The Convent of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Portuguese: Convento da Ordem do Carmo) is a former Catholic convent located in the civil parish of Santa Maria Maior, municipality of Lisbon, Portugal. The medieval convent was ruined during the sequence of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, and the destroyed Gothic Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Portuguese: Igreja do Carmo) on the southern facade of the convent is the main trace of the great earthquake still visible in the old city
It was once one of the city's best-kept secrets, but it has been gradually discovered by tour guides and couples in love. It offers a panoramic view of Lisbon, which can also be seen from a small image of the Virgin Mary that gives the viewpoint its name. Behind the image is a small 18th-century chapel, which is almost always closed. An old legend says that pregnant women who sat in the stone chair inside would have easier childbirths. This is one of the highest points in the city, so several monuments can be seen, identified on a tile panel. The viewpoint is very popular at sunset, but during the day there are also those who spend hours in the shade of the olive trees, cypresses and stone pines. To get here, walk along Rua da Graça from Largo da Graça, and turn left onto Rua da Senhora do Monte.
This medieval neighborhood (which was once a Jewish quarter and a fishing community) is the oldest neighborhood in Europe, after El Pópulo in Cádiz. It is a small village or medina in the middle of the capital, and a relic from the times before the great earthquake of 1755. It escaped the catastrophe thanks to its solid foundations on the highest hill in the city, which extends to the Graça neighborhood. It is a neighborhood to get lost in alleys and squares, letting yourself be guided by your senses: seeing clotheslines on balconies and fantastic views of the Tagus River, smelling fish grilling on the corner, listening to the sounds of Fado from inside a typical restaurant, savoring traditional dishes and touching magnificent tile panels. This is the most picturesque neighborhood in Lisbon and the true soul of the city. Here life continues as it did centuries ago, but going down to the river you enter the 21st century again, with old warehouses now converted into some of the trendiest
The Church of Santo António is a building located in the parish of Santa Maria Maior (Sé), in the municipality of Lisbon, Portugal. It is supposedly located on the site of the house where Saint Anthony was born, next to the old Porta do Mar, which existed in the wall leading to the interior of medieval Lisbon, and is considered to be his sanctuary. Next to it is a small museum dedicated to him.
The Lisbon Cathedral, is located in the city of the same name in Portugal. It is the seat of the Patriarchate of Lisbon and the Parish of the Cathedral. Its construction began in the second half of the 12th century, after the conquest of the city from the Moors by D. Afonso Henriques, and today it presents a mixture of architectural styles. It has been classified as a National Monument since 1910.
The Baixa district of Lisbon was completely rebuilt in the 18th century after its destruction by the 1755 earthquake. It was the largest earthquake ever recorded in Europe, but it led to the first neoclassical urban planning and the first large-scale earthquake-resistant construction in the world. Streets were designed with very specific shapes and measurements, and named after the various trades and artisans of the time (shoemakers, gilders, saddlers, gold and silver workers). In the 20th century, many of the buildings were occupied by banks and offices, pushing residents to the Avenidas Novas (New Avenues), and eventually leaving several buildings abandoned. However, in recent years the neighborhood has been reborn as a commercial and tourist center. Many of the streets are pedestrianized, and they connect a series of monumental squares, from Rossio Square with its cafes to Commerce Square with its triumphal arch, to the elegant Municipal Square.
Praça do Comércio, Commerce Square in English, is Lisbon’s main square. It was built on the site where the old Royal Palace used to exist before it was destroyed by the earthquake of 1755. The southern end of the plaza is open and looks out onto the Tagus River. The other three sides have yellow-coloured buildings with arcades all along the façade. When the square was first built, the commercial ships would unload their goods directly onto this square, as it was considered the “door” to Lisbon.
The Lisbon version of the Parisian Champs-Elysées. It is a tree-lined avenue covered in Portuguese cobblestones between Restauradores and Marquês de Pombal squares, and is where the large luxury shops are located, starting on Rua Castilho to the north and then descending the avenue. This is also an area of theaters and beautiful old buildings, although many others were demolished for new constructions in the mid-20th century. However, some remarkable examples still survive, many of them winners of the Valmor Prize, with an impressive example at number 206-218 in Art Nouveau style, now housing a Prada store. Climbing the hill on the eastern side (with the help of the Lavra Elevator) you reach the old parish of Pena, a more typical neighborhood, where the famous fado singer Amália Rodrigues was born, and where you will find a little-known viewpoint, the Miradouro do Torel.
