Convent of Christ
The UNESCO-listed Templar headquarters — Charola, cloisters and the Manueline window.
All tours
Private Knights Templar tour · Portugal
Knights Templar Private Tour (Tomar & Almourol Castle)
Discover the fascinating history of the Knights Templar in Portugal on a private tour from Lisbon through Tomar and the iconic Almourol Castle.
Full day · 8 hoursPrivate · 1–6 guestsHotel pick-up included
- TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice · 229+ 5-star reviews
- 100% tailor-made & flexible pace
- Fully private group · premium A/C vehicle
A journey through Portugal's Templar history
Nowhere in Europe did the Knights Templar leave a deeper mark than in Portugal — and nowhere is that mark easier to touch than on this private historical tour.
The Templars arrived in the twelfth century, when Portugal was not yet a country but a contested frontier between Christian and Moorish lands. The order came for the same reason it went to the Holy Land: to fight, to build and to hold ground. Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, understood exactly what he was being offered — disciplined knights with money, engineers and their own supply lines — and paid for it in land. Castles, villages and vast tracts of the Tagus valley passed into Templar hands.
Their role was defensive before it was spiritual. The knights garrisoned the line of the Tagus, rebuilt ruined fortresses, cleared and resettled emptied country, and gave the young kingdom a southern border it could actually defend. Almourol, Tomar, Pombal, Zêzere — read them on a map and you are reading a defensive strategy. Where the order settled, towns followed, because knights need bakers, smiths and farmers as much as they need walls.
Tomar was the heart of it. Founded in 1160 by Gualdim Pais, Grand Master of the Templars in Portugal, it was built deliberately: a hilltop castle with a round oratory inside, and beneath it a planned town laid out on a grid at a time when medieval towns simply grew. Tomar was never an accident. It was the administrative capital of the order in Portugal, and it still feels like a town with a purpose.
Then, in 1312, the Pope dissolved the order. Across Europe Templars were arrested, tried and burned; their property seized. Portugal did something else. King Dinis argued that the Portuguese knights had committed no crime, negotiated with Rome, and in 1319 simply renamed them: the Order of Christ, same men, same castles, same wealth. It is why Portugal became one of the last great Templar strongholds — and why, two centuries later, Portuguese caravels sailed to India and Brazil under the red cross of Christ on their sails. The age of discovery was, in a very literal sense, financed and branded by the Templar inheritance you will spend the day walking through.
What's included
- Guided interior visits: Full accompaniment and commentary inside key monuments (Palaces, Monasteries, Miradouros)
- Dedicated local driver-guide: Personalized attention and historical context throughout the entire journey
- Private premium vehicle with air conditioning
- English-speaking local driver-guide
- Templar history storytelling throughout the day
- Bottled water and Wi-Fi on board
- All fuel, tolls and parking
Suggested itinerary
08:00
Pick-up in Lisbon, drive to Tomar.
09:30
Convent of Christ: Charola, cloisters and Manueline window.
12:00
Lunch in the old town of Tomar.
14:00
Drive to Almourol and boat crossing to the island castle.
15:15
Constância or Barquinha riverside stop.
16:00
Return to Lisbon.
Timings are a guide only. Everything can be reshaped on the day.
- Secure booking via Rezdy
- No upfront payment required to request availability
- 24-hour custom response, personally from Eduardo or Hugo
Visit the UNESCO-listed Convent of Christ
Eight centuries of Portuguese architecture, all inside one set of walls.
The Convent of Christ began in 1160 as a Templar castle and never stopped being built. Knights, kings and navigators each added their own century to it, so a Convent of Christ tour is really a walk through Portuguese history in stone — from crusader austerity to the ornament of a maritime empire at its height.
At its core stands the Charola, the round oratory raised by the Templars in imitation of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Knights are said to have heard mass here on horseback. It is an octagonal shrine set within a sixteen-sided drum, and every surface — gilded wood, painted panels, polychrome saints — was covered in the sixteenth century until the space glows rather than merely lights. Few interiors in Portugal are as unexpected.
Outside, on the western wall of the nave, is the Manueline window: the most famous piece of carving in the country. Ropes, coral, seaweed, cork floats, the cross of the Order of Christ and an armillary sphere all knot together in stone — the ocean itself carved onto a monastery, made by the wealth that ocean brought home. Around it spread eight cloisters, including João III's severe Renaissance masterpiece, whose spiral stairs deliver you to one of the best views in Tomar.
UNESCO inscribed the convent as a World Heritage Site in 1983, citing it as a symbol of the Portuguese opening to the world. With a private guide you visit at your own pace, arriving early to have the Charola almost to yourself, and leaving when you have seen enough — not when a coach horn sounds.
Explore the legendary Almourol Castle
A fortress on its own island, in the middle of the Tagus, reached only by boat.
