Templars Tour from Lisbon: Tomar, Almourol & Wine (2026 Guide)
If you have already done Sintra and want a day with real history behind it, the Knights Templar route north of Lisbon is our pick. In one day you can stand inside Almourol Castle on its island in the Tagus, walk the cloisters of the Convent of Christ in Tomar, taste estate wines with local cheese, and finish in the small river village of Dornes. This guide is for travellers deciding whether a Templars tour from Lisbon is worth a full day, what the stops actually involve, and which of our tours fits best. We run the private Templars tour with estate wine and cheese pairings year round, and the details below come from how we run it.
Why the Templars matter in Portugal
The Knights Templar arrived in Portugal in the early 12th century, when the new kingdom was still fighting for land along the Tagus. The crown gave them territory to defend, and in return the order built a chain of castles and a headquarters at Tomar. Gualdim Pais, the Templar master in Portugal, founded the castle of Tomar in 1160 and rebuilt Almourol in 1171. When the order was dissolved across Europe in the 14th century, Portugal renamed it the Order of Christ, kept its wealth and later used that money to fund the voyages of discovery; the cross on the sails of Portuguese ships is the Order of Christ cross. The Tomar region is therefore the best place in Europe to see Templar heritage that was never destroyed, only renamed.
What a Templars day trip from Lisbon looks like
Our tour leaves Lisbon at 8 a.m. and runs for eight hours, with pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation. Tomar is about 140 km north-east of Lisbon, roughly an hour and a half by motorway, and the four stops are close enough to each other that the day never feels rushed.
9:30 — Almourol Castle
Almourol sits on a rocky island in the middle of the Tagus, and the only way in is a five-minute boat ride from the riverbank. The crossing and castle entry cost a few euros per person (adults €4, children under 12 €2, under 6 free at the time of writing) and the boat runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in summer and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. between October and March. The castle is small, so an hour is enough to climb the keep, walk the walls and take the photos. The stairs are steep and the ground is uneven, so wear proper shoes.
11:00 — Tomar Castle and the Convent of Christ
This is the main event. The Convent of Christ is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most complex monuments in Portugal: a Templar castle, a 12th-century round church (the Charola), Gothic and Renaissance cloisters, and the famous Manueline window of the chapter house, carved with ropes, coral and seaweed. Allow around two hours. The monument opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m., with last entry half an hour before, and it is closed on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and Easter Sunday. Our guides walk you through the Charola and the main cloisters and explain how the Templars became the Order of Christ, which is the part most visitors miss when they visit on their own.
13:00 — Riverside lunch
Lunch is included in the tour. We stop at a riverside restaurant where the house special is a river fish dish from the Zêzere; if fish is not your thing, there are meat and vegetarian options, so tell us when you book.
14:30 — Wine and cheese pairing at Herdade dos Templários
Tomar has its own small wine region, and Herdade dos Templários is the estate we visit for a tasting of its reds and whites paired with artisanal Portuguese cheeses. The wine tasting is included in the tour price. It is a relaxed stop in the countryside after a morning of stone and stairs, and a good moment to buy a bottle or two to take home.
15:30 — Dornes
Dornes is a tiny village on a peninsula in the Zêzere river, with a pentagonal Templar tower built to watch the river crossing. It was voted one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal in the village category and in summer it has a river beach. There are no queues and no tickets, just a walk around the headland and the tower. We leave around 5 p.m. and you are back in Lisbon in the early evening.
Which Templars tour is right for you
Private Templars tour with wine and cheese pairings
Our private Templars tour covers all four stops above in eight hours and costs from €424 for one adult, with children aged 7 to 12 at €159 and infants aged 0 to 6 at €95.40. Lunch, the wine and cheese pairing, and pick-up and drop-off are included. Monument entrance tickets are not listed among the inclusions, so budget a few euros per person for Almourol and the Convent of Christ. The tour is private, so the pace is yours: if you want longer in the convent and a shorter stop in Dornes, tell the guide.