The National Sanctuary of Christ the King is situated at an altitude of 133 meters above the Tagus River. It consists of a portico designed by the architect António Lino, standing 75 meters high, topped by a 28-meter-high statue of the Holy Redeemer with open arms facing the city of Lisbon, a work by the Portuguese sculptor Francisco Franco de Sousa. The pedestal, including the portico, rises to 82 meters in height. The sanctuary and monument to Christ the King is the biggest tourist attraction in the municipality of Almada. This monument offers the best viewpoint overlooking the city of Lisbon, providing a wide view of the capital and the 25th of April Bridge. Numerous tourist reports about Lisbon feature the sanctuary and monument to Christ the King, a landmark of Almada. It is one of the tallest buildings in Portugal, standing 110 meters high.
Visit only the Monastery Church. The extraordinary stonework in the cloisters of this monastery glorifies the times when the West and the East met, and the man who managed to bring these worlds closer together -- Vasco da Gama -- is buried inside the church.
A panoramic visit to the Monument to the Discoveries evokes the Portuguese overseas expansion, synthesizes a glorious past, and symbolizes the greatness of the work of Prince Henry the Navigator, the driving force behind the discoveries. A stylized caravel sets sail, carrying at its prow Prince Henry the Navigator and some of the protagonists (32) of the overseas exploits and the culture of the time: navigators, cartographers, warriors, colonizers, evangelizers, chroniclers, and artists, are portrayed with the symbols that individualize them. A stylized mast, oriented North-South, has on each face two Portuguese shields, with five quinas (five shields), surrounded by a band with 12 castles and in the center several fleurs-de-lis. Attached to the mast, on each face, are three curved triangular structures, giving the illusion of sails billowing in the wind.
Panoramic tour. Lisbon's landmark looks like a small castle straight out of a fairy tale. It's an architectural gem from the Age of Discoveries, now classified as a World Heritage Site.
Very well planned, all stops were relevant and interesting and important historical data was included. Anastasia was a walking Encyclopedia of stories and data. She was totally fluent and had a great sense of humor. She drove like a champ as well!! Fantastic overview of Lisboa!!
Anastasia was prompt, fun, knowledgeable, experienced getting through the crowds and streets and was my best ever guide while in Lisbon.This tour visits all of the popular Lisbon sites. It beat the crowds, includes time for anything extra, and is easily altered based on where you want to spend time.
We were so glad we got Anastasia after all the good reviews we read about her. They were all true! She is a wealth of information and fun facts, and took us through the entire city. She adapted the tour for my bad knee and was considerate of our needs. This tour is so much more comfortable than the original tuk tuk tour we were going to take. So glad we didn't, the roads are rough and we felt safe, warm, and comfortable in her car. Also, she is an amazing driver on these crazy roads! This tour was a homerun!
John was a fantastic guide and this is the tour for a panoramic visit to Lisbon, seeing famous sites like the Lisbon cathedral, the old Jewish quarter, the Praca de Comercio, the monument to Christ the King across the Tagus River,a visit to the famous Belem pastry shop and the beautiful architecture and river without toiling up and down the steep winding streets and getting lost.
It was a great experience. We saw everything we wanted to in a day in Lisbon and learned a lot about the history , culture and food.
I met Anastasia this morning in my hotel and we began a wonderful tour of the city of Lisbon. Excellent guide and driver and all around terrific lady. She was so knowledgeable and friendly and made my first full day in Lisbon memorable in the best kind of way. An excellent tour and guide. Highly recommend.
Learn a lot about Lisbon and its varied neighborhoods and history. Anastasia was the perfect guide for this tour.
Anastasia, our guide, was fantastic!!! We were on a cruise and her tour was much better than our friends who took the cruise line bus tour. She took us to all the city highlights. She was very efficient and knew all the short cuts. She answered all our questions about the history and culture of her city. I highly recommend this tour!!!
Joao did an exceptional job leading us throughout the entire trip. From the very start, he established a great pace, getting organized, energized, and moving seamlessly through the itinerary. His extensive knowledge of the area’s history truly brought each site to life, effortlessly blending factual details with engaging stories. Throughout the journey, he managed to keep the logistics with remarkable ease while keeping spirits high, delivering an informative and unforgettable travel experience
Joao did an exceptional job leading us throughout the entire trip. From the very start, he established a great pace, getting everything organized, energized, and moving seamlessly through the itinerary. His extensive knowledge of the area’s history truly brought each site to life, effortlessly blending factual details with engaging stories. Throughout the journey, he managed to keep up the logistics with remarkable ease while keeping spirits high, delivering an informative and unforgettable travel experience.
Terrific tour and guide. Informative, professional, and fun. Highly recommend - we were 2 couples and we all enjoyed the trip!
João is an amazing tour guide! We truly could have not gotten any better to show us the beautiful sights and points of interest. He’s entertaining and has such a passion for his birth place. You would be disappointed with booking this tour.
Excellent tour of the city sites!! Anastasia has a deep knowledge and experience. It was ac wonderful day!!
