5-Days Premium Tour in Douro

Day 1: Arrival in Portugal

Welcome to Portugal. Wine Tourism in Portugal will invite you to discover the amazing Douro Valley.

After airport formalities (Porto International Airport), you will be collected outside customs, and transferred, by an English-speaking Chauffeur in a Deluxe vehicle to the Douro Valley.

Drop-off at the Hotel

Check-in at The Vintage House Hotel which is located in Pinhão, in the middle of the Douro Region, is classified as World Heritage and the first demarcated wine region of the world. Adapted from an old winery, The Vintage House Douro is a 5 star, with a sophisticated but comfortable decoration, typical of the traditional farms of the Douro. The guests of The Vintage House Douro have access to a pleasant garden, outdoor swimming pool, and a tennis court, and can observe the navigation along the river by Rabelo boats, having as background the beautiful vineyard landscape.

Dinner is waiting for you at Rabelo Restaurant. With a classic and selected atmosphere, with a room that breathes charm and distinction, the Rabelo Restaurant at the Vintage House hotel successfully bets on the author's cuisine and proposes dishes made with imagination, combining the flavors of regional cuisine with new dining experiences. The terrace overlooking the Douro is also a great place to taste the chef's specialties.

End of day.

Day 2: Private Douro River Cruise and Douro Flavours

Wake up to the beautiful Douro landscape and recharge your batteries with a fantastic breakfast in the hotel.

The Chauffeur is waiting for you in the lobby of the Hotel.

You will discover the Douro Valley on an exclusive cruise in a Vintage Boat, a 66 feet Classic Wooden Yacht, an English ship built-in 1957 in the shipyards of Christchurch, in England, with a double hull in mahogany from Honduras, riveted with copper that gives her an added value both in safety and worth. The boat served the British Admirals on their travels to the high seas for the 'exchange' of officers on the battleships. Aboard the ship, you will enjoy a 4-hour cruise and an amazing lunch. Live moments of intimacy with nature while you travel with emotion along with the history until the times when the rabelos boats moved by the force of the sails and are amazed by the scenarios that the Douro has to offer. 

After the cruise you will find Quinta Nova Nossa Senhora do Carmo. "One of the 9 must-see wineries in the world", distinguished by American Airlines. This is a place of extreme beauty in the heart of the Douro and it's been owned by the Amorim family since 1999. But this property is before 1764 and historical research confirms it as a great land belonging to the Portuguese Royal Family. The historic sites that are still preserved today and opened for visitors reveal all this: the creek, the gazebo, the stone mark of the Marquis of Pombal dated 1758, the cellar's crest, two chapels, and three secular orchards. You will enjoy an exclusive guided tour through the vines, winery dated from 1764, and the underground cellar. The visit ends with a tasting of 5 wines Quinta Nova at the wine Shop: Grainha Reserve White, Quinta Nova Reserve, Quinta Nova Grand Reserve Referência, Mirabilis Grand Reserve Red and Quinta Nova Vintage Port.

Meet the Chauffeur, visit Pinhão and return to the Hotel.

End of day.

Day 3: Renowned wines

Breakfast at the Hotel

The Chauffeur is waiting for you in the lobby of the Hotel.

Your first visit will be at Quinta das Carvalhas. Real Companhia Velha's crown jewel and the largest wine-producing estate in the Douro region. A property of immense beauty and grandiosity whose oldest written reference date back to 1759. This is one of the most emblematic Douro properties and it is considered by many the "Douro image" because it allows a view of the territory and the most beautiful Douro has to show. Nowhere else you can see so much in so little time. The mountain of Carvalhas, at 550 meters of altitude and from where you can enjoy a landscape in 360 degrees, is the site of "excellence" for the observation of the property and Douro. The Vintage Tour is a visit to the Vineyards accompanied by the Quinta das Carvalhas Agricultural Engineer. Join this tour and appreciate direct contact with nature in the vines, Mediterranean forests, and gardens, alongside the people who work them. We offer the chance to see the Douro through the eyes of a local and to relish the greatness of the region with a detailed explanation of everything happening at the Quinta. The tour finishes at the wine shop for a tasting of the top Wines of Carvalhas (White, Tinta Francisca, Touriga Nacional & Vinhas Velhas), partnered with a platter of cheeses and finishing with a glass of Port.

Lunch is waiting for you at DOC Restaurant. A great restaurante, with modern and creative gastronomy, with Douro flavors. Designed by the architect Miguel Saraiva, in a place of enormous beauty, blending the grandeur of the vineyard-covered mountains and the serenity of the Douro river. The Michelin Star Chef Rui Paula Team organizes everything in detail, always adding an element of surprise, to make the celebration unforgettable.

