Historic Obidos and Mafra Private Tour
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.
Joao D.
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?
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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
Important Information
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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.
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
Reviews
Bryan K.
“ 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.
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
Sue H.
“ 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.
Patricia Z.
“ Sintra and Cascais tour with Rodrigo ”
Rodrigo was substituted for Joao as my guide on the Sintra and Cascais tour. His English communication skills were excellent. We visited the Queluz Palace and his knowledge of the history of the palace really enhanced the visit. We also stopped at Cabo de Roca , did some shopping in Sintra and stopped for lunch in Cascais. Drove along the coast in the seaside town of Estoril on our return to Lisbon. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip and would highly recommend Rodrigo’s tour guide services.
Diane H.
“ Sintra and much more! ”
From the very beginning to the end of our tour we were blown away with how well everything went. We were 8 adults with a 1 year old on this tour. Our guide Maia and driver Pedro were so accommodating and flexible. We had a full day of touring and saw everything we had planned to see and more. Our whole group would not hesitate to book another event with this company.