lisbon jewish tours

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Lisbon Explorer: Jewish Guide in Portugal

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• Private and Semi-Private, Shared Tours in Lisbon For Couples, Families, or Parties of Any Size  
• Multi-day Excursions with Private Driver and Vehicle Throughout Portugal
• Local Kosher Resources  
• Established Connections with Jewish Communities of Portugal  
• Large Groups or Individuals Are Welcome 
• Príncipe Real: Upscale residential district with boutiques garden, and cafes.
• Baixa- Pombalina Downtown: Jewish Quarters Grande and Pequeno.
• Rossio Square: Tribunal of the Inquisition.
• Carmo Ruins: The roofless church of the great earthquake.
• São Dominigo's Square: Memorial to the massacres of 1506.
• Elevador de Santa Justa: A Neo-Gothic tower of merchant transport.
• Bairro Alto: Home to great Jewish sages.
• Sao Pedro de Alcantara: Scenic views from the west side Lisbon.
• Chiado  and Rua Garrett: Merchant district with historic retail shops.
• Much, much more....
• Castelo de S. Jorge: A history of Romans, Moors, Crusaders and Kings.
• Alfama Quarter: A maze of quaint medieval streets and rustic buildings in
• Lisbon's oldest quarter with a small Jewish section.
• Santa Luzia Miradouro: One of the most scenic overlooks in the Alfama.
• Fado Taverns: Walk past venues of Lisbon’s rich musical heritage.
• Sé Cathedral: Lisbon's oldest church and seat of the Arch Bishop.
• Santo Antonió á Sé: The birthplace of St. Anthony of Padua.
• Praça da Figueira: A city of the dead, a hospital, and vegetable market.
• S. Vicente da Fora: One of the most important monasteries Portugal.
• Feira da Ladra: Lisbon's oldest flea market can be added to this tour by  request on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
• Visit The Luso Hebraico- Synagogue Museum of Tomar, one of the oldest and best preserved medieval synagogues of Portugal.
• Meet the community at Bet Eliahu Synagogue in Belmonte, for the longest surviving Jews of European Sepahrdim.
• Tour the Jewish Museum of Belmonte with rare ritual objects that sustained the community's secret practice for centuries.
• See a recently discovered 15th century secret Aron Kodesh hidden behind a false wall for over 500 years.
• View a rare first edition 15th century books in Hebrew, representing the last Hebrew books published in Portugal.
• Visit the sight of the old Porto Synagogue, the old Jewish quarter and the Mekor H'aim-fountain of life synagogue.
• Discover the story of Portugal's own Captain Alfred Dreyfus who braved the Salazar regime to return to Judaism, Captain Barros Basto
• MekorH'aim Synagogue, the first Yashiva since 1497 and suffered a monkey trail which led to the loss of his pension and military honors.
• The Évora Tribunal of the Inquisition and The Inquisitors Prosecution Box.
• Stone walls festooned with over 150 religious graffiti-like carvings from Jews and forced New Christians.
• Remains of the Tartessian language. The biblical land of Tarshish, mentioned in the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, I Kings, Jonah and Romans.
• Learn the difference between Marrano, Cristão-novo, Crypto-Jew and Anusim.
• The history of the emancipation of the Jewish people and The New Republic, Portugal during WWII, and Modern Jewish Communities and Anti-Semitism.
• Learn about famous The Lisbon Bible and Jewish illumination and calligraphy in the 15th century.
• Discover great Jewish sages and philosophers of Portugal.
• Visit the Old Jewish Cemetery of Lisbon.
• Tour the first Kosher winery in Portugal since 1497.
• Meet Portugal's only kosher cheese maker, an award winning selection.

Lisbon Explorer - Paolo

Lisbon, Portugal

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Private Jewish Heritage Tour of Lisbon

The Private Jewish Heritage Tour of Lisbon tour focused on Lisbon’s history and its strong connection with the Jewish community.

A long and intricate history that began even before the founding of the kingdom of Portugal and continued through years of persecution and religious intolerance.

In Lisbon’s historic center, you can feel these strong ties between the Jewish community and Portuguese culture, which we are so proud to preserve.

Discover the best sites, important artifacts, and stories that bring Lisbon’s Jewish heritage to life in a truly surprising way.

• Shore private tour
• Starting and finishing in Lisbon
• 2 or more people

Book this tour

View prices, ask more info.

Low Season: Nov 1 st to Dec 14 th & Jan 11 th to Mar 31 st

High Season: April, June, July, August & Dec 15 th to Jan 10 th

Special Season: May, September & October

Tour highlights

Alfama district.

The neighborhood of Alfama is a labyrinth of narrow streets and winding alleys. It is the oldest quarter of the city and the place where a small Jewish quarter was located in the 14th century. It is also the birthplace of Fado, the typical song of Lisbon, classified as Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

Saint Dominic’s church

The 13th century São Domingos church was the first Dominican church in Lisbon. For centuries it was considered the most important church in Lisbon, where beautiful royal weddings and baptisms took place. Today there is a monument and a mural in the square outside the church, inaugurated in 2008, that says “Lisbon, the City of Tolerance” in 34 languages remembering the terrible episode of 1506 and paying tribute to the Jewish victims.

