The Porto Jewish Heritage Walking Tour is a tour of memory and it feels like a treasure hunt across the secret Medieval Streets of Porto.

It showcases the first Jewish neighborhood of the city, the lost medieval synagogue in Porto and all the forgotten places where the Jewish influence left its mark in town. If you are into Jewish history in Porto, this tour is definitely for you!

How did Jews end up in Portugal? Where is the Jewish cemetery in Porto? Is it true that the Jewish community in Porto is one of the oldest communities of Jews in the world? Take this Porto Walking Tour and get all your answers!

An experienced local guide, who has been guiding this walking experience for the past decade, will uncover all the mysteries of the Jewish Heritage in Porto for you. It's not easy to give a tour on a topic that has very few visible or physical items, but we assure you that our amazing guide, Ricardo, will fill the blanks pretty well.

Jewish Heritage in Porto

Wealthy Jewish men used to have prominent positions at the Portuguese court. For instance, D. Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, nominated the Rabbi Yahia Ben Yahia as Finance Minister of the Portuguese Kingdom. This is one of the reasons why the history of Jewish people in Porto is so important to understand the culture of the city and the evolution of the country throughout the centuries.

Porto's Jewish population took an active role in the local community and contributed to the economic performance of the city from the very beginning - until the Inquisition arrived and had a huge impact on social interactions. While in the rest of the country Jews were being burned, in Porto the merchants offered them protection - to the point that the Inquisition claimed that the city of Porto was sabotaging their “efforts” of rooting out heresy.

In this Porto Jewish Heritage Walking experience, our guide will show you how the Sephardim and Crypto-Jews influenced the destiny of the city in major areas like economics, politics and even gastronomy. The influence was so powerful that, at the end of the tour, you'll be able to feel the Jewish presence in the city.

Take this Jewish Heritage Walking Tour and explore the old Jewish quarters of Porto while learning more about the history of the Jews in Porto and Portugal.

What is included in the Porto Jewish Heritage Tour ticket price?

• A tailor-made itinerary with you in mind that covers past historic landmarks of the Jewish heritage of the city;

• An exclusive local tour guide just for you (or your group) that will help you navigate through the different Porto neighborhoods where the Jews lived and will explain to you the consequences of the Inquisition in the city;

• A quest to find the first Jewish neighborhood of the city and the lost medieval synagogue in Porto;

• A dive deep into the historical, cultural, and architectural view of Porto;

• A hand-selected tasting menu (non-kosher food). We can accommodate food restrictions on this tour;

• The first 30 guests will get unique access to an online show cooking class: you'll learn how to make goatling in the oven (a Portuguese Easter classic);

• A charitable donation to a local NGO that helps the homeless people in Porto.

Good to know

• We are not visiting the Sinagoga Kadoorie Mekor Haim on this tour;

• We can accommodate food restrictions on this Jewish Heritage Walking Tour in Porto;

• All our Porto Tours are run in English but we can provide Portuguese-speaking guides upon request, for closed groups. Feel free to ask us about this and more at [email protected]

List of measures to keep you safe

• Before each tour, your tour guide will proceed to a safe and health briefing with all the information on how to comply with basic infection prevention and control precautions

• According to the DGS (Portuguese CDC), masks are no longer mandatory in bars or restaurants

• No physical contact with guests (hand-shakes, kisses, or hugs), which includes a safety distance of 1 meter when possible; even though we are a nation that loves hugs, kisses, and handshakes, we'll have to keep a safe distance this time

• Disinfection of all guests’ hands with alcoholic gel before entering the restaurants and after a meal - feel free to bring your own hand sanitizer, but please notice that all restaurants will be able to offer you this

Peace of Mind Policy

Let's imagine that you are unable to make the tour. Can you have a refund? The answer is yes.

If we are notified within 72 hours of the tour we will be happy to offer you a refund or reschedule you on a tour anytime over the next year. We can also generate a Gift Card so you can book it at a later time - for free. Please note that, unless you are rescheduling for a specific date, we will issue a Gift Card that is valid for 2 years. If you decide to proceed with the refund, the processing fee will be charged.