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.
Any hotel/airbnb in central Lisbon
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.
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.
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.
Any hotel/airbnb in central Lisbon
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
.
Not available Tuesdays!
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.
I work with Joao to develop a 2 day tour for my group - 6 senior women age 71 - 81. Joao and I talked about the physical abilities of our "band of sisters" - his suggestions were thoughtful and we ended with a trip that synched well with our varied interests and strengths. Maia was our guide for both days and she was wonderful - full of history, stories, and much love for her country. My personal favorite place was Cascais, a perfect beach town situated between Lisbon and Sintra - I could easily spend a week exploring, using Cascais as my base. Thank you Joao and Maia for giving us so many memories - safe to say we will all be back!
Thank you so very much for your review, dear Lynn. It was a joy building and making the tour for you. Our guide Maia also loved her “Golden Girls” group… :-) Glad you enjoyed your stay in Lisbon! Hope to have you back soon to our Portugal Warmest Regards, Joao Dickmann
Joao was so helpful and accommodating in helping me create a custom private Sintra sightseeing tour for me and my husband. He gave us great recommendations on the best time to go to each place we wanted to visit. Rodrigo, our guide for the day, was also wonderful. He was incredibly friendly and extremely knowledgable on the history of Portugal. We had a wonderful tour and were so appreciative of his time. We would highly recommend Joao and his team for your sightseeing tour.
Thank you very much for taking some time to write a review, dear Jessica. It is always important for us to know how we are doing. Glad that our guide Rodrigo gave you a good time in our beautiful Lisbon and Sintra. Hope to have you back soon to explore other locations and experiences. Warmest Regards, Joao Dickmann
... then explore Sintra with Joao. We could not have immersed in the beauties and the history of the places we visited if we tried to do it ourselves. With our fantastic private guide, Joao, we learned a lot about the places. Absolute flexible guide, excellent speaker, you won't miss a word. Definitely recommended.
First of all, thank you very much dear Csaba for taking some time to write a review! I´m glad that you enjoyed your visit to our lovely Sintra. It was a pleasure making the tour for you, and hope to have you back in the near future. Warmest Regards and stay safe, Joao Dickmann
Joao was friendly and very knowledgeable. We really got a good understanding of Portugal's history, as he was born and raised there and had some great insight. The drive to Sintra was beautiful with a stop along the way to a castle. Overall, it was a perfect day and we learned a lot. Would highly recommend Joao for any tour in or out of Portugal.
Thank you very much for your review of our day together, dear Ann. It was our pleasure to be able to show you our unique Sintra with its history, and natural beauty (as it is one of our main national parks). Waiting for you here in Portugal for your next visit... Warmest Regards, Joao Dickmann