3-Days Wine and Food Tour in Porto and Douro

Day 1: Discover the Porto and Douro Valley Region

 

Check-in at PortoBay Teatro, located in the "theater district", in the heart of the city's historic center, on Rua Sá da Bandeira.

 

Then, we suggest a self-guided visit to the highlights of the city of Porto. Starting in the historic center, you should visit the Clérigos Tower, designed and decorated by the Italian architect Nicolau Nasoni, located near Livraria Lello Bookstore, considered by Lonely Planet one of the three most beautiful bookstores in the world. Across Aliados Avenue, you will find São Bento Railway Station, where you can observe its twenty thousand painted tiles, depicting historical landmarks. Continue to Santa Catarina Street which is located in the shopping district of the city center, Bolhão Market, one of the oldest and most traditional markets in the city, and the Majestic Café, a place where you must stop and taste the famous "rabanada". After enjoying one of the most beautiful views of the Douro River from Porto Cathedral, we suggest a visit to the Stock Exchange Palace of Porto "Palácio da Bolsa", the building with the most different architectural styles in Porto, and the Church of Saint Francis that is the most prominent Gothic monument in Porto is also noted for its outstanding Baroque inner decoration. Decorated with exuberant gilt woodwork or gold leaf "Talha dourada".

 

Dinner is waiting for you at Traça Restaurant. The restaurant opened its doors in the summer of 2011 and has since been highly praised by some of the toughest gastronomic critics around the globe. What moves them, above all, is the quality of the recipes, as well as its uniqueness, all based on an Iberian cuisine where you can taste the best of what Portugal has to offer. The re-qualification and refurbishment of the space in which Traça is located are also worth mentioning. In a building of antique refined architecture, a house that used to be a drug store, the wooden structures, the tiles, and the ironwork are quite notorious. The slates, the game trophies, and the antique cupboards compose the environment of this intriguing space which calls out for you.

 

End of day. 

 

Day 2: Port Cellars and Fado

Breakfast in the Hotel.

 

The city of Gaia, on the other side of the river, is where the Port wine rests. On your own, cross the amazing D. Luiz I bridge, and you will find the famous Port Wine Cellars. On this day, we want you to discover some of the finest.

 

The day begins at Cockburn's. Cockburn’s Lodge is the largest wooden Port cellar in the historic area of Vila Nova de Gaia. Holding one of the greatest collections of oak barrels and wooden vats of any Port cellar, this is where we age all our Ports and is the home of Cockburn’s Special Reserve. Enjoy a visit and wine tasting. 

 

Near the restaurant, you will find Ferreira Cellars. Go back to the origins of the Portuguese soul and tradition with a glass of Ferreira Port wine. Immerse yourself in the history of Port wine and the Douro region and discover one of its most charismatic and legendary figures. Founded by a family of winemakers of the Douro region, in 1751, Ferreira possesses a rich tradition and a prominent role in the history of the Port Wine. Today, after more than 250 years, Ferreira is "the Portuguese brand ', a reference in Port wines and Douro of excellent quality, a symbol of a country and a culture that it proudly dignifies. Enjoy a visit and wine tasting.

The last wine experience of the day will be at Cálem Cellars. The Cálem brand distinguishes itself in the market for the exceptional quality of its wines, consistency, and its century-old history. Its cellars have a great reputation in the wine sector, and they stand out as a world reference - One of the most visited cellars in the world. Porto Cálem was established in 1859 by António Alves Cálem who, taking advantage of the free trade regime in the wine region of Douro, soon turned his trading intentions to the other side of the ocean - Brazil. With this new market, at a time when the exportation to England was the most privileged one, this company traded Port wine for exotic woods. Enjoy a visit, and wine tasting, followed by a fado show. 

  

End of day. 

 

Day 3: Douro Valley

Breakfast at the Hotel followed by Check-out.

 The Private driver is waiting for you at the Lobby of the Hotel. Enjoy the scenic 2-hour road trip to the Douro Valley. 

 

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 dates 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 the Douro. The tour finishes at our wine shop for a tasting of a white, a red, and a Port paired with local cheeses.

 

Then, you will enjoy a visit to Quinta de la Rosa Cellar. The cellar was built in an unusual location, on a hill with steep stairs that connect the different levels beside the Douro River. Here it produces the wine is provided to some of the most important Restaurants and Retailers all over the world. The Bergqvist family has been making Port wine since 1815. In all De La Rosa Port wines, the treading of the grapes is the traditional foot treading and some Reserve table wines also undergo a cold maceration in the mills before being transferred to the stainless-steel fermentation tanks. 

After the visit, lunch will be served at Quinta de la Rosa’s 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. 

Your last visit will be at Quinta do Portal. The Quinta is a Portuguese and independent family company that has embraced with passion the concept of Boutique Winery and is dedicated to the production of DOC Douro wines, premium quality Port wines, and Muscat. The warehouse where the wines Quinta do Portal age is part of a complex that was previously built, an agricultural unit that dominates and is dominated by the landscape of the vineyard that stretches far out of sight. Guided to visit the Storage Cellars with the Tasting of 3 Reserve Wines.

 

The Private driver will take you back to the city of Porto.

 

End of the Tour