Day trip from Lisbon Tomar
A small river town below the Convent of Christ, a former Templar stronghold, about 2 hours north-east of Lisbon by direct Regional train.
Is Tomar worth a day trip from Lisbon?
Go. Take the 07:45 train.
Yes, and it fills a day without a tour. The Regional train from Santa Apolónia takes about 2 hours and costs € 11.30 each way with no reservation, and Tomar is the end of the line, so you cannot miss the stop. The Convent of Christ sits on the hill above the old town; the ticket is € 15 and it needs 2 to 3 hours. The official page warns that some rooms have restricted access during conservation work. Add lunch and the old town and you have 5 to 7 hours. The price you pay is 4 hours on a slow train.
The decision sheet
- Travel time
- 2 h 0107:45 Regional from Santa Apolónia; 113 min from Oriente · one way · CP - Comboios de Portugal (Lisboa-Tomar timetable, 20 September 2026)
- Transport
- Regional train
- Self-guided cost
- € 37–37.60Regional train, two singles from Santa Apolónia (2 x € 11.30) or from Oriente (2 x € 11) + Convent of Christ ticket (€ 15) · CP - Comboios de Portugal (Regional fares Lisboa-Tomar, 1 January 2026); convent ticket from Museus e Monumentos de Portugal
- Tour price
- From € 110Civitatis catalogue
- Time needed
- 5–7 hDaytripo editorial
- Closed days
- 1 Jan, 1 Mar, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 24 and 25 Dec
- Best time
- Mar-Jun and Sep-Oct; weekdays have more trainsDaytripo editorial
- Verdict
- Worth a full dayDaytripo editorial
What to see and do in Tomar
- 01
The Charola
The round church of the Knights Templar from the 12th century, at the heart of the Convent of Christ. Sixteen sides outside, eight inside, painted from floor to vault. Give it 20 minutes.
- 02
Convent of Christ cloisters
Eight cloisters built over four centuries, plus dormitory corridors and a vast refectory. With the Charola, the full visit takes two to two and a half hours.
- 03
The Manueline window
A carved stone window from about 1510 on the west front of the church, covered in ropes, coral and seaweed. You see it best from the terrace of the Santa Bárbara cloister.
- 04
Old town and river
A flat grid of streets between Praça da República and the Nabão river, with a wooden waterwheel in the island park. An hour covers it, including the 15th-century synagogue.
- 05
Sete Montes woods
The former convent grounds, now a free public park that starts beside the main square. A shaded path leads uphill to the castle walls in about 20 minutes.
Good forCastles and palacesChurches and monasteriesOld towns and villages
How to spend the day
Board the 07:45 at Santa Apolónia, or at 07:53 at Oriente, and arrive in Tomar at 09:46. Walk through the old town and up the hill to the convent, which opens at 09:00, and stay until about 13:00. Come back down for lunch near Praça da República and an hour in the centre. The 16:00 train reaches Santa Apolónia at 18:13 and the 17:11 arrives at 19:13. Both run every day.
Tomar in summer and in winter
Summer
June to AugustTomar is inland and hot, often above 32 °C in July and August, and the climb to the convent has little shade on the road. Go up when it opens at 09:00. It closes at 18:30 in summer. Spend the afternoon by the river. Every four years, in early July, a festival of bread-tray processions fills the town. The next is in 2027.
Winter
December to FebruaryThe convent stays open, closing an hour earlier at 17:30, and you may share the cloisters with a dozen people. They are open to the air and cold, so dress for outdoors. Rain is the risk: about one day in three. Closed on 1 January, 24 and 25 December. Worth going on a dry day.
How crowded it gets
Quiet- Busiest
- Easter week, May and September mornings; festival week in July 2027
- Quietest
- Nov-Feb; any afternoon after 15:00
Crowds are rarely a problem. Coach groups come through between 10:30 and 12:30 and stay around the Charola. Arrive at opening or after lunch and the cloisters are nearly empty.
How do you get to Tomar from Lisbon?
Regional train
- Travel time
- About 2 hours
- Frequency
- About hourly on weekdays; at weekends the daytime trains are the 07:45, 09:45, 12:45 and 14:45
- Cost
- € 11.30 each way
- Departs from
- Lisboa Santa Apolónia (also Oriente, 8 minutes later)
Direct Regional to Tomar, the last stop, with no seat reservation; buy at the station or on cp.pt. Some trains at 45 past the hour end at Entroncamento, so check the destination. Daily returns leave Tomar at 13:13, 15:11, 16:00, 17:11, 18:11 and 20:11. The 06:45 out runs Monday to Saturday.
Organized tour
- Travel time
- 11 hours door to door
- Cost
- From € 110
- Departs from
- Praça da Figueira
Minibus with a guide, the boat across to Almourol Castle, about 2 hours free in Tomar's centre and a 2-hour guided visit of the convent, entry included. Pick it for Almourol, which the train does not reach. Lunch is extra.
Practical: clothes, food and money
What to wear
Good walking shoes: it is a 15-minute uphill walk to the convent and the cloister floors are worn stone. Hat and water in summer. A warm jacket in winter, since most of the visit is outdoors or unheated.
What to eat
The town's sweets are fatias de Tomar, slices of egg yolk cooked in syrup, and beija-me depressa, small egg and sugar sweets. For lunch, look in the streets between the main square and the river. There is only a small cafe at the convent.
What you will spend
The convent ticket is the one real entry cost, and the train fare is the other. The castle walls outside the ticket gate, the Sete Montes woods, the riverside park and the synagogue are free or ask a small donation. Lunch here costs less than in Lisbon.
How to get the most out of the day
- Regional trains to Tomar have no seat reservation. Buy the ticket at the station or on the CP app on the day.
- Tomar is the end of the line and the station is a 10-minute flat walk from Praça da República.
- Conservation work means some rooms of the convent can be closed. Ask at the ticket desk which parts are open before you plan your route.
- The convent also closes on 1 March, Easter Sunday and 1 May. The synagogue is shut on Mondays.
How long do you need in Tomar?
Plan 5–7 h on site, plus 2 h 01 of travel each way from Lisbon.
When is Tomar closed?
1 Jan, 1 Mar, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 24 and 25 Dec. Best time: Mar-Jun and Sep-Oct; weekdays have more trains.