Average rating Walking, Wine & Port in the Douro Valley!

The Douro valley region of Portugal is as famous for its tourist-pulling scenery as it is for the port wine grown in the area. One of the oldest protected wine appellations in the world (second only to those of Tokaj and Chianti), the unique climate in the northern provinces also make it perfect for olive and almond cultivation. This four day tour offers a great opportunity to explore the valleys surrounding the Douro river, as well as sample the food and drink it produces.

This self-guided tour is geared towards exploration of the Douro Valley, with your base of operations being a restored 17th century manor house situated at the point where the Douro and Pinhão rivers meet. The region is the world’s only producer of port (anything made elsewhere and labelled ’port’ is in direct breach of EU guidelines) and has a proud heritage of vineyard cultivation.

The geography is pre-Cambrian, which makes for some awesome walking. You’ll marvel at the vertical quintas used by the wine distilleries overlooking some of the stunning views of the river below, and the scenery encompassing the manor house is simply idyllic.

One of the best recommendations for the tour is actually the journey to the start point - if you go by train from Porto to Pinhão, you’ll take an amazing journey to the heart of the Douro in what Michael Palin named one of the greatest train journeys in Europe. You can get there by any means you prefer, but you really won’t want to miss the best valley views in Portugal and doing so whilst chugging along a 19th century train line is an added bonus.

The manor house makes for an excellent base from which to explore the Douro valley - it’s as central as you could physically get to the region while being secluded enough to make you feel a million miles from anywhere. The tour makes for a good mini-break for those wanting to explore the best of rural Portugal, and is ideal for couples looking for a romantic break.

Having an acquired taste, port wine polarizes people - as sampling it is a main focus of the trip, if you’ve never tried it before you may want to make sure you like it before you book your flights!

Walking is another key part of the itinerary, and although it is not very heavy going some of the walks are quite lengthy (the cross-river walk on day two, for instance, is 16km long.)

Getting there

International flights service to both Porto and Lisbon airports where you can catch a coach or train to Pinhao.

Price includes

Four nights in an en-suite double/twin room, breakfast and evening meal, wine and port served with dinner, transfer to and from Pinhao and accommodation, walking maps and notes

Price details

October to March: 435 euros per person


April to September: 490 euros per person


Single room supplement: 104 euros per person

Available

Jan—Dec

Typical Duration

5 days

Comfort level

Refined (boutique or luxury accommodation and food)

Experience required

A reasonable level of fitness and interest is all that is needed