We had an absolutely wonderful experience with our private tour guide in Lisbon! Our guide, Joao was incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and professional. We learned so much about Lisbon’s history, culture, and architecture. I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Lisbon who wants to truly experience the city, and learn its history.
John was amazing he took us to many places and had extensive knowledge of Lisbon. He can set the tour to whatever you like. Definitely worth the tour.
Anastasia was prompt, dressed professionally, friendly, extremely knowledgeable and well connected. Travel was effortless. Lunch recommendation was great. I had 2 blisters from the heat, my bandages melted off, she provided first aid and a fresh bandage. What a blessing!
Our one day private tour of Lisbon with Anastacia was very insightful and enjoyable. We were able to see all the highlights of this beautiful city in one day. This tour is the one if your time is limited. Thank you Anastacia for taking such good care of us and showing us your beautiful city.
It was a great trip, went with our parents in the 80's and our 15 year old daughter. All enjoyed it and we had enough time to see everything. Our guide was very knowledgeable and made sure we were all doing good and enjoying. Would definitely recommend him.
We had a wonderful day with Anastacia in Lisbon. She was incredibly informative about the history of the city, gave us wonderful recommendations for restaurants to visit, and was a fantastic driver around the city. We learned so much about the history of Portugal, and Anastacia even sent us information about specific questions we had about Portuguese history after our tour ended. We definitely will be booking with Kitzel Tours when we return to Lisbon, and we strongly recommend this private tour to anyone considering! Thank you, Anastacia!
The only way to see Libson is with a private tour with our tour guide, Anastasia, who was wonderful.
Great tour! João is very knowledgeable and entertaining tour guide. Highly recommend this tour and guide.
Our guide Anastascia was absolutely 💯 amazing. Her knowledge of the history was awesome. She shared lots of information and stories about Portugal with us, took lots of pictures and gave us lots of choices to make it a enjoyable day which it was. 😉 thanks Frank and Lana
Had a great day out on our private tour of Lisbon. Definately well worth doing as went to so many places we would not have visited without the tour. Our guide was informative and very knowledgeable
Tour guide can either make or break your experience. Anastasia was knowledgeable but did not facilitate entry into the Minastery and the Belem tower. It was advertised free admission for those places, but she said the entry was timed and we could not go. Wish we were told about it… we could have pre booked timed slots. Very slip shod for the money paid. Very disappointing!! We are generally easy to please… this was certainly sub par experience. I would recommend a different company for this tour.
John was kind, considerate and very knowledgeable. Would highly recommend..great length of tour….saw many interesting places
Our tour was amazing!! João showed us around the whole city and gave us so much interesting information about each thing we saw and about the history of Lisbon/Portugal in general. He was an extremely helpful guide; we asked him so many questions and he knew the answer to everything! Everyone in our group really enjoyed the tour!!!
Our tour guide John was amazing! Born and raised in Portugal, he took us to interesting places in Lisbon we would never have seen on our own. He was kind, patient and extremely knowledgeable. This is a must do tour if you want to explore Lisbon the right way!! Thanks John!!
Delightful and very thoughtful guide who was extremely knowledgeable about the Lisbon area and its history.
John was a wonderful and knowledgeable guide to a beautiful city. He made the day go by in the blink of an eye. Because he knew his way around the city so well we were able to visit every historic site and have an enjoyable lunch. We highly recommend this tour with John.
Anastacia was our tour guide for this full day activity. She is very knowledgeable, organized. Highlights included stunning view points, historic neighborhoods. Pace was perfect. This tour is an excellent way to get see the best of the city. Highly recommend this tour.
We did the private tour of Lisbon with the wonderful Anastasia . She was full of information about every aspect of Portuguese life and made our day a joy . We learnt so much and loved every minute!
Alexandria was a great tour guide. She took us to many places and knew the secret in and outs of line skipping. Personally,we felt the tour was a little too historical/religious facts heavy... we enjoy the lighter side of tours... food, markets, flora and secrets. But if you want an in depth tour of Lisbons history...this is it!
It was a very inclusive tour of several different areas in Lisbon. Joao was extremely knowledgeable and very, very pleasant to deal with. We were entirely pleased with our experience.
Great Lisbon Private key tour. Attended many of Lisbons best hi-lights. Tour readily customizable by superior guide Anastasiya. Fun lunch break to experience Portuguese cuisine and pastries. Wonderful time and truly fits “private” tour moniker.
Anastácia was amazing. Her knowledge of history, the meanings of the carvings, her ability to navigate the confusing tiny streets, and her fun sense of humor made us regret not having her for all our future trips here in Portugal. We highly recommend her.
