Half Day Historical Walking Tour about the Slave Trade in Lisbon
Recommended by 100% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Lisbon, Portugal
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Take a step back in time to Portugal’s dark past and learn about the slave trade on this historical walking tour. Learn about Portugal’s ‘Age of Discovery’ and how the slave trade played a significant role in their success. See key sights in Lisbon as you listen to your guide recount the facts and stories of Portugal’s slave past.
- Take a historical walking tour of Lisbon and learn about the slave trade
- See a different side to Portugal’s ‘Age of Discovery’ and its impact
- Learn how Portuguese culture and contemporary history was shaped by Africa
- Gain insight into a topic rarely addressed in the tourism industry
What's Included
- Local taxes
- Professional guide
- Food and drinks
- Hotel pick up and drop-off
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Largo do Chafariz de Dentro 30, 1100-605 Lisboa, Portugal
In front of the medieval fountain located at the following address: Largo do Chafariz de Dentro
End point
- Rossio SquarePraça do Rossio, 1100-200 Lisboa, Portugal
Itinerary
1
Largo do Chafariz de Dentro
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Alfama
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Campo das Cebolas
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Praca do Comercio
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Baixa, Rossio & Restauradores
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Igreja De S Domingos
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
Largo do Carmo
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Not recommended for travelers with walking difficulties
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
5.0
based on 189 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Great experience. So many interesting and shocking facts about the history of slavery in Portugal. The guide, Rui, was very nice and well-informed — I would highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for a in-depth look at a part of Portuguese history that isn’t in your typical guide books! Thanks for everything, Rui!
The Slave trade tour was amazing. Riu was very informative and passionate talking about the history of the slave trade. I highly recommended you take this tour.
This is an essential tour experience. Our guide, Rui was knowledgeable and extremely informative. He gave us so much information about the underbelly of Lisbon and details of the slave trade which essentially started in Portugal. This is a must for everyone to better understand the world we live in and how the past still influences our everyday lives.
Highly recommend.
It was a thought provoking and very informative morning, explained the history and its relationship to slavery in an engaging manner.
Rui Fernandes provided an amazing tour. His knowledge is beyond superb and explained everything in so much detail. I definitely recommend this tour if time permits. It’s something that's very eye opening and explains key moments in Portugal’s history.
This was truly one of the best tours that I have ever taken. Rui was SO knowledgeable and I learned so much from him. He presented information in an engaging and well-paced manner. It was an eye-opening experience and a stark reminder of how much important history - that still affects the world today - is missing from so many school curriculums. I highly recommend taking the time to take this tour.
In-depth incredible intense! Prepare yourself for a well researched tour. We learned and saw a lot throughout the city.
Great, informative walking tour. It helped put everything in perspective for our trip through beautiful Portugal.
This is a walking tour, please expect to get the best information from a very well knowledgeable tour guide; he was phenomenal.
Get ready to learn about another side of Portuguese history. The information was concise and informative.
Amazing. A must do. Host is very into what he’s talking about. You will learn and hopefully be touched by the historical knowledge you gain.
Outstanding Lisbon & slave history overview while exploring the old town provided. Our tour guide exceeded expectations and answered all questions without hesitation. Highly recommend Lisbon tour.
Wow!!!!
Rui was the best I couldn’t have imagined. His knowledge made the tour fabulous. As he spoke about Slavery, you could see what wasn’t there!
Excellent tour for sure! Thank you.
A thought provoking tour with a very knowledgeable guide. This was a fantastic way to see a bit of Lisbon while learning about Portugal’s social, economic, and political history. Highly recommend it. We had two teenagers who stayed focused the entire time.
What a pleasant surprise! Rui was outstanding in his delivery of all the information and data shared during this tour. I loved the pictures and the many opportunities to ask questions. The walking is moderate but wear comfy shoes. Thank you Rui for an amazing afternoon!
This was one of the most thorough and thought-provoking walking tours I’ve ever experienced. The guide masterfully wove together the complex history of the transatlantic and Islamic slave trades, Portuguese colonialism, and the enduring legacy of racial hierarchy in Lisbon. With scholarly depth and cultural sensitivity, he explored everything from medieval theological justifications for slavery to the economic and political forces behind human commodification.
