Douro River Cruise including Porto & Salamanca (Porto - Porto)

Today begins our cruise on the beautiful Douro River. Upon arrival in Lisbon, we will be met by our local guide who will assist us in the transfer to Porto port. 

The transfer time between Lisbon airport and Porto port is approx. 3 hours. We will stop in Mealhada en route to Porto. Mealhada is known as the Capital of Leitao and is located in the heart of Portugal’s Centro region and is known for the site of the Battle of Bucaco. We will have lunch included in a local Portuguese restaurant before continuing onto Porto. 

Upon arrival at Porto’s Marina do Afurada port, settle into our cabin and explore the range of facilities on board the MS Estrela. Then tonight, get to know our fellow travellers over a welcome dinner as you enjoy a sunset cruise along the Douro river. (weather dependent). 
 

This morning, we will begin our cruise along the Douro River, as we relax on board enjoy the spectacular views of the countless vineyards that bordered this beautiful river. We will sail through our first lock on the Douro river, the Carrapatelo dam which is the deepest river lock in Europe. 

After lunch on board, we will arrive at Regua and transfer to Lamego, famous for the elegantly decorated baroque cathedral, the Sanctuary of the Our Lady of Remedies. We will visit the Sanctuary that overlooks the town and after our included visit we can walk down the winding staircase with over 600 steps to the town centre alternatively we can take the coach back down to Lamego to enjoy some free time. Why not sample one of the town’s famous specialties, Bola de Lamego, a delicious smoked ham roll.   

After our time in Lamego we will continue onto the Quinta da Avessada home to 6 generations of winemakers. Here we will enjoy a short tour of the Quinta and enjoy some wine tasting before gathering in the main dining room where we will have dinner together and have the chance to savour typical dishes from the region.  

We will rejoin our ship approx. 9:30pm in Pinhao. 

Discover the beauty of the Portuguese waterways this morning as our ship departs Pinhão and sail towards Vega de Terrón. Enjoy the morning at leisure on board as we sail through the narrowest stretches of the Douro river. We will pass through two locks, the Valeira dam with its guillotine shape gate and then further along the river we have the Pocinho dam with its book like shape. 
 

After lunch on board, we will arrive at Vega de Terrón where we will be docked overnight, here we will have a guided excursion to Castelo Rodrigo, a small village overlooking both Spain and Portugal. We will be transferred by coach to Castelo Rodrigo, during this short drive we will enjoy the picturesque scenery through the olive groves and almond trees. We will have a guided walk through Castelo Rodrigo and learn about the fascinating features of these well-preserved ruins of Cristóvão de Moura Palace along with the magnificent statue of Santiago Matamoros, situated inside the Church of Our Lady of Rocamador. 

After breakfast, we will embark on a city tour of Salamanca in the neighbouring country of Spain, our transfer time between Vega de Terron and Salamanca is approx. 1 hour & 45 minutes. 

We will arrive mid-morning where we will have some free time first to explore the historic city centre of Salamanca which has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, before re-joining our group for our guided walking tour which will take in many of Salamanca’s highlights, such as the impressive Cathedral, Plaza Mayor and the famous University of Salamanca, the oldest in Europe. 

After our tour we will enjoy an included lunch together of traditional Spanish cuisine along with a Flamenco show before returning to the ship where we will set sail for Pocinho. 

We will be docked in Pocinho overnight. 
 

This morning, we will depart Pocinho and sail towards Pinhao. We will have the morning at leisure on the ship to relax and enjoy the ships amenities as we sail back towards Porto. If you missed the Valeira lock earlier in the week you will have an opportunity to see this lock again as we pass through this morning. We will arrive at Pinhao in the early afternoon. 

After lunch on board, we have an opportunity to take a short, guided walk to Pinhao’s railway station famous for the traditional Portuguese blue tile. 
 

We will return to the ship and board our coach for our guided excursion to the Baroque Mateus Palace and Gardens in Vila Real. The former home of the Counts of Vila Real, the palace is situated in a beautifully maintained park and is considered to be one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in Portugal. We will have a guided tour of the palace and time to explore the gardens along with the change to enjoy a glass of the famous Mateus rose wine during the included wine tasting. 

In the late afternoon we will return to our ship now docked in Regua where we will be docked overnight. 
 

This morning, we will depart Regua for Lamego where we will be docked until late morning. 

After breakfast we will depart by coach for our included excursion to the oldest port wine on the Douro, Kopke at Quinta de Sao Luis. Here we will have a guided walk through the impressive vineyard and learn all about the famous port wine from the region. After our tour we will have the opportunity to partake in the included port wine tasting. 
 

In the late morning, we will return to our ship and set sail to Entre-Os-Rios. We will have the afternoon at leisure on board to relax and enjoy the picturesque landscape on offer. We will pass back through the Carrapatelo lock. We will arrive in Entre-Os-Rios in the late afternoon and will be docked here overnight.
 

Tonight, we will join our fellow travellers for a Captains Gala dinner on board with entertainment in the lounge provided after dinner. 

This morning, we will depart Entre-Os-Rios and arrive in Leverinho just outside Porto. After breakfast we will board our coach and enjoy a short panoramic drive through Porto’s historical districts and learn more about this vibrant city. After our tour of Porto, we will continue onto to the local wine cellar in Gaia, Fonseca for a guided tour and the chance to enjoy some local port tasting included. 

After our tour we will rejoin the ship now docked in at Porto’s Marina do Afurada port where we will enjoy lunch on board. 

We will have the afternoon at leisure on board, alternatively we can take advantage of the transfers provided by the ship to the Batallha Square in Porto if you would like to explore more of this beautiful city. Transfer times confirmed locally on board. 

There is also an optional excursion to Guimarães, known as the “Cradle of the Portuguese Nation” offered in the afternoon (payable locally). 

Tonight, let’s gather for one last dinner with our fellow travellers. Our ship will be docked in Porto overnight.

It is time to say goodbye after a full week of delights aboard our ship. After breakfast, we will meet with our local guide and be transferred to Lisbon for our return flight. A comfort stop will be provided en route. We will have a Lisbon city tour included today, followed by some free time (flight dependent) before continuing our journey to Lisbon airport for our flight home. (Luggage will be stored in coach).