Óbidos Medieval Town Walking Tour: Ginjinha Tasting Included

A 1300-year-old castle, five paintings by a woman the Louvre collected, and a liqueur you drink from chocolate.

A 2-hour guided walking tour of Óbidos, the medieval Portuguese town where queens once lived, takes you through the castle, churches, and narrow streets while a live guide in English or Portuguese tells the history and the art. The tour includes a tasting of Ginjinha de Óbidos, the local liqueur served in an edible chocolate cup, and stops at the bookstore built inside a former royal chapel and the quarters where Moorish and Jewish communities once lived.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Óbidos medieval town

• Visit church with Portuguese tiles
• See paintings by Josefa de Óbidos
• Enter São Tiago Church bookstore
• Visit original 12th-century castle

The experience

The tour starts in Óbidos and moves through the town on foot, following a guide who walks you past the 12th-century castle the Portuguese army conquered and the churches where 17th- and 18th-century Portuguese tiles still cover the walls. You'll see five paintings by Josefa de Óbidos, a 17th-century local artist whose work hung in the Louvre: the first Portuguese woman to reach that museum. The São Tiago Church, once a place of worship, now operates as a bookstore called Ler Devagar, a stop that sits on what used to be a royal chapel.

The route takes in the old Moorish and Jewish quarters, where the town's medieval layers still show in the street layout and the buildings. You'll stand in front of a renaissance pietá carved by Nicolau de Chanterene and hear how Óbidos served for centuries as a special residence for the queens of Portugal. The guide carries the history (the tales, the art, the people who lived here), and points out the details most visitors miss in the narrow alleys and stone passages.

At the end, you taste Ginjinha de Óbidos, the famous local liqueur, served inside a small chocolate cup you can eat. It's included in the tour price, a moment that marks the difference between reading about a place and tasting it. The whole walk takes 2 hours, moving at a pace that lets you stop for photos and questions without rushing through the town.

What’s included

• A live guide in English or Portuguese.
• entry to the castle and churches.
• a tasting of Ginjinha de Óbidos served in a chocolate cup.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 11:00 and 14:30

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (under 13): free

GroupUp to 8

Live guideEnglish and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Silver Coast Travelling

Is this one for you?The tour covers 2 hours of walking on medieval streets with some hills and uneven ground, so it suits travelers comfortable with a steady pace through a walled town rather than a leisurely stroll. If you want to understand the art, the history and the people behind Óbidos instead of just passing through, the guide's knowledge of the town (from Josefa de Óbidos to the queens who lived here), is what makes the difference.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Portuguese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 13): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is Josefa de Óbidos and why does the tour mention her?

Josefa de Óbidos was a 17th-century painter born in the town whose work became celebrated across Europe and was exhibited in the Louvre Museum: the first Portuguese female artist to achieve that recognition. The tour shows five of her paintings inside one of the churches you visit.

What is Ginjinha de Óbidos and how is it served on the tour?

Ginjinha de Óbidos is a famous local liqueur made in the town. On the tour, it's served in a small edible chocolate cup that you can drink from and then eat, and the tasting is included in the price.

Does the tour go inside the castle?

Yes, the tour enters the original 12th-century castle that the Portuguese army conquered, one of the main stops on the walk through Óbidos.

Is this tour mostly walking, and how much climbing is involved?

Yes, this is a walking tour through the medieval town's streets and alleys, which means uneven ground and some hills typical of a walled town built on a slope. The tour is 2 hours long and moves at a steady pace through the town.