Taste of the Douro Valley

Day 1 - UK - Porto - Santo Tirso

Our nationwide shared chauffeur service collects you from home for your flight to Porto. On arrival, transfer inland to Santo Tirso.

Hotel Cidnay Santo Tirso (4-star)

Day 2 - Santo Tirso

This morning travel into Porto for a guided tour of the city that lends its name to both the country and the wine. Porto is a treasure of a city with forget-me-not-blue tiled façades and colourful street art. Explore pockets of old Porto, including the cathedral and UNESCO-listed Ribeira, the riverfront historic quarter lined with painted townhouses, jumbled cobbled alleyways and grand neoclassical buildings. This afternoon, cross the river to Vila Nova de Gaia, the centre of Portugal’s port industry. Visit a wine lodge to learn about the history, processes and production of port wine.

Hotel Cidnay Santo Tirso (4-star)

Day 3 - Santo Tirso - Amarante - Lamego - Masao Frio

TTravel inland into the heart of the Douro, stopping at renowned wine estate Quinta da Aveleda before continuing to the honey-coloured medieval town of Amarante on the River Tâmega. There is time to walk across the Ponte São Gonçalo bridge and browse the local embroidery and linens. Later, drive into the vine-covered Douro Alto to visit Lamego and ascend to the hilltop sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios to visit the ornate rococo-baroque church. You can descend the 680 azulejo-lined steps on foot, or travel by coach to rejoin the group at the base. At the foot of the sanctuary, stop at a local presunteca for a tasting of sparkling wine with regional ham and cheeses (vegetarian and vegan options available if advised in advance). Continue with a short walk through Lamego’s main square.

Douro Scala Hotel, Mesao Frio (5-star)

Day 4 - Masao Frio - Quinta de São Luiz - Pinhão

Head to Pinhão, a pretty village on the curve of the river, stopping on route at the Quinta de São Luiz to taste some of their wines. Enjoy free time to grab some lunch in Pinhão, before boarding a river cruise. Draped across the riverbanks like a patchwork emerald quilt, spend a lazy afternoon sipping wine and cruising past the pine-forests and wine terraces of the Douro Region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with an excellent vintage, boasting over 2,000 years of winemaking. Return to the hotel in Masao Frio this afternoon.

Douro Scala Hotel, Mesao Frio (5-star)

Day 5 - Masao Frio - Régua - Pocinho - Vila Real

Travel to Régua for a scenic railway journey through the valley as the landscape reveals scenic vineyards. Disembark the train in Pocinho, travel through pretty medieval villages to Vila Real. You stay at the 3-star Palace Hotel and Spa Astúrias in Carvalhal.

Hotel Mira Corgo (4-star)

Day 6 - Vila Real

Today is at leisure to enjoy the hotel facilities. Alternatively, choose to join an optional tour of Aveiro, a charming coastal city known as 'the Venice of Portugal'. This charming city is next to the sea and is crossed by four canals, as well as featuring beautiful Art Noveau-style buildings. Explore the history of the palheiros – traditional houses built in this coastal region of Portugal that were designed to provide shelter for fisherman.

Hotel Mira Corgo (4-star)

Day 7 - Vila Real

Today is free or you can choose an optional excursion to Vila Real's Palacio do Mateus. A near perfect example of baroque architecture, the palace image features on the distinctive flask-shaped bottles of Mateus wine. Continue to the Quinta da Pacheca for a guided tour and wine tasting experience.

Hotel Mira Corgo (4-star)

Day 8 - Vila Real - Porto - UK

Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK. Upon arrival, your vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.