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Tomar and Knights Templar areas

Posted by (Florida ) on

We will be in Porto 4 nights, Tomar 2 nights and then Sintra for 3 nights in mid- April.

We will not have a car so public transportation is preferred. We are in our 70s. Can walk but more slowly, so tours tend to be too fast for us. Love trains but don’t mind buses if that’s the best option.

Our main interests are history and culture.

For Porto area, we haven’t decided between staying in Porto or Gaia. Any suggestions?

We plan on a bridges tour, but no wine, etc. as we’re not drinkers. The rest of the time will be the typical tourist sites.

We’d like to make a stop on the way to or from Tomar, especially if related to the Knights Templar.

We decided to stay in Sintra rather than Lisbon so we can enjoy meandering between sites without rushing. Do not plan on going inside the Pena Palace, but do want to see the gardens.

The main site for us will be the Initiation Well. It will take us time to do the steps, but it’s definitely a must for us.

Our last day will be back to Lisbon. We’ll have just the day and night, so looking for the can’t miss part (not Pink Street)..

Any suggestions or advice will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for any help for our bucket list trip.

Posted by
755 posts

You might want to look at a private tour in Sintra. It’s on the side of a hill and the sights are spaced out. You can meander around the small town but it’s a bit of a haul to the sights you want see although there are tuk tuks and taxi’s to take you up the hill. The Well like the Palace is extremely popular and the lines long so people advise to be there when they open. We had a guide for the day and among other places, she took us to the Palace of Monserrate versus Peña Palace, stunning interior and beautiful gardens and not crowded.

Posted by
1673 posts

You will likely need to take a bus to Tomar. If you haven’t found it, the train website is cp.pt. I just tried to look at connections but it isn’t coming up this morning. I’m thinking the train connections will be much longer than the bus. Flix Bus and Gypsyy are the two I’ve used.

The Knights of Templar Convent is right above the town of Tomar on a hill. It is definitely worth your time. A private tour guide might work for you.
I like staying in the Rua dos Flores area of Porto. It is flat and easier to walk than the Ribeira area. I wouldn’t stay in Gaia since most of what you will want to see is in Porto. Especially if you aren’t interested in wine and Port.

Quinta de Regaleira is where you find the Initiation Well. Buy tickets ahead of time. It’s a fairly flat walk to the Quinta from the downtown area. Be aware Sintra has a lot of hills when choosing your accommodations.
For Lisbon, the Baixa area is flat. I think someone mentioned a tuk-tuk. They are great for a good overview of some of the city. And, they save climbing the hills.

In the Baixa area is a Roman site that was found when Millennium Bank wanted to dig a parking garage. They give free tours of the site in English. It’s easy to find. I think it’s on Rua Augusta. You can stop in and reserve a spot for their next tour - if that’s something that interests you.

Posted by
1082 posts

You might enjoy Belem which is a district of Lisbon and flat. Would be especially nice on a sunny day.

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