Private Tomar Tour from Lisbon:
Convent of Christ, Almourol & Santarém
- (Private Tour with Vehicle and Driver/Guide just for you!)
8 Hours
Private
Max. 8px/Van
Lisbon city centre (outside centre on request)
Tomar, Convent of Christ, Almourol, Santarém
From €330 per private vehicle (see pricing below)
Tour at a Glance
- Duration: 8 hours.
- Departure: 09:00 from Lisbon city centre.
- Return: Approximately 17:00 to Lisbon city centre.
- Tour Type: 100% private — your group only.
- Group Size: Up to 8 passengers.
- Vehicle: Air-conditioned private van.
- Guide: Licensed driver-guide available in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.
- Destinations: Tomar, Almourol Castle, and Santarém.
- Total Driving Distance: Approximately 265 km.
- Price From: €330 per vehicle.
- Tripadvisor Rating: 5.0/5 based on 3,387 reviews.
- License: RNAAT 119/2013.
- Cancellation Policy: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
Tour Overview
The Convent of Christ in Tomar was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. Founded in 1160 by Gualdim Pais, Grand Master of the Knights Templar in Portugal, it remains the most complete surviving monument of the Templar presence in Western Europe. On this 8-hour private tour from Lisbon, we continue south to Almourol Castle – a 9-tower fortress built on a Tagus River island by the same Gualdim Pais in 1171 – and finish in Santarém, Portugal’s Gothic capital and the burial place of Pedro Álvares Cabral, who led the expedition that reached Brazil in 1500.
Tomar, Almourol, and Santarém are not connected by any direct public transport route. The train from Lisbon to Tomar runs infrequently and takes approximately 2 hours. Almourol Castle has no bus or train connection. Santarém is on a separate rail line, and reaching it from Almourol by public transport requires backtracking to Lisbon. A private vehicle is the only practical way to cover all three sites in a single day.
The total driving distance on this tour is approximately 265 km: Lisbon to Tomar (136 km via A1/A23), Tomar to Almourol (34 km), Almourol to Santarém (30 km), Santarém to Lisbon (65 km). Pure drive time is approximately 3 hours 15 minutes, leaving around 4 hours 45 minutes for sightseeing and lunch.
Why Travellers Choose This Tour
3,387 verified reviews · 5.0 Tripadvisor – Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best 2025; highest-rated private tour operator from Lisbon on the platform.
Three stops, one historical thread – Gualdim Pais founded Tomar in 1160 and built Almourol Castle in 1171; no group tour connects these two sites to a single named figure from 12th-century Portugal. Santarém adds a chapter competitors skip entirely: the burial site of Pedro Álvares Cabral.
Almourol Castle is a unique stop – a National Monument on an island in the Tagus, accessible only by boat (~€4/adult); not included in any competitor itinerary for this price point.
RNAAT licence 119/2013. Operating since 2013. Languages: EN, ES, FR, PT.
Tour Overview
Tomar – Portugal’s Templar Capital
Founded in 1160, when King Afonso Henriques granted the territory of the Tagus valley to the Knights Templar. Gualdim Pais, who served as Grand Master of the Order in Portugal from 1157 to 1195, established the fortified town and began construction of the Charola – the circular oratory that became the symbolic centre of Templar power in the country.
Convent of Christ – UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Convent of Christ was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 (reference No. 265). The complex spans eight centuries of Portuguese history, from the 12th-century Templar fortifications through the Manueline additions of the 16th century.
The Charola, the original Templar oratory, is a 16-sided circular church modelled on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. It served as the castle chapel and was designed to allow mounted knights to participate in Mass without dismounting.
The Chapter Window, carved between 1510 and 1513 by Diogo de Arruda, is one of the most elaborate examples of Manueline decoration in Portugal. The carving incorporates maritime symbols – ropes, coral, anchors, armillary spheres – reflecting Portugal’s Age of Discovery. Entry: €15/adult (2026 price). Allow approximately 90 minutes inside the complex.
Tomar Medieval Quarter
Within walking distance of the Convent, Tomar’s medieval quarter contains three sites of particular historical significance.
