Jewish Lisbon Private Tours
Description
Can you trace your family back to Portugal? Want to discover your ancestral roots? Or just interested in a bit of Jewish history? Let us put together a private tour for you that brings the ancient Jewish communities of Portugal to life.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The Ohel Jacob Synagogue (“Tent of Jacob”) was founded in 1934 by a small Jewish group of Ashkenazic origin from Central Europe. This group of Jews, primarily Poles, would play a remarkable role in the dynamization of this religious space, a singular synagogue characterized by its openness to the outside, tolerance and understanding for Jews of all origins, especially the integration of the descendants of Marranos – or b’nei Anusim –, these sons of the “forced”.
We walk on one of the most beautiful streets in Lisbon – Augusta Street – and see Rossio Square, with its famous Theater D. Maria II, previously known as the Palace of Estaus – the Inquistion Headquarters. Here you will visit the Jewish Memorial, known as Largo de Sao Domingos.
We start out in the Alfama Jewish quarter, where you will discover the most ancient and traditional neighborhood in all of Lisbon. Wander with us through the narrow streets and local small squares – truly an experience not to be missed.
Next, we visit the quarter known as Old Jewry, where you will see the majestic Manueline door of the Old Conception Church and learn about the rich history of the ancient Palace Square.
One of the most beautiful views of Lisbon City just by side Sao Jorge Castle.
We are now in the third and final Jewish quarter on our tour, the Judiaria da Pedreira, located in the Largo do Carmo Square in the Barrio Alto. The narrow streets and lively squares of the Barrio Alto make it one of Lisbon’s most famous neighborhoods.
Next, it’s off to the Belem quarter to visit the Jeronimos Monastery, Belem Tower, and the Monument to the Discoveries. Our day ends with an internationally known delicacy – the “pastel de Belem,” Lisbon’s delicious custard pastry, and our thanks for visiting Jewish Lisbon.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pickups are only in Lisbon Hotels or apartments.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- Dress code is smart casual
- Minimum drinking age is 18 years
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
Reviews(53)
Very Informative and insightful tour. Paolo is very passionate and has huge amounts of information on the history of the Jews in in Lisbon and Portugal. We came away from the tour with so much knowledge and understanding of the rich, sad history of Portuguese Jewish people.
We did a shortened two hour walking tour of Jewish Lisbon but I could have listened to Paolo the guide all day long. He was very interesting, informative, and knowledgeable. Highly recommend as the history of Jewish Lisbon is fascinating.
We have participated in a few Jewish walking tours throughout Europe and this was, by far, one of the most interesting, factual and in-depth we have experienced. We really enjoyed the tour despite there being very little left in terms of actual historical Jewish artifacts/buildings/monuments. Paola did an outstanding job explaining what took place in various areas so that we had a good appreciation of the events, the times and what it felt like to be living there hundreds of years ago. It requires much advance planning to view the synagogue in Lisbon so we did not visit it on this trip. Paolo, as a professional historian, is an exceptionally knowledgeable guide who shares the history of the Jewish people in Portugal from thousands of years ago to present, as we walk from point to point. He was very personable and provided fulsome answers to our questions. As a bonus, we found out Paolo has been instrumental in helping to preserve and document the Portuguese Jewish history by ensuring discovered artifacts are safely displayed in a museum (which is part of the tour). We came away from that tour with a much deeper knowledge and understanding of the rich history of Portuguese Jewish people as well as the more recent influx of Jews to Portugal. We highly recommend this tour. It is easy walking - all downhill, and a beautiful stroll through Lisbon. The tour was about 3.5 hours long, so wear comfortable shoes!
This tour was recommended by friends who visited Lisbon earlier this year. Paolo was a very good guide. We also definitely recommend. A lot of walking, good overview of the city and the Jewish history. There is not a lot left in Lisbon from that period, but we knew that. It was nice to walk, see and hear about the history. Separately we set up a tour of the synagogue. You must do this in advance and send them copies of your passport and a small donation.
Paulo was an excellent guide for the Jewish Tour of Lisbon. I know we got to learn about and go to places of Jewish interest had we not taken this tour with him. His own family history was of interest as well to us. We did the full day tour and got to go to the Ashkenazi synagogue where we learned about its origins. This was a special part of the day. Unfortunately we weren't able to get into the Orthodox one due to their policies and difficulty getting permission to get in. I'd recommend Paulo for this tour. He was very friendly and very knowledgeable
Very informative. Paulo was very knowledgeable about the Jewish culture in Lisbon. We were moved by the visit to synagogue.
Paolo was an excellent, well informed guide. He was extremely knowledgeable about the Jewish areas and the Jewish history in Lisbon. The tour was well paced and his English was excellent. Although it was pouring, we were still able to do the whole tour. He brought interesting perspectives to the tour. Well worth the price.
Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable about the Jewish history of Portugal! It was a fantastic experience seeing the old Torah’s. We highly recommend this tour!
We had an incredible experience with Jewish Lisbon Private Tours! Our guide, Paulo, was outstanding — deeply informative, passionate, and truly brought the rich history of Jewish Lisbon to life. His storytelling kept the tour engaging from start to finish, and it was clear how much heart he puts into his work. Every detail was thoughtfully presented, making the entire experience both educational and meaningful. We highly recommend Jewish Lisbon Private Tours to anyone looking for a deeper, more personal understanding of Lisbon’s Jewish heritage. Thank you, Paulo, for an unforgettable day!
We spent the day with Paulo on a Jewish heritage tour of Lisbon. While there's limited visible Jewish history remaining today, we explored many fascinating sites and learned a great deal. We highly recommend this tour!
