Hotel dos Templários
Why we like it: Four-star hotel beside the Nabão river, five minutes' walk from the centre of Tomar, with gardens, an outdoor pool, a heated indoor pool, a spa and parking.
Duration2 nights
From Lisbon1 h 40 by car · direct CP train, about 2 h
Getting aroundOn foot in Tomar; car for Almourol and Castelo de Bode
Best timeApril – June and September – October
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to arrive on Friday afternoon and return on Sunday at dusk. On Saturday morning everything is done on foot from the main square; for the Pegões, Almourol, Taverna Antiqua and the reservoir you need a car. If you arrive by train, do Saturday on foot and swap Sunday for a taxi to Almourol or for more of Tomar.
Friday
- 119:00Arrival and dinner at O Praça
Leave your bag at the Hotel República and have dinner in its ground-floor restaurant, open until 22:00. Order the tradição salt cod.
Saturday
- 109:00Convent of Christ
Walk up from the square and go in when it opens: the Charola, the cloisters and the chapter-house window. Come down through the Mata dos Sete Montes.
- 212:00Synagogue
The oldest in Portugal, two streets from the square. Closed at midday and on Mondays.
- 313:00Lunch at Tabuleiro
Portuguese cooking on Rua Serpa Pinto: salt cod, porco preto or cozido. Call ahead to confirm.
- 415:00Pegões aqueduct and Almourol
By car, the arches of the aqueduct on the outskirts and, about 25 km away, the boat to the castle on the Tagus islet, which crosses from 14:30.
Sunday
- 113:00Banquet at Taverna Antiqua
In Madalena, on the outskirts: period costume, music and theatre at the table. Sunday at midday only, by reservation.
- 216:00Boat on Castelo de Bode
An hour with a skipper on the Zêzere reservoir with Barcaça Atividades Náuticas. Ask for a quote beforehand.
- 317:30Back to Lisbon
You arrive around 19:15.
Tomar was the seat of the Templars in Portugal and later of the Order of Christ, and what they left fills the city: the fortified convent on the hill, with the knights' round Charola; the 15th-century synagogue in the old town; the aqueduct that carried water to the friars. With two nights there is time to see it all without hurry, to cross by boat to Almourol Castle, on an island in the Tagus, and to finish Sunday with a medieval banquet and an hour's boat trip on the Castelo de Bode reservoir.
How do you get there from Lisbon?
By car, along the A1 and A13, about 140 km and a little over an hour and a half. Without a car, a direct CP train leaves Lisbon and reaches Tomar in about two hours; from the station you walk to the centre. If you fly from Spain, you land in Lisbon and choose: train to Tomar or a hire car at the airport.
Where to sleep?
| Accommodation | Area | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel República | Praça da República | Anyone arriving by train who wants everything on foot |
| Hotel dos Templários | Beside the Nabão | Car, families, pools and parking |
| Thomar Story | Historic centre | Guesthouse with rooms with kitchens |
How much does it cost?
The Convent of Christ, €15. The boat and entry to Almourol, €4 from age 7. The banquet at Taverna Antiqua, €35 per adult and €20 per child. At O Praça, from €17 to €45 per person according to the tourist office; at Restaurante Tabuleiro, dishes from €9.50 to €12.90. The boat on Castelo de Bode, by quote.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Tomar, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Tomar
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Tomar by car, with Almourol and Castelo de Bode
Tomar's centre is seen on foot, but the best of the surroundings needs a car: the Pegões aqueduct, Almourol castle on the Tagus, the Castelo de Bode reservoir and the medieval banquet of the Taverna Antiqua, on the outskirts.
60–130 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayHotel dos Templários, beside the…
- Getting aroundFrom Lisbon, the A1 and…
- Where to eatTaverna Antiqua, in Madalena, from…
- ServicesBarcaça Atividades Náuticas, boat trips…
Where to stay
- Hotel dos Templários, beside the Nabão, with private parking
- Thomar Story, in the centre; ask where to park
Getting around
- From Lisbon, the A1 and A13, a little over an hour and a half
- Leave the car by the river and walk into the old town
- Almourol, about 25 km; Castelo de Bode, about 20 minutes
Where to eat
- Taverna Antiqua, in Madalena, from Friday evening to Sunday lunchtime
- O Praça, on the main square, every day
Services
- Barcaça Atividades Náuticas, boat trips at Castelo de Bode
By train from Lisbon and on foot around Tomar
Tomar is the end of the line of a direct CP train from Lisbon, of about two hours, and its centre is flat and small: from the station you go on foot to the old town, the synagogue and the river, and the Convent of Christ is climbed in about fifteen minutes. Without a car you miss Almourol and Castelo de Bode, except by taxi.
55–110 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayHotel República, on Praça da…
- Getting aroundDirect CP train from Lisbon…
- Where to eatO Praça, on the main…
- ServicesTomar train station, a few…
Where to stay
- Hotel República, on Praça da República
- Thomar Story, in the historic centre, with rooms with kitchens
Getting around
- Direct CP train from Lisbon to Tomar station
- On foot through the centre and the Mata dos Sete Montes up to the convent
Where to eat
- O Praça, on the main square, open every day
- Tabuleiro Restaurant, cheap Portuguese cooking on Rua Serpa Pinto
Services
- Tomar train station, a few minutes' walk from the centre
Flying to Lisbon, then train or car to Tomar
Tomar is about 130 km from Lisbon, which is the nearest airport, with direct flights from many Spanish cities. By hire car it is a little over an hour and a half along the A1 and A13. Without a car, a direct CP train leaves Lisbon and ends in Tomar in about two hours.
- Getting thereLisbon Humberto Delgado (LIS), about…
- Getting aroundHire car at the airport…
- Where to stayHotel República, on the main…
- ServicesTomar train station, next to…
Getting there
- Lisbon Humberto Delgado (LIS), about 130 km away
- Direct CP train from Lisbon to Tomar, about 2 h
Getting around
- Hire car at the airport, along the A1 and A13
- On foot around the centre of Tomar
- Car or taxi for Almourol, the Pegões and Castelo de Bode
Where to stay
- Hotel República, on the main square, if you arrive by train
- Hotel dos Templários, with parking, if you arrive by car
Services
- Tomar train station, next to the centre
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're drivingwithout a carif you're flying
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hotel República
Why we like it: 19-room boutique hotel on Praça da República, Tomar's main square, decorated with Portuguese products and with the O Praça restaurant on the ground floor.
Thomar Story
Why we like it: 12-room guesthouse in a late 19th-century building in Tomar's historic centre, with balconies onto the Nabão river and the castle, and some rooms with kitchens.
Where to eat
Where to eat in Tomar
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.
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.
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.
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book the Taverna and the boat before you leave
Both need notice.
- 2In July 2027, the Festa dos Tabuleiros
From 3 to 12 July; book a bed months ahead.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can it be done without a car?
On Saturday morning, yes, all on foot from the square. Almourol, the Taverna and the reservoir need a car or taxi.
How long do you need for the convent?
Between two and three hours.
Is the synagogue open at the weekend?
Yes, Tuesday to Sunday, with a break at midday.
Is it a good getaway with children?
Yes: the castle on the island, the banquet with a show and the boat appeal to them.