Half Day Historical Walking Tour About The Slave Trade In Lisbon

Very enlghtening; lots of information to process. The guide was engaging and encouraged the group to ask questions. Would absolutely reccomend this tour.

Rui was an amazing guide! He is so incredibly knowledgeable and managed to weave history, economics, and his own personal stories into an informative tour! I was sad to see it come to an end. He’s doing such an important job exploring and sharing the true history of Portugal. Can’t recommend this tour enough!

Rui taught me so much- I absolutely loved it. Knowing African American history, it was beyond enlightening to learn about this history in connection to Portugal.

Rui was very informative and gave us an amazing experience. His presentations were thoughtful, concise yet thorough and you can tell a lot of research and care went into his work. I feel like I learned a lot about Portugal’s history as it relates to the transatlantic slave trade. Definitely a highlight of my trip!

A must-do experience. Rui, our guide, was able to tie historical facts from a by-gone era to the contemporary reality we are experiencing today. He is personable, knowledgeable and willing to answer questions, thus customizing the experience. Being from the US, the Portuguese story is not well known, so I walked away with a new perspective.

Great experience, a lot of information and history. Our tour guide Rui did such a good job with telling us about the African connection with Portugal. A lot of walking, so be prepared with the correct shoes.

It was such an incredible tour! We highly recommend to anyone visiting Lisbon. My only compliant was that it didn't last longer!

Rui was fantastic. So informative and professional. Thanks you!!

Great experience. So many interesting and shocking facts about the history of slavery in Portugal. The guide, Rui, was very nice and well-informed — I would highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for a in-depth look at a part of Portuguese history that isn’t in your typical guide books! Thanks for everything, Rui!

The Slave trade tour was amazing. Riu was very informative and passionate talking about the history of the slave trade. I highly recommended you take this tour.

This is an essential tour experience. Our guide, Rui was knowledgeable and extremely informative. He gave us so much information about the underbelly of Lisbon and details of the slave trade which essentially started in Portugal. This is a must for everyone to better understand the world we live in and how the past still influences our everyday lives. Highly recommend.

It was a thought provoking and very informative morning, explained the history and its relationship to slavery in an engaging manner.

Rui Fernandes provided an amazing tour. His knowledge is beyond superb and explained everything in so much detail. I definitely recommend this tour if time permits. It’s something that's very eye opening and explains key moments in Portugal’s history.

This was truly one of the best tours that I have ever taken. Rui was SO knowledgeable and I learned so much from him. He presented information in an engaging and well-paced manner. It was an eye-opening experience and a stark reminder of how much important history - that still affects the world today - is missing from so many school curriculums. I highly recommend taking the time to take this tour.

In-depth incredible intense! Prepare yourself for a well researched tour. We learned and saw a lot throughout the city.

Rui's tour was the highlight of our stay in Lisbon so far. I had to come write a review straight away...it was that good!! Rui is precise and knowledgeable. The topic of slave trade is sensitive and heavy, but it's part and parcel of Lisbon and Portuguese history, and you can't ask of a better guide to introduce you to the subject. Make sure not to leave Lisbon without having done this tour.

Blown away by how much I learned from Rui on this tour. Engaging lectures and Rui was responsive to questions and incredibly knowledgeable. Thank you!

Great, informative walking tour. It helped put everything in perspective for our trip through beautiful Portugal.

Rui Fernandes was my tour guide. Talk about a wealth of knowledge! The tour was very informative. Rui has a quiet confidence about him and the information he is relaying. There was a person in my group that felt an image he shared was “offensive” and he handled it so gracefully. During the tour we made stops and he allowed us to ask questions for deeper discussions. And he ended the tour with a personal touch that made receiving the information from him even more special. This is a must do if you love and are not afraid to discuss history. And even if history isn’t your thing, you should definitely give it a try and expand your horizons.

This is a walking tour, please expect to get the best information from a very well knowledgeable tour guide; he was phenomenal.

Get ready to learn about another side of Portuguese history. The information was concise and informative.

