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Historic Obidos and Mafra Private Tour
Joined 2020
Leave the traditional Lisbon & Sintra tours, and join this private tour to Óbidos and Mafra.
Discover the palace of Mafra. A magnificent building that was only possible due to the Brazilian gold that poured into the country. Therefore allowing King João 5th to carry out the building of the biggest baroque palaces from the 18th century. Step back centuries, and see the well-preserved Museum Village of Óbidos.
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
Any hotel/airbnb in central Lisbon
Pick-up and drive to Óbidos fortified city.
You start by being picked-up for your private tour (just you and your guide), at a hotel/airbnb or cruise port in Lisbon.
From here we will drive north to Óbidos & Mafra.
Obidos, the living history
Explore Óbidos, conquered by Portugal´s first king, D. Afonso Henriques, on January 11th, 1148. Since then, Óbidos continues to be part of Portugal’s history. Here you will visit the various highlights of the Fortified village of Óbidos. Walking inside the village also allows you to taste the Ginjinha and other local goods and crafts.
Note: Each July (at an extra cost) Óbidos castle hosts a traditional ‘Medieval Market’. For two weeks the castle and the surrounding town recreate the spirit of medieval Europe. Flowing banners and heraldic flags set the mood together with hundreds of entertainers and stall holders dressed as merchants, jugglers, jesters, wandering minstrels, soldiers and more. Visitors can shop at the traditional handcrafts fair or watch medieval shows, horse displays and a costumed parade that winds its way through the streets. There are also displays of jousting knights and armed combat.
Mafra National Palace, the Baroque.
Discover the palace of Mafra, a magnificent building that was only possible due to the Brazilian gold that poured into the country, allowing King João V to carry out the building of the biggest baroque palaces from the 18th century. Its construction began on November 17, 1717 and it integrates 4 buildings in one: the palace, the convent, a basilica and a library.
You will walk though the longest corridor ever built in a palace (232 m long). All made of limestone and marble from this region (Pêro Pinheiro and Sintra), the building covers an area of almost four hectares (37.790 sqm2), including 1.200 rooms, more than 4.700 doors and windows, 156 stairways and 29 inner yards and courtyards.
The library itself is one of the most important in Europe, having an enormous variety of books (more than 30.000 volumes) from the XVth to the XVIIIth century. Flanked by two towers, the basilica is the “center piece” of the facade having been designed by the German architect Johann Friedrich Ludwig and commissioned by D. João V.
Ending Point
Any hotel/airbnb in central Lisbon
Want to personalize this tour?
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Inclusions & Exclusions
Pick up and drop off at a hotel in Lisbon or from cruise port
Transportation by car or van with air-conditioning
Private guide for your group, who will accompany you inside the monuments and locations;
Private tour with Professional guide (just your group and your guide);
Entrance tickets to Óbidos;
Entrance tickets to Mafra National Palace, Library and Basilica.
During July, the entrance fee to the 'Medieval Market' in Óbidos
Lunch and any other items not mentioned in the description
During winter, the entrance fee to the "Chocolate " or the "Xmas" Markets in Óbidos
Tour Important Information
National monuments might close without notice, on public holidays and other special occasions!
Hotel clients must provide the following information at time of booking: hotel name and address
Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
Refunds will not be issued if tour/activity is missed due to late or non-arrival of cruise ship
A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
Not wheelchair accessible
Your meeting point is flexible, and to be agreed with your Guide. The meeting point will be at your hotel or accommodation, or your Guide will meet you at a convenient location close to your hotel or accommodation.
Not available Tuesdays!
Important message from the supplier
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Cancellation Policy
- Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
- 50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
- No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
Joined 2020
About Tour Guide Joao D.
Being an off-road driver for over 30 years, I know Portugal inside out, literally “off the beaten track”. Making friends along the way and getting to know their culture and history, led me to organize tours and trips.
Me and my team of guides know all corners of Portugal.
Our team members include me (John), Rodrigo, Maia, Paulo and Ricardo. We all put our heart and soul into each experience. As a result, taking travellers beyond the destination, away from the usual touristic hustle.
With this, we have been leading Private Tours in Portugal for over 10 years.
Reviews
“Ausgezeichnete Tour mit einem deutschsprachigen F?hrer”
Joao took us on a 5 hours walking tour in Lisboa. He had a very good knowledge of history and Lisboa and explained us everything. The tour was in German abd he spoke this language fluently. I can recomend Joao for all visitors, exspecially if you want a german speaking guide
“Sintra plus”
Our guide for the day, Paulo, could not have been more friendly or interesting. He covered all manner of topics, historic and current, and added immensely to our sense of being special guests in his beloved country. We happily encourage others to work with this guide and organization. Ann & Bryan, California USA
Joao D.
(9 reviews)Thank you so very much for your review, dear Ann & Bryan. It was a pleasure to organize and make the day with you. I´m glad you enjoyed your Sintra day, and surroundings with Paulo. I hope to have you back in Portugal in the near future. Warmest Regards, and all the best for you both! Joao
“4 star review”
We had an amazing tour with Maya in Lisbon. She was so pleasant and friendly and brought us to some really interesting places! We especially loved the Jorge castle and stopping for pastel de nata where she made sure we got them fresh from the oven! Maya knows the city well and it felt like we were touring Lisbon with a new friend. The only thing that wasn't perfect was not being informed that Joao was not our guide as we were expecting him. Also the information we received about the meeting point and time was different than we requested but because the email came a day before the tour with instructions we believed it to be correct.
$280/ per group
Reserve
