Experience Lisbon Downtown with History and a Ph.D. student walking tour!
I am a Ph.D. title candidate in Anthropology who has been to around 75 countries. I am passionate about meeting people from different countries and backgrounds. I am also an experienced tour guide who has done over 900 tours in Portugal and about 300 in Thailand (the country which was the subject of my doctoral thesis). While I am skilled in History, I also have a strong bohemian part of my personality, thus I enjoy showing my clients the best bars and restaurant to attend in the city. In my tours, I prize that the clients will get both a general knowledge of the History of Lisbon and local tips on how to enjoy their time in the city.
Pickup
I will have a small, blue umbrella at Rossio Square, nearby the statue of king D. Pedro IV.
Description
Whether you are a tourist, an ex-pat, or even a local, this historical, city center walking tour is made for those who want to get a better understanding of Lisbon's rich history while making new friends.
We will leave from Rossio square, the heart of the city, and head up to explore the classic neighborhoods of Chiado and Princípe Real and the bohemian neighborhood of Bairro Alto, while bypassing beautiful churches such as S. Domingos (XIII century), the Carmo Convent (XIV century) and S. Roque (XVI century), as well as seeing some Neo-Manueline architecture, intriguing azulejos ´tiles´, and trendy cafés and restaurants.
We will cover in this tour:
- The earthquake of 1755 and the reconstruction of the city by Prime Minister Marquês de Pombal.
- The Inquisition and persecution of Jews and Muslims.
- The restoration wars and their consequences.
- Ulysses and the mythological foundation of Lisbon.
- Santa Justa Elevador, Carmo Square, São Pedro de Alcântara Miradouro and much more.
A main difference between this proposal and other walking tours is that I want people to connect with each other and, towards the end of the tour, I do stop for the guest to get some take-away drinks and, after the tour is over, we can all share some drinks at a local bar.
The tour can always be adjusted upon demand and weather conditions. The duration of the tour is of approximately 3 hours.
Join in, book the tour, learn and have fun! :D
French Tour upon demand (pour la visite en français, il faut me contacter, s´il vous plaît).
Important notice: I do have a constant amount of bookings, meaning that I need to rest my voice a few tours per week to maintain my optimized performance. During such events, I ask some of my colleagues to do the tour in my place. Although each have their unique style, they have been instructed to follow the same route. These are the guides doing the tour and the moment: Kate, who is a Master in Anthropology and did a research in a similar field as I did. Bruno, a talented actor with many years of experience in guiding.Telma, an amazing story teller with a kick for contemporary arts. Mário, a musician who has a taste for some controversial, yet entertaining jokes. I fully entrust them as capable to replace me while I am taking care of my other tours. Should you book the tour in such occasion, I will send you their WhatsApp number and send yours to them. Best regards, Eduardo.
Disclaimer: as this tour is getting mainstream, I am starting to get reservations from people who are perhaps not understanding the concept of the tour. I am a Ph.D. title candidate, so I am obviously extremely historical. Although I do stop to get drinks and I have a sarcastic sense of humor, this is quintenssencialy a very historical tour. If you are not into history and are looking for a more ´fun facts´ kind of tour, please feel free to book with somebody else. This is specially valid for reservations over three people. If you are into history, but your friends are not, be aware that your friends looking bored at me disturbs my performance and deranges the general quality of the tour. I am a professional and I can ignore your friends, but if they are just simply convincing you to leave at the middle without paying and write a bad review for a tour you did not complete, I prefer you to book a lighter tour.