Flavours of the Douro

Itinerary

• Day 1
  You’ll arrive in Porto and be met by your friendly tour manager before being transferred to your hotel in a quiet area of the city.   Get settled in, perhaps explore the surrounding area or have a dip in the indoor swimming pool.   In the evening, you’ll join your fellow travellers for dinner at the hotel’s restaurant.  
• Day 2
  Rise and tuck into breakfast before you take to the cobbled streets of Porto on an all-encompassing sightseeing tour. You’ll start by exploring the town centre, overlooked by the Neoclassic city hall with its clocktower and make your way to the São Bento Railway Station, with its enchanting design and tiled interior.  Taking a turn down to the riverside, the tour will then travel by boat along the Douro under the city’s six bridges, marvelling at the architectural magnificence of each. The Dom Luís I Bridge, or Luís I Bridge, is particularly impressive with its double-deck metal arch design, as is the oldest bridge in Porto, Maria Pia Bridge, also known as Dona Maria.   Back on land, you’ll visit the city of Vila Nova de Gaia, a hub of the port industry known for its collection of port wine cellars. You’ll call at one of these ancient establishments to sample the fortified drink for which the city is famed.   This evening enjoy dinner in the hotel.
• Day 3
  After breakfast, you’ll check out of the hotel and travel along the west coast to Aveiro, which is set on a coastal lagoon system, Ria de Aveiro. Known as the Venice of Portugal due to its small network of canals that are traversed by colourful boats, moliceiros, this city is also home to several art nouveau buildings. You’ll get the chance to glide across the lagoon in one of these boats on a cruise, learning about how they were traditionally used for seaweed harvesting.   The next stop is pretty Viseu, where you’ll be guided around its old town built across a hilltop, ringed by walls and overlooked by a 13th-century cathedral, a blend of architectural styles.   Lastly, you’ll arrive at your resort hotel Longroiva, looking out over the wine country. You can unwind, perhaps enjoy a soak in one of the thermal hot springs that the hotel takes advantage of before having dinner at the on-site restaurant.  
• Day 4
  Once you’ve had breakfast, you’ll set off on a tour of some of the area’s traditional villages speckled around the Douro Valley. You’ll begin by exploring the Marialva, a sleepy medieval village, with cobbled streets, towering Gothic walls, and a remarkable 12th-century castle.   The tour will continue to Trancoso, a walled town containing a castle, and a clutch of red-roofed buildings, and only accessible by two gates. Your guide will lead you to the centre of the old town, where you’ll learn about cooking traditions and sample some local produce.   Your final stop of the day is the fortified, star-shaped village of Almedia, beholding the Côa River. Here, you can admire the medieval Castelo Bom before enjoying a cheese tasting at a cheese factory.   Later in the day, you’ll return to your hotel to relax and have dinner.  
• Day 5
  Following breakfast, you’ll check out of the hotel and travel into the heart of the Douro Valley. The tour will first make its way to the city of Vila Nova de Foz Côa, located in the UNESCO-listed Foz Côa Valley. This open-air Palaeolithic rock art site features over 1,000 rocks with engravings illustrating animals and armed hunters.   Next, you’ll travel to Favaios, an authentic wine village, backed by rugged mountains and one of two places in the country where the sweet dessert wine, Moscatel is produced. You’ll be able to taste a few glasses and experience a tour of a local adega while taking in the surrounding vista. You’ll then enter a local bakery that creates a distinctive four-cornered loaf from locally grown wheat, which is baked in a wood-fired oven. While sampling this bread, a baker will tell you about how the recipe was passed down through generations and you’ll get to see the original wooden ovens. The Bread and Wine Museum will follow, and it’s housed in an 18th-century building lined with exhibits detailing the area’s culinary history.   A delicious lunch, made with fresh ingredients, will then be served at the winery, Quinta Avessada, as you listen to the owner talk about the production process before tasting a few labels. Afterwards, the tour will travel along the river Douro on the EN222 – considered one of the most beautiful roads in the world. Upon arriving at the hotel, enclosed by the Natural Park of Ria Formosa, you’ll check in and have dinner.  
• Day 6
  Have breakfast, and then another day of tasting awaits, as you head the Lamego region to the learn about sparkling wine, visiting the cellars of a local producer.   The tour will then venture further into Lamego, encased by vineyards and known as the birthplace of port wine. You’ll get to walk along its striking baroque staircase, which winds up to the shrine of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, as well as the old quarters. A tasting of the locally produced ham and cheese will follow before you continue to Regua.  Afterwards, you’ll set off on a leisurely saunter back to the hotel in time for dinner and to relax.
• Day 7
  Enjoy breakfast, check out of the hotel and journey to the beautiful city of Vila Real, built on a headland, with its ornate Palacio do Mateus, 15th-century Gothic cathedral, and stately houses.    You’ll be directed across the cobbled streets to enter Palacio do Mateus, which is located just outside the centre of Vila Real, and is made up of a manor, a winery and a chapel, as well as fringed by pretty gardens. The buildings are some of the finest examples of baroque civil architecture in Portugal, and the interior is adorned with intricately carved wooden ceilings and antique furnishings.   Guimarães is the last visit of the day, and its well-preserved medieval buildings spread out across a hilltop, make for a prominent sight. Following a short tour, there’ll be time to visit the 10th-century Guimarães Castle, the restored Dukes of Bragança Palace, built in the style of a French chateau, and the Romanesque São Miguel do Castelo church (entrance payable locally).  Dinner will be served at the hotel, with views over the ocean.  
• Day 8
  Savour your final breakfast and, depending on your flight time, some free time exploring Povoa de Varzim at your own pace. Perhaps amble around the historic centre, pick up a few souvenirs, take a dip in the sea, or sip on a cocktail at one of the beach bars. A transfer will then drive you to the airport for your flight back to the UK.