Almourol stands on a rocky islet in the Tagus near Vila Nova da Barquinha, an hour and a half from Lisbon. There is no bridge. A small boat carries you across a few hundred metres of green water, and the walls rise straight out of the rock as you approach — the single most cinematic arrival on any private Knights Templar tour in Portugal.
The site was fortified long before the knights came, but the castle you climb was raised in 1171 by Gualdim Pais for the Templars, guarding the river crossing that divided Christian territory from Moorish. Nine towers and a central keep, all of it defensive, none of it decorative. An inscription above the gate still records the year it was finished.
From the battlements the Tagus opens in both directions, slow and wide, with wooded banks and almost nothing modern in sight. The medieval atmosphere here is real rather than staged: the island is small, the crowds are thin, and the sound is mostly water and wind. Portuguese Romantic writers turned Almourol into a place of enchanted maidens and errant knights, and standing on the keep it is easy to see why.
It is also one of Portugal's most photographed castles — best at the end of the afternoon, when the light comes low along the river and the whole island turns gold. We time the Almourol Castle visit for exactly that hour whenever the season allows.
Why choose a private Knights Templar tour from Lisbon?
One vehicle, one guide, one group — yours. Everything below is standard, not an upgrade.
Premium private vehicle
A spotless, air-conditioned and fully equipped vehicle for your group alone — never shared, never crowded.
Flexible itinerary
Linger in the Charola, skip a stop, add a village. The day bends to you, not to a timetable.
Hotel pick-up
Collected from your hotel, apartment, villa or cruise terminal in the Lisbon area, and returned there.
Local expertise
Eduardo and Hugo have told the Templar story in Tomar for over a decade — the history, and the parts guidebooks miss.
Comfortable pace
Unhurried mornings, a proper sit-down lunch, and time to simply look at things.
Personal recommendations
Where to eat, what to taste, which viewpoint to keep for last — advice from someone who lives here.
No crowded buses
No coach parks, no headsets, no waiting for forty strangers to return to their seats.
Fully customised experience
Combine Tomar with Fátima, Ourém or Dornes — the itinerary is written around your interests.
Tour highlights
Tomar Historic Centre
A rare planned Templar town: gridded streets, the Nabão river and the old synagogue.
Almourol Castle
A twelfth-century fortress on its own island in the Tagus, reached by a short boat crossing.
Scenic countryside
Olive groves, pine forest and river valleys between Lisbon and the Templar heartland.
Local gastronomy
Lunch in a family-run tavern in Tomar's old town — regional cooking, never a tourist menu.
Private transportation
Door-to-door comfort with fuel, tolls and parking all included in one clear price.
What guests say
Guests who did this day
229+ five-star reviews · 5.0 rating on Tripadvisor. Every quotation below is a real, published review.
A winner!
“One of the best tours we’ve ever taken. It was just the two of us with Eduardo for the day. Eduardo answered and expanded on every question. He exhibited obvious passion for leading groups to explore Knights Templar sites. He is personable, knowledgeable and perceptive to create the best experience for each participant. I definitely would take another Heart and Soul tour!”
Frequently asked questions
- How long is the tour?
- A full day, around 8 hours door to door. We usually collect you at 08:00 and return to Lisbon by early evening; earlier or later starts are easily arranged.
- Is hotel pick-up included?
- Yes. Pick-up and drop-off at your hotel, apartment, villa, cruise terminal or the airport in the Lisbon area is included at no extra cost.
- Is lunch included?
- Lunch is not included, so you are free to choose. We stop in Tomar's old town at a family-run restaurant we know well, and you pay only for what you order.
- How much walking is involved?
- Moderate and entirely at your pace — roughly two to three hours in total, spread across the day. The Convent of Christ has cobbles, steps and slopes, and Almourol involves a short boat crossing and a climb into the keep.
- Can the itinerary be customised?
- Completely. Add Fátima, the castle of Ourém or the riverside village of Dornes, spend longer in the convent, or shorten the day. Just tell us what interests you most.
- Is this suitable for children?
- Very much so — a castle on an island tends to win children over. Child and booster seats are provided free of charge; simply tell us ages when you book.
- Can we combine this with Fátima?
- Yes. Fátima sits close to Tomar and is a natural addition. We adjust timings so both are unhurried, or extend the day slightly if you would like to attend a mass.
- What should we bring?
- Comfortable walking shoes, sun protection in summer and a light layer in winter. Shoulders and knees covered are appreciated inside the convent church. Water is on board.
Tomar · Almourol · Private day
Walk in the footsteps of the Knights Templar
Experience one of Portugal's most fascinating historical journeys with a private guide who will bring centuries of history to life.
Booking request
Book Your Private Tour
Tell us your dates and group size. Eduardo or Hugo replies personally with availability, a clear itinerary and an all-inclusive price.
Free to ask · Reply within 24h