What made this experience exceptional was how grounded it was in place—you’re not just hearing about history, you’re standing in the very neighborhoods where enslaved people lived, worked, and were sold. The guide’s delivery is clear, compelling, and never performative — presenting centuries of history with scholarly precision and humanity, weaving together religion, colonization, global economics, and cultural memory. You’ll walk away with a deeper, more honest understanding of Portugal’s legacy—and why it matters today. This tour is sobering, enlightening, and absolutely essential.
If you’re ready to see Lisbon beyond the surface and honor the voices often left out of the narrative, this tour belongs at the top of your list.
Rui provided in-depth information on the history of Portugal's role in the transatlantic slave trade. An extremely valuable experience.
I learned more in 10 mins than I did in Kindergarten through college. During the tour, we even learned about the various influences of slavery; from feudal, religious institutions, monarchies, cultural, amd even personal/familial aspects. This walk through history is definitely recommended. Thank you for such a wonderful and intriguing tour.
I thought I knew what to expect on this tour but was completely blown away by Rui’s research he did to put this tour together. The tour focuses on the globalization of slavery which predates what we typically think of as the beginning of slavery. I cannot speak highly enough about the experience.
Amazing guide!!!!! very knowledgeable and friendly!!! Made the tour a great experience!! with images to complement!!
Very informed, factual and balanced tour outlining the role Portugal played in the global scene of slavery. A must do for a historical perspective on the impacts that still resonate today.
Rui was great! We learned a lot about the role Portugal played in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. I think EVERY tour should include information about slavery. Really enjoyed it!
Very very informative and at a great pace. We got to explore the beautiful area while learning its history. I learned so much in top of what I already knew. This was the best tours I have had in Lisbon!
The Historical Walking Tour about the slave trade in Lisbon with Rui was incredibly informative. Rui is passionate and well educated about history and answered any and all questions we had about this part of Portuguese history, as well as how this part of history impacted other people and cultures. Well done! I recommend to anyone visiting Lisbon, to get a unique perspective on Portuguese and African history rarely acknowledged or discussed. Thanks, Rui!
NS
As an American, on tour with other Americans of different polical opinions, he did amazing correcting misinformation without pacifying opinions regarding slavery. Straight facts followed by receipts! Tour guide was Highly educated on the topic, and showed us a real world connection as well...his grandfather. Very knowledgeable and straightforwad, regardless if the truth hurts. How can one move forward if one refuses to acknowledge the past.
Our tour guide, Rui Fernandes, was amazing! Prior to the tour, he reached out to introduce himself and give us instructions on where to meet him. On the day of the tour he contacted us when he arrived at the meeting spot. It was a rainy day, and he took special care to ensure that he kept us out of the rain as much as possible. He was extremely knowledgeable and explained things throughly. He kept things interesting. He also took the time to answer all of our questions - and we had lots of them. This was our best Portugal tour, and we took several. Since coming home, I have recommended this tour to friends who will be traveling to Lisbon in the near future. I also highly recommend it to anyone reading this review.
This tour exceeded our expectations! We learned so much. Although it is not an easy discussion for many, this one was filled with great learning. Many historical facts and evidence to support. Book it!
Our guide was extremely well prepared - and totally willing to answer our many questions. Understanding the slave trade through time —and Portugal’s slave trade in that context —was eye opening and added a much deeper dimension to all I saw in Lisbon. I can’t recommend this tour highly enough!!
I am absolutely loved this tour! Yes the subject matter maybe heavy but it was actually quite empowering for me as a black traveler to have the subject matter acknowledged opposed to masked as just the Age of Discovery. I appreciated the opportunity to learn about the impact of the slave trade on Porotgual's development and how Lisbon was marked by slavery.
Rui was a very knowledgeable, accommodating and friendly tour guide. The tour was engaging and I liked the way pictures and historical documents were weaved into the tour. I also thought Rui's connection to the tour's subject matter revealed at the end was quite interesting and touching.
I would highly recommend Rui's tour for anyone visiting Lisbon. It was well worth it!
Rui was extremely knowledgeable and professional. He answered every question and provided exceptional insight. An excellent tour! Thank you!
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$36.24
per personWas $38.16(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Half Day Historical Walking Tour about the Slave Trade in Lisbon
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