Shaaré Tikva Synagogue

Judaism in Portugal changed at the beginning of the 19th century, when the Sephardi Jews from Morocco and Gibraltar, mostly merchants, started to migrate to Lisbon. During the 19th century, the Jewish community of Lisbon had no formal synagogue and had to celebrate their religious rites in private houses. When the construction of the Lisbon’s Synagogue began its main facade had to face an inner courtyard because the Portuguese law at the time forbade non-Catholic temples from facing the street. Shaaré Tikvah Synagogue (Gates of Hope) was finally opened in 1904 and is still used today.

Other interesting places you may visit

Belém district.

The launching point for the Portuguese discoveries, with significant historic monuments in a beautiful open riverside setting. Here you can admire the Belem Tower, the Discoveries Monument, visit the church of the Jerónimos Monastery and taste the world-famous custard tarts of Belém.

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Every client is a friend to us and we always try to achieve 100% satisfaction of our clients, exceeding their expectations. Our concept is based on quality, professionalism and hospitality.

Tour details

Our tours are always private (just you and our guide/driver).

Tailor-made

The tour highlights recommend some places to visit, however, there are others that may interest you, so we list some of them on ‘optional visits and experiences’. Our main goal is to provide you an unforgettable day therefore we have the flexibility to customize the itinerary according your preferences and tour length.

COVID-19 Prevention

Our company is certified by the World Travel & Tourism Council as "Safe Travels" (COVID-19 Measures).

Accommodation not included

Please contact us for advice about our accommodation options. We have a list of hotels based in local 3*, 4* and 5* Bed & Breakfasts and Boutique hotels throughout Portugal. We will provide you with suggestions so you can choose what best suits your budget.

Our Premium Tours guarantee

Our tours are escorted by very experienced expert guides, all of whom work with us full time. With excellent English, permission to skip lines, and expertise that came from real-life experience and on-the-ground knowledge, they are the key to accessing hidden gems and experiencing the true authenticity of our culture. Our guides are non-smoking.

Departure Starting and finishing in Lisbon

Departure time To be agreed

What’s included

• Guided visit to Shaaré Tikva Synagogue
• Free Wi-Fi and bottled water on board
• Exclusive and specialized guide/driver
• Personalized transport in a luxury Mercedes vehicle which is disinfected several times a day
• Public liability and personal accidents insurance

Not included Accomodations Meals Other entrance fees

Private Jewish Heritage Tour of Lisbon 8 hours - Shore private tour - from 353€ for 2 people

Get to know Lisbon Jewish history

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The Lisbon Guide – Updated 2024

Lisbon Jewish Quarter

The history of Lisbon is old and has a lot to learn and understand. The most popular Jewish Quarter of Lisbon is located in Alfama. But let's just quick gather the facts in few words.

THE history of Lisbon is old and has a lot to learn and understand. The most popular Jewish Quarter of Lisbon is located in Alfama . But let’s just quick gather the facts in few words:

Portugal became an independent country back in 1143, almost one thousand years old, but the Jewish population already existed in Portugal for a long time. It’s known that after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AC, the Jewish diaspora spread around the world, which led to a big number settle in Portugal and Spain, at the time not even yet independent countries. Its a fact that there’s evidence at least of Jewish presence in Portugal after 390 AC, with archeological research done over the years.

Lisbon later became the Capital of Portugal and a big number of Jewish people settled in the city. As mentioned earlier, the most popular Jewish Quarter of Lisbon is located in Alfama, the old historical quarter of Lisbon, located around the Castle (Sao Jorge), and was one of the four existing Jewish Quarters in the city. It started to be established over the 13th century, and its old Synagogue has been built back in 1373.

After the settlement of the Inquisition in the 16th century, and mostly after the big earthquake of 1755 which has devastated the city, most of this area has vanished. It is still possible to see the main street (Rua da Judiaria), and the place where its supposed to have existed the old Synagogue of Alfama (Largo de São Rafael – Beco das Barrelas), based on old historical records and research done recently. The Jewish Quarter of Alfama can be accessed either from the Cathedral (Sé de Lisboa), or from the area close by to Chafariz Del Rey, from the stairs of Largo do Terreiro do Trigo / Escadinhas do Terreiro do Trigo.

Today we can also head to nearby Largo de São Miguel, and see the new Jewish Museum being built, to remeber this important period of our history.

But why don’t hire a Private Guide, specialized in Jewish History, to lead you in Lisbon? Avoid getting lost and make sure you don’t miss any important spot in the city.

Hire a private guide under the following link: https://lisbonprivatetours.com/historical-lisbon-downtown-private-walking-tour-jewish-quarter-3h/

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