Chill-Out Lisbon

Jose did a fantastic job of touring us through Alfama all the way up to a lookout point near St Jorge castle. Our tour on March 1st was a little over three hours and covered a lot of ground (and hills!) If you have mobility issues, this unfortunately is not the tour for you. Lisbon is hilly, in particular the Alfama area is quite steep in some places. The reward of making it to the end is a gorgeous hilltop view of the city, as well you can reward yourself with a drink and food with a view at the outdoor cafe. I would highly recommend this tour, provided by a knowledgable local guide who respects the people and the neighborhoods they take you through. I would consider this tour group as a responsible company that is considerate of the people and community they take you through. A++

Lily was a fun and informative guide for our first day walking tour in Lisbon! We covered A LOT of ground (a little of every neighborhood) and a LOT of information that covered the entire history of Lisbon from Iron Age to the Carnation Revolution. I highly recommend this as your first stop in Lisbon! There is nothing that makes a visit more meaningful and educational than tours with local guides. She ended the tour at a beautiful viewpoint at sunset. Obrigada, Lily!

Really wonderful tour by Beatriz!! She had such expansive knowledge about the history that’s informed local, cultural, and global history around Lisbon, and showed me some really beautiful spots. Based on our interests, we also stopped by places along the way that aligned with our hobbies/curiosities. Would totally recommend.

Nichole was an awesome tour guide!!! Very informative and super friendly. Great sense of humor I would recommend these guys it’s small groups and you pay with a tip at the end depending on how well you think she was. Thanks Nichole from your Alaskan tourists!!

Lisbon Chill-out Walking Tour is the way to go! We love having a smaller group and it’s not commercialized. Jose was our guide and he was amazing!! He is knowledgeable and has a good sense of humour! My husband and I like him for his consideration for the locals while giving us a tour of Lisbon. We also like this tour for exploring the off-the-beaten-paths away from the regular touristy areas. We enjoyed learning the history of Lisbon, and the speed is great! The tour was longer than 3 hours and we hiked up to the top of the hill and got to see the sunset with the castle in the background! It was so magical.. Thank you, Jose!! I’d highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Lisbon!

We had the pleasure of having José as our tour guide around Lisbon last week. I always preferred tours from locals since we get to see and feel the everyday sites and sounds of the city, from their point of view. This tour was thorough, touching on Lisbon’s history, meeting locals, and hearing about their stories, to seeing sites that were out of the books. The tour lasted about 3.5 hours, taking little rests along the way. We took the evening tour and we saw the most beautiful sunset in Lisbon at the end of the tour. Highly recommend and thank you Jose for this wonderful experience.

I’m a frequent participant in walking tours in various cities, and this one was great! A wonderful selection of places to see, and a very informative and engaging story from Beatriz. It’s a pity they only have one tour that is repeated — otherwise I would happily return again ❤️ The tour takes 2–2.5 hours and, although it covers quite some distance and includes a hill, it’s very doable. We had older people in the group, and they managed perfectly well too 🙂 A beautiful way to spend a Saturday morning and get to know Lisbon.

Beatriz was our expert and kind guide. In high detail, she explained information on the history, culture, and places in the neighborhoods we never could have known on our own. This tour is for adults who are eager for Portuguese knowledge and like to ask questions. My family walked talked and listened for 3 hours! Lots of walking and stopping at spots, so bring water with you and 50 cents for the bathrooms at the end of the tour.

