Douro River Trips from Porto

We had an outstanding day on our tour. Our guide Ivo was knowledgeable and quite funny. He made us laugh during the travels. Our day started with a pickup at our hotel in Porto, followed by a van ride to Pinhao where we had a beautiful boat ride on the Duoro river. Next we were off to a port winery (Kopke) where we sampled port. The terrain was gorgeous and the terraced vineyards something to behold. Ivo then took us to lunch in a really nice restaurant in Regua where we filled up our tummies. The afternoon was spent at a smaller artisanal winery, Quinta Marrocos, which in my opinion was more interesting and had better port. Then we were returned home. The driving was safe despite the tortuous roads and, thanks to Ivo, we enjoyed the sites, including him pointing out a rare cork tree. Most highly recommended.

I highly recommend this activity. Delfina, our guide shared a lot of precious information about the region and Port wine. I really liked her. We visited a small vineyard (which I preferred because the guide gave us a lot of information and took his time to explain to us how they make the wine). We then visited a bigger vineyard (Croft). I didn’t love it as much because the visit felt rushed. However, I appreciated the tasting. I highly suggest you bring light clothes and water bottles as it can be very hot in the Douro Valley!

Our guide, Pedro (apologies for not knowing his name in Portuguese!) was knowledgeable, friendly, informative and good company. Even on a wet, grey day, the valley was beautiful and worth visiting. The tastings were high quality and generous, as was the typical Portuguese lunch. We would definitely recommend this tour.

Very enjoyable day on the Douro. Everything planned, and all went off without a hitch. Excellent guide (Milena) and excellent driver (John). We enjoyed the tours and tastings at both wineries plus a very enjoyable cruise on the Douro with two more ports (tastings, not docks) with Paulo. Well worth every euro.

Our bus driver Pedro is from the area and had great insight into the valley. He agreed that full boat ride from Porto misses out on hilltop views and not much to see for first hour. Long bus ride with 40 people but we all interacted well with guide Caterina. excellent port stops at large and family operations. Full lunch with wine and more wine at river walk was great.

One of the best guided tours we have been on. The tour guide, Sophia, was very knowledgeable, considerate and entertaining. Sophia’s English was excellent and her anecdotes kept us all amused. The winery tours were very good and food and wine great. The river cruise was a nice way to relax after lunch. The coach driver, Daria, was polite and friendly. Highly recommend this tour.

We got picked up at around 8:30AM and headed straight for the Douro Valley. Along the way, Milena told us about some history and the difference between a port wine and a table wine. We then had our first winery tour and tasting. We then had a short coffee break before the boat cruise which had amazing views. Lunch was served at a second winery. Food was amazing! Options for everyone was available. More tastings were had after lunch along with a lesson on how to tell the difference between 10, 20, and 30 year old ports. The drive back to Porto was relaxing - I’ll admit I had a small snooze. Overall, this was an amazing experience. The views are immaculate! 1 very important tip is to remember that the Douro Valley has a microclimate - this means it is roughly 10 degrees hotter than it is in Porto! Wear sunscreen, sunglasses, and a sun hat to stay cool. Comfortable shoes are also important, however there isn’t a crazy amount of walking.

I did a similar tour about a month ago and I thought it was pretty good but this one raised the bar. The guide was just amazing and full of information. She also had a great sense of humor. The winery's chosen where great and so beautiful. The lunch provided was family style at this restaurant above a fire station. There was plenty of food and wine and it was well presented.