The Templar-specialist day trip scores 4.8 from 72 ratings, and all three of its headline admissions are conditional
What you are buying is the guide, and the reviews say so
The specialisation is the pitch and the record backs it. Ten written reviews were recovered from 72 ratings, all five stars, and the guide is the subject of almost every one. Alina’s is the most useful thing anybody has written about any listing on this site, because it is about the ground rather than about the man:
“It is important to have the appropriate shoes - the hike at the castle is short but there are uneven surfaces on the path with many tree roots and it can get slippery. At the castle there is a steep staircase to climb to visit the walls. The views on top are breathtaking but people with fear of heights can have a difficult time as the path is very narrow and there are no ballustrades anywhere.”
“Our guide made our tour! The history came alive and the views were spectacular! Guillermo was the best guide EVER!”
“Rafael was a knowledgeable and thorough guide. He was considerate and helpful.”
Alina’s spelling of balustrades is hers. Her warning is the fullest description of the physical difficulty of these sites anywhere in the 108 reviews, and it is worth more than the other nine put together if you are bringing knees that complain. The climb up to the convent itself is a separate problem and it is on getting there.
Four reviewers thank the same guide and spell his name four different ways
Átila, Atilla, Attila, Atila. Four reviews, four spellings, one guide as far as anybody can tell from here, and I am not going to assert that they are the same person because none of the reviews says so. Three more name Rafael. What this tells you is that the “specialised guide” is a handful of specific people, and which one you get is the variable the score cannot capture.
“Atila is an amazing guide. He was very knowledgeable and looked very well after the entire group. The tour is not rushed and we had time to enjoy each site.”
“Got good recommendations from Atilla for lunch. We laughed a lot together.”
“The attention, experience, and information provided by the guide Átila were the best part of the tour.”
One reviewer on the state of the building, and her explanation is hers
Mónica writes that the convent was under construction when she came, and attributes it to storms. That is her account of why. The operator says areas including the South Terrace and parts of the Main Cloister are restricted for conservation work and gives no cause, so this site records both without merging them:
“I was just disappointed that the Convent of Christ is under construction due to the recent storms, but we were able to walk around and see a lot of what we visited.”
She is one of several reviewers across four different listings on this site who mention restoration in their own words. Whatever is closed on the day you go will not be what was closed for her, which is why the visiting page sends you to the operator instead of publishing a list.
The meeting point on this listing is a named address, the HF Fénix Lisboa hotel on Praça Marquês de Pombal. Most of the day trips in this catalogue are vaguer than that, and a named door is worth something at eight in the morning.
The other ways to do this day
Most-rated by farFrom Lisbon: Tomar, Convent of Christ & Almourol Castle
Ticket and lunch inFrom Lisbon: Tomar, Christ Convent & Almourol Castle Tour
Bring your own ticketTomar and Almourol Castle: Knights Templar Private Tour
If the Templars are the reason you are going rather than the scenery, the history itself is on the Templars in Portugal and what happened to them here.
Frequently asked questions
Is admission to the Convent of Christ included on this tour?
Only if you select the option that includes it: the inclusions say “Admission to the Convent of Christ (if option selected)”. Almourol Castle's admission and its boat crossing are gated the same way. Three destinations are named in the title and all three ways in depend on the option you choose.
Is the guide really a Templar specialist?
The listing says “Professional guide specialized in Templar history” and the ten written reviews recovered are consistent with it: they describe long, unhurried explanations and several thank the same guide by name. What none of them can tell you is which guide you will get.
How hard is the walking on this tour?
One reviewer, Alina, is the only person in 108 written reviews who describes it: uneven surfaces and tree roots on a short hike at the castle, a steep staircase to reach the walls, a narrow path with no balustrades at the top. Her review is quoted in full above.