My wife and I had a most wonderful walking tour with Rita of Chill Out Tours in Lisbon. This tour was a highlight of our month long travels in France and Portugal. Rita is an astonishing tour leader and person. Her grasp of local and international history; her passion for her city and country; her fluid understanding of her tour group and adjustment to same; and above all - her humanity. lol of thiss came shining through on a tour that was scheduled for over two hours but which was four hours as Rita held every one of us spellbound and happily gave more of herself as she fed off of our interest. Thank you Rita for your inspired, interesting, gentle and passionate guidance. Cris & Alex. Canada

An absolute must if you come to Lisbon!!! This review is way overdue but we had the best time, and learned so much about the city on this tour. Our guide was the head honcho of this operation, and gave us a true "locals" insight on the lay of the land. Unlike some tours, each Chill Out Lisbon is different, as they prioritize catering to each specific audience. Before you step out on your FREE tour, they'll ask questions to see what you really want to see and learn about the city. How awesome is that. We saw several of the main landmarks, but even more of the "roots" of Lisbon. My favorite parts being the Alfama district, and the grand finale. I won't spoil the grand finale but I'll say it's most definitely worth staying to the end. Thanks to our wonderful guide, I believe their name was Jose, but pardon me if I am mistaken. If you can, please tip your lovely guide; they will most likely let you know they are open to receiving tips.

I did the 10am walking tour the first day I landed. Our had an amazing guide Nicole was just what I needed to push through the reset flight. She transported us back 5000 years and explained the history of Portugal and the secrets behind the buildings and statues. Be prepared it is a lot of walking through the hills and lasts around 3 hours. The time went by fast and it was a great way to kick off my trip! Highly recommend this walking tour to any traveler, and maybe you'll be lucky enough to get Nicole as your guide!

I highly recommend taking this tour on your first day in Lisbon! Our tour guide was Lilliana and she was amazing. The tour takes just about 3 hours and takes you through all the main neighborhoods of Lisbon, without focusing on the big tourist attractions. It was really cool to walk through streets that we may have not seen on our own and it was great to have a local's perspective and tips on Lisbon. When booking the tour they say that you may leave at any point as long as you let your tour guide know so this was actually my plan because I felt that 3 hours was long for a walking tour. However, as the tour progressed I didn't want to leave! It also goes at a good pace that is easy to keep up with (until the very end when you walk up a steep hill). Make sure to eat and use the restroom before starting the tour as there aren't any stops along the way for this. Also wear good walking shoes!

Rita (think that's her name) was spectacular. Extremely energetic and animated. Do it if you have the time. Tour takes 3hrs

I will make this simple, if you are in Lisbon and want a great tour that gives an excellent overview of the city, culture and history, you are foolish if you take any other tour but this one. The tour guides do a great job, take you "behind the scenes" and clearly have great pride in their city. They answer questions, they are interactive and best of all, they are independent. They do not steer you towards businesses or areas that are overly touristy. Highly recommend.

This tour was one of our highlights on our recent week long vacation in Lisbon. We learned a lot, enjoyed the sites and appreciated the great photo opps. Carolina was a lovely tour guide. Recommend this to anyone visiting the city. It is free so make sure to tip generously!

We were in Lisbon the end of July 2024 on a cruise. Rather than take the overpriced underwhelming cruise tours we chose the Chill Out Lisbon Free Walking Tour. This was the best decision of our cruise. Jose' led us on a tour of the real Lisbon. A former school teacher the tour involved culture, history and great food recommendations. It truly was the highlight of our vacation. If you want to actually see the city, learn its history and experience a little of its actual culture, book this tour. If you have a larger group (ours was 8) you can book a private tour by pre-paying a tip and have the incredible experience we had. Jose' will customize the tour to your interests and physical ability. Be aware Lisbon is very hilly. Our tour involved climbing both of the major hills in the city. I was thankful there was not a third hill.

Rita was my tour guide. She was amazing. Very passionate, knowledgeable, and funny. Would recommend to anyone. Lots of walking and the route is less touristy more off the beaten path.

We flew from Dallas Texas to meet friends we had met in Germany in Lisbon for a 10 day vacation. After looking at many tours online we were attracted to this tour by a local that would give us a Portuguese perspective and eschew the popular tourist sites. Our guide was Lilly, and she was SPECTACULAR!! We did walk 4.5 miles up some SERIOUS hills, but what a joy! At 69 we were perhaps the slowest in the group, but we never felt rushed. I learned more in 3 hours, laughing the whole time, than I did reading an entire book on Portugal! I'm sure all the guides are good, but none could be as friendly, open, funny, fluent and knowledgeable as LILLY!! You rock'd Lisboa for us!!!!!

