All of Tomar's history and loads of fun.
Description
Award-winning actor turned storyteller brings Tomar's history to life through unforgettable tales, humour, and local insight. This isn't a dry history lesson or a march between monuments. It's a journey through the real Tomar, the town behind the famous Convent of Christ and one of Portugal's most fascinating places. Hear stories of the Knights Templar, a saint murdered for love, the tragedy of Tomar's Jewish community, royal intrigue, and the people who shaped Portuguese history. Along the way you'll discover hidden corners, traditional crafts, local culture, and receive insider tips on where to eat, drink, and explore after the tour. Fun, informative, and full of personality, this experience feels less like a guided tour and more like exploring Tomar with a knowledgeable friend who loves sharing its stories.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Discover the oldest Synagogue in Portugal. 500 years old it holds a dark history of Jews and what they endured in medieval Europe.
The Roda Hidráulica do Mouchão in Tomar, Portugal, is a historic hydraulic water wheel dating back to the 17th century. Located in the picturesque Mouchão Park, it served as part of the city's irrigation system, harnessing the power of the Nabão River to supply water to the surrounding areas. The wheel, made of wood and iron, stands as a testament to Portugal's engineering ingenuity of the time. Today, it's a charming symbol of Tomar's rich history and is a popular spot for visitors to admire and photograph.
Strike forth to this perfect match. I'll point to to the museum of matchboxes, it's the biggest collection in the world!
An art gallery that used to be a food storage building.
A beautiful meandering river in the centre of the city. We'll walk along as I tell you the river's secrets and stories.
With bars and restaurants, churches and the statue of Gualdim Pais (the builder of Tomar) this is a great place to start your visit.
Great views of the city centre.
You will love this place. Run by a couple of brilliant woman you'll be able to watch as the team make, paint and design ceramics in front of your very eyes. You can even buy what they make - if you have room in your suitcase!
St. Francis Convent. Loved by the Portuguese and with a connection with the Templar Knights and the 4th crusade
Where did all the bodies of the buried Templar knights go? Come and hear the history and the secrets of this great Templar church
3 free museums I like to leave you with lots more to see and do when I leave you
Built in 1550 this medieval marketplace is what happened when the fighting finished.
Open most days come and meet the locals in this traditional market. Fish, bread, meat and veg
I can take you up to the Convent of Christ. where entry is a another €15 per person I don't go in
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(45)
Highly recommend! We have been on many walking tours and this was among the finest. Mark was engaging, informative and has a great sense of humor. He brought a broad perspective to the history of Tomar as well as interesting finer details. We appreciated his recommendations as well as his love of his craft.
Great tour an we learned so much. It's a shame the castle is closed, but regardless we learned so much about the town and our guy was fun as hell. One big ball of energy and full of life. Great tour, t hank you.
WOW!!! What an absolute great WALKING tour of Tomar today with Mark!!!!I did it solo ( I can say with 100% it’s absolutely safe if you are solo for the tour) and it was absolutely fantastic on the knowledge, facts, hidden gems of Portuguese history indeed!!! I highly recommend Mark to all even/especially to the local Portuguese travellers out there for the valuable perspective of the points of view on the history of 🇵🇹 ;) !! I won’t give away any secretes and gams I only say tell Mark to tell you a story about Caravela!!! What an absolutely amazing meeting, I want to come visit Tomar again and certainly under Marks guidances!!! So much to learn and see here in Tomar what a stunning place to be!!! TOP TOP TOP!
1. This is a WALKING TOUR 2. The agent should identify his/herself with signage at the meeting location. 3. The agent should have notified the purchasers the castle was closed allowing for reconsideration.
We had an amazing experience in Tomar! Mark was absolutely fantastic. He kept all of our kids (ages 10–18) entertained the entire time and really knew his stuff. He was funny, engaging, and did a great job making sure everyone stayed involved and interested. It’s not easy to keep a group of kids with that age range entertained, but Mark handled it perfectly. We would definitely book with him again!
Our guide Mark kept us interested and informed on all landmarks that shaped Tomar. History and traditions. Truly recommend him ⚔️
Mark was an excellent storyteller and very engaging as we walked the sites of Tomar. Enjoyed very much and highly recommend!
Thank you for your kind words.
Mark is an excellent tour guide who knows Tamar inside out. Very knowledgeable and flexible in his approach to adapting the walking tour to our needs and interests. Gave us fascinating info on the Knights Templar, etc., and the vagaries of life in Portugal through the ages.
Joyce thank you so much for your kind words, it was pleasure to share my city with you.
I had a solo tour with Mark. He tells the story of Tomar and the Templars with great enthusiasm and knowledge. I learned so much about the Templars and Henry the Navigator. I appreciated the stops at the ceramic studio and the (odd) matchbook museum. He was very thoughtful of my age and mobility issues for which I was very grateful. Very glad I booked this tour.
Hello Marilyn, thank you for your review. It was my pleasure to so you around. Safe onward travels
Mark was everything a tour guide should be—enthusiastic, knowledgeable, fired up by history and most of all an excellent storyteller who opened our eyes to the delights and mysteries of Tomar. Plus it was fun! He gave us great tips for restaurants and further travel. Thanks, Mark!
Thank you for your kind words. If you have learnt something about Portugal and Tomar and had fun then I'm happy!
