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Discover the Douro

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4.6 stars(9 reviews)
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Discover sublime wines, resplendent villas and ancient cities

8 days From £2,495 £2,295 per person
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2023 Tour code: DOZ23

About the tour

The magnificent Douro is Iberia's most famous waterway, winding through golden valleys alongside enchanting towns and past regal wine estates. This cruise on board the Douro Serenity reveals the innate and timeless beauty of this fantastic river, stopping at hand-picked ports of call along the way.

Highlights

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What’s included

Itinerary

Day 1 - London to Porto, and embarkation

We meet today at the airport, where you and your group board your flight for Porto. Upon arrival in this fantastic Portuguese city, we are escorted by coach to our ship, the Douro Serenity. After settling into our cabins, we are welcomed with a cocktail. Later, we sit down to our first on-board meal, after which you are free to enjoy your first night on the ship. Perhaps enjoy the views from the sun deck or live music in the lounge area.

Includes
  • Dinner
Day 2 - Lamego

Today, our ship docks at Regua. In the afternoon, we pay a visit to Lamego, a picturesque village near the banks of the Douro for a guided tour. The cathedral is the centrepoint of Lamego, a remarkable example of Baroque architecture. Arguably more impressive however, are 700 steps which lead up to its doors, decorated in cheerful white and blue tiles. Enjoy dinner at a local wine estate later. These marvellous vineyards provide the sublime Port wines which are such an integral part of the Douro's viticulture. Many of them are housed in delightful, sprawling farmland, lending an memorable touch to our meal this evening.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3 - Castelo Rodrigo

Our ship sails to Barca d'Alva today where we dock. After lunch, we embark on an excursion to the historical town of Castelo Rodrigo. This charming destination offers a look into the medieval past of Portugal and the Douro region, with a history that goes all the way back to the Roman period. All the different eras are evident from the fascinating buildings which line the streets, including a synagogue and the remains of medieval townhouses. We enjoy a tour here, which takes in the old castle. Afterwards, you have time to wander the ancient streets and discover stories that breathe life into Castelo Rodrigo.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 - Salamanca

Our travels today take us across the border into Portugal's beautiful neighbour, Spain. We travel through enchanting countryside to the golden city of Salamanca, in the Castille y Léon region. Salamanca is the academic capital of Spain, which is evidenced in the sandstone university buildings that make up one of the most prestigious centres of learning in the country. Our tour takes us to see these buildings, as well as the decorative House of Shells, and the thriving Plaza Mayor. Enjoy free time afterwards before we sample a traditional Spanish lunch at a local restaurant. Our entertainment during the meal is a dazzling flamenco show, where trained dancers perform this iconic Spanish dance of passion and finesse. On our return to the ship, we enjoy a BBQ dinner on the sun deck (weather permitting).

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 - Peso de Regua

Day 5 is spent cruising through to Peso de Regua. After dinner, we sample some of the region's vintage Port following a traditional opening ceremony.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 - Mateus Palace & Gardens

We pay a visit to the gorgeous Mateus Palace today and its stunning gardens. This 18th-century stately home is a delight to explore with its classic, Italianate exterior, decorative interiors and beautifully manicured gardens. We take a tour before free time to visit the property's chapel and winery. On our return to the ship, we sit down with the captain for a resplendent gala dinner, offering a chance to reminisce about our adventures on Portugal's finest river. After our meal, we enjoy a traditional folk dance performance from a local troupe.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 - Porto

Arriving into Porto this morning, you have a choice of excursions to explore this famous port city that marks the end point of the Duoro River. Your first option is an insightful tour of the city both by coach and on foot. The tour takes us along the winding streets, cutting between the city's superb architecture, historical townhouses, regal churches, and crossing the famous iron bridge. We continue to the district of Foz at the mouth of the Douro, where we see the impressive villas which dot the hills here.

Your second option is to travel to the nearby city of Guimarães, with its fantastically well-preserved medieval buildings, dating back to the 10th century. We enjoy a tour through the colourful streets and the lively squares before visiting the castle and its gardens. In the afternoon you can relax on board before our 4-course farewell dinner.

Day 8 - Return Home

After our final breakfast, we depart our ship for a transfer to the airport. Here we board our flight back to the UK, where your Portuguese adventure comes to an end.

Includes
  • Breakfast

Additional information

Departure times

Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be found together with our dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices & Availability' button. We write to all booked customers approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of their tour to advise the exact departure and return time for their particular group.

Mobility information

Due to the nature of our tours they are generally unsuitable for those with restricted mobility. If you’d like to discuss any particular holiday with us in this respect, then please don’t hesitate to call us.

Ship

Douro Serenity

Enhance your holiday

Upgrades

Flight upgrades
London Hotels
UK rail connections
Door to door luggage upgrade from £80

Reviews

4.6 stars4.6 / 5 · 9 reviews

  1. 5 stars
    (6)
  2. 4 stars
    (2)
  3. 3 stars
    (1)
  4. 2 stars
    (0)
  5. 1 star
    (0)

Caroline Hartfield

4 stars

Submitted 25 Sep 2022

The ship was great, bedroom a little cosy but plenty of storage space. The food was excellent plenty of choice. The crew were outstanding very attentive always available to answer questions. Tour managers and Tour guides were also brilliant. Really enjoyed the cruise and would highly recommended it.

Collected by Trustpilot

Mrs Barbara Lawrence

5 stars

Submitted 21 Sep 2022

An excellent cruise on a beautiful river. It was made interesting by the dams and locks that we passed through and all the excursions were very interesting. The guides were all very knowledgable & informative. We were given audio devices to use for the duration of the holiday which made it easy to listen to the guides.

Collected by Trustpilot

Mrs Barbara Lawrence
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Margaret Hardwicke

5 stars

Submitted 20 Sep 2022

Boat crew food drink cleanliness excellent Trips well sorted. Great western reps on hand at all times. On the trip to Salamanca the meal in the hotel was good but the waiters were very quick to remove the cold buffet plates before some people had been able to help themselves also the service with the tea/coffee was hit and miss. On the trips the “ears” were not very effective, a pity as our guide was particularly informative. Overall it was an excellent holiday.

Collected by Trustpilot

Patti

5 stars

Submitted 20 Sep 2022

Great holiday in the Douro Valley. Beautiful scenery on the cruise and well organised and I interesting included tours.Everything from beginning to end had obviously been well planned and thought out.All staff were amazing from the waiters,bar staff chefs, cleaners and reception coach driver and guide and of course tour managers Ian and Ed who went out of their way to be helpful, always cheerful and even had a few dances with us

Collected by Trustpilot

Patti
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C Choules

5 stars

Submitted 20 Sep 2022

The staff were excellent, the cabin beautifully clean and the food was delicious

Collected by Trustpilot

A Davies

4 stars

Submitted 20 Sep 2022

Wonderful views and experiences

Collected by Trustpilot

Show all 9 reviews
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