Take a short trip from Lisbon to discover the National Palace of Queluz and its historical gardens. Escape the hustle of the city, just 12 km from Lisbon, and relax in this picturesque setting. Benefit from a skip-the-line ticket, heading straight in on arrival.

Explore the Palácio de Queluz which was once a hunting lodge, converted in the late 1700s to a royal summer residence. See the evolution of the Court’s tastes through 18th and 19th centuries, seeing evidence of Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassicism. Wander through the surrounding queen-of-hearts formal gardens, with oak-lined avenues, fountains and an azulejo-lined canal where the royals went boating.

Discover the complicated family history with a scheming Spanish daughter-in-law and eccentric British visitors. Imagine the splendour of the royals in this palace as you walk through the gilded, mirror-lined Throne Room and Pedro IV’s bedroom where he slept under a circular ceiling, surrounded by Don Quixote murals.

Enjoy a break and a delicious meal in the palace’s vast kitchens, that is now house a palatial restaurant, the elegant Cozinha Velha, where you can feast on original palace recipes such as the steamed Dover sole.