Bairro Alto

Music Activities

This tour will take you to a Fado house in Alfama or Bairro alto, depending of the day. You will be accompanied by a local expert guide that will explain to you the origins and chronology of Fado in a small stop before the entrance to the Fado house. This tour is a true must see! Fado is a story about Portuguese history, in song. It expresses "saudades", which is an untranslatable term which looks something like 'longing', a nostalgia and sadness of being away. It is considered World Intangible Cultural Heritage. Wander back in time to the discoveries, and enjoy a 2-hour show in the birthplace of Fado. Your expert guide will tell you everything you need to know about this music. Clear your agenda for tonight and come on a spiritual journey!

Learn about the origins of fado music on a 3-hour walking tour of the Lisbon neighborhoods where it originated. As you explore, you will be accompanied by a live fado singer and guide. Experience the magic of Portuguese fado, a form of music listed by UNESCO as of “World Intangible Cultural Heritage.” An important part of everyday life in Lisbon, there is no better way to learn about Portuguese culture than through a close encounter with fado in the nation’s capital. You will go to some typical fado houses, where fadistas have earned their living for decades. Wander the alleys and squares around Praca Martim Moniz, a multicultural part of Lisbon that is off the usual tourist route. Discover local taverns instrumental in the history of fado culture in the Mouraria district. Then, stop for a delicious meal of caldo verde (a traditional Portuguese soup) and barbecued chouriço (spicy sausage), served with bread and wine in one of the authentic fado houses of Alfama.

Sailors, fishermen and sea merchants, often away from home, were the pioneers of this musical genre, and would sing this beautiful and yet melancholic music with a zest of "saudade", an emotion of longing or homesickness for their distant loved ones. Currently, Fado is considered part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. It is more than just a genre, it is a way of feeling and the sung expression of the Portuguese soul. You will pass by historical neighborhoods such as Bairro Alto, Alfama, and Mouraria, to learn more about the traditional aspects of life, so you can get a feel of the city like a true local, a ‘Lisboeta’. During the tour you will try a variety of food samples and wines and get to see real live performances from ‘fadistas’ alongside the traditional sound of the Portuguese guitar. You will start in Bairro Alto, one of the most traditional areas to enjoy Fado in Lisbon. Here you'll have some food samples and a glimpse of the Fado music genre. Afterwards, you walk towards downtown and go through Mouraria, one of the most traditional districts in Lisbon, where according to the traditions, the first lady who sang Fado for the first time was born: Severa. Discover the Mozarabian district and it's narrow streets, full of charm. Here you'll get a cultural insight into this music genre and some more food and drink samples. You finish this tour with a beautiful walk around the castle hill towards Alfama and you will have a diverse food tasting along with a Fado Show. You'll feel like a true Lisboeta.

Start your Lisbon walking tour of this whimsical city by joining a local guide in one of the city's most imposing squares, the Praça do Martim Moniz. This famous landmark honors a nobleman that sacrificed his own life to help the Christian conquerors of Lisbon in 1147. At the starting point to this tour through Lisbon's musical and culinary heritage, the home of a fusion market that celebrates the multiculturalism of the neighborhood of Mouraria. Take in sweeping views of this intoxicating city from the viewpoint of the Castle Hills, some of the city’s best-kept secrets. Explore Alfama’s small squares, rustic buildings and dark alleyways as you wander along the winding, cobblestone streets. Stop to breathe in the exciting atmosphere as the local taverns and music venues come to life for another evening of melodic tunes and gastronomic delights. Stop to reflect on the beauty of the River Tagus then continue on to finish this Lisbon walking tour in a small restaurant that serves up daily doses of delicious food and Fado music to enthusiastic audiences. Sample a traditional Portuguese dinner and wine while appreciating a performance of Fado Vadio (amateur Fado), a quintessential Lisbon experience that you won't get on other Lisbon tours! Visit the heart of Fado's heritage from the old district of Mouraria. Try a sip of ginjinha, Lisbon's trademark liqueur, while listening to Fado at a local tavern. What a fitting finale to this indulgent Lisbon walking tour extravaganza!