What is the Chapter Window in Tomar?

The Chapter Window (Janela do Capitulo) is the defining image of Manueline architecture, built between 1510 and 1513 by Diogo de Arruda. Located on the exterior wall of the Chapter House at the Convent of Christ, it encodes maritime symbols (ropes, coral, armillary spheres), the Cross of the Order of Christ, and Portuguese royal iconography. It is approximately 4 m wide and 7 m tall.

What is the difference between this tour and the Tomar and Almourol Tour?

The Tomar and Almourol Tour focuses on the Tomar area, adding Almourol Castle (a 12th-century Templar fortress on a river island) and Santarém — but does not include Fatima. This Tomar and Fatima tour covers the Convent of Christ and the Fatima Sanctuary. Both tours include the Castle of Tomar.

Are there entrance fees at Fatima?

No. All religious sites at the Fatima Sanctuary are free: the Chapel of the Apparitions, Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, and Basilica of the Holy Trinity. No advance booking or timed entry is required.

Private Tomar & Fátima Tour from Lisbon: Convent of Christ & Fátima Sanctuary

2 ciudades en un día completo inolvidable

Duración

8 Horas

Tipo de tour

Visita privada

Tamaño

Máx. 8px/Van

Recogida y entrega

Recogida en hotel o apartamento en Lisboa, Sintra, Cascais, Estoril o en cualquier punto de la costa.

Aspectos Destacados

Convent of Christ, Santa Cruz Monastery, University of Coimbra, Biblioteca Joanina

Precios

Desde 350€ por vehículo privado (ver precios más abajo)

Reservar ahora

Calificado 5/5 en TripAdvisor.
based on +3.387 reviews

Resumen del recorrido

Duración: 8 horas.
Salida: Sugerido 08:30–09:00 – recogida en hotel o apartamento en Lisboa, Sintra, Cascais, Estoril, o en cualquier lugar de la costa.
Regresar: ~17:00–17:30 a su lugar de recogida.
Tipo de recorrido: 100% privado: solo para tu grupo.
Tamaño del grupo: Hasta 8 pasajeros.
Vehículo: Furgoneta privada con aire acondicionado.
Guía: Conductor-guía con licencia disponible en inglés, español, francés y portugués.
Destinos: Tomar and Fátima.
Distancia total de conducción: Aproximadamente 300 km.
Precio desde: 350 € por vehículo.
Valoración de TripAdvisor: 5,0/5 según 3.387 opiniones.
Licencia: RNAAT 119/2013.
Política de Cancelación: Cancelación gratuita hasta 24 horas antes de la salida.

Resumen del tour

This private full-day tour from Lisbon covers two of Portugal’s most historically significant sites: the Convento de Cristo en Tomar – a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983 and the former headquarters of the Knights Templar in Portugal – and the Fátima Sanctuary, the most-visited Catholic pilgrimage site on the Iberian Peninsula, which received 6.2 million visitors in 2024.

The Convent of Christ was founded in 1160 by Gualdim Pais, Grand Master of the Knights Templar in Portugal, on a hilltop above the Nabão River. It remained the operational headquarters of the Order of Christ – the Templar successor in Portugal – through the 15th and early 16th centuries, when Henry the Navigator (Governor of the Order, 1420–1460) used Tomar as the logistical base for Portuguese Atlantic exploration. The wealth from those voyages funded the Manueline additions to the Convent, including the Chapter Window (1510–1513), considered one of the most elaborate examples of Manueline architecture in existence.

Fátima, 34 km southwest of Tomar via the IC9, is the site of six reported Marian apparitions in 1917 witnessed by three shepherd children from the village of Aljustrel. The Sanctuary complex grew over the 20th century to include the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary (consecrated 1953) and the Basilica of the Holy Trinity (dedicated 2007, capacity 9,000), flanking the central esplanade around the original Chapel of the Apparitions (built 1919).

This tour is 100% private. Total driving: approximately 300 km. This tour differs from the Tour de Tomar, Almourol y Santarém – that itinerary includes Almourol Castle and Santarém but does not include Fátima. It also differs from the Tour de Fátima, Batalha, Nazaré y Óbidos – that route combines Fátima with the northern circuit but does not include Tomar or the Convent of Christ.

Por qué los viajeros eligen este tour

3.387 reseñas verificadas · 5.0 Tripadvisor – Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best 2025; operador turístico privado mejor valorado de Lisboa en la plataforma.
Only private tour combining Tomar and Fátima the Convent of Christ (UNESCO 1983, ~2h) and the Fátima Sanctuary (6.2 million visitors 2024, all sites free) are only 34 km apart. No competitor offers this specific combination in a private per-vehicle format.
The Templar-to-pilgrimage arc in one day from the Knights Templar military-religious fortress (1160) to the 20th century’s largest Marian shrine in Portugal; the guide connects both sites within the broader narrative of Portuguese Catholicism across eight centuries.
All Fátima sites are free – Chapel of the Apparitions, Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, Basilica of the Holy Trinity; no tickets, no advance booking, no timed entry. Only the Convent of Christ requires an entry fee.
Licencia RNAAT 119/2013. Idiomas: EN, ES, FR, PT. Operando desde 2013.