We had a great tour with Jose! He gave us a lot of context on the history of Portugal and Lisbon, and took us to some beautiful viewpoints around the city. He also took us to some areas that tourists don't normally get to know like Alfama. He also emphasized being respectful as a tour group - not blocking entire sidewalks, only stopping in places that we wouldn't disrupt those living in apartments nearby. Don't hesitate to book this tour!

We had a wonderful tour with Beatriz on 13 Sept 2023. I was able to register on their website just minutes before the 4:30 tour started. I received a confirmation email and text through WhatsApp with detailed instructions of how to find our guide. The tour starts with about a 20 minute talk about the history of Portugal. Beatriz was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic when telling us about her county. The tour took about 3 hours, exploring the different neighborhoods and learning about their history. I highly recommend taking this tour at the beginning of your time in Lisbon! And don't forget to wear comfortable walking shoes!

Wow! What a great tour we had with Chill Out Lisbon. Joseph, our guide, was a local expert. He is an educator, a historian and a great guide. He is a wealth of info in a friendly and easy going way. We all bonded and had a great 3 hours together, seeing Lisbon from a local perspective, not from a pricy tour company. I highly recommend them.

Went on a tour today with Carolina. She was a great tour guide, very knowledgeable and enthusiastic in sharing her hometown. .

Free tour around Lisbon, led by a local?! Sign me up. Sign yourself up to because this is hands-down the most interesting walking tour I've ever been on. Some tours can get dull, but this one was fascinating from the minute it started to the minute it ended. Here are my two favorite facts I learned: - Lisbon has almost no crime. Their most high profile criminal is an old woman who goes to hug people and steals from their pockets. - The government pays to feed and care for all of the cats in the streets because they eat all of the mice. The cats are therefore healthy and friendly. Etc, etc, etc. If those two facts alone don't prove that this is the cutest city ever, than I don't know what does. Lisbon also makes great wine, is close to the water and this tour even brings you to a few beautiful lookout points. You're encouraged to tip your tour guide at the end, and you should, because ours was great and these other reviewers seem to have loved their guides as well. You can't go wrong!

this tour was so interactive and fun!!! Our tour guide, Nicole, was very funny and informative. The tour is a great way to see the city and spend a morning/afternoon. they are very accommodating for bigger families, and are very responsive over email. such a cool business concept more cities should have.

Very informative. Lillian focused on what interested everyone in the group. She put 5000 years of history into our 3 hr walk. She also included her personal history & cultural comment. We walked fairly non-stop for 3 hours. Show up with your walking shoes.

Liliana was amazing. So full of energy and excellent stories. Way better than the hop-on-hop-off bus tour because you got to really get IN to the city. She was an expert, but I hear they all are! And you get to choose what you pay!

We had just arrived in Lisbon, our first visit. This was a fantastic tour, historically informative, and it created a wonderful introduction to the beautiful city of Lisbon. Highly recommend! Our guide Liliana was truly exceptional.

Amazing walking tour. Lily was a great guide. Very knowledgeable, funny and gave us a wonderful experience. We met on time, she took us all over Lisbon and gave us an overall image of a beautiful city as well as a history lesson about Lisbon. I highly recommend this tour. Walking tours are much better than the hop on/off buses because you get to visit the places and really appreciate them, it is not rushed, and you get exercise while having a fantastic time.

Great introduction to Lisbon. Carolina was an awesome guide with a ton of energy. I would recommend the tour to anyone visiting Portugal!

Great tour - and for free?! The tour guides really know their stuff, they give you history and keep it fun and interesting! A really great way to see a bunch of neighborhoods in just a few short hours!

Had a wonderful tour from Inez( it Irez) a young lady with her degree in Architecture. On May 5th, 2018. Enjoyable and informative. Thank you Inez !! Karen ,California.

