Alfama Tour Plus Fado Dinner

Lisbon: Alfama Tour and Live Fado with Traditional Dinner runs through Lisbon Destination Tours. Rated 4.4 across 1,001 reviews. Runs 4 hours. From €55.

Overview

This evening pairs three things that belong together in Lisbon: a guided walk through Mouraria and Alfama, a set-menu Portuguese dinner, and a live Fado performance in a traditional Fado house. It runs for 4 hours, starts at Lisbon Destination Hostel on Largo do Duque de Cadaval, and is led in English by a local guide.

The shape of the night is straightforward. First comes roughly an hour of walking through Mouraria and Alfama, the district where Fado emerged in the early 19th century, with the guide covering local history and habits along the way. Then the group sits down to dinner in the Alfama area for about 2.5 hours, followed by the Fado concert, where a Portuguese guitar and heartfelt lyrics carry a sound UNESCO added to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2011.

Dinner is a set menu with bread, chorizo and olives to start, a choice of mains such as grilled chicken, mixed meat, cod with cream or octopus rice, and a dessert of the day. Vegetarian options exist too. One drink is included, either wine, beer or a soft drink. Travellers who want history, food and music in a single evening, and who are comfortable on their feet, will get the most out of it.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Meet at Lisbon Destination HostelThe group gathers at Lisbon Destination Hostel, Largo do Duque de Cadaval 17, Lisbon. There is no hotel pickup or drop-off.
2. Guided walk through MourariaA guided walking tour of roughly 1 hour through the old streets of Mouraria and Alfama, where the guide covers the history of the districts and of Fado.
3. Dinner in AlfamaA set-menu dinner of about 2.5 hours in the Alfama area, with one included drink. Vegetarian options are available.
4. Live Fado performanceThe evening ends at a traditional Fado house with a live performance of Fado music.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points will help travellers arrive prepared, since the night involves real walking, a fixed menu and an evening on foot.

• Wear good shoes. The listing recommends comfortable shoes. There is a considerable amount of walking, so anything with flimsy soles will be a problem on the old streets.
• Fitness and mobility. The listing states plainly that the tour is not recommended for those with reduced mobility. The walk alone lasts about an hour before the seated part of the evening begins.
• Guides set the tone. Reviewers repeatedly praise the guides' knowledge of Lisbon history, food and Fado, with several calling the storytelling a highlight.
• Food is a set menu. Dinner is fixed rather than à la carte, with mains such as grilled chicken, mixed meat, cod with cream or octopus rice, and a vegetarian option of salad or vegetarian pasta. Only one drink is included, so extra drinks cost more.
• Groups can be large. One reviewer mentioned a group of over 20 people and suggested the guide needed a microphone, so travellers hoping for an intimate walk should calibrate expectations.
• The Fado performance. Several travellers describe the Fado performance as unique and intense, and say it is something every visitor to Lisbon should experience.

Common issues. The dinner divides opinion. Some reviewers found the food delicious and authentically Portuguese, while one said the pork was tough and the octopus rice too salty, and the listing's own review summary notes inconsistent quality. One reviewer found the guide a bit rigid and hard to hear in a group of over 20 people. The listing also flags the considerable walking and does not recommend the tour for those with reduced mobility, and hotel transport is not provided.

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