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 Jewish Heritage 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.

7 Reasons Why People Love this Porto Jewish Heritage Tour

• An itinerary crafted by our in-house expert on Jewish Heritage in Porto, Ricardo, who has been leading this experience for the past decade;

• 4/5 hours of exploring the heart of the city, navigating through the different Porto neighborhoods where the Jews lived and exploring the consequences of the Inquisition in this town;

• Sightseeing of all the major landmarks, plus some hidden gems on the way, totally tourist trap free;

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

• A snack break to replenish your energy (not kosher);

• Insurance and a charitable donation to a local NGO that works with the homeless population in Porto;

• Finishing in style with a fun lunch focusing on local delicacies (not kosher/includes beverages). Please notice that we can accommodate food restrictions on this tour.

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]

• Advanced purchase of tickets is required. We don't accept walk-ins

List of measures to keep you safe

• 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

• According to the DGS (Portuguese CDC), masks are no longer mandatory, except in health care facilities and care homes

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.