Self Drive Douro Valley Revisited (6 days)
Exquisite quintas in dream venues
Port and Douro Wine route
Porto is one of the top-10 wine destinations and a place made for strolling. The city moves around Avenida dos Aliados y Praça da Liberdade. The historic town centre is near the River Douro, in the Ribeira quarter. On both River banks you have an animated promenade. Cross the River and visit one of the port bodegas.
Departing and ending from and in Porto or any place of your choice. Your route will be adapted according to your point of departure. This is a sample tour tailored in such a way that you make the most of your journey!
This is a self drive tour, various options are open to circulate along the douro river, including the great historical vapor train that operates almost every day from Regua to Tua.
The route runs along the bank of the river Douro, with the five historical carriages being hauled by Steam Engine 0186, which was built in 1925 by Henschel & Son. Plan on a unique trip back into the past through beautiful World Heritage landscape. If you are in the area, this is not to be missed. Can you imagine a better way of discovering the Douro route? Wait, there is also the Douro cruise boat. Frankly speaking, few wine regions, make it so attractive for the visitor.
Tawny Port, Ruby Port or Douro wines in the cellars
Day 1 & 2: Porto
Arrival and visit the historic town centre, the Ribeira district, near the Douro River. Cross the Ponte Luis I Bridge and walk along the river banks in Vila Nova de Gaia, where you can visit several traditional Port cellars.
Evening: dinner in the port area of Matosinhos, with plenty of seafood restaurants.
The next day: Rabelo experience. Rabelos are the typical small boats that shipped the port wine from the Douro to the Porto wine cellars.
Afternoon: visit a small port winery – tasting session.
Day 3: Porto - Vila Real – Peso da Regua
You leave Porto for Vila Real, the trip takes you about one and a half hour.
Stopover in Vila Real, a small provincial town.
Day 4: Peso da Regua
We suggest a boat trip to Pinhao and back to Peso da Regua.
Museo de Douro, where the Douro wine culture is explained in a very pleasant way. At the end of the visit, you can have a drink in the museum café.
Quinta do Vallado – Peso da Régua: visit the Quinta and tasting.
Day 5: Peso da Regua – Lamego
Trip to Lamego, a small but attractive town. Highlight: Santuario de Nossa Senhora dos Remedios from the 18th century in rococo style. 686 steps! From the city centre to the sanctuary.
Day 6: Lamego – Mesao Frío – Guimaraes – Porto
The last day brings us to Guimaraes and back to Porto, passing by Mesao Frio. Guimaraes is the origin of Portugal as the battle of Sao Mamede had as result the Portuguese independence in the 12th century.
We have selected for you an urban hotel in Porto where you find accommodation combining comfort and design. In the Douro Valley, you will stay in luxury hotels at more than acceptable prices. You also can opt to pass the night in well selected wine hotels or Quintas, to complete your wine experience in the Douro Valley.
Price inclusive:
•Comprehensive maps and information pack
•Holiday pack included
•Any date year-round
•Accommodation in high standard hotel or rural wine hotels
•Room and breakfasts
•3 to 5 wines will be offered for tasting in each winery visited
Price exclusive of:
•Airport transfer
•Luggage transfer
•Spa and/or treatment
•All types of personal expenses
•Dinners
Note: a guide can be hired on a daily basis
An alternative itinerary is available upon request if you are a smaller party.
All prices advertized or quoted are expressed in euro (€) and are per person, based on shared room.
The advertized price on the webpage is only indicative. It is calculated on an average party size (5-6 pers), qualitative hotels out of peak season, and no extras.
It takes a bit of customization to include the holidays request and nature of the group before coming up with a tour proposal that meets your interests and expectations. The price quoted to you can be adjusted upwards to reflect possible increases in transportation costs (including fuel), government taxes (including VAT). On any specific tour, a constituted group of 5 travelers (or more) means a different quote per person than 2 travelers, as we've elaborated the tour package on an average group size of 6 (guided) and 4 (self drive).
The information you provide us through the Get a Quote or Booking Form is important for us as it containts useful elements such as period of the year, accommodation type, group or party size, if all participants will share room or not. These points are essential to us to complete the quote in line with your budget. When we are asked to adjust itinerary or arrange tours in special periods of the year, prices can go slightly down or up, we try to moderate the price fluctuation by entering into agreements with our service providers. The accommodation availability is the main factor that can affect the advertized price of the original program.
We ask for clarity in order to streamline the communication: your group should be represented by one spokesperson. This one-to-one dialogue has many advantages over a one-to-many communication. Communication is more direct, misunderstandings are easily avoided.
Check here the easy steps of the booking process.
- Port wines disclose their secrets
- Historical places in the towncenter of Porto
- History and actual functionality of the old port houses
- Matosinhos, seafood surprise in the less known port area
- Unique sightseeing spots in the river Douro landscape
- The Douro micro-climate
- Well organized guide posts on the highways
- Friendly, calm and cordial locals who often are polyglots
The world of wine is a vast one and investing time in it, at your own pace, is a hugely rewarding journey. My interest in wine started like an affair with tiny thin bubbles, with the likes of Champagne and Cava. It meant the world to me.
And this was only the beginning of further deepening and reading on all wine related topics.
Swirling the glass ostentatiously and trying to talk in expert like jargon was not mush for me, so I've learned directly from the producers around me in the first place. I like to go off the beaten path, keeping away from the snobby style.
I've grabbed the wine culture in serenpidity, going for entertaining learning through the people behind winemaking. There a lots of accidental occurences that proved best learning experiences ever. I will push all of you for a stroll in the vineyards as the natural initiation to wines.
I like to see myself as an insider when it comes to Spain and Portugal, as I feel very close to the many wine regions, wineries and some exceptional people. I will enthusiastically lead your group on more than 15 different destinations.
Client Testimonials
6 days - Self Drive Douro Valley Revisited
from €880 pp
Places of interest
- Porto town centre, Ribeira and Matosinhos
- Vila Nova de Gaia
- Museo de Douro, Peso da Régua
- Santuario de Nossa Senhora dos Remedios, Lamego
- Guimaraes, historic town centre
- Quintas in the Douro region.
- Spectacular landscape.