We took a couple of free walking tours while in Portugal and this was far and away the better one. When you start they ask you what your interests are and they tailor the tour and information based on the feedback. Ours was focused on history which I strongly recommend because we learned so much with a sprinkling of science, way of life and other valuable tidbits.

Best tour we experienced in Portugal. It was amazing due to our guide, José Guerreiro. 15 years of guiding. He was fluent in English, thoughtful of us and of Lisbon's citizens. He was cheerful confident knowledgeable and really emoted. We gave a generous tip as paid tours can have I'll prepared or detached guides. A10 of 10 rating!

Great experience, Carolina our tour guide, was amazing and with extra knowledge of the city she made the experience very joyful. she talked about the history, the people, the culture, and so many more. She was wonderful.

Wonderful tour! Really informative on Lisbon's history, culture, popular sites, while also being fun and very engaging. I got a feel for the city and had some incredible views. Be prepared to walk! Our tour guide, Lily, was fantastic, both during the tour and afterwards. After the tour, she had great recommendations for folks on our tours, including restaurants, bars, fado, neighborhoods, nearby day trips, etc!

Thorough and entertaining. Josè is a fast talker but easily understood in his English. History, culture, & sites. We saw it all over the course of just three hours. Well done! I recommend this agency. LD

Strong five stars for Liliana and the Lisbon Chill Out tour company! Liliana was so full of knowledge and energy for our free, three-hour tour of the city. Her mix of "official" history and fun anecdotes/facts from the neighborhoods made this tour feel like something you couldn't get from a more established or institutional company. She also gave us a few great bar recommendations for us to check out after our tour. Plus, due to a mix of it being the low season and a few last minute circumstances, we ended up being the only people on the tour! All in all, it was a great experience and I highly recommend anyone in Lisbon check it out!

We did the 10am tour with NUNO on 12/11/18 and it was one of the best highlights of our Lisbon visit. Even though the tours are free you should register on their website and you are emailed shortly thereafter with a confirmation. The meetup location is one of the crowded central plazas and was really easy to find, but beware of the other tours going on here so you go to the right one. They have staff easily identified by their bright yellow messenger bags. Nuno was born to do this type of stuff. He broke the ice among our group right off the bat and got us on our way. This tour had a lot of historical info, more than I was expecting but its cool that the locals are so passionate about the history of their city. We were taken to the 4 major areas, Baixa, Bairro Alto, Chiado and Alfama. Yes it was a lot of walking and hill climbing but with all the stops and breaks it was totally manageable. We got to explore nooks and crannies of Lisbon we never would have ventured into on our own and got great advice and recs for restaurants and ways to enjoy the city and not get ripped off by tourist traps. I highly recommend these folks

Having been on many free walking tours, this is definitely one of the best. The group size was perfect, the route was well-planned, and the content was packed with interesting information. Jose used to be a history teacher and he made the history part of the tour very fun and easy to follow. He gave us a new and local perspective of Lisbon that couldn't be found elsewhere. Grateful that I decided on doing this tour.

We took a private walking tour with Liliana, who was a fantastic guide. She arrived very promptly on time for the starting time. Liliana was enthusiastic and gave a good overview of the city, helped us gain a better understanding of Portuguese history and culture. The itinerary fit perfectly with our needs and time constraints. I especially loved walking through the neighborhood of Mouraria, which I would encourage you to visit if you have time. We would highly recommend a tour with Liliana and Chill-Out Lisbon!

Great introductory tour to some of the best neighborhoods and attractions in Lisbon. Rita gave us a detailed history of the city and also provided valuable referrals for sites, bars, restaurants, entertainment and more. Highly recommend this as an excellent orientation to this beautiful city.

We had a great walking tour and our guide Carolina was fantastic! We saw many beautiful & intriguing sites of Lisbon. Carolina did a great job providing background information. She was personable, answered all questions, and you could clearly tell that she really likes Lisbon & Portugal.