There is something special about this tour! Certainly the intricate historical points were mesmerizing but most importantly Rui Fernandes is amazing. He is kind and a great guide but he is also an encyclopedia. His tour should be filmed. He is also really well organized and prepared with such great references. If and when I return to Portugal, I plan to book another tour with Rui!

Excellent tour. Hui was very knowledgeable, pleasant and accommodating. Will recommend to others.

We met our guide, Rui, and the adventure began. He is extremely knowledgeable about Portuguese and European history and culture. He seamlessly highlights connections between the slave trade, colonization, and its impact on the world. I highly recommend this tour.

Amazing. A must do. Host is very into what he’s talking about. You will learn and hopefully be touched by the historical knowledge you gain.

This tour was absolutely amazing.. Rui, our guide, provided countless interesting and surprising facts and delivered the information in a very appropriate and precise manner – avoiding any pitfalls on such a loaded and difficult subject. He was very knowledgable and could elaborate on specific questions about the slave trade, allowing you to learn a great deal while also challenging yourself intellectually. Rui was happy to take questions at any time and managed to clear up false preconceptions and provide factual information about slavery without ever underplaying its gravity and impact on society. Overall, the tour definitely exceeded our expectations by a margin and Rui rounded it off nicely with an unexpected revelation at the end. The tour was a bit over 3 hours long, providing great value for your money. Just be aware that you will probably want to get cozy or rest up somewhere after walking Lisbon‘s Alfama and Baixa districts. A quick tip: Be ready to take notes of some the facts that stand out to you – otherwise there will be a lot that you wish you had remembered afterwards !

Rui was very knowledgeable and he brought the tour to life with correlation to things happening today. I highly recommend his tour. So much history about Portugals part in the slave trade was eye opening.

Thus wa as an excellent tour. Rui was very informative. His knowledge of Portuguese history and the history of slavery in Africa and Europe was phenomenal. I would highly recommend this tour.

Rui is wonderful. He has a tremendous mind, full of information and specific stories to share with guests. You will finish the tour with a richer sense of not only Portugal but the dark history of slavery that ties all of our countries together. I highly recommend this tour for anyone wanting to a thoughtful and important look into the past — and present.

This had to be one of the best coordinated tours I've taken. Rui was respectful, informative, generous. The tour is constructed with audio devices to hear everything clearly and the pace is slow and easy. Our tour group was of mixed aged by everyone was able to handle the pace. Rui explored the evolution of slaves from different nationalities, spiritual backgrounds and regions. The tour guides everyone through the labyrinth of layers involved with slavery. From the enslaved, to the slave holders and the governing bodies engaged in the acts of atrocity. The tour is lengthy, but it must be to cover the hidden and destroyed history. Best to bring good walking shoes but you get good breaks in between. It's not all doom and gloom because Rui adds some stories of perseverance and triumph. Sadly, this is a story we live with today, but please take the tour to learn a deeper perspective into a suppressed history. Also, Rui's good suggestion to an African restaurant was well worth it. Very delicious dinner to cap off the tour.

Outstanding Lisbon & slave history overview while exploring the old town provided. Our tour guide exceeded expectations and answered all questions without hesitation. Highly recommend Lisbon tour.

Wow!!!! Rui was the best I couldn’t have imagined. His knowledge made the tour fabulous. As he spoke about Slavery, you could see what wasn’t there! Excellent tour for sure! Thank you.

A thought provoking tour with a very knowledgeable guide. This was a fantastic way to see a bit of Lisbon while learning about Portugal’s social, economic, and political history. Highly recommend it. We had two teenagers who stayed focused the entire time.

Lui was an excellent guide providIng to the group valuable and thought provoking tour. He had great style allowing those of us who had questions. This tour has been the highlight of my first trip to Lisboa . Highly highly recommended!!!

This was an amazing experience! Rui was an excellent guide on the slave trade history. His vast knowledge of history kept me engaged and interested. He honestly should be teaching history in a school or a university!

What a pleasant surprise! Rui was outstanding in his delivery of all the information and data shared during this tour. I loved the pictures and the many opportunities to ask questions. The walking is moderate but wear comfy shoes. Thank you Rui for an amazing afternoon!

