Absolutely worth it! - I don’t know why more people don’t visit this! The monastery was mind blowing and our guide was great. Such enthusiasm and wealth of knowledge. He added a 2nd church and monastery in Batahla that was even more incredible. Totally worth it.

Off the beaten path and worth every penny!! - I have been in many medieval churches but never any like the ones in Tomar and Alcobaca. The space is majestic without the traditional gothic architecture. Oddly, I had the same feeling in these churches that I get when in the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. Awe insipring beauty. They both date from the 12th century and the monastery in Tomar demonstrates the latest technology for the time and was never successfully invaded. Our guide, Filipe, was fantastic. Very knowledgeable and clearly passionate about history. He took us to Antonio Padeiro in Alcobaca for lunch. We had an amazing meal. Skip breakfast if you are going there. They start with an appetizer plate that could have been enough to satisfy me followed by the main course. Desserts were beautiful so save some room. This is a top quality, white tablecloth establishment with insanely reasonable prices. It is easy to have a main course for 10 Euros. The nicest thing about this tour is the lack of tourists so you get a real sense of history and Portugal. The transportation was also a roomy Mercedes (my husband is 6’5”) so that was a welcome surprise in Europe. Definitely a day to remember.