Route of the Templars Tour

Departure: 09h00 a.m. We will pick you up at your Hotel and we will discover the Route of the Portuguese Knights Templars. The Knight Templar were settled in Portugal in the 12^th century to help the first Portuguese kings in the Christian Reconquest and to continue the Crusades.  These Templars had an important role in all the great times and battles in Portugal since the country’s foundation till the Portuguese Discoveries.

Departing from Lisbon, we will visit the Almourol Castle. It is a massive medieval fortress, one of the Europe´s emblematic monuments, located on a small rocky island in the middle of the Tagus River. We will proceed onwards in the direction of the Castle and the Convent of Tomar, the Order’s own headquarters. We will also have the opportunity to visit the Church of St. John the Baptist, the matrix church of Tomar, and the Church of Santa Maria dos Olivais, a fine example of Gothic architecture. Accommodation in Tomar.

Today we will start travelling through the charming village of Dornes. Dornes is a gorgeous and small peninsula, located alongside the Tagus River, in the heart of Portugal. It is a place where you can travel back in time, discovering local legends of magic and mystery. Here we will visit the CIBA – the Battle of Aljubarrota Interpretation Center – that allows the opportunity to (re)live one of the most important battles of the medieval Europe.

We will proceed our trip to the Alcobaça Monastery, whose church contains one of the largest Cistercian abbeys in Europe. This is a masterpiece, linked to the Order of the Knights Templar, that was built on the orders of D. Afonso Henriques, first king of Portugal. After this visit, we will travel to Sintra. Accommodation in Sintra.

On the last day of this tour, we will visit the famous “Quinta da Regaleira”. Sintra is one of the most romantic and remarkable sites in Portugal and this monument it’s a really must-see. The “Quinta da Regaleira” is a leading example of the Romantic architectural style and one of the most esoteric and mysterious places in Portugal. We will explore its secrets and surroundings, replete with neo-Templar symbols.

Then, we will drive to Lisbon and visit the celebrated Belem Tower, a great monument that symbolizes the era of the Portuguese Discoveries, and the National Navy Museum (the Order’s cross remains the symbol of the Portuguese Navy and Air Force). Here, with the help of the two governors of the Order of Christ, we will have the chance to admire and learn more about the splendid and golden period in the History of Portugal. End of our services (around 06h00 p.m.).