Very well planned and executed tour. Our guide, Anatascia met us at our hotel right on time and we started the city early. She had everything very well timed and we never hit the crowds or lines. We covered all the hightlights of Lisbon with adequate breaks and time to enjoy the sites. Highly recommend.
Joao and Anastasia were wonderful. With a 10 of us in a group it was sometimes like herding cats but they were so patient with us and made sure we got to see everything as promised. Their knowledge of the city and its history is impressive. Prior to the tour, it was easy to communicate with Joao. I would recommend Joao and Anastasia without reservation. If I came back to Lisbon I would definitely contract with them again to see more of Portugal. By the end of the day, I felt like we were old friends.
Our city tour in Lisbon with João was exactly what we were hoping for. From the start, he tailored the experience to our pace, making sure we could really take in each stop without ever feeling rushed. We covered all the must-see sights, but what made the tour stand out was João’s perfect balance of knowledge and humor—informative without ever feeling like a lecture. One of our absolute favorite moments was visiting Pastéis de Belém, where we got to watch the famous custard tarts being made fresh. It was such a unique and authentic experience, and we loved supporting a family-run business with so much history behind it. Another highlight was unexpectedly running into João’s wife a few times while she was leading her own tour—it added a really personal, local touch that made the whole experience feel even more special. Overall, this tour was the perfect mix of sightseeing, storytelling, and local flavor. Highly recommend João if you want a relaxed, engaging, and genuinely memorable way to explore Lisbon.
We took this private tour during our first full day in Lisbon. It was a smart move. Joao (John) was ver informative and a great guide. He gave us tips to use for the week and took us to so many monuments and great sites. He gave us smart access to the Pasteis de Belem. And he was very friendly. I highly recommend this tour and guide.
Anastasia was amazing and gave us the best Lisbon tour, she is knowledgeable, very kind and patient especially with my 10 year old, I highly recommend
What an amazing experience especially because I didn’t have a lot of time to visit Lisbon! Anastasia was extremely knowledgeable, pleasant and caring. She went above and beyond to make sure we had the best time! I highly recommend! We had the best time!
We had a fantastic all-day Lisbon tour (along with our dog) with Joao! He was incredibly flexible with the itinerary, very knowledgeable about Lisbon’s history and culture, and genuinely kind throughout the day. Joao made everything easy and enjoyable, tailoring the tour to our interests and making sure we saw both the highlights and some hidden gems. Highly recommend this tour and especially Joao if you’re visiting Lisbon!
This tour provides a great overview of Lisbon's main highlights. Traveling by car, your guide will point out and explain key sights along the way. The itinerary is organized by city area, with opportunities to stop, take photos, and walk around in each one.
Anastasia was very knowledgeable about Lisbon. Best way to see the city is with a personal tour guide.
Joao was very friendly and knowledgeable and showed us all of the wonderful sights in Lisbon. He is very personable and considerate. We highly recommend this private tour.
Anastacia gave us a wonderful tour of Lisbon. She is personable and extremely informative. We loved Anastacia’s introduction to Lisbon and highly recommend her.
We returned a few hours ago from our trip with Anastacia - what a wonderful tour! We visited several lookouts offering stunning vantage points of Lisbon, from the Elevador de Santa Justa to the Miradouro da Senhora do Monte. We even crossed the Tagus River to take in sweeping views of the city and its “Golden Gate” from the Cristo Rei overlook. We also explored the medieval section of town, learned about the devastation of the 1755 earthquake, fire, and floods—and how Portugal rebuilt in the aftermath. We stopped by the Time Out Market (with its almost overwhelming array of food options), toured the Belém Monastery, and, just as importantly for us, visited the birthplace of the famed Portugues pastry: Pastel de Nata. If you’re a fan of beautiful scenery, great food, and learning the stories that connect a culture to its surroundings, it would be hard to beat a tour with Anastacia. She cheerfully handled all our questions about Portugal’s history and language and even followed up with links after dropping us off at our hotel, continuing conversations about the topics we’d meandered into throughout the day.
This private tour with your own driver and tour guide is exceptional. Our tour guide Joao is very knowledgeable about the City’s history, culture, architecture and urban fabric, and provides me with a comprehensive insight about Lisbon. This tour is highly recommended for anyone wishing to gain a more in-depth knowledge on Lisbon.
This was an excellent tour of Lisbon city with our tour guide Anastasia. She was very knowledgeable of her subject and an interesting lady.We thoroughly enjoyed our day with her. The tour is a great way to see Lisbon for any traveller. We would not hesitate to recommend this private tour. (she even arranged a horse parade for us - & a few others!!!
Truly exceptional attention to detail, impression knowledge of Lisbon, Portugal history, culture and lifestyle. Husband and wife combo of remarkable tour experience delivery. Worth it.
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