What You Can See on This Tour

Castle of Tomar (Castelo de Tomar)

The Castle of Tomar was built in 1160 by Gualdim Pais on orders from King Afonso Henriques as the military headquarters of the Knights Templar in Portugal. The castle sits on a forested hill (Morro do Castelo, approximately 100 m above the town) directly above the Nabão River valley. Its crenellated walls enclose an area of approximately 1.5 hectares. Seven square towers and two polygonal towers punctuate the perimeter.

The castle was never successfully besieged and remained under Templar – and later Order of Christ – control throughout the medieval period. After the dissolution of the Templars by Pope Clement V in 1307, King Dinis I of Portugal persuaded the papacy in 1319 to allow the Portuguese Templars to reorganise as the Order of Christ, with Tomar remaining their headquarters. The castle and convent together were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

The castle grounds are freely accessible from the road below. The Convent of Christ within its walls requires a paid entry ticket – see pricing below.

Convent of Christ (Convento de Cristo) – UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Convent of Christ is the most architecturally layered monument in Portugal, containing Romanesque, Gothic, Manueline, Renaissance, and Mannerist elements built across five centuries. Entrada: 15 €/adulto (museusemonumentos.pt). Free on Sundays and bank holidays until 14:00. Free for children under 12.

The Charola (Templar Rotunda): The oldest structure in the complex, built around 1162–1165, is a rotunda designed in conscious reference to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The Templars considered the circular form the appropriate architectural expression of the sacred – soldiers were meant to ride around the central altar on horseback, remaining mounted for Mass. The Charola contains 12th-century frescoes and later Renaissance paintings commissioned during the Order of Christ period.

Main Nave and Chapter House (1510–1514): When Manuel I commissioned the expansion of the Convent in the early 16th century, architects João de Castilho and Diogo de Arruda created the Main Nave connecting the Charola to the new Chapter House. The nave is a single hall with Manueline vaulting, incorporating the Charola into a conventional Christian basilica layout.

The Chapter Window (Janela do Capítulo): Built between 1510 y 1513, designed by Diogo de Arruda – the defining image of Portuguese Manueline architecture. The window frames a door on the Chapter House wall and is encrusted with a carved stone programme incorporating: coral, seaweed, and ropes (maritime expansion); the Cross of the Order of Christ (political-religious authority); armillary spheres (King Manuel’s personal device and the navigation instrument of the Age of Discovery); cork oak roots (the Iberian landscape); and human figures. The window is approximately 4 m wide and 7 m tall.

Eight Cloisters: The Convent contains 8 cloisters built across different periods. The Main Cloister (Claustro Principal) was designed by Spanish architect Juan de Castillo and completed between 1557 and 1591 in Renaissance style. Two-storey: Doric columns on the ground floor, Ionic on the upper level.

Tomar Town Centre and River Nabão

Three of Tomar’s most significant medieval buildings are within 10 minutes’ walk of one another and the lunch restaurants on Republic Square: the only intact medieval synagogue in Portugal (1430–1460), the burial site of the Templar Grand Masters (13th century), and a church with a Manueline portal and a 1538 triptych by Gregório Lopes.

Iglesia de Santa María del Olivar (13th century): Gothic, burial site of Gualdim Pais and subsequent Templar Grand Masters.

Synagogue of Tomar: Construido 1430–1460, now the Luso-Hebraico Abraão Zacuto Museum. Only intact medieval synagogue in Portugal; four-column Gothic-vaulted interior survives. Jewish community expelled 1496 under Manuel I.

Praça da República and São João Baptista Church: 15th–16th century. Manueline portal and triptych painted by Gregório Lopes around 1538.

El Acueducto Pegões is visible on the approach road to Tomar. Built 1593–1614 (some sources: 1593–1619) to supply fresh water from the Pegões spring, 6 km away. It has 180 arches, reaches a maximum height of approximately 30 m.

Santuario de Fátima

The Fátima Sanctuary received 6.2 million pilgrims in 2024 – the highest annual total in the Sanctuary’s recorded history. It is the most-visited Catholic site in the Iberian Peninsula. Entry to all religious sites in the Sanctuary complex is free.

Capilla de las Apariciones (Capelinha das Aparições): Built between April 28 and June 15, 1919, by stonemason Joaquim Barbeiro, on the exact site of the first reported apparition (May 13, 1917). The Chapel was destroyed by anti-clerical forces in October 1922 and rebuilt. Mass is celebrated continuously throughout the day.

Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Rosario: La construcción comenzó 1928. Consecrated October 7, 1953. Architect: Gerardus Samuel van Krieken (Dutch). Tower 65 m, crowned by a bronze corona weighing 7,000 kg. 15 side altars for the 15 mysteries of the Rosary. Minor Basilica status granted by Pope Pius XII in 1954.

Basílica de la Santísima Trinidad Dedicated October 12, 2007 (90th anniversary of the apparitions). Architect: Alexandros Tombazis (Greek), selected in an international competition in 1997. Circular plan, 125 m diameter, capacity 9,000 (8,633 seats). Winner of the 2009 IABSE Outstanding Structure Award.

The three children who reported the apparitions: Lúcia dos Santos (b. 1907, d. 2005), Francisco Marto (b. 1908, d. 1919, canonised 2017) and Jacinta Marto (b. 1910, d. 1920, canonised 2017) were from the village of Aljustrel, 2 km south of the Sanctuary. Francisco and Jacinta were the first non-martyr children canonised in the history of the Catholic Church.

Regreso a Lisboa

Tras un día lleno de leyendas, devoción y descubrimientos significativos, regresamos a Lisboa. Durante el trayecto, disfruta de una última vista de la belleza rural que define el centro de Portugal.

Este itinerario está cuidadosamente diseñado para una experiencia inolvidable — pero la elección es siempre tuya.

Déjate guiar por la grandeza de Tomar y Fátima, donde la historia y la fe cobran vida.

Yellow Cab TT Tours – siempre a su servicio, con el cuidado y la calidad que nuestros clientes conocen y en los que confían.

Qué incluye

Duración del tour: 8 horas
Furgoneta privada climatizada para su grupo (hasta 8 pasajeros)
Recogida y regreso en hotel/apartamento en Lisboa, Sintra, Cascais, Estoril o en cualquier lugar de la Costa del Estoril
Seguro obligatorio
Combustible, peajes de autopista y aparcamiento en todas las paradas

No incluido

Precios de los tours

Los precios son por vehículo privado (no por persona)

Hasta 2 personas €350
3 a 4 personas €450
5 a 8 personas €570

Cancelación hasta 24 horas antes de la salida. Las cancelaciones dentro de las 24 horas no son reembolsables.

Contáctenos y reserve

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Observaciones

Mejor época del año para este tour

The key dates to avoid on this tour are May 13 and October 13 – the Fátima pilgrimage anniversaries when road access near the Sanctuary is severely restricted. Within those constraints, the main seasonal variable is heat in Tomar’s inland climate: summer temperatures in the Ribatejo valley regularly reach 35–38°C.

Marzo–mayo Temperatures 15–22°C. Tomar’s historic centre and the Convent gardens are at their best in April–May. Book 10–14 days in advance to avoid April peak. Avoid May 12–13 (Fátima pilgrimage anniversary).

Junio–agosto: Temperatures 25–33°C inland at Tomar. The Convent of Christ summer opening extends to 18:30 (last admission 18:00). Early 08:30 departure places the Tomar visit in the cooler morning hours. Fátima in late afternoon is manageable. Reserve 2–3 weeks in advance.

Septiembre–Octubre: Temperatures 18–26°C. Recommended. Avoid October 12–13 (Fátima anniversary). The rest of September and October offers mild weather, reduced summer crowds, and rich autumn light at both sites.

Noviembre–febrero: Temperatures 10–16°C. Low season. Tomar town centre and the Convent cloisters are nearly empty on weekday mornings. The Convent winter hours (09:00–17:30, last admission 17:00) are manageable with the 08:30 departure. Fátima in winter has a distinctive, quiet quality outside of the pilgrimage calendar.

Preguntas frecuentes

¿A qué distancia está Tomar de Lisboa?

Tomar is approximately 136 km north of Lisbon via the A1 and IC9 motorways, approximately 1h 20min by private vehicle. Fátima is 34 km southwest of Tomar, and approximately 130 km north of Lisbon via the A1.

Do I need to buy tickets for the Convent of Christ in advance?

No advance booking is required. Entry is paid on arrival. Entry is free on Sundays and Portuguese bank holidays until 14:00. Your guide pays the entry fee on the day; the cost is excluded from the tour price.

What is the Chapter Window and why is it famous?

The Chapter Window (Janela do Capítulo) in Tomar’s Convent of Christ was designed by Diogo de Arruda and built between 1510 and 1513. It is the most cited example of Manueline architecture — a specifically Portuguese style that integrates maritime symbols (ropes, coral, seaweed, armillary spheres) with religious iconography (the Cross of the Order of Christ). The window is approximately 4 m wide and 7 m tall.

What is the difference between this tour and the Tomar & Almourol Tour?