We had an amazing time on this tour! Jose was super knowledgeable and we learned so much about the history of Lisbon. He also had great jokes and made sure we were entertained the whole time. Loved going off the beaten path and seeing things we wouldn't have seen if we had just explored the city ourselves. Also love his commitment to responsible tourism. Recommend this 10x over!

I was in Lisbon for a conference and had very little time to see the city. A colleague recommended this tour to me. It is free, meaning that you tip at the end according to what you think it is worth. I gave the biggest tip I've ever given for me personally (as opposed to a tip on behalf of a larger group). It was extraordinary. Our guide was Liliana and she was super knowledgeable and fun. The time flew by. Our group had a lot of questions so it went a bit longer than what was listed. I didn't want the tour to end and my sense was that the others in the group felt the same.

We absolutely loved our Chill-Out Lisbon Free Tour with Jose! We did it our first day in Lisbon, which was a great way to get to know the city. We felt like we got a great combination of history and culture, and lots of steps! Highly recommend!

This was an amazing tour, I'm a tour guide myself and i love walking tours, every time i can i go on one even in my own city. this guys were beyond expected and they do a great introduction of the city, not being a official tour or a thematic tour is great to have a general idea for all the history of Portugal including the present times, I could see myself on their words, the guide Ana was super. I recommend to all my friends and will join them again.

Lily was an AMAZING tour guide and gave us such attention for our group. The groups were small enough in size that we could ask questions and feel safe with COVID. We learned SO much during the trip and loved meeting fellow people in the group who we grabbed a drink with at a small cafe nearby afterwards. Big thank you as this was one of the best things we did on our trip to Portugal.

THE BEST!!! i can't say enough good things about this free walking tour. this was the highlight of our entire trip to lisbon, and the absolute favorite thing i did in any european countries i visited in last 10 years. there are 2 tours offered per day (check the schedule on the website), each lasting 3 hours. you just show up at the meeting location, preferably on time, pick a tour guide and stay as close to him/her as you can. there are several other walking tours offered by different companies at the same time, same location, so look for people with the yellow tag. we did the 10am morning tour with about 20 people in the group. our tour guide pedro was awesome. he asked each and every one of us what we were interested in, and covered all from history, culture to food. we walked from chiado area to bairro alto, then ended at alfama district. pedro's stories were all entertaining, and there was never a dull moment. he showed a lot of passion and pride in the city of lisbon and people of portugal. his recommendations of restaurants and sightseeing places were spot on (we ate at one in sintra, and that was the hubby's favorite restaurant during the entire 10 day london/lisbon trip). chill-out tour is a MUST. do it in the beginning of your trip so you become familiar with the city and truly appreciate the beauty of it. - please do TIP. this was better than any organized tours i've done. - wear comfortable shows and bring water. - don't expect to visit castles and museum and churches. the guide does point out, but is more focus on local culture with undiscovered spots. - be aware of pickpockets. they can be disguised as tourists in the group. another tour guide caught 3 in his group.

The Chill-Out walking tour was a great way to explore Lisbon with a local guide. We went on the tour with Liliana who was very knowledgeable about the history of Lisbon and local attractions. She was also really funny and did a great job of getting all of us on the tour involved in discussions throughout the tour. I would strongly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Lisbon that wants to see a ton of cool areas of the city and learn a lot about the history of the city. Liliana also gave us a ton of great recommendations for things to do / see on the rest of our trip.

I loved this tour with Jose!! He is an amazing tour guide and you will be so glad you did a tour with him. He's passionate about his country and Lisbon, is knowledgable, and sincerely cares that he provides a great tour for you. I can't say enough good things about this experience. A must-do. Please tip well if you can (assuming your tour is as good as mine)! These guides truly deserve it, especially since they've taken such a hit with Covid. I just had to add that. :)

Fun tour with Emily. Our time in Alfama was especially interesting as we were in a small section with people who recognized the guides. Southern Europeans are not necessarily the friendliest people but they definitely are always talking to the people they know. Conducted around four or five neighborhoods in Lisbon with the chill out tours. I really enjoy walking tours of walking cities like Lisbon, you get to see little highlights that would never notice in a bus.