This was one of the most thorough and thought-provoking walking tours I’ve ever experienced. The guide masterfully wove together the complex history of the transatlantic and Islamic slave trades, Portuguese colonialism, and the enduring legacy of racial hierarchy in Lisbon. With scholarly depth and cultural sensitivity, he explored everything from medieval theological justifications for slavery to the economic and political forces behind human commodification. What made this experience exceptional was how grounded it was in place—you’re not just hearing about history, you’re standing in the very neighborhoods where enslaved people lived, worked, and were sold. The guide’s delivery is clear, compelling, and never performative — presenting centuries of history with scholarly precision and humanity, weaving together religion, colonization, global economics, and cultural memory. You’ll walk away with a deeper, more honest understanding of Portugal’s legacy—and why it matters today. This tour is sobering, enlightening, and absolutely essential. If you’re ready to see Lisbon beyond the surface and honor the voices often left out of the narrative, this tour belongs at the top of your list.

Great tour! So informative, an interesting non traditional perspective, and better for it. Highly recommend. Our guide communicated well, kept us all interested.

Rui is very knowledgeable, personable, and has a finely crafted series of points and facts he wishes to convey, while having a deep well of knowledge on the subjects to answer follow up questions

Rui provided in-depth information on the history of Portugal's role in the transatlantic slave trade. An extremely valuable experience.

Rui Fernandes is an outstanding guide. He is well-informed and knowledgable about the role of the Portuguese in the global slave trade. Despite the dark subject, the tour was a total delight!

We spent 3.5 hours on a walking tour focused on Lisbon’s role in the slave trade and colonization. While the subject matter is heavy, our guide Rui made it digestible through his thoughtful contextualization of the history. He was exceptional -- knowledgeable, engaging, and clearly passionate about the subject. It ended up being one of the best things my husband and I have done here. Despite being 3.5 hours long, the tour flew by -- it never felt that long thanks to Rui’s engaging style and the richness of the content. It was thought-provoking and informative, offering a deeper look into both Lisbon’s and Portugal’s broader role in the slave trade. I highly recommend it if you’re looking to explore beyond the usual tourist spots or want to understand the deeper history and origins of these places.

Typical Lisbon tours overlook the role of the slave trade in Portuguese history. That's a shame, because we can only progress as a society if we understand our history, both the good and the bad. Fortunately Rui, our guide and the creator of this tour, is doing something about this historical oversight. Over 3 1/2 hours (which includes a nice break for coffee and a snack), Rui artfully ties together the historic role of slavery in many cultures, culminating in the transatlantic and Arabian slave trades that produced the African diaspora we know today. My wife and I both studied the slave trade in university and were impressed by Rui's encyclopedic knowledge and creative presentation (which includes visual aids). The topic is a heavy one of course, but Rui's expertise and energy made the time pass quickly. If you are on the fence, please book this tour. You won't regret it.

I learned more in 10 mins than I did in Kindergarten through college. During the tour, we even learned about the various influences of slavery; from feudal, religious institutions, monarchies, cultural, amd even personal/familial aspects. This walk through history is definitely recommended. Thank you for such a wonderful and intriguing tour.

This was simply outstanding. Rui, our tour guide, is a scholar. Highly knowledgeable. He provided some of the best historical context I've experienced on any tour, and I've done my share of traveling. This is an absolute must for anyone interested in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Highly, Highly recommended. I would take this tour again.

I thought I knew what to expect on this tour but was completely blown away by Rui’s research he did to put this tour together. The tour focuses on the globalization of slavery which predates what we typically think of as the beginning of slavery. I cannot speak highly enough about the experience.

Amazing guide!!!!! very knowledgeable and friendly!!! Made the tour a great experience!! with images to complement!!

Very informed, factual and balanced tour outlining the role Portugal played in the global scene of slavery. A must do for a historical perspective on the impacts that still resonate today.

The tour was super! Rui, our guide, was very knowledgeable about the topic, even tracing the roots of slavery to the Roman era. His enthusiasm about the subject was palpable and his style is open and engaging. He even recommended a great Mozambican restaurant (Roda Vive). I’d heartily recommend this tour to anyone visiting Lisbon who’s curious about Portugal’s involvement in the trans-Atlantic space trade.