. And the biggest flock of peacocks either of us has ever seen. Dozens of them. If there was a small restaurant or even a coffee shop, the aJardim Botânico Tropical would be heaven. Note: you can reenter with same ticket.

We didn't plan to visit this tropical garden in the Belem area because we had limited time and…read morethere are so many nice places to go. But we couldn't resist it because the garden staff was so warm and welcoming. I am not only talking about the regular staff at the ticket kiosk who answered our questions patiently, but also the animal staff. When we passed by the entrance, several bird staff came up and walked around us cheerfully and kept talking. I couldn't understand their language but by the way they spoke, I felt very welcomed and would feel bad if not following them to enter. Soon in the garden, the kitty staff ran a long way towards me enthusiastically and offer himself for touching. He also accompanied us to walk around for a long way until he had to stop to poo. No worries, we understand that you have your own business to mind and thanks for your company! It's a very beautiful garden with a variety of tropical plants and the garden map illustrates where they are. This garden is also very big and if you have limited time in this neighborhood, the Ajuda garden up to the hill is also a great choice as it has a lot of exotic plants especially with a variety of smells and the garden is specially designed for blind people to enjoy.

This is a beautiful castle and the walk up from the historic city center was easy, beautiful, and…read moreworth it! Walking the ramparts of this ancient castle, which you can see from anywhere you are in Sintra, is a must do. My husband is afraid of heights and he was not overly excited about walking the castle because it is pretty sketchy - there aren't guard rails to prevent falling off. Views of the town of Sintra and the Pena Palace are stunning. Absolutely worth the visit.

The Castelo dos Mouros (Castle of the Moors) is a set of open-air castle ruins on a hilltop. Most…read moreof the visit experience consists of climbing up and down stone steps and walking along castle walls. It unexpectedly rained during most of my visit, even though the skies were clear earlier in the day, and even directly after my visit. The height, occasional lack of guard rails, light-to-medium rain, and mist flowing uphill all combined in some places to create an eery mystique, not easily expressed through photos. However, there were moments when the mist and clouds cleared to show spectacular broad views of the town and countryside below. Make sure you wear sturdy shoes with grip, as most surfaces are cobblestone. Consider bringing a hooded jacket, wide-brim hat, or umbrella in case of rain or excessive sun. The only structure with a roof, other than the ticket office and restrooms, is the church (Ingreja de São Pedro de Canaferrim) building. I took the 434 bus to and from the castle due to rain, but might have walked from town otherwise. The 434 bus has USB-A plugs that can slow-charge one's electronics.

We booked to stay at a hotel nearby, and when I saw the words Parque das Nações, I presumed, not…read moreincorrectly, that it means national park. So I was looking for a big swath of greenery and dense wood... and found none. After my Yelp check in, I learned that this used to be an expo location that has been converted to an urban open space for people to chill. It's a nice spot actually, you can walk along the river and enjoy some nice views, although my husband's plan of a daily morning run never materialized, as all the walking in Lisbon took a toll on the legs. Nonetheless, the view is beautiful, and the sculptures along the walk are intriguing. There are plenty of restaurants, as well as some structures that look like concert halls, and at one end there is the shopping center.

Lisboa is known for its old-world charm that is apparent all throughout the city yet this area is…read morenew to the northeastern part of the city and while it's not a green park, it's also not to be skipped. Overlooking the water, it's an open area surrounded by flag staffs and concrete pavers leading to the bay. It's right next to the Vasco Gama Center which has a lot of foot traffic resembling a metropolitan skyscraper-filed zone with plenty of city appeal. If you're looking to hug a tree, you should look elsewhere. If you're into open areas where people can gather and stroll around, this might be your spot. My feet were on fire from climbing all those hills up and down all day so I was actually thrilled to see flat terrain for once...and so were my feet. There's nice sculptures and fresh breeze to soak in while overlooking the boasting new metropolis in Lisboa.

Came in on the recommendation of somebody I met, and boy am I glad I did! This place is…read morefascinating! Interpretation is in several languages. Given how important this type of mode of transportation was earlier, it was just fascinating to see all this in one place. And the coaches of the royalty... So beautiful!

A wonderful chance to see magnificent coaches from over the centuries. Advance ticket sales, skip…read morethe line, are available online. We did not encounter long lines, but it certainly made entry very easy. Purchase of the audio tour was a good addition as it's used through a free phone app and your own headset. A wonderful representation of evolution of coaches, and certainly one of the larger collections in the world. We found this stop wonderful and pleasantly not crowded. You can complete the tour in two hours or less. Convenient facilities, including snacks and of course a souvenir shop are available. A highly recommended stop along the hop on hop off bus line that takes you around key locations in Lisbon.

This had to be one of the highlights of our visit to Portugal. Ironically, this was not on our…read moreoriginal itinerary. We planned to see a castle farther north, but there were wildfires that had the roads closed to get there. The Palace is extraordinary and so well kept up. The grounds were extraordinary. The gardens were lovely. But the interior was magnificent. The palace was built in the 17th century and was spared from the earthquake that destroyed much of this area of the county. So much is still original, and what needed to be has been restored. I particularly liked the ballroom and the various bedrooms. The ceilings were very nice in some of the palace. Overall, it was an awesome experience.

