The Belém Tower on the Tagus River in Lisbon, lit gold at sunset

Kosher Tour of Portugal, November 2027

Lisbon, Belmonte and Porto, PortugalWhere

November 2–10, 2027Dates

$5,500 per personFrom

Portugal

Nine days of Sephardic heritage, from Lisbon to Porto

Our kosher tour of Portugal is nine days with the group and a Spanish/Portuguese-speaking tour leader: Lisbon and the storybook lanes of Sintra, the medieval synagogue of Tomar, a living Crypto-Jewish community in Belmonte, and a Shabbat with the kehillah at Porto's own synagogue before the azulejos, bridges and wine country of Porto and a return through Coimbra. Every meal is Glatt Mehadrin. For the history behind the route, from the 1496 decree to Belmonte, read our guide to kosher Portugal; the tour is one of our Jewish heritage tours.

9 days, 8 nights: Tuesday, November 2 to Wednesday, November 10, 2027. We meet you in Lisbon on the first day and take you to the airport on the last.
Three cities: Lisbon, Belmonte and Porto, so the touring goes deep in each rather than skimming many.
Meals: Full board, Glatt Mehadrin: breakfast buffet, packed lunches on touring days, seuda shelishit and dinner.
Shabbat: A full Shabbat at Porto's own synagogue, with the local kehillah.

A rocky coastline and turquoise water near Cascais, low cliffs running to the horizon — Cascais

Terracotta rooftops of Vila Nova de Gaia climbing from the Douro River, Porto across the water — Vila Nova de Gaia

The tall stone Clérigos Tower rising above the terracotta rooftops of Porto — Clérigos Tower, Porto

The ornate carved wooden facade and stained-glass windows of the Lello Library in Porto — The Lello Library, Porto

A cobblestone alley lined with colorful houses in the medieval quarter of Sintra — The medieval quarter, Sintra

What the tour includes

Eight nights in 4-star superior hotels in Lisbon, Belmonte and Porto
Full board, Glatt Mehadrin: breakfast buffet, packed lunches, seuda shelishit and dinner
A Spanish/Portuguese-speaking tour leader for the whole trip, and specialized local guides in every destination
Group assistance and hotel-to-airport transfers on arrival and departure
Travel throughout in a luxury coach, with radio guides
Every activity and ticket described in the itinerary, including the Kabbalat Shabbat dinner at Porto Synagogue and the Belmonte community visit
Luggage porterage and water on the coach

International flights to Lisbon and home, and travel insurance, are not included. The recommended tip for the tour is $100 per person.

Kashrut

Kosher in Portugal, at every meal

Every meal on the tour is Glatt Mehadrin. Hotels are chosen for their willingness and ability to accommodate our kashrut needs, and for their proximity to kosher restaurants where one is available.

Where local kosher supervision is limited, a cook and mashgiach travel with the group to prepare and supervise the meals. Breakfast is a buffet, and on touring days you take a packed lunch; dinner on Friday night and Shabbat is seuda shelishit and a full Shabbat meal. Tell us about any allergy or dietary need when you reserve.

A white lighthouse on a low headland above the Atlantic coast near Cascais — The coast near Cascais

The hotels

Three cities, three hotels

Lisbon: Four nights, split either side of the tour (two at the start, two at the end): the VIP Grand Lisboa Hotel & Spa.
Belmonte: One night, in the heart of Portugal's historic Crypto-Jewish community: the Belmonte Sinai Hotel.
Porto: Three nights, including Shabbat: the Hotel da Música.

The Tagus River glowing orange and pink at sunset, the 25 de Abril Bridge in silhouette — The Tagus at sunset, Lisbon

Blue and white azulejo tile murals covering the walls of São Bento railway station in Porto — São Bento Station, Porto

A hillside view over the historic town center of Belmonte, home to a Crypto-Jewish community — Belmonte

Day by day

The Portugal itinerary, day by day

The touring is full most days, with walking in old quarters and museums and a coach between cities.

