Walking Tomar: Templar Secrets & Convent of Christ Included

This tour was good for those who would like more information about the sies visited. It was very informative and enjoyable.

Our guide was Anildo Lima for this tour. He was such a great guide, as you could tell how passionate he was about this tour. There was so many symbols throughout this site and you really need an educated guide to point out all there is to see and appreciate. Anildo did a wonderful job.

If you are visiting Tomar, book João. Truly. Do not just walk through this extraordinary city on your own and hope the history explains itself. Tomar is beautiful, but with João, it became one of the most meaningful and memorable experiences of our trip to Portugal. We were a small group of two - lifelong, older friends, looking for an adventure a little off the beaten path, and João gave us exactly the kind of experience we had hoped for: personal, thoughtful, fascinating, and deeply engaging. From the beginning, he was warm, professional, patient, and clearly passionate about what he does. Tomar has an incredible, layered history, especially its connection to the Knights Templar and Portugal’s Jewish past. João brought that history to life in a way that was both intelligent and accessible. He shared wonderful details, little-known facts, and thoughtful explanations that helped us understand not just what we were seeing, but why it mattered. His knowledge of the Knights Templar was exceptional. The history is fascinating on its own, but João made it vivid, memorable, and easy to follow. He helped us see the symbolism, architecture, religious history, and historical context that we absolutely would have missed without him. Instead of simply looking at old buildings and beautiful streets, we felt like we were stepping into the story of Tomar. His explanation of the Jewish quarter and the history of Jewish life in Tomar was especially meaningful to us. He handled the subject with care, depth, and respect, and helped us understand the human stories behind the history. For us, that part of the tour was particularly moving. What makes João such an excellent guide is not only how much he knows, but how generously and naturally he shares it. He is a gifted storyteller. He answered our many, many questions with patience and genuine interest, never rushed us, and was happy to follow our curiosity wherever it led. He made the day feel relaxed, personal, and completely worthwhile. Tomar is the kind of place where a great guide makes all the difference. You can certainly visit on your own, but you will miss so much of the meaning, context, and richness. João turned what could have been a pleasant visit into a truly unforgettable experience. Hiring João was one of the best decisions we made in Portugal. If you are going to Tomar, do yourself a favor and book him. He is knowledgeable, professional, kind, engaging, and clearly loves his work. He is exactly the kind of guide who makes a place come alive and leaves you grateful you did not try to figure it all out on your own. Thank you, João, for a wonderful afternoon and adventure - Tali L. and Michelle H.

John was our guide - extremely accommodating, polite, knowledgeable, respectful and funny - our adult children loved him, we enjoyed his passion - thanks John - you should be proud of your heritage and the Tomar area - well done!

We had a wonderful and very informative tour with Beatrice in Tomar. Communication before the tour was excellent. Beatrice is a professional guide whose knowledge on Portugal, Architecture and Tomar was outstanding. We wish we had time for another tour with her…especially for Coimbra or the Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon…next time !

My wife and I have been residents of Portugal for about three years, and we decided to make our first visit to Tomar with my mother-in-law who was visiting from the States. We arranged a private tour through Follow Me - Portugal Tours and we were delighted to be greeted by Beatriz, a delightful young lady who was our guide. Beatriz was infinitely charming and she possessed an in-depth knowledge of the Templar history and Convent of Christ facility (as well as other sights in town). We have traveled much of Portugal for the past three years and generally do a cursory review of the sights. It was refreshing and a much better experience to have a professional guide like Beatriz. We look forward to our next visit to Lisbon (one of many) as we plan to experience Lisbon in an entirely different way with Beatriz's assistance. We highly recommend Follow-Me - Portugal Tours and especially Beatriz.

Wow, Anildo Lima was amazing. This was a private tour, my wife and I. First private tour for us. If they are all this good we are hooked. Of course it is largely dependent upon your guide. I cannot believe how much Anildo knew about the buildings, the history, the people of the time, and other general tidbits. He kept up engaged fully for 3 full hours. At the completion he gave us some ideas for the next day and some restaurants to check out. This tour will certainly be the highlight of our vacation. Obrigado Anildo.

Anildo gave us a fabulous private tour of the convent, and castle and the church in Tomar. It was incredible and his level of knowledge was impressive. There was no question we asked that he could not answer in detail. Highly recommend!!

We had a private tour with just our family and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We were not rushed and Our tour guide , Beatriz was so personable, friendly and extremely knowledgeable about the history of the Knights of Templar and the Christ Convent. She definitely made the tour worth while and I would recommend her and this tour!

Our guide Angelo (Neil) was knowledgeable, personable and passionate about the Templars history. We enjoyed our time with him greatly.