Small-Group Tour: Knights Templar Historical Tour from Lisbon

Name: Small-Group Tour: Knights Templar Historical Tour from Lisbon
Brand: viator
SKU: 21998
Price: 85 EUR
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.8 (245 reviews)

1 day

Popular

Small Group

About this activity

Departing from central Lisbon, head to one of the most mystical places in Portugal,

Almourol Castle, which was built by the Knights Templar to defend the boundary line below the Tagus River. Take a boat ride on the river to the castle, where you’ll have half an hour to explore and soak up the medieval atmosphere.

Next, enjoy the drive in a comfortable minivan to the beautiful village of

Constância, known for being one of the places frequented by famous Portuguese poet Luís Vaz de Camões, who wrote the epic poem

Os Lusíadas. With your expert guide, take a walk in Parque Constância, one of the most magnificent parks in this region of Portugal, and enjoy the contact with nature, just like the Templar Knights did. Here you will also taste a typical delicacy made from almonds and eggs (included).

Your next stop is the beautiful city of

Tomar, one of Portugal’s historical gems. The city was built according to the rules of the Knights Templar, with four religious monuments constructed around the city to form a perfect crucifix. The most impressive of these monuments is the ensemble of the Castle of Tomar and the

Convent of Christ, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built by the Templars in the 12th century. Visit the castle and convent with your guide. You'll spend a good part of your day in Tomar, where you can enjoy lunch at a local eatery (own expense) and walk to popular Tomar attractions like the Gothic-style

Church of Santa Maria do Olival, built in the 12th century as the pantheon for the Knights Templar.

After exploring Tomar, return to Lisbon by comfortable minivan.

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Included

Hotel pickup (or nearest location possible) only in certain areas of the city (center). It may be required to get to a standard pick-up point (i.e Cais do Sodré train station or Saldanha metro station)
Drop-off at 2 centrally located points: Restauradores square / Marquês de Pombal
Small-group tour (8 people max.
Professional but informal local guide
Transport by air-conditioned minivan
Live commentary on board
WiFi available in the minivan
Boat ride to Almourol Castle (susceptible to weather conditions)
Local pastry
Entry/Admission - Convent of Christ
Entry/Admission - Igreja de Santa Maria dos Olivais
Entry/Admission - Castle of Almourol

Not included

Lunch
Gratuities
Food and drinks (including meals), unless specified
Hotel drop-off

Additional

Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 1 day of travel. In this case confirmation will be received as soon as possible, subject to availability
Please contact the company at least 24 hours before the activity for exact pick-up location and time (normally between 08:00 AM to 08:45 AM).
Pick-up at your hotel (or nearest location possible) only in certain areas of the city (center). It may be required to get to a standard pick-up point (i.e Mercado da Ribeira or Saldanha areas). Parque das Nações area is not available for pick-up.
Please note that you may have to walk a short distance from your accommodation to be picked up.
Drop off (done in only two locations: Restauradores square or Marquês de Pombal).
Please be reminded that there may be more than one language spoken during the tour (max. two languages).
English, Spanish and Portuguese are available all year round. French, Italian, Russian and Romanian ONLY ON REQUEST (according to availability).
Please note that infants and children occupy a seat.
Infant seats are available on request if advised at time of booking.
Child rate applies only when accompanied by, at least, 1 paying adult.
Maximum of 8 persons per vehicle.
It's a good idea to wear tennis shoes or other appropriate footwear for the tour and bring along a bottle of water. In summer bring your sunscreen and in winter it gets very cold so make sure you bring a jacket.
A minimum of 2 people and maximum of 8 people per booking is required: there is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund.
A moderate amount of walking is involved.
Not wheelchair accessible.
Boat ride is subject to favorable weather conditions. If canceled due to poor weather, you will be given an alternative.
In case of adverse weather conditions (e. g. heavy rain), the tour will not be canceled, unless there are warnings and alerts by official organisms.
We are not responsible for any traffic congestion in the city, resulting from cultural, sport and religious events, or even demonstrations / strikes, etc. However we will always offer alternatives to avoid these situations; one of them is to change the pick-up and drop-off locations. Unfortunately, this may be transmitted without prior notice.

Features

Tourism

95%

Cultural

75%

Reviews

4.8

245

CATHERINE L

5 | 2019-09-16

We had a great time touring the knights templar for and the monetary. Our tour guide, Vasco was knowledgeable and gave us some interesting history of the area. The tour was very laid back with no crowds. Had a great time.

Katherine A

5 | 2019-07-03

This was a nice day trip from Lisbon. The guide picked everyone as close as he could to their hotels. The group is limited to 8 so you aren’t lost in a group. The guide was very knowledgeable on the Knights Templar and Portugal’s history. He provided unique and interesting stories while driving. He was very aware that we had an older couple who needed assistance getting around and accommodated them without slowing the whole group down. The sites are interesting and places I wouldn’t have been able to get to on my own. If you want go to Tomar I’d recommend this tour with Cool Lisbon.