Church of Santa Maria do Olival (13th century): This Gothic church served as the proto-cathedral of the Templar Order in Portugal. It contains the tomb of Gualdim Pais and the burial sites of subsequent Grand Masters. The building predates the main Convent complex and was the primary religious centre of Templar Tomar for nearly two centuries.
Synagogue of Tomar: Built between 1430 and 1460, this is the only intact medieval synagogue in Portugal. The Jewish community of Tomar was expelled in 1496 under the forced conversions decreed by King Manuel I. The building survived conversion to various uses over the centuries and now houses a small Luso-Hebraic museum.
Republic Square and São João Baptista Church: The church dates to the late 15th century. Its Manueline portal and a triptych painted by Gregório Lopes around 1538 are the principal points of interest.
Tomar also celebrates the Festa dos Tabuleiros every four years – a procession in which young women carry trays of bread and paper flowers up to 1.5 m tall. The next edition is scheduled for 2027.
Almourol Castle – Built by the Same Grand Master, Eleven Years Later
The man who founded Tomar in 1160 built Almourol Castle eleven years later – on a granite island in the Tagus with no land access. The boat crossing costs approximately €4. The castle entrance is free.
Almourol Castle stands on a granite island in the Tagus River, 34 km south of Tomar. It was built by Gualdim Pais in 1171 as part of the Templar defensive line along the Reconquista frontier. The castle is constructed in granite masonry, measures approximately 310 m long by 75 m wide, and rises 18 m above the waterway. Nine circular towers reinforce the perimeter walls. The keep is three storeys tall.
Almourol is a National Monument of Portugal. Access requires a short boat crossing (approximately 5 minutes each way) from the bank at Praia do Ribatejo. The crossing costs approximately €4 per adult; the castle itself has no separate entry fee.
Summer hours (April–September): 10:00–19:00. Winter hours (October–March): 10:00–17:00. Last boat approximately 30 minutes before closing.
Santarém – Where Pedro Álvares Cabral Is Buried
Pedro Álvares Cabral is buried here. He led the Portuguese fleet that reached Brazil on 22 April 1500 – and most guides list his burial site as somewhere in Lisbon. It is in Santarém, at the Igreja da Graça, in a city most visitors never visit.
Santarém is 65 km northeast of Lisbon, positioned on a plateau above the Tagus River plain. The Romans established a settlement here as Scalabis in the 2nd century BC. The city was under Moorish control until 15 March 1147, when Afonso Henriques captured it – the same year he captured Lisbon.
Today Santarém is known as the “Capital of the Portuguese Gothic.” It contains the largest and most varied ensemble of Gothic churches in Portugal, including the Igreja da Graça (burial site of Pedro Álvares Cabral, c. 1467–1520) and the Church of São João de Alporão, now a museum.
The Portas do Sol (Gates of the Sun) is a walled garden built on the site of the former Moorish citadel. It offers a panoramic view over the Tagus River and the Ribatejo plain.
Torre das Cabaças (Tower of the Gourds) is a medieval watchtower that now houses a small museum dedicated to the history of timekeeping.
Return to Lisbon
Filled with memories and good times, we will return to Lisbon, where we will drop you off at the place where you were installed.
The suggestions are ours, but the decision is yours. Enjoy to the fullest, this tour is made for you, and thinking of you.
What’s Included
- 8 Hours Tour
- Private air-conditioned van for your group (up to 8 passengers)
- Pick-up / Drop-off at the place you are staying in Lisbon city centre (outside of Lisbon city centre requires analysis)
- Mandatory Insurances
- Car expenses
Not included
- Lunch
- Tickets to Monuments
- Tips
Tour Prices
Prices are per vehicle, not per person.
-
Up to 2 Pax €330
-
3 to 4 Pax €420
-
5 to 8 Pax €540
Pickup outside Lisbon city centre is available on request and may require an additional fee (confirmed before booking).
Cancellation up to 24 hours before departure. Cancellations within 24 hours are non-refundable.
Contact us and Book your Tour
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