Day 1 · TuesdayArrival and check-in in Lisbon. In the evening, a Belém tour: the Belém Tower, the Monument to the Discoveries, and the Jerónimos Monastery, from which the Portuguese caravels sailed on their 15th-century voyages. Welcome dinner.Overnight: Lisbon
Day 2 · WednesdaySintra's Royal Palace and the lanes of its medieval quarter, including the Beco da Judiaria, where Jewish life once flourished. A coastal drive through Cascais and Estoril, then free time in Lisbon's Baixa district for shops and tile boutiques. Dinner with Fado.Overnight: Lisbon

The intricately carved stone arches and cloister of the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon — The Jerónimos Monastery, Lisbon

The colorful red and yellow towers and domes of Pena Palace above wooded hills in Sintra — Pena Palace, Sintra

Day 3 · ThursdayTomar's best-preserved medieval synagogue and the Abraham Zacuto Museum, where 1492's refugees are remembered. On to Belmonte, home to a living Crypto-Jewish community: its synagogue, its museum, and a meeting with a community representative who can speak to centuries of hidden practice.Overnight: Belmonte
Day 4 · FridayThe Peace Frontier Museum at Vilar Formoso, tracing the rescue led by Aristides de Sousa Mendes, and the Casa do Passal Museum in Cabanas do Viriato, the house where he lived. On to Porto for Kabbalat Shabbat and a festive Shabbat dinner at Porto Synagogue.Overnight: Porto

The vaulted stone interior of the medieval Tomar Synagogue, now the Abraham Zacuto Museum — The Tomar Synagogue

The town center of Belmonte on its hillside, home to a Crypto-Jewish community — Belmonte

The pale stone facade of the Kadoorie Mekor Haim Synagogue in Porto — The Kadoorie Mekor Haim Synagogue, Porto

Day 5 · ShabbatShacharit and Shabbat lunch at Porto Synagogue, time to connect with the local kehillah, and in the afternoon a gentle "Sounds of Porto" walk near the hotel and shul, past gardens, squares and facades. Havdala and dinner.Overnight: Porto
Day 6 · SundayIconic Porto: the Clérigos Tower, the Lello Library, the azulejo murals at São Bento Station, the riverside Ribeira district and the Dom Luís I Bridge. Across the bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia for the views and the city's wine heritage. Kosher Porto wine tasting and dinner.Overnight: Porto

The ornate carved facade and stained-glass windows of the Lello Library in Porto — The Lello Library, Porto

Blue and white azulejo tile murals covering the walls of São Bento railway station — São Bento Station

Terracotta rooftops of Vila Nova de Gaia along the Douro River, Porto across the water — Vila Nova de Gaia

Day 7 · MondayThe University of Coimbra: the Baroque Library, St. Michael's Chapel, the Royal Palace and the Science Museum, centuries of scholarship on one hilltop campus. Free time in Lisbon's Baixa on return.Overnight: Lisbon
Day 8 · TuesdayA Jewish walking tour of Lisbon: the lanes of Alfama and Bairro Alto, the 1506 Massacre Memorial, and the Shaare Tikva Synagogue, framing the city's Jewish story from medieval roots to revival. Free time, then a sunset cruise on the Tagus past the Belém Tower, the Discoveries Monument and Christ the King. Farewell dinner.Overnight: Lisbon
Day 9 · WednesdayBreakfast, check-out and the transfer to the airport for your flight home.Departure

The clock tower and pale stone facades of the University of Coimbra on its hilltop campus — The University of Coimbra

A narrow lane of pastel-colored houses in the Alfama district of Lisbon — Alfama, Lisbon

The gated entrance of the Shaare Tikva Synagogue in Lisbon — The Shaare Tikva Synagogue, Lisbon

The Tagus River at sunset with the 25 de Abril Bridge in silhouette — The Tagus at sunset

Guide and Shabbat

Your tour leader, and Shabbat at Porto Synagogue

A Spanish/Portuguese-speaking tour leader accompanies the group for the whole trip, alongside specialized local guides in Lisbon, Tomar, Belmonte, Porto and Coimbra.

Shabbat is kept in Porto, at the city's own synagogue, Kadoorie Mekor Haim. Kabbalat Shabbat and a festive Friday night dinner are held there on arrival, with Shacharit and Shabbat lunch the next day and time to connect with the local kehillah before an afternoon walk and Havdala.

The pace

Who the tour suits, and what to expect

Nine days across three cities, with one hotel move on day 3 and another on day 4: not a fast-changing tour, but full days of walking in old quarters, museums and synagogues.