The Tomar & Almourol Tour focuses on the Tomar area, adding Castillo de Almourol (a 12th-century Templar fortress built on a river island in the Tagus) and Santarém — but does not include Fátima. This tour replaces Almourol and Santarém with the Fátima Sanctuary. Both tours cover the Convent of Christ and the Castle of Tomar.

Can non-Catholics enjoy the Fátima portion of this tour?

Yes. The Basilica of the Holy Trinity (2007, architect Alexandros Tombazis) and the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary (1953) are among the most architecturally significant religious buildings in Portugal. The guide presents the history of the 1917 apparitions and the development of the Sanctuary factually. Participation in religious observances is entirely optional.

Are there entrance fees at Fátima?

No. All religious sites at the Fátima Sanctuary are free: the Chapel of the Apparitions, Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, Basilica of the Holy Trinity. No advance booking or timed entry is required.

Does the tour include Ourém Castle?

No. Ourém is a 14th-century hilltop castle town between Fátima and Tomar. Some competitor tours include Ourém as an additional stop, which reduces time at both the Convent of Christ and Fátima. We focus on the two primary sites to allow adequate exploration time at each.

Can we attend Mass in Fátima?

Yes. Mass is celebrated continuously at the Chapel of the Apparitions throughout the day. If attending a specific Mass is important to your group, inform us at booking and the guide will adjust the Fátima arrival time accordingly.

Should we avoid visiting on May 13 or October 13?

If you are not attending the Fátima pilgrimage, yes. Up to one million people arrive on those dates and road access near Fátima is severely restricted. The Tomar portion is unaffected, but the Fátima portion becomes a large crowd experience. If you want to visit specifically on those dates, book 4–6 weeks in advance and inform us.

¿Qué idiomas habla el guía?

Inglés, español, francés y portugués.

¿Cuál es la política de cancelación?

Cancelación gratuita hasta 24 horas antes de la salida. Las cancelaciones dentro de las 24 horas no son reembolsables.

Lo que dicen nuestros huéspedes

En primer lugar, Kate fue una guía turística maravillosa. En segundo lugar, los castillos templarios que visitamos eran fascinantes y preciosos. Fue una experiencia de primera categoría en todos los sentidos. Se la recomiendo encarecidamente a cualquiera que esté interesado en la historia.

Una excursión increíble; Kate estaba muy bien informada y fue muy atenta. Visitamos todos los lugares que queríamos ver e incluso almorzamos en una pequeña y preciosa tienda de bocadillos en Tomar. Estas excursiones privadas de Yellow Cab parecen más caras, pero valieron cada céntimo, ya que nos echaron una mano en el último momento cuando el operador de nuestra excursión en grupo la canceló a última hora. No puedo recomendarlas lo suficiente y, en el futuro, solo haré excursiones privadas. ¡Excelente!

Los guías más experimentados, excelentes conductores y el mejor conocimiento histórico que puedas pedir. Me sorprendió tanto que sentí que conocí nuevos amigos para el futuro en los dos días que pasé con ellos. Recomiendo encarecidamente sus servicios, el taxi amarillo es el mejor. Gracias Ruigeorge y Katarina por hacer mi estancia en Lisboa tan agradable. Un fuerte abrazo, Stefan Eklund.

Esta es nuestra segunda excursión con esta empresa. Nuestra primera excursión fue hace 4 años, así que creo que dice algo el hecho de que hayamos vuelto para una segunda excursión. Esta vez fuimos mi esposo, su padre y yo (no había una opción para "familia" de adultos, así que supongo que "pareja" +1). Una vez más, hicimos una excursión privada y de nuevo, creo que fue la mejor decisión para nosotros. Nos gusta tener un poco de flexibilidad en cuanto al ritmo de las visitas y no tener que esperar a nadie ni que nadie nos espere a nosotros. ¡Tuvimos un día maravilloso con Jorge! Mi esposo y su padre disfrutaron de toda la extensa información histórica y de las charlas. Los lugares son hermosos y tuvimos un almuerzo delicioso e incluso pudimos detenernos en un par de tiendas por el pueblo. Mi suegro tiene problemas de rodillas y Jorge se aseguró de preguntar para asegurarse de que todos estuvieran bien con el ritmo al que íbamos. ¡Recomiendo encarecidamente esta excursión para los amantes de los castillos y la historia y que tengan a Jorge como su guía!

Hacía un tiempo estupendo, así que Jorge pudo mostrarnos lugares preciosos, contarnos la historia y responder a todas nuestras preguntas sobre los Caballeros Templarios en Tomar. Además, a la hora de comer, Jorge nos descubrió un local secreto en una callejuela donde probamos el pollo peri-peri. Estaba delicioso y charlamos un buen rato. Esta visita guiada fue uno de los momentos más destacados de nuestro viaje.