starting at €701 total, not per person

•  8-hour private driving & walking tour     

•  skip-the-line entry ticket fees excluded.

•  our guides take you inside the monuments

•  reservations required

discover the humble, majestic, sacred and profane combined to defy scale and opulence

We start our adventure in the jewel-box village of Obidos, where we wander the picturesque and car-free medieval streets lined with geraniums and wisteria. We also pass through the old Jewish quarter, where a community of craftsmen flourished between the eighth and twelfth centuries, during the period when Obidos was under Arab rule.

Then we make an essential visit inside the tiny Church of Santa Maria of Obidos, built on the site of a former mosque until the first King of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques, captured Obidos in 1148. Inside is a sculptural masterpiece- the Renaissance tomb of Joao de Noronha, who was the 16th-century governor of Obidos. On the opposite wall is a rare 17th-century painting by Josefa de Obidos, one of the few female European painters of the time, who blended the sacred and profane with sensuality and mysticism.

In Alcobaca, we explore the ornate Dominican Abbey of Santa Maria, founded in 1153 to commemorate a victory against the Moors. Today, it is Portugal's largest church and a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its well-preserved Cistercian Gothic art. Inside you will discover the tombs of Pedro and Ines de Castro, a tragic and macabre love story that has become the “Romeo and Juliette” of Portugal.

We finish our excursion in the historic village of Batalha, home to the grandiose Monastery of Santa Maria of Victory, which pays homage to the Portuguese victory at the Battle of Aljubarrota in 1385—considered Europe's most outstanding Gothic masterpiece for its commingled Portuguese Manueline architecture. The complex took over 100 years to build, spanning the reign of seven kings. The Monastery defies scale and opulence for any other of its time and represents the unimaginable odds of victory that Portugal managed to seize at Aljubarrota.

The tour includes time for a 1-hour lunch break at an authentic, local restaurant at the expense of each guest. Our guides are happy to make suggestions during the tour for a variety of restaurants that suit your tastes, budget, and interests.

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why do we use a dedicated driver and a separate guide?

We provide a luxury modern vehicle with heat and air conditioning, a driver, and an official guide who can take guests inside sights. Unlike budget tour operators, our guides won’t leave you to wander the interior of sights on your own with no explanations of what you are seeing. Many budget tours have the guide double duty as the driver. This is something we would never do, and you will have a dedicated driver for 3 reasons.

1. We don't want guests to wait for a guide to find a parking place before they lead guests inside the monuments. Parking can be hectic, and waits are common during the high season.

2. We don’t want our licensed and insured drivers to be distracted by conversation. Portugal has one of the highest accident fatality ratios per capita in the EU. We must keep our guests safe on the narrow roads while our guides explain the sights, culture, and landscape.

3. The weather conditions in the Atlantic mountains make a very unpredictable micro-climate. The temps can change very quickly with rain, wind, fog, or hail. We like our guests to have the convenience of leaving their unused personal items, packs, coats, or umbrellas inside the vehicle with the driver monitoring it at all times. Vehicle burglaries are common in the parking lots of monuments in Portugal.

major highlights

closures

Mondays

January 1

Easter Sunday

December 25 and 31

start and end points

Starting at:

Hotel, apartment, or ship dock

Ending at:

Hotel, apartment, or ship dock

important details

Beware of budget tours

We use authorized guides, and you will skip-the-line entry ticket fees excluded.. Many budget tour operators do not take their guests inside the monuments, because they do not have authorization as guides, and they cannot skip the ticket lines. They will simply park outside and wait while guests wonder the inside the sights on their own.

Óbidos:

• Church of S. Maria, Matriz de Óbidos: Tomb of Joao de Noronha and a passionate

  painting by Josefa de Obidos.

• Historic center: Medieval streets lined with artisan shops and flowers.

• Jewish quarter: Discover the buildings unique to this era and people in Obidos.

Alcobaça:

• Abbey of Santa Maria: A massive testament to Cistercian Gothic art, and the most

  famous "Romeo and Juliet" love story of Portugal.

Batalha:

• Monastery of Santa Maria of Victory in Batalha: Europe's greatest Gothic

  masterpiece and a victory of unimaginable scale for Portugal.

         ADD SERVICES

A stop for a taste of the famous Obidos Ginjinha, cherry liquor.

         INCLUDED

Skip the ticket lines with an official tour guide.

Round-trip transfer in a luxury vehicle with a dedicated driver at all times.

Authorization to enter sights.

VAT tax.

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        WALKING LEVEL

85% level ground with few upstairs and inclines. 15% in vehicle. No elevators. Some cobblestones on tour route. Must be able to walk at casual pace for at least 30 minutes without resting.

.

          INFORMATION

Wear comfortable athletic shoes. Bring windbreakers or umbrellas.

There are stops for clean restrooms, and food & beverage breaks if needed.

.

        MEETING POINT

Hotel, apartment, or ship dock.

Meetings at hotels or apartments located outside of Lisbon can effect tour price because of fuel and time expenses.

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         START TIMES

Tuesday to Sunday, year round.

Morning: 9:00am, or 9:30am, or 10:00am

No additional start times available.

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            TICKET FEES

Entry fees vary by season and age, but average a total of €15 per person for all the sights that we visit.

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          EXCLUDED

Ticket fees are additional.

Lunch is additional.

Audio headsets when required for parties of 12 or more. Headsets are €3.00 per person.

tours for the culturally curious traveler

Lisbon Explorer

• Tiered pricing at a flat fee

• Customizable

• Meets where you like

• Luxury vehicles and drivers

• Multi-lingual guides

• Flexible cancellation policy