Lorraine M

5 | 2019-07-03

The tour groups were excellent. The tour guides matched up two groups that worked well together. Carlos and Johanna showed great knowledge of the subjects and added a little humour to make it more memorable. The restaurant that was selected for lunch was terrific, interesting choices and outstanding food. We can't think of anything would have improved the experience. It was awesome.

Ashwani S

3 | 2019-07-03

It is reasonably average tour for a whole day spent. The main castle was interesting but the whole tour fell short of expectations.

Robert H

5 | 2019-07-03

This tour was much more than I expected, the Tour guide Ricardo was very knowledgeable on the History of the Knights Templars. He was very helpful and made the tour enjoyable. I Highly Recommend this tour.

Peter Q

4 | 2019-04-19

This tour was excellent. It offered a broad range of templar related castles, churches, and towns. The guide was instrumental in explaining the background of the templars and their history in Tomar, Porrtugal, and beyond. Highly recommended!

Holly W

5 | 2019-04-18

Stas our guide was friendly and information with a bit of sense of humor. The Portugese treat was a nice addition, not too sweet. Weather was great, food was nice, great places over all. Due to unforseeable circumstances the church part was cut short but overall well handled.

goughacctg

5 | 2019-04-12

Really good day. The tour included everything listed in the description. Ricardo was extremely knowledgeable and interesting about this part of Portugal’s history. He took great care of us. Definitely recommend this tour.

Nancy P

5 | 2019-01-31

This tour was wonderful. Rick was very knowledgeable and friendly. The small group experience gave lots of chances for questions. Rick always made sure that the information was given in English as well as other languages. We felt safe and not rushed. I would highly recommend this tour.

Boris D

4 | 2018-12-24

Good tour. Interesting history. Elizabeth was knowledgeable. A great way to learn about history of Portugal and to meet interesting people.

conitiefel

5 | 2018-12-19

It was a great tour. There were just couples and Elizabeth did a wonderful job switching between English and Portuguese. Be prepared for lots of stairs, but worth the climb.

Robert W

5 | 2018-10-05

Outstanding tour with an outstanding guide. Ricardo was very knowledgeable and courteous. He gave us good insights and enough time to absorb the surroundings. The small group tour has many advantages over the big bus and I will always recommend them, especially with an excellent guide like Ricardo.

Graham K

5 | 2018-09-20

Great. Picturesque and educational!

Marie-Christine W

5 | 2018-08-01

If you are interested in the Knights Templar, then this is the tour for you. We had a very knowledgeable guide who took us to Almourol castle which can only be accessed by boat. Then, we visited the Templar Convent and castle in Tomar, and tasted local foods along the way.

Silvia L

5 | 2018-07-10

The tour was excellent, our guide couldn't be better. Ricardo had the knowledge and the charm to make the day a success. I strongly recommend this tour The only detail that I didn't like : in Viator says that I would be pick up and drop back from my hotel and I was not. Someone has to correct that.

peripherals

5 | 2018-07-09

My husband and I booked this day tour via Viator to Tomar and the Almoural Castle on June 21, 2018, near the end of our Portugal stay in Lisbon. We were at first apprehensive, as a previous day-tour similarly booked through Viator was quite a negative experience for us. What a difference this Cool Tour was, led by our top-notch Ricardo as guide. He organized the tour so well that it was simply a bliss by following him to a most wonderful experience of a must-do destination, particularly if you are a history buff interested in the medieval history of the Templar Knights in Portugal. The weather and the conditions were cooperating, so we were able to take the boat ride to the Almoural Castle. The history details Ricardo provided us with made the climb to the top of this magnificent castle and its surrounding all the more impressive. Next Ricardo brought us to the Convent of Christ (Convento de Cristo/Mosteiro de Cristo) - and led us through all its magnificent rooms, hallways and the cloisters. The Interior of its Round church, decorated with late Gothic painting and sculpture are all exquisite and stunning, everything well worth its fame as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Ricardo then took us to a gourmet restaurant, and our group of 8 people (mostly couples) could freely order our own dish and enjoy each other’s company over lunch. Our trip ended with the visit to a hidden gem, the Igreja de Santa Maria dos Olivais in the centre of the old medieval town, which is the final resting place of Gualdim Pais, founder of Tomar, along with the tombs of other Templar Knights. Ricardo detailedly pointed out to us the many hidden symbols of the Order in the church, giving us a history background that we would not soon forget. The tour director you are with definitely makes all the difference to the outcome of your trip. Ricardo is not only knowledgeable and proud of his heritage, he is also most considerate and paid great attention to details to care for his clients and make them comfortable. A case in point: he would always go the extra distance of getting his car first, started it up so it is nice and cool, before coming round to pick us up again. This is totally unlike the other tour led not by a professional guide but just a driver - He would drop you off anywhere at his own convenience. And then if you exited an attraction and lost your bearing, he would not even be there to find you! After all, it is not a matter with the money you pay, but whether you feel you are being treated fairly as a deserving client. Ricardo of Cool Tours has given us one of the best tours that we have so far experienced. My husband and I would have no hesitation in joining other tours led by him. HC from Toronto, Canada

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