Ever felt catfish by online photos? I felt that. I really enjoyed the outdoors but felt like the…read moretime spent here could have gone to another site. I would skip it and would have spent more time inside Quinta

The best part of this experience was walking alongside the water as a cool breeze was blowing and…read moretaking in the beautiful architecture of the building and gazing at the bridge and surrounding landmarks. Once inside I was bewildered by the scarcity of the "Art". And it somehow got much worse when I visited the galleries. I'm baffled that there is any cost to this attraction let alone 15 Euros and the cafe was no better. Wish I had read the reviews first. Definitely left completely bummed out. However the persons working the front desk were super kind and helpful and for that, they deserve all the stars.

Five stars for the beautiful exterior and delightful patio overlooking river Tejo. Nice place to…read moreenjoy views of the 25 of April Bridge. There is also a nice fluorescent installation right on the river and when we visited recently there was some performance art happening outside. All this is free and open to the public. There are also often vendors selling ice cream etc. To see inside, you pay 15€ per person for non- residents of Portugal, which is ridiculous for what it is, IMO. This museum is interesting from a technology/ architecture perspective and anyone who likes steampunk or industrial art would appreciate it. The exhibit on climate change and the exhibits of the history of the former steam power station and its workings were interesting. However what they are displaying as "art" is beyond subpar in my view. I am a fan of contemporary art also visited the museum of contemporary art which has infinitely superior art. The "art" here was very amateurish at best and disgusting at worst. One exhibit featured gross depictions of overweight old women and traumatic scenes of childbirth. IMO this museum would do better just focusing on science, technology and architecture and just get rid of the so called art. The person who commented below about inappropriate themes is also correct in that we saw depictions of pedophilia in the "art" section of the museum, which was rather disturbing, especially as there were families with small children touring. If you don't mind paying 15€ for the science and architecture aspect of this place it's okay. Skip the "art".

We've been in Lisbon for several weeks, and have by-passed this garden a number of times while…read morewalking to various surrounding eateries in the neighborhood; but, always there's been a line to get in, so we've never stopped. Well, as we close-out 2024, and with this being a slow Monday for us, we decided to give it a try. We arrived at the Jardim Botânica da Universidade de Lisboa--that's a mouthful!--at around 10:00 am, and there was no line. YAY!!! The entry fee of $5 per adult seemed very reasonable (we didn't do the adjoining natural museum next door). I'll start by saying that one needs an open-mind coming here, without too much expectation, because you're not gonna get some kind of spectacularly verdant tropical oasis (especially at this time of year with most deciduous trees having already shed its leaves). What you will get for your 5-bucks is a peaceful oasis amidst the bustling Príncipe Real, especially along the hubbub and trolley clatter that's Rua da Escola Politecnica. No doubt, on a busy day, perhaps it's not quite so peaceful with tourists and kids clammering about; however, on this particular day, it was very peaceful, very calming. If I lived nearby, I'd certainly pay $5 to find me a bench to do some reading, or perhaps people-watching. Yes, the garden does need some tending to; however, in a jam-packed city like Lisbon, any open space devoted to a garden or park gets two thumbs-up from me! And, too, it was really nice to see parrots doing their thing, and the sounds of birds, over nearby construction cranes and such. And, too, some of those trees were spectacularly ancient! The two Northern California sequoias were an awesome surprise!! The cactus garden held some REALLY old specimens, too! The Australian eucalyptus trees were also huge! Without doubt some of these trees are way long in the making and have been here for a VERY long time, indeed! Some areas were a bit unruly, but that's nature! The adjoining pathway gardens behind of the natural museum, which were separate from the main gardens, was a bit sad-looking and unkempt with nothing open; but, perhaps in the summertime it's more lively and appealing. Still, though, it made for a pleasant stroll to pass the time. Overall, despite some exhibits being closed and/or looking dismantled (the "Sensory Garden," for example), I'm still giving Lisbon's Botanical Gardens the full 5-stars just for being alive in a city that's compromising.... Muito obrigado!!! :D

I have seen a handful of botanical gardens in my day, and this one is not particularly spectacular…read more I would love to be able to say more about this place, but it was just not very interesting. There are signs saying what each plant or tree is, but there is no further information about them. There isn't much variation either, or if there is, it isn't apparent. The bed area up top was somewhat nondescript, though there is a fountain. The greenhouse had a special display of plants from the time of dinosaurs, but it wasn't set up to be particularly enthralling. Moving down the hill you come across more trees, a succulent garden, and what is supposed to be a couple of ponds. We were there in May and they were empty. The butterfly house was also closed. It's a nice green area, but the images that come to mind when I think of a botanical garden do not fit what is here, which is really just a glorified shady park-like area. Luckily the entrance fee of €2 per adult is not terrible, so see it if you want. But my tip would be to check out the dozens of other beautiful (and free!) parks throughout Lisbon ahead of this one.