Sintra's palace and medieval lanes, and Alfama in Lisbon, mean cobblestones, steps and slopes
The Belmonte visit is quiet and reflective: a community meeting, not a performance
Shabbat in Porto is a rest day, with only a gentle afternoon walk
The wine tasting at Vila Nova de Gaia is optional to sample
The reservation form asks for a short health declaration, because some tours are more active than others

A close-up of a hand-painted blue and white azulejo tile mural, a common sight across Portugal — Azulejo tilework, a Portuguese constant

Price

What the Portugal tour costs

The November 2027 tour is priced at $5,500 per person, sharing a double room. A room of your own is a single supplement of $1,000.

The price covers the hotels, the kosher meals, the tour leader and guides, the coach, the airport transfers, the entrance fees, the activities on the itinerary, the radio guides and porterage. International flights and travel insurance are not included, nor is anything you buy along the way.

Deposit and terms

What you pay, and when

Payment

On booking$1,000 per person
Balance120 days before departure

All prices and payments are in US dollars.

If you need to cancel

120 days or more before$500 per person
45 to 120 days before50% of the invoice
Within 45 daysNo refund

We strongly recommend travel insurance covering cancellation, medical care and luggage.

What happens after you inquire

You send a short inquiry
A few questions, with this tour already filled in.
We reply within one working day
The person for your region calls or emails you with the itinerary and the reservation form.
We answer every question
Kashrut, the hotels, flights, deposit and balance. Ask as many as you like.
Places are confirmed in order of booking
The group has a fixed number of places. Your reservation form and deposit confirm yours.

Your hosts

Who is looking after you

David Walles
Tours
David runs our tours with Chana. They made Aliyah from Melbourne in 2008 and took over Eddie's Kosher Travel.
Chana Walles
Tours
Chana manages our tours with David.

Before you travel, send us your flight times into Lisbon and home, so the airport meeting and the last transfer can be timed for you. For anything else, the simplest route is an email or a call to the line for your region; every missed call and message is returned.

What our guests have to say

What guests said

“You are real pros! The choice of local guides and locations was exceptional.”

Marvin and Teme · Jerusalem · Jewish Spain and Gibraltar

“Organizing and running Kosher tours is not an easy task and your company achieved a degree of professionalism and excellence which will be hard to meet.”

Monty and Eileen · Canada · Tour

Questions

Asked before booking the Portugal tour

When is the next kosher tour of Portugal?

Tuesday, November 2 to Wednesday, November 10, 2027: nine days across Lisbon, Belmonte and Porto.

What Jewish and Sephardic heritage does the tour see?

The medieval synagogue of Tomar and its Abraham Zacuto Museum, the living Crypto-Jewish community of Belmonte, the Peace Frontier Museum honoring Aristides de Sousa Mendes, Kabbalat Shabbat and Shabbat at Porto's own synagogue, and a Jewish walking tour of Lisbon's Alfama ending at the Shaare Tikva Synagogue. Across the border, the story of Sephardic Spain is the other half of 1492.

Is every meal kosher?

Yes. Every meal is Glatt Mehadrin, full board: breakfast buffet, packed lunches on touring days, seuda shelishit and dinner.

Where does the tour stay?

Three hotels: four nights in Lisbon (split either side of the tour), one night in Belmonte, and three nights in Porto, including Shabbat.

How is Shabbat kept?

At Porto's own synagogue, Kadoorie Mekor Haim: Kabbalat Shabbat and a festive Friday night dinner, Shacharit and Shabbat lunch the next day with time to connect with the local kehillah, an afternoon walk, and Havdala.

How much does the Portugal tour cost?

$5,500 per person, sharing a double room. International flights, insurance and anything you buy along the way are not included.

Are flights included?

No. You book your own flights to Lisbon and home. We meet you on arrival and take you to the airport on the last day, so send us your flight times.

Do I need travel insurance?

We strongly recommend insurance covering cancellation, medical care and luggage, bought soon after you pay your deposit so the cover is complete.

Also on the tour calendar

Our other kosher tours

Every escorted tour we run, with its dates, is on the kosher tours page.

Discover

The world beyond the ordinary.

Connect

Friendships that outlast the trip.

Enrich

Memories that touch the soul.

From$5,500 per person

Jerusalem at dusk, seen from the Inbal Hotel

Inquire

Speak to someone about your trip

Call the line for your region, or send an inquiry and we will come back to you.

info@koshertravelers.com

Speak to Shelley in reservations. Every missed call and message is returned.

Since 1991 · Glatt Mehadrin