We didn't take the tour. The problem started before the tour - with the reservation. We have a group of 6, and I made a reservation for 6 people. Next day, I got a response email that let us know that our group will be split into 2 groups of 3 - one group for each guide. There are usually 40 - 45 people on the tour spilt into 2 groups, each group has tour guide. Since each group is 20+ people, I asked whether it's possible to keep us together and assign all 6 of us to one guide. The response was "unusual", to say the least: they were willing to make an exception for us if we pay 12 EUR (per person) gratification fee upfront. Here is quote from the email: "If you really want to join our "Free Walking Tour" all together we would open an exception and let you join if you agree in a minimum value for the gratification paid at the beginning based on the average donation of the month before, usually, less so none feels the value is unfair, but at the end, if we exceed your expectations, feel free to recognize it. Based on the average tip of last month (March) we ask 12€/per person" I asked whether I can share it on TripAdvisor and Yelp, but was accused of "blackmailing" (to get a free tour?), and my reservation was declined. I think it would save time to post it there up front - no 6+ people group reservations - before people submit the reservation request. Nobody wants to be split. All of reservation and email exchange: seems to me a waste of time that could have been prevented. And finally, they have rules - for one reason or another - and I understand that, but apparently those rules can be "lifted" with 12 EUR per person "gratification" fee paid for a "free" tour upfront(!)...

Had an amazing time! Friendly, fun and exciting tour learning about Lisbon, like a local.

If you feel like exploring Lisbon in a sustainable and very local way - this is the way to do it! Our guide did an amazing job of keeping the somewhat large group of around 30 people from all around the world entertained, informed and most importantly together. Before the tour starts they ask you where you are from, what your interest in Lisbon are, they take notes and then take it from there. The deep local knowledge is powerful and most valuable when shared in an unbiased way as is the case here: the guides don't take any commissions from restaurants or other tourist traps and can in return be very candid about where you should and shouldn't be spending your time and money while in Lisbon. The walk covers 4 of the most important neighborhoods in around 3 hours and happens twice a day at 10am and 3pm. Meeting point is the statue on the Praça Luís de Camões. If you can handle the walk covering some of the hills in the city, you should absolutely do this over spending your money on red or yellow buses! The tour is free, but essentially donation-based and trust you will not regret compensating this amazing team of guides at the end of the tour (when they share their personal 'best of Lisbon' places in town). Kudos to you guys! You rock!

This is the alternative to package tours, and welcome it is: unemployed locals take you for a walking tour of their city, going through the history and architecture, but not afraid to add comments on politics or the economy where needed. The walk can take 3-4 hours but didn't feel long or exhausting, oddly enough: just make sure you have decent shoes, but above all water and an apple in your bag, specially if it's hot. It's a very nice atmosphere, when you can leave whenever you like, that took us to areas we would never have seen on our own. You pay what you feel it's worth, and Miguel was really worth it!

my friend lena b. told me to go on this walking tour when i went to portugal, and i took her up on her advice. be advised that when you show up at the meeting place, there is another tour group who also offers free walking tours, so choose the right one. i'm sure the other one is also great, but i can't vouch for it, since i only went on the chill-out tour. just on the site and look out for the correct logo of the tour group. since the tour is free, every tourist in the city showed up, but they split you up in groups, so it's of a manageable size. i had gabriela as my guide, and she was great. she told us a lot of history, gave us restaurant recs, gave us recs for going out, etc. the whole tour lasted about 3.5 hours, and we saw a lot of sites. we didn't go in most of the sites, b/c you can do that on your own after the tour. i highly recommend the tour, and do tip, as that is the way the guides make a living!

August 9 2018 tour with Jose. Three hours of history with a knowledgeable, humorous, and personable native who knows his city and its culture. Highly recommend!!!