Walking & Hiking holidays in Central Portugal
Bespoke guided walking and hiking holidays in stunning Central Portugal tailored to suit you. Central Portugal is an area of outstanding beauty. Bordered by the beaches of the Atlantic coast with mountain ranges, national parks, castles and enchanting villages. Kind friendly people, wonderful local wines and delicious traditional food. With an annual average 290 days of sunshine, it is the perfect place for a walking and hiking holiday.

Our base for guided walking and hiking holidays in Central Portugal is the Knights Templar city of Tomar.​ This historic and beautiful city is 120km north of Lisbon. Transport from Lisbon airport takes one hour and fifteen minutes. Our one week package is for six nights accommodation with five days walking and hiking. You arrange your own flights to and from Lisbon. We meet you at the airport and take you directly to your accommodation in Tomar. The next day you begin your exploration of beautiful Central Portugal. 

We pick you up from your accommodation each morning and drop you back again after each day's walking. Your holiday comprises of guided walks which can be tailored to suit your group. If you prefer shorter walks these can be arranged. We are very flexible and happy to discuss with you any proposed changes to the schedule. We offer a wide variety of accommodation from two to five star hotels or hostels. Your choice!
Have a look at our new Templar wine and walking tours. Visiting Lisbon, Tomar and Nazaré. The Central Region of Portugal produces some excellent wines and liqueurs in an area famed for its Knights Templar Heritage. Combine walking and wine tasting in this unique experience.
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Peniché
Stunning beach walks
The Central National Park

Join our walking groups in the wonderful surroundings of Central Portugal's National Park
Porto de Mós
Walk old railway lines
The Aqueduct of Pegoes
Amazing historical places

D E S T I N A T I O N

Central Portugal
Our expert guides will be with you throughout the tour. We can design a package to suit you or your group's needs. All our guides have completed an accredited Mountain Skills Course and are first aid trained.

Tomar

The Historic centre of Tomar is a joy to visit. It is a peaceful medium sized city with a population of a little over 40,000 people with an authentic Portuguese lifestyle. Sitting in the Praça da República, (Republic Square), in front of the elegant Town Hall, opposite the 15th century São João Baptista (Church of St. John the Baptist) built by King Manuel I, or by the statue of Gualdim Pais (the founder of Tomar) is a magical experience. A short distance from the square is the location of the 15th century synagogue which contains the Abraham Zacuto Portuguese-Jewish Museum. The synagogue is an evocative reminder of the influence the Jews of Tomar had in the Discoveries of the New World. Two minutes walk from the Historic centre is the church of Santa Maria dos Olivais which was built in the mid-1300's for the Grand Masters of the Knights Templar Order. If you have been intrigued and curious about the Knights Templar and their history, then visiting the city of Tomar is a must. It is a charming and naturally beautiful town. The lovely Mouchão Park is a pleasant place to chill and relax or stroll after a long day of sightseeing. You will get beautiful views of the river and the waterfalls from the park particularly at sunset.
Today a walk in Tomar's narrow streets, a coffee in a café and a browse in the shops, seems to take you back in time to an era when life was a little bit slower. Tomar is a great place to try the rich red Portuguese wines and a wide variety of Portuguese traditional dishes. Eating some local dishes in Tomar should be on your to-do list. There are lots of family run restaurants which offer great regional dishes. All of them are extremely good value for money and some of them are astonishingly inexpensive.  In the most beautiful surroundings you would wish to be in, they offer fantastic cuisine.  Once you have tasted the food and wine in Tomar, basked in the sun and strolled around the historic streets you will know you have to keep coming back.

Visit the Convent of Christ in Tomar
A guided tour of the historical Knights Templar Castle and Convent of Christ is included in the price. www.templarknights.eu
Stroll around Mata dos Sete Montes Gardens in Tomar 
www.centerofportugal.com
​/mata-dos-sete-montes/

T E S T I M O N I A L S

What you think..
The highlight for me was relaxation, not having to organise anything. My favourite walk was Serra D'Aire, no traffic, good scenery and also the Portuguese Camino. Liked the accommodation very much and the breakfast for the week was wonderful. Collections and transfers were very good. Transport was very comfortable. We enjoyed our trip.
Ger, Limerick, Ireland

I really enjoyed our week in Tomar. What I really liked was that it was not very commercialised. The walks were very enjoyable and the scenery very unspoilt.. My favourite walk was the 'Burren' walk. It was great to get to Fatima. The Friday walk was lovely, it was great to get to see the coast.  The walk which was my least favourite was the Camino one. Not a fan of road walking. I would prefer more tracks and trails. I loved our accommodation. Eating out was very enjoyable and good for gluten free people like myself.  I would highly recommend the area to other groups.
Jo, Cork, Ireland


I liked the friendliness of everyone and how welcome we were made. I loved the Peniché walk and the mountain walk. The accommodation was lovely, they couldn't do enough for us. All the guides were brilliant.
Theresa, Cork, Ireland

We had a wonderful week with yourself and the others in Tomar and surrounding area, it is a lovely part of Portugal and you are lucky to have found it and made the break to settle there. The walks were very varied and gave us a good idea of what the area has to offer. Hi to all the gang over there and again many thanks for making the planning etc of our holiday so effortless. 
Ann, Kerry, Ireland

Thank you so much for a most wonderful week which we enjoyed immensely with you and your guides. The high light of my trip was being with my friends and all went well. My favourite walk was walk 3 Serra D'Aire. Accommodation was very comfortable and clean. All the guides were so caring, helpful and informative. The weather was just perfect.
Evelyn, Cork, Ireland

The highlight of my trip was meeting with yourself and good interesting people and I was never bored throughout the break. I understand the huge effort that you put in for us. My favourite walk was the one on the beach, really lovely day… Liam and Geraldine, Clare, Ireland

Very much enjoyed my trip to Tomar.  The highlight of the trip for me the "challenge" & it was something new for me, different to my normal holiday. My favourite walk was the "Peniche" walk at the end because it was more relaxing. To improve the experience I would suggest a day in the middle to "do your own thing", by arriving instead on the Tuesday, you would still have your 5 walking days.
Accommodation in the Thomar Boutique Hotel was excellent, perfect location in the centre.
Thanks very much for all your efforts during the week, very much appreciated & helped in making it a very enjoyable experience. The day I arrived back it rained all day, literally, in contrast to what I had left behind.. Noel, Clare, Ireland

I did walking tours with Shamrock Walking tours and it was fantastic! The weather was lovely. Great tour guide, flooding us with information about history and nature in an interesting and funny way. We got a chance to see real Portugal, far from crowds and touristy spots. Close to our base we had a number of cafés and restaurants where we enjoyed lovely Portuguese cuisine. The locals made us so welcome. We had a great time and are already planning our next walking holiday there. Definitely recommend.... Sylwia, Poland

Took a trip to the lovely town of Tomar in January where we met Marie who took us on a tour of the local area. Tomar is a beautiful town with lovely churches, castle and monuments. Definitely worth a visit. We went on some really nice walks in the area, great scenery and also met some of the locals who were very welcoming. Would definitely recommend a visit here.... Deirdre, Ireland

Fabulous challenging hike today on part of the Portuguese Camino de Santiago from Fungalvaz to Lagoa do Furadouro with Shamrock Walking Tours... Jules, UK

Amazing week in astounding beauty. Our guides were wonderful and very informative. Great walks, accommodation, food, wine and company. Loved the whole week... Sandra, Ireland

Fantastic hike yesterday. If you are looking for guided hiking in Portugal I would recommend Shamrock Walking Tours... Mike, UK