Cruise the River Douro to Salamanca

We fly to Porto in Portugal and are transferred to our ship where you can enjoy a welcome cocktail before dinner. This evening you can join our included tour of Porto by night, where you can take in the city’s unique historic centre. We will also make a stop at the Sao Bento railway station where we will see the magnificent azulejos (ceramic tiles).

This morning you can join our included excursion to Porto, the second largest city in Portugal. Our visit will take in this colourful city’s unique architecture, as we discover the Palácio da Bolsa (Stock Exchange Building), built in 1834. We'll also visit the Igreja de São Francisco (Church of Saint Francis), known as the "Golden Church”. The church is the most prominent Gothic monument in Porto and is known for its outstanding Baroque interior. We also visit a wine cellar where you’ll have the chance to sample beautiful local wine.  In the afternoon we return to the ship and cruise through the Douro Valley with it’s fabulous landscapes to Regua. This evening, you have free time to relax on board or spend some time exploring Regua at your own leisure.

This morning you can join our included excursion to the lively city of Vila Real. Here we’ll enjoy a panoramic tour of the city by coach followed by a tasting of the local pastry, Cristas de Galo. We’ll then continue our tour with a visit to the magnificent Mateus Palace, considered by many to be one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture. Built in the 18th century, this beautiful manor is set against a backdrop of delightful gardens and overlooks the grape terraces or the Douro river valley. We return to the ship and our cruise continues to the heart of the most famous vineyards in Porto to Vega de Terron where we arrive later this evening. Tonight, we enjoy an evening of Flamenco entertainment.

Today’s full day excursion visits the Spanish city of Salamanca. A UNESCO World Heritage site, Salamanca is made up of carved golden sandstone churches, palaces and plazas. Our tour will take in the cathedral as well as one of the world’s oldest Universities, which first opened in 1218. Lunch is included on our excursion, after you are free to explore Spain’s ‘golden city’ at leisure. We re-join our ship in Barca d'Alva and enjoy an evening of entertainment.

This morning will be spent cruising towards the tiny wine town of Ferradosa. This afternoon there’s an included excursion along the Porto wine route, where we'll discover the incredible vineyards that extend over 100 km along the Douro river all the way to the Spanish border. We'll also explore San Salvador do Mundo and Sao Joao da Pesqueira, two small towns set amongst the vineyards in the Rio Torto valley. In Sao Joao da Pesqueira you will have the opportunity to explore the quaint arcaded square, chapel and traditional white houses. We return to the ship in Pinhão where we enjoy a gala dinner this evening.

This morning our included excursion takes us by coach to the charming Episcopal town of Lamego for a guided tour of the city centre. Here we’ll explore the Nossa Senhora dos Remedios Sanctuary, a beautiful 18th century church with white façade and baroque staircase made up of 686 steps. The first stone was laid on 14th February 1750 and gave way to the construction of a massive temple overlooking the city, providing a breath-taking views over the misty mountains of the surrounding landscape. Enjoy another relaxing afternoon onboard as we cruise towards Porto. This evening we enjoy dinner onboard followed by some traditional Fado entertainment.

Today, join our included excursion by coach for a guided tour of the historic city of Guimarães in northern Portugal. The medieval heart of Guimarães is a labyrinth of lanes and picturesque plazas framed by 14th century buildings. Here, we’ll also discover the Palace of the Dukes of Braganza, a medieval estate and former residence of the first Dukes of Braganza and a striking example of early medieval architecture. This evening we enjoy dinner onboard followed by some traditional Folk entertainment.

After breakfast we bid farewell to the crew onboard and are taken to the airport for our return flight