Tomar and Mafra Tour

You will start the tour with the collection at the Hard Rock Café at 9:00 AM or at the Hotel Sana Lisbon at 9:15 AM, then you will travel by car/van to the north in the direction of Tomar, through the agricultural lands of Ribatejo. In Tomar, you will visit the Convent of Christ, originally built by the Templar Knights and you will explore the Templar Castle, Romanesque round, Manueline church, Renaissance convent and monastic precincts (ticket included). You will learn how the Templar Knights originated the Order of Christ and how this new order became fundamental in the Portuguese Age of Discovery. This monument was practically forgotten until becoming a UNESCO world heritage site today.

Then, you will take a well-deserved lunch in the wonderful city of Tomar, taste a traditional Portuguese meal in one of its most famous restaurants, you can admire the Nabão River crossing the city. After hearing about the Jewish heritage in the city and exploring its narrow streets full of history.

After lunch, you will return to the car/van and this time you will travel towards the city of Mafra. Here, you can admire the magnificence of the sumptuous baroque Mafra palace, with its 220-meter-long façade, 1,200 rooms and 4700 doors and windows. You will have free time to explore its numerous rooms without missing the great library with its colony of bats, which protects books against harmful insects. You will learn how the palace played an important role for the end of the Portuguese monarchy. If there is time, you will enjoy a traditional sweet in a typical pastry shop (not included) before returning to Lisbon. The tour will end at the same starting point.