Porto & Northern Portugal Wine Tour

PORTO, ARRIVAL

Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel and relax.

PORTO PETISCOS TOUR

Your guide will meet you to delight your taste buds in a casual food tour around Porto. Porto is reemerging as a food hub but traditional comfort food stays king. Among the petiscos (Portuguese word for tapas) you cannot miss a prego or a cachorrinho, and don’t pass up a francesinha paired with local draft beer. Be ready for an explosion of flavors. After a fun evening, good night, we wish you a very pleasant recovery sleep.

Porto’s selection of hotels is overwhelming; we’ll find the one that better suits you.

PORTO PRIVATE TOUR

The capital of northern Portugal contains many attractions that make it a perfect destination. Port city with English touches, decadent airs and an avant-garde patina offers, examples of the best Portuguese tiles that line each street, the Beaux-Arts pearls,  the laid-back and charismatic vibe of the locals or the fresh cod dinners and drinks on the riverbank. Porto has a melancholic air but also excellent modern architecture - it is the city of Álvaro Siza and Eduardo Souto de Moura. Ribeira is the most seductive neighborhood of the city, with its colorful houses nestled under the iron bridge of Dom Luis I.

Another essential, and one of the great icons of the city, the Palace of the Stock Exchange, cataloged National Monument. Also, the Parque da Cidade is the most beautiful in Oporto, and one of the most beautiful in Portugal.

So we suggest a private-guided tour of this charming city, that combines the old and the new stylishly not to miss the city’s essence. It’s nearly impossible to decide what to love most about Porto.

SEAFOOD MEMORABLE LUNCH

At lunchtime, we will take you out of the city to beach town of Matosinhos for an outstanding seafood lunch. You cannot miss by no means the sapateira nor the arros de marisco (seafood rice).

Back to Porto bordering the ocean. Rest of the evening free to explore on your own. Might you need any further assistance, we will glad to assist you. Of course, we will take care of your dinner reservation.

PORTO WINES

Being in Porto you cannot leave without crossing the bridge to Vilanova de Gaia where historical porto wine cellars are set. You’ll be standing where barrels of wine and port have been loaded and unloaded for hundreds of years. You’ll get to know about the different types of port (tawny, white, crusted, vintage), and the slow development of the wine inside the porous oak barrels.

As you visit Port cellars from centuries past, traverse the long-trodden paths of winemakers now gone, and taste wines likely bottled before you were born, you feel a rebirth — you will have lived, breathed and drank the living history of the Douro.

Lunch is foreseen in one of the wineries.

Back to Porto, free evening, we will assist you with your dinner plans.

GUIMARÃES

Guimarães is Portugal in its purest form. In fact, the country was born here in the 12th century, when Afonso Henriques defeated his mother in a battle that would lead to the independence of Portugal from the kingdom of León. Its lovely downtown is listed UNESCO Heritage.

BRAGA

The third most populated city in the country is a labyrinth of narrow streets closed to traffic, full of squares and with a fabulous range of Baroque churches. The constant ringing of the bells recalls the centuries-old religious devotion of Braga, whose elaborate Holy Week steps are famous throughout the country. But Braga is not just a blessed city: its old town is packed with lively cafes and elegant shops, some excellent restaurants, and low-key bars where students from the Universidade do Minho flock. Among the essentials is the Museu dos Biscainhos, an aristocratic palace from the 18th century with polychrome chestnut ceilings and tiles, and, above all, the cathedral, the oldest in Portugal, a whole catalog of styles, from Romanesque to Baroque. Don’t leave without taking a coffee at Café Vianna, dating back 1858.

Lunch is foreseen in Braga. Then, let’s continue to Ponte de Lima, just at a 30-minute drive.

Arrival at your hotel by Ponte de Lima, check-in and relax. Free evening.

Arrival at your hotel, check-in and relax. Free evening.

VINHO VERDE, SUBREGION PONTE DE LIMA

Untraveled northern Portugal is full of surprises. First visit this morning will be to one of the best vinho verde producers. Not only the family business is century old and recognized worldwide, but the estate here is charming, with 12 hectares of totally organic vines where Loureiro grape reveals itself magnificent.

VIANA DO CASTELO

After the inspiring visit, we cannot miss the jewel of the Costa Verde: Viana do Castelo. There is no more charming way to reach the historic center than the Gustave Eiffel iron bridge, built in 1878. This fishing village is dominated by the Santa Luzía basilica, built on top of the hill, with stunning views over the ocean. To reach the top, the very beautiful pedestrian path has 659 steps. The second possibility is taking the funicular: seven minutes to save 650 meters, the longest in the country.

Enjoy an exceptional lunch in Viana do Castelo, fish and any kind of seafood are awesome.

After lunch, back to the hotel to relax. Free evening.

*Suggestion: you can visit Ponte de Lima, a postcard town on the banks of the sweet and gentle Lima River, with the most beautiful medieval bridge in Portugal and a charming city center.

VINHO VERDE, SUBREGION MELGAÇO

Second vinho verde wine day, this time you’ll head northern to the sub-region named Monção and Melgaço. Alvarinho grape is king and gives full-bodied dry white wines with complex and mineral qualities. In just a 45-minute drive you will stop at the first winery, an amazing place that will be indelibly engraved in your memories. After a memorable tasting, keep your way to the second visit for a second round of staggering wines.

Lunch can be set either at the winery in a tapas style, or in the town of Melgaço, at a traditional restaurant.

After lunch, way back to the hotel in Ponte de Lima.

DOURO VALLEY

Time to head to Douro Valley, arrival expected at 12 pm ready for the first winery visit. The impressive landscape will seduce you. Learn about the history and the terroir of this mythic region amid in the vertiginous vineyards. After the tour, enjoy lunch in this enchanted spot.

After lunch, you will be transferred to your hotel.

Check-in and relax. Free evening.

SAILING THE DOURO RIVER

Sailing along the Douro Valley is undoubtedly one of the most rewarding experiences. We will take you to the nearest peer and you will embark on a traditional boat for a short cruise to admire the impressive landscape above you. Disembark at Pinhão, a small town where wineries and their posters dominate the stage, and even the charming train station displays the vintage season on its tiles. Get ready for the first visit of the day followed by a wine tasting and a rustic hearty  lunch.

After lunch, your driver will pick you up and take you back “home”, it is tine to discover the wines made by the hotel owners.

After the wine tasting, enjoy your last evening in your oasis of peace and tranquility.

END OF JOURNEY

Today, private transfer to Porto airport, or to your next destination in case you decide to extend your trip.