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Tomar Tour – City of the Divine Holy Spirit

Tour Details

The place where the Templar master D. Gualdim Pais founded the city of Tomar in 1160 had an occupation long before the arrival of the Templar knights. The “Caldeirão” cave near Tomar, in the Nabão river valley, shows traces from prehistory to the Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman, Visigothic and Middle Ages. The preference of the Knights Templar for ancient sacred places is popularly known. The mystical and spiritual charge associated with them attracted the ancient warrior monks in the search and appropriation of their mysteries and rituals.

There are several explanations for the origin of the name Tomar. The similarity of the name of Tomar with the word of Greek origin Theomar is evident. Theo is a proper name of Greek origin. It arises from théos, whose literal meaning is “god”. This was the way many Greek gods were called until, with the arrival of Christianity, théos started to designate God – central figure of the Abrahamic religions. Many believe that the Knights Templar sought to found, in the city of Tomar, an authentic city of God, in which the three monotheistic religions could coexist in harmony, praising the sacred and divine holy spirit. Perhaps the creation of a Theomar (sea of god) was the main objective of the Templars. The approximation of all peoples through the caravels with the symbol of their successors of the Order of Christ, who sailed through all known and unknown seas at the dawn of maritime discoveries, brought to the world the cult of the holy spirit. These celebrations originated in Tomar with the celebration of “Tabuleiros”. Even today they are practiced in several communities, from the Atlantic islands to Brazil, from the United States to the Asian continent.

We invite you to visit the templar city of Tomar by visiting the mysterious churches of S. João Baptista and the ancient templar pantheon of Santa Maria do Olival. Visit the only Medieval Synagogue still preserved in Portugal, the paleo-Christian convent of Santa Iria, which originated several Portuguese myths and the Mouchão wheel, a legacy of the irrigation engineering of agricultural fields left by the Muslims.

Main Attractions

Santa Maria do Olival Church

Medieval Synagogue

Mouchão Wheel

São João Baptista Church

Santa Iria Convent

Tour Themes

Myths/Legends

Mystery/Esoterism

Religious/Spiritual

Jewish Heritage

Architecture/Urbanism

Tour Duration

2,5 Hours

Tour Difficulty

Medium. The entire route is done on foot. It is recommended to wear comfortable and suitable shoes and clothes.

Price Starts at

€104

Includes entrance tickets to monuments. The price includes private visits for one or two people. For additional person adds €30. The visit is free for children under 12, when accompanied by their parents.

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Experienced Guides

All of our guides are carefully selected. They are polite, fun and above all know all aspects of each region like no one else, adjusting and personalizing visits to your interests and giving you excellent tips and suggestions, because they are all local guides.

None of them will give you information based on Wikipedia or tourist brochures. All visits are made based on a search for detailed, rigorous information, thematic books, municipal archives and academic articles. We also add doses of imagination and personal opinions to each visit and we always look for good mood and whenever possible we promote the interaction of the visitor with the patrimonial heritage, with their opinions and knowledge, in the interpretation and the stories told.

All the training of our guides results from a vast knowledge of history, patrimony and universal and local culture as well as training in technical aspects of conducting visits of heritage interpretation in a tourist context. All have higher education in areas as diverse as history, archaeology, biology, cultural tourism, heritage, literature, wine tourism, geology and education.

The languages spoken are Portuguese, English, Spanish and French.

All experiences and guides are coordinated by a master in the development of cultural tourism products, with published thesis and academic articles on safeguarding intangible heritage.

Flexible Cancellation

Our cancellation policy is flexible and adjusted to each client and each contracted experience. Generally, for cancellations up to 24 hours before the event, we will refund the entire payment except for services that include accommodation or for services and experiences for private, cooperative or business groups, which have their own cancellation policy.

Suitable For Large Groups

We also make private visits to groups, whether family, friends, tourist companies, organized by hotels, schools, etc. Prices per group are on request and are adapted to the type of experiences or visits intended, with or without inclusion of entrance tickets to the monuments or integrating lunch, dinner or wine tasting before or after the experiences.

We can do photo or video reports, with or without editing work. We do inclusive tours for people with reduced mobility or meal menus for people with dietary restrictions.

We can add on our visits 2 guides (ideal for very large groups or who want guided tours in 2 different languages). We can adapt guided tours to study visits for children or young people of school age, with themes subordinate to the type of education or to a specific subject or discipline.

We organize fun treasure hunts in the historic centers of the cities, historical recreations with theater actors, period costumes, traditional games, workshops or musical entertainment with traditional groups from Cante Alentejano or Fado (UNESCO Heritage) or musical moments of Portuguese pop music.

Guide Tips

All of our guides are fully knowledgeable to give you the most appropriate tips on aspects or services you want to ensure maximum comfort, safety and make your stay as pleasant as possible. Whether you want a massage or spa service, booking and advice on local restaurants, typical local shops, bars for night out, fado houses, yoga or Reiki classes, medical support or local legal advice, ... you can always count on with us. Even after finishing your visit with us, and during your stay in Portugal, you can always ask for our help and advice in any aspect or situation you need. We will do everything to help you the best we can as true friends.

Tomar Tour – The Mystery of the Templars

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what our clients say about us

"We had a unique experience with the guide Paulo. He is a great professional with immense charisma and sympathy. He showed interest and care with us throughout the tour. It is very worthwhile and Évora is beautiful."

"In early December, our group of two couples used the services of Paulo and Portugal Cultural Experience. We visited several Megalithic structures and Escoural Cave. Paulo was incredibly knowledgeable about the history, culture, geology, flora, and fauna of the area. I almost felt badly as the four of us peppered him the whole time with questions that he encouraged and graciously and competently answered. This was unquestionably one of the best tours we have taken and I credit Paulo for that. Our only regret was that we did not have time to take other tours offered by Portugal Cultural Experience."

"This guided walking tour by our guide Paulo, was the highlight of our trip to Évora! His knowledge of the history, architecture, and even plants in the city was truly impressive. (His background is biology and geology). His passion and love for Évora was evident. He was very friendly and answered all our questions. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our tour with him. I enjoyed the wine tasting and snacks provided at the end of the tour. We highly recommend Paulo and the Portugal Cultural Experience. You will not be disappointed."

"We had lunch at a local restaurant, enjoyed a wine tasting at a local winemaker’s storefront, and toured to major sites with Paulo. From start to finish was an awesome experience blending the technical, historical, cultural, and flavor of Evora and the Alentejo region. Our lunch included a personal introduction to and recommendations by the chef and owner of the restaurant, with a great meal and desert. As noted, the walking tour covered a significant amount of history, and some very interesting technical details. The wine tasting was very informative and interesting, and of course included good wine, cheese, and sausage. ..."

"Évora Cultural Experience arranged a dinner at a local restaurant followed by a night tour of the city. The dinner was a great experience in a very nice restaurant. The tour guide gave an excellent presentation of local and Portuguese history. Évora is beautifully lit at night, so the night walk (starting at 21:00) was very nice."