Taverna Antiqua
What to order: the nobles' banquet (€35), with a starter board, soup, tasting platters and desserts; children up to 12 have their own menu at €20.
geocalia
Day itinerary · 39.60° N · 8.42° W
Tomar on a Sunday, Templars, a medieval banquet and a lake an hour and a half from Lisbon.
The Templar Charola of the Convent of Christ first thing, the 15th-century synagogue, a medieval banquet with music and theatre, and the afternoon by boat on the Castelo de Bode reservoir.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Lisboa fromSevilla 1 hMadrid 1 h 15Málaga 1 h 15Asturias 1 h 30Alicante 1 h 45Bilbao 1 h 45Valencia 1 h 45Barcelona 2 hGran Canaria 2 h 30Tenerife Sur 2 h 30
Part of Tomar
Add to my trip
Total time11 h
By car1 h 30 each way
By carAbout 140 km along the A1 and A13
Convent€15 · 9:00
Banquet€35 adult · €20 child
DifficultyEasy
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Lisbon 1 h 30 by car
along the A1 and A13, about 140 km
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1
Convent of Christ and the Templars' Charola
when it opens · €15 · the Charola without groups
- 11 min on foot
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2
Tomar Synagogue, the best preserved in Portugal
15th century · closed at midday and on Mondays
- 10 min by car10 km
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3
Taverna Antiqua
medieval banquet with a show · €35 adult, €20 child · book
Lugar do Moinho Novo, 2300-184 Madalena, Tomar · +351 249 311 236
Restaurant €€€Book - 8 min by car7,1 km
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4
Skippered boat trip on the Castelo de Bode reservoir
Barcaça Atividades Náuticas · with skipper, 1 h minimum · ask for a quote beforehand
+351 912 265 977
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Back home
you reach Lisbon around 19:15
Approximate cost
About €35–60 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Convent of Christ and the Templars' Charola
A whole Sunday of Templars an hour and a half from Lisbon. The morning is for the Convent of Christ, the order's seat in Portugal, with the knights' round Charola; midday, for a medieval banquet with musicians and actors at Taverna Antiqua, which only opens at the weekend; the afternoon, for the calm water of the Castelo de Bode reservoir.
The day, hour by hour
7:30 · Departure. A1 and A13 from Lisbon, about 140 km.
9:00 · Convent of Christ. It opens at 9:00 and general admission costs €15. First thing, the Charola can be seen without groups. Allow two and a half hours for the round church, the cloisters and the chapter-house window.
11:45 · Synagogue. You walk down to the centre. The 15th-century synagogue, the oldest in Portugal, closes at midday: from 12:00 to 14:00 in winter and from 13:00 to 14:00 in summer. In winter, go earlier or leave it for another time.
13:00 · Banquet at Taverna Antiqua. On the outskirts, in Madalena. They dress you in period costume and you eat a banquet of platters with music and theatre at the table: €35 for adults, €20 for children up to 12 and €25 for the vegetarian menu, with water. It only opens from Friday night to Sunday at midday. Book by phone.
16:00 · Boat trip on Castelo de Bode. Barcaça Atividades Náuticas runs skippered trips of at least an hour for up to 13 people on the Zêzere reservoir. It does not publish prices: ask for a quote a few days ahead and confirm the boarding point.
17:30 · Heading back. You are in Lisbon around 19:15.
Time2 h 30
Change the route
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Tabuleiro Restaurant
What to order: one of the house cods, the dourado or the espiritual, or the oven-baked black pork cheeks; the cozido à portuguesa if you are hungry.
O Praça
What to order: the "tradição" cod, with vegetables and béchamel served in a homemade loaf, which is the house dish; for dessert, the lime and lemon tart.
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Tomar
From May to September for the boat trip on the reservoir; in spring and autumn, without the heat, for the convent. Taverna Antiqua only opens on Sunday at midday, not in the afternoon.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book both beforehand
The table at Taverna Antiqua and the boat: neither works without notice.
- 2Out of season, swap the boat for Almourol
The boat to the castle crosses the Tagus all year round, from 14:30 in the afternoon.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is Taverna Antiqua open on Sunday?
Yes, on Sunday at midday; not in the evening.
How much does the banquet cost?
€35 per adult, €25 for the vegetarian menu and €20 for children up to 12.
Can you go without a car?
To the convent and the synagogue, yes, by train; to the Taverna and the reservoir, no.
Is it suitable for children?
Yes: the banquet has a children's menu and the boat is for families.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/portugal/central-portugal/tomar/itineraries/medieval-banquet-and-castelo-de-bode
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.