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Selected meals included
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Tour Manager
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VIP door-to-door travel service
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Included Excursions
Feel like royalty as you sail along the beautiful Douro Valley aboard the Spirit of Chartwell, the ship that carried Her Majesty the Queen during the Diamond Jubilee. Sail between coastal Porto and the Spanish border, with visits to picturesque towns, monasteries and palaces. Your experience aboard this intimate ship is enhanced with wine tastings, folk shows, cooking demonstrations and informative talks. You also have two nights in Portugal’s vibrant capital, Lisbon, and on selected autumn departures we celebrate the grape harvest.
Including...
- 2 nights in hotel and 7 nights cruise on the Spirit of Chartwell (accommodation as specified or similar)
- Well-appointed and elegantly furnished riverview cabins & robes/slippers
- All meals on board, freshly prepared by the onboard chefs using local produce
- Breakfasts/dinners during hotel stay, plus lunch on day 3
- Complimentary local wine and beer with lunch and dinner on board cruise
- Tea/coffee available 24 hours a day
- Titan onboard cocktail party
- Excellent service levels and a high ratio of staff members per guest
- All entertainment plus a Fado and folk music show
- Shore excursions with knowledgeable local guides
6 included excursions and visits
- City tour of Porto with port wine tasting
- Lamego excursion including Lamego Museum and tasting
- Tour of Castelo Rodrigo with almond tasting
- Tour to Salamanca with flamenco show
- Mateus Palace and Gardens
- Visit Quinta da Aveleda with lunch
Plus all these benefits
- Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service
- Services of a Titan tour manager
- International flights (prices are based on return flights with TAP Portugal from London Gatwick. Supplements may apply from other airports)
- Porterage
- All airport/port taxes and duties
Day 1 UK - Lisbon
Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service collects you from home for your flight to Lisbon. On arrival, we transfer to the Hotel Mundial (4T), for a two-night stay.
Day 2 Lisbon
Lisbon entrances visitors with its wealth of grand buildings, from Baroque churches and palaces to art-nouveau façades and striking contemporary architecture, and today you are free to explore the beautiful Portuguese capital at your own pace. Perhaps visit Jeronimos Monastery, the last resting place of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, and the Belém Tower, built in 1515 to protect the city’s harbour and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, or learn more about Portugal’s rich maritime heritage at the Navy Museum.
Day 3 - Lisbon - Porto
This morning we leave Lisbon, driving northwards to Porto, stopping for lunch en route. On arrival, we transfer to the port to embark Spirit of Chartwell (4T) for a welcome cocktail party and dinner.
Day 4 - Porto - Entre-os-Rios
On a city tour, take in the delights of Porto, exploring the UNESCO listed Ribeira district, with its cobbled streets and embellished buildings, and the iconic river scenes of the port cellars and traditional wooden barges used to transport the famous wine. Partake in a tasting of port before we return to the Spirit of Chartwell, for a relaxed afternoon as we sail up the River Douro, taking in views of steep, terraced vineyards. We dock overnight in Entre-os-Rios, and this evening we celebrate vintage port wine.
Day 5 - Entre-os-Rios - Régua
An excursion to the quaint town of Lamego and the grand rococo sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios is included this morning. If you choose to walk down the steps of this town’s elaborate shrine, don’t forget to look back to appreciate the tiled artwork. We visit the episcopal palace which now houses Museu de Lamego, a great display of art and Flemish tapestries. We also have the opportunity to sample some local specialities, which complements today’s culinary demonstration on board our vessel. We disembark this evening for dinner at a wine-producing Quinta.
Day 6 - Régua - Barca d’Alva
This afternoon we arrive in Barca d’Alva, close to the Spanish border, where we will be staying for the next two nights. A visit to the medieval hilltop town of Castelo Rodrigo, a peaceful village that still bears the scars of old battles, is included, as well as an almond tasting experience. This evening we’ll enjoy the Captain’s dinner and a Fado and folk music show.
Day 7 - Barca d’Alva - Salamanca - Barca d’Alva
We cross the border into Spain for our full-day tour today, visiting the UNESCO-listed city of Salamanca, home to one of Europe’s oldest universities, outstanding examples of Romanesque, Gothic, Moorish and Baroque architecture, two cathedrals, and an impressive main square, the arcade-lined Plaza Mayor. We experience a traditional flamenco show before returning to our ship for a Portuguese barbecue dinner.
Day 8 - Barca d’Alva - Régua
Early this morning we sail down the River Douro, back towards Régua, where we will stay overnight. Relax, enjoy the beautiful scenes of green, vineyard-clad hills and listen as our knowledgeable guest lecturer gives a talk about life in Portugal today. This afternoon there is an included excursion to the 18th century Mateus Palace, a Baroque masterpiece that offers a glimpse of Portuguese aristocracy and is renowned for its delightful gardens, as well as the rosé wine which was first produced here.
Day 9 - Régua - Entre-os-Rios - Porto
After a relaxing morning on the Douro, we disembark in Entre-os-Rios for a leisurely lunch at the Quinta da Aveleda. Aveleda has been managed by the same family since 1870, and had already started winning international awards by 1888. The historic estate has been in the family even longer, and is the perfect place to enjoy lunch, in a delightful setting of exotic flora and endless vineyards, with an unusual addition of a goat tower. We return to Spirit of Chartwell to continue navigating the twists of the river. Tonight, we bid a fond farewell to Portugal with a sunset cruise in Porto harbour.
Day 10 Porto - UK
Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK. Upon arrival your Titan vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.