Fátima tour with Batalha, Nazaré and Óbidos
If religious history matters more than the Templars themselves, our Fátima private tour from Lisbon runs the same eight hours from 8 a.m. and costs from €233.20 for one adult, with children aged 7 to 12 at €116.60 and infants at €58.30. Lunch and guiding inside monuments are not included. We have written a full Fátima tour guide if you are weighing the two days against each other.
Custom tour combining Tomar and Fátima
Tomar and Fátima are only 35 km apart, so a popular request is a single day with the Convent of Christ in the morning and the Sanctuary of Fátima in the afternoon. We build this on our custom private tour, which starts from €132.50 for one adult and €68.90 per child for eight hours, with entrance tickets, lunch and wine tasting added only if you want them. It is the cheapest way to see Tomar with a private driver-guide, but you give up Almourol and Dornes to fit Fátima in.
Multi-day packs
Travellers with more time usually prefer to spread the region over several days. Our 4-day tour pack covers Sintra, Arrábida, Fátima and Évora at €620.10 per adult, and the Templars day can be added as a fifth day or swapped in for one of the others. For a longer route north, the Heart of Portugal 3-day journey goes from Lisbon to Porto via Óbidos, Batalha and Coimbra, priced per vehicle from €2,533.40 for one to three guests.
Private tour or on your own
You can reach Tomar by train from Lisbon in about two hours, and there is a station at Almourol, but Almourol and the convent are on opposite sides of Tomar and Dornes has no public transport at all. Doing the four stops in one day without a car is not realistic. Renting a car works if you are happy to drive and to park in Tomar’s old town, since the car park at the convent fills early. What you gain with us is the guide: the Convent of Christ has very little signage, and the story of the Templars and the Order of Christ is what turns a pretty building into a day you remember. We also handle the boat timings, the lunch booking and the estate visit.
Practical tips for a Templars day from Lisbon
Go in spring or autumn if you can. April, May, September and October have mild temperatures and quieter monuments; July and August are hot inland, with afternoon temperatures well above Lisbon’s. In winter the tour still runs and the convent is almost empty, but the Almourol boat stops at 5 p.m. and the days are short, so we tighten the afternoon.
Wear closed, comfortable shoes. Between the castle keep at Almourol, the convent’s spiral staircases and the headland walk in Dornes you will climb a lot of stone steps. Bring a hat and sunscreen in summer, and a layer for the convent, which stays cool inside.
Weekends and public holidays are busier at Almourol, where the boat has limited capacity. We book the morning slot for that reason, so being ready for the 8 a.m. pick-up matters.
The tour is suitable for families. Children enjoy the boat to Almourol and the castle walls, and the river beach at Dornes is a bonus in summer. Pushchairs are difficult inside the convent and impossible at Almourol, so bring a carrier for small children.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Tomar from Lisbon?
About 140 km, or around an hour and a half by motorway. Almourol is slightly closer, which is why we visit it first.
Is the Convent of Christ worth visiting with a guide?
Yes. It is a large, layered site with eight cloisters and several centuries of building, and the on-site signage is minimal. A guide makes the difference between walking through rooms and understanding why they exist.
Is lunch included in the Templars tour?
Yes. The private Templars tour includes a riverside lunch and the wine and cheese pairing at the estate. Monument entrance tickets are paid on the day.
Can we combine Tomar with Fátima in one day?
Yes, on a custom tour. Tomar and Fátima are 35 km apart. You will need to drop Almourol and Dornes to fit both in eight hours, or extend the day.
Where does the tour start?
We pick you up at your hotel or apartment in Lisbon at 8 a.m. and drop you back at the end of the day. Pick-ups in Cascais and Sintra are also possible; contact us to confirm.
Book your Templars tour from Lisbon
If you want one day of history that is neither crowded nor generic, this is the one we recommend. Book the private Templars tour with wine and cheese pairings online, or contact us if you would like to combine Tomar with Fátima, add a day to one of our tour packs, or ask about pick-up outside Lisbon.