Evening primrose
Oenothera biennis
Its petals spring open in under a minute. Stand close at dusk and you can watch it happen.
- Scent
- Lemon and honey
- Night visitors
- Hawk moths
A botanical garden in the Sintra hills
Some flowers only open for the moon.
Nocturne is a garden that opens at sunset: four acres of moonflowers, scented paths and a glasshouse of rare night bloomers, lit only by lanterns and the sky.
Tonight at the garden
Why after dark
Most gardens close at dusk. Ours is just waking up.
Some plants save their best for the night. Pale petals glow in the moonlight, scent pours out after sunset, and moths arrive to do the work that bees do by day.
We planted a whole garden for that hour. No floodlights and no white torches: just lanterns at ankle height, a red lamp in your hand, and your eyes slowly adjusting until you can see everything.
- acres that wake up at sunset
- 4
- night-blooming species
- 120
- white lights on the paths
- 0
- closing time on full-moon nights
- 1am
Tonight's sky
Plan your night by the moon.
No two nights here are alike. Slide through the coming month to see the moon over the garden, when the gates open and what is running each night.
The bloom clock
Tonight's flowers, minute by minute.
Night bloomers keep time by the light. As the sun goes down they open one after another, so the clock below shifts with every sunset. These are tonight's times.
Live from the garden
Reading tonight's sunset...
--:--
Sunset + 15 min
--:--
Sunset + 40 min
Moonflower
Ipomoea alba
Spiralled buds untwist into white saucers you can see from across the garden. Each flower lasts a single night.
- Scent
- Sweet clove
- Night visitors
- Sphinx moths
--:--
Sunset + 90 min
Night-blooming jasmine
Cestrum nocturnum
Tiny green-white flowers with an enormous scent. You will smell the Fragrance Walk long before you reach it.
- Scent
- Heady and sweet
- Night visitors
- Night moths
--:--
Sunset + 150 min
Angel's trumpet
Brugmansia suaveolens
Hanging bells as long as your forearm that save their perfume for the dark, when the moths come calling.
- Scent
- Sweet and lemony
- Night visitors
- Hawk moths
--:--
Around midnight
Queen of the Night
Epiphyllum oxypetalum
A cactus that flowers only a few nights a year. Each bloom opens near midnight and is gone by morning, so when a bud opens we ring the glasshouse bell.
- Scent
- Vanilla and jasmine
- Night visitors
- Sphinx moths
The gardens
Five gardens, one lantern-lit loop.
A single step-free route links everything, lit at ankle height so the sky stays dark. Tap a number on the map to explore.
Best: From sunset
The Moon Garden
An acre planted only in white: moonflowers, tobacco flowers, white foxgloves and silver artemisia. Pale petals hold the last of the light and seem to glow long after the sun has gone.
- Over 40 white-flowering species
- Brightest on clear, moonlit nights
- Benches turned to face the moonrise
01 / 05
Experiences
Three ways to spend a night.
Every ticket includes the whole garden. Reserve ahead to hold your place, then pay at the gate on the night.
Every night from sunset
Moonlit Walk
The whole garden by lantern light, at your own pace.
- A red lantern to borrow for the night
- The night bloom map, printed in glow ink
- Hot cocoa at the Glasshouse door
As long as you likeOpen entry
€18per person
Thursday to Sunday and every full moon
Night Bloom Tour
Ninety minutes with a botanist who knows which bud opens next.
- A guided route to whatever is opening tonight
- Hand lenses to watch the moths up close
- Late entry to the Glasshouse of Night
90 minutesUp to 14 guests
€32per person
Full-moon nights only
Full Moon Supper
Six courses in the Glasshouse, served as the full moon rises over the pond.
- Six courses cooked over fire, with herbs from our kitchen garden
- A glass of fig-leaf vermouth on arrival
- A walk to the Mirror Pond between courses
About three hours24 seats
€85per person
Visitors' notes
What people say on the way out.
We came for the Full Moon Supper and stayed until they put the lanterns out. I didn't know a garden could be that quiet.
My daughter watched an evening primrose open in real time. She has talked about nothing else for a week.
The red-light rule felt strange for five minutes. Then my eyes adjusted and suddenly I could see everything: the paths, the flowers, the stars.
They rang the bell at 23:40 and thirty strangers ran to the glasshouse to watch a cactus bloom. Best night of our trip.
Plan your visit
Everything you need before dark.
- Opening hours
- Every night from sunset until midnight. On full-moon nights the gates stay open until 1am.
- Getting here
- Twenty minutes above Sintra village. A shuttle leaves Sintra station every 20 minutes from an hour before sunset, and parking at the gate is free.
- What to bring
- A warm layer, even in summer, and shoes for gravel paths. Leave the torch at home: we will lend you a red lantern.
- Accessibility
- The main lantern route is step-free, with gentle slopes and handrails. Wheelchairs and folding stools can be borrowed at the gate.
Caminho das Lanternas, Sintra hills, Portugal
38.80° N, 9.39° W
The night rules
Four small rules that make the dark work.
- 01
No white light
White light wipes out your night vision for half an hour and confuses the moths. Everyone borrows a red lantern at the gate.
- 02
Give your eyes twenty minutes
Night vision takes time to arrive. By the time you reach the Mirror Pond, you will see far more than you expect.
- 03
Speak softly
Sound carries after dark, and so do the best moments. Let the garden be the loudest thing here.
- 04
Look up
The garden is kept dark on purpose. On clear nights, the sky is half the show.
Curious what red light feels like? Switch this whole page to it. Astronomers use the same trick to keep their night vision.
Reserve
Choose your night.
Pick an experience and a night. We hold your place right away, our team confirms by email within a day, and you pay at the gate.
Questions
Good to know before you go.
Anything else on your mind? Add it to the note when you reserve and our team will answer when they confirm your night.
What happens if it rains?
Light rain makes the garden smell even better, so we stay open and hand out ponchos. In storms we close the outdoor gardens and move everyone into the Glasshouse of Night. If we ever have to cancel your experience, we will help you pick another night.
Why can't I use a torch or my phone light?
White light ruins night vision for up to half an hour, for you and for everyone around you, and it disorients the moths that pollinate our flowers. Red light does neither. Phones are fine in dark mode with the brightness turned right down.
Can I bring children?
Yes. Children love the Moonlit Walk and the Night Bloom Tour, and the Firefly Meadow in June is pure magic for them. The Full Moon Supper is for guests aged 16 and over.
When can I see the fireflies?
From late May to early July, peaking on warm, still nights around 22:00. They are shy of light, which is one more reason we keep things dark.
Will the Queen of the Night bloom while I'm there?
We can't promise it. Each plant flowers only a few nights a year and every bloom lasts a single night. The buds usually give us a day's warning, and when one opens we ring the glasshouse bell so everyone can come and watch.
How do I pay?
Reserving here holds your place. You pay at the gate on the night, by card or cash. If your plans change, just reply to the confirmation email from our team.