Then, discover Quinta do Seixo. The wine farm is located in Cima-Corgo, in the heart of the Douro Region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Following the Douro River from Régua to Pinhão, you can easily discover this old Quinta of the 17th century and its cellar of contemporary design. The view from Quinta do Seixo is breathtaking throughout the year, in a constant change of color and light. A magnificent landscape, shaped by man in shale terraces, a surprising contrast with the brightness of the Douro River and the view of the picturesque village of Pinhão nearby. The vineyard, with over 100 years, is a true heritage of many traditional Douro grape varieties that still resist the harshest conditions and temperatures, producing unique and top-quality wines. You will have a private guided visit to Quinta do Seixo with an extended tasting of 5 Porto or Douro wines, including the much-awarded Sandeman Vau Vintage.

Return to the Hotel.

End of day.

Day 4: All about food

Breakfast at the Hotel.

The Chauffeur is waiting for you in the lobby of the Hotel.

Delight yourself with the delicacies that Castas & Pratos restaurant has for you. Lunch will be served at a restaurant located in a historic space, in the old warehouses of CP, the Portuguese Railways, in Régua, luxuriously renovated with all the necessary comfort. Several are the awards, international and national, that prove the unique quality of this restaurant, among them the "Best of the Wine Tourism”, top award of the gastronomy with Port Wine, "The Best Wine List” and deserved reference in publications like The New York Times.

Afterward, you will visit Quinta do Vallado. It belonged to the legendary Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira and remains to this day as property of her descendants. For nearly 200 years the Quinta do Vallado was primarily engaged in the production of Port wine, subsequently marketed by Casas Ferreira (that belonged to the Family). After Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, her great grand-son - Jorge Viterbo Ferreira and her great-great-grandson - Jorge Cabral Ferreira - were responsible for the great development and growth of the Quinta. Built-in 2009, the new barrel cellar combines the latest technology with a high-quality architecture that makes this Quinta one of the places to visit in the Douro Valley. You will enjoy a private guided visit with wine tasting, white, red, and Port.

After the wine experiences, it's time to enjoy a unique Chef's Table experience at Six Senses Restaurant. A very personal journey of food and wine. An open cooking station is complete with a wood-fired oven for bread baking and a Josper Grill. Join a small group at a 10 courses meal that is prepared and hosted by the Chef, right before your eyes. Follow the process and complete the experience with selected accompanying wines. This is the greatest gastronomic option at the Six Senses Douro Valley which is celebrating the region.

Return to the Hotel.

End of day.

Day 5: Last day in the Douro Valley

Breakfast at the hotel followed by Check-out.

The Chauffeur is waiting for you at the lobby of the hotel.

The visit to Quinta do Bomfim is one of the Highlights of this Tour. Considered one of the 50 best wine properties in the world, according to the World's Best Vineyards, a prize sponsored by the International Wine Challenge. Quinta do Bomfim Symington’s Visitor Centre is located in the heart of the world’s oldest demarcated wine region, a place of outstanding beauty. The vineyard (Quinta in Portuguese) is entirely family-owned and managed. The Symington family’s presence here over many generations translates into a profound knowledge of the land as well as a long-term vision. The incomparable heritage of this private family vineyard is tangible and you will experience it whilst visiting the winery, the vineyards, the old wine cellar, and when you taste the wines. The story of the family and Bomfim is the same and is inseparable from the rich legacy of Port and the magnificent region in which is made. You will have a private guided visit and a wine tasting: Dow’s LBV Dow’s 10-Year-Old Tawny Dow’s 1985 Vintage Port.

Lunch at Quinta de la Rosa Restaurant. With fabulous views over the river, Quinta de la Rosa's Restaurant was opened in the summer of 2017.   Named after the owner’s grandmother whose love of food and entertainment was legendary, the restaurant is called "Cozinha da Clara", literally meaning Claire's kitchen.  The philosophy of Cozinha da Clara is to serve local Portuguese cuisine at its best – simplicity is the key, including a touch of the family’s heritage, by adding some of Claire’s favorite recipes.  The executive chef, Pedro Cardoso, has worked in the Douro for over 10 years.  Using locally sourced products and vegetables from the garden (named “Paradise” by Claire), Pedro has developed many of his recipes from the Tras-os-Montes.

Return to Porto or Porto International Airport (OPO)

End of the Tour.

Highlights:

• Stay at the Vintage House Hotel
• Private Douro River Cruise in a Vintage Boat
• Luch at DOC Restaurant, a project of the Michelin Star Chef Rui Paula
• Chef's Table Experience
• Private guided visits to renowned Wineries