Tomar, Portugal: A tourism guide updated for 2021

Tomar is a fascinating Portuguese town, which must be included in your tour of central Portugal.

Today, Tomar maybe a charming and quaint, but during the 13th century it was one of the most influential cities on the Iberian Peninsula, being the religious home of the Knights Templar.

This secretive and powerful religious order was based in the Convento de Cristo, and this expansive religious complex is regarded as one of Portugal’s finest national monuments.

The weir and Nabão River in central Tomar

The magnificent Charola chapel at the centre of the Convento de Cristo

The ruins of the Castelo dos Templários

The charming Portuguese appeal of the town

The quirky Museu Dos Fosforos, which exhibits the world’s largest collection of matchboxes.

Tomar is an ideal tourist destination if you are interested in Portugal’s history or culture. There are many interesting historical monuments within the town, many of which are of a religious nature.

Tomar is a calm and relaxed little town, with very low-key nightlife, which is centred around restaurants and a long evening meal. The town is not really suited for families or young children, as there is not much for them to do.

We highly recommend visiting Tomar if you are touring central Portugal or travelling between Lisbon and Porto. A popular holiday route is Lisbon (3 days), Tomar (1 day), Coimbra (1 day), Porto (2 days).

Porta de Sao Tiago is the main gate to the Castelo dos Templários

We strongly suggest spending at least one night in Tomar, but the rich cultural region surrounding Tomar should entice you to stay longer.

With a second day, you would have the opportunity to visit the picturesque Castelo de Almourol, a medieval castle that stands on the banks of the Rio Tejo and was used by the Knights Templar as a stronghold against the North African Moors.

Further day trips could be to the walled town of Ourém, which is just as scenic as Obidos, but without the hordes of day-trippers. There is the important pilgrimage town of Fatima, or Castelo do Bode with its lake and forested hikes.

Almourol castle is one of the most visually striking in central Portugal

For a longer stay, Tomar has a pleasant, relaxed ambience and is the perfect destination to relax, unwind and embrace the Portuguese way of life.

Tomar does not have a vast selection of hotels, and they tend to be independent or family-run. The largest and most reputable is the 4-star Hotel Dos Templarios which overlooks the Mouchão Parque. The newly opened Casa dos Ofícios Hotel offers atmospheric rooms and a charming setting while the 2-star Hotel Kamanga provides highly rated, affordable comfort.

The Mouchão Parque with the Hotel Dos Templarios in the rear

The beautiful interior of the Charola, decorated with 16th-century religious art

The exterior of the Charola

Matchboxes from the 1950s depicting Portuguese characters from the different regions

The Museu Dos Fosforos is housed in a former monastery which is was originally part of the Igreja de São Francisco

Tomar was established as the religious centre for the Knights Templar by the Grand Master Gualdim Pais in 1160. The lands surrounding Tomar and Santarem were gifted to Pais by King Afonso Henriques, for his services during the Battle of Ourique, in which the Christian Crusaders defeated the North African Moors.

This close association of the Knights Templar with the Portuguese monarchy allowed the establishment of the Order of Christ after Pope Clement V disbanded the Knights Templar in 1312.

It is widely believed that the Order of Christ provided the knowledge and funding that began the “Portuguese Age of Discovery” in which Portuguese explorers crossed the oceans.

The Igreja de São João Baptista on the Praça da República

There is a regional train service connecting Lisbon to Tomar, which takes 2 hours, and has a fare of €10.10/ €18.15 (adult single/return). The train departs from the Santa Apolónia station in central Lisbon and passes through the Estação do Oriente. The latest timetable can be seen on the Comboios de Portugal (CP) website:
www.cp.pt/../lisbon-tomar.pdf

When Tomar is included as part of a tour of central Portugal, it is often combined with Fatima or Coimbra. There are numerous bus services from Tomar to Fatima, and the train is needed to travel to Coimbra. Tomar bus and train station are next to each other, on the south side of the city.
Related articles: Lisbon to Tomar

The regional train in Tomar station