A Full Day in the Douro
Gastronomy, Wine and Unique Landscapes, From Sunrise to Sunset
A Full Day in the Douro
From the morning transfer to the late-night return to Porto, fourteen carefully orchestrated hours: the mythic N2 road, the railway line pressed against the river, a cruise with tastings, the region's best home cooking and a SPA afternoon at a five-star hotel.
Duration
Full day, 8:00 to 22:00
Vehicle
Luxury Mercedes minivan
Includes
Train, cruise and three tastings
Format
Fully private
Price
Everything included: private transport, train, cruise, tastings, lunch, SPA and dinner. Rate for groups of 4 or more; parties of 2 to 3 receive an adjusted quote before any payment.
Request Your QuoteTwo hundred and fifty years ago, the Douro became the first demarcated wine region in the world. Today its schist terraces, raised by hand generation after generation, are a UNESCO World Heritage landscape. This day was designed to live it whole: by train, by boat, at the table and, at the end, in complete rest, with pickup and dropoff at your Porto hotel.
Between Regua and Covelinhas the train follows one of Europe's most beautiful railway lines, so close to the water that the terraces seem within arm's reach. Ten minutes of travel worth a whole morning of viewpoints.
For ninety minutes you sail the same river the rabelo boats descended for centuries loaded with barrels of Port. On board, a tasting of Douro wines served as the UNESCO-listed landscape drifts past on both banks.
It was from this viewpoint, more than 600 metres above the river, that the writer Miguel Torga described the Douro as a "geological poem". The small white chapel, the river's great bend below and the silence make this the most photographed stop of the day.
After lunch at Cozinha da Avo Marquinhas and a tasting at Quinta Santa Eufemia, a family estate since 1864, or a "Make My Gin" workshop, the afternoon is yours: heated indoor pool, sauna and Turkish bath, with the whole valley on the other side of the glass.
The Journey
A complete itinerary through the world's oldest demarcated wine region, designed to show the valley in every form: road, rail, river, wine, table and rest.
08:00
We collect you from your hotel or apartment in Porto and head for the heart of the valley, your driver doubling as guide along the way.
Arrival
Arrival at the five-star hotel set above the vineyards of Santa Marta de Penaguiao, with a welcome Port tonic.
Morning
A scenic stretch of the mythic road that crosses Portugal from Chaves to Faro, between Santa Marta de Penaguiao and Regua railway station.
Morning
Ten minutes on the Douro line, one of Europe's most beautiful train journeys, never leaving the river's edge.
Late morning
Ninety minutes sailing between World Heritage terraces, with a tasting of Douro wines served on board.
Midday
Miguel Torga's "geological poem": the whole valley at your feet, from 640 metres up.
Lunch
Slow-cooked Douro home cooking, served in a village-house setting.
Afternoon
A Port wine tasting at a family estate founded in 1864, or, alternatively, a gin workshop at the hotel.
Afternoon
Free time at the hotel SPA: heated pool, sauna and Turkish bath, with a panoramic view over the valley.
19:30
A dinner of regional produce, paired with Douro wines, to close the day at the table.
22:00
Dropoff at your chosen address in Porto, the day complete.
Good to Know
A few practical details to help you plan your day in the Douro.
The rate shown is per person, all-inclusive, for groups of 4 or more. Parties of 2 to 3 receive an adjusted rate, always confirmed in your quote before any payment.
Yes. Transport and hosting are dedicated solely to your group, from the initial transfer to the return to Porto. The cruise and the train are shared services.
Yes. When booking, tell us your preference between the Port wine tasting at Quinta Santa Eufemia and the "Make My Gin" workshop at the hotel.
Comfortable clothing and shoes, and swimwear to enjoy the SPA and indoor pool during the afternoon.
Our driver and guide are fluent in Portuguese and English, with a deep knowledge of the Douro and its wines.
Yes. Pickup and dropoff are at the address of your choice anywhere in Porto.
Rail, river, wine, table and rest, in the world's oldest demarcated wine region
Request Your Quote