Porto & the Douro Valley

A really great aspect of this tour is that it combines spectacular walks through the timeless landscapes of the Douro Valley, including plenty of opportunities for tasting world-famous wines, with a legendary train journey and a wonderfully scenic boat cruise along the Douro River. The majority of the rural accommodations are set within the vineyards, where a warm Portuguese welcome awaits.

Slower Adventures | Where walking and cycling meet easy-going exploring, our Slower Adventures are the perfect combination. Most days are filled with picturesque journeys with some free time to dive into the destination and experience the people, local food and culture as you go.

Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&B’s, inns, and guesthouses.

Solo Travellers

This holiday is graded moderate and it is suitable for those who are in good physical condition. The area is undulating with quite significant ascents and descents through the vineyard terraces. During the summer, temperatures are high, and this may slow you down. Most of the route follows dirt tracks although you will occasionally be following minor paved roads.

This route is suitable for most regular walkers of average fitness. You should train by walking some daily walks of similar daily distances to your planned itinerary.

Your 7 night, 8 day Porto & the Douro Valley self-guided walk in Portugal includes 7 nights in 4 & 3* hotels and guest houses set on wine estates. All of the hotels have been specifically chosen for their comfort and some also for their great locations with fabulous views over the Douro River and surrounding vineyards. A warm welcome is assured and some have swimming pools or gardens that you may wander through.

Alternative accommodation

During the high season, you might be booked into alternative accommodations which are not listed in the description. Any alternative accommodation will be of the same or better standard as those described.

Single Rooms & Solo Walkers

If you require single rooms within your party we would be happy to accommodate you although there is a single room supplement payable. Solo walkers are also welcome for an additional charge which is unfortunately quite high due to the high cost of the shared transfers not being split.

Meals

7 Breakfasts and 1 lunch on the Douro River Cruise are included. 1 Dinner is also included on Day 5. In Porto, you can eat dinner in one of the many restaurants and at the other locales (because they are rural areas) at the hotels. We recommend that you make reservations for dinner, especially at the quintas. We recommend trying the traditional and locally-sourced food, especially the fresh seafood in Porto which is simply delicious. For lunches, you can find local cheeses, meats and breads in local shops or markets, or the hotels may make you a packed lunch on request.

The route is not way-marked. You will receive a digital information booklet approximately 1 month prior to your arrival, including a description of the route, points of interest and local recommendations. For navigation, you will need to use the Macs Adventure Smartphone App which has maps and GPS tracks. Simply download the GPS tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone with the assurance that navigation will be simple, and you can’t get lost.

You will find more information on downloading the app in your Macs Adventure Account.

You can begin your trip Monday-Saturday from January to June and then from September to December. Spring and autumn is the best time to visit the Douro Valley. In early March the trees of the almond groves start to blossom with delicate white flowers. While in mid to late September the grape harvest begins and the normally slow pace of life in the Douro Valley kicks up a gear. Please note that the Douro River Cruise cannot be guaranteed until May due to the water levels. May through to October sees full operation. A private transfer by car will replace the cruise should you travel outside the cruise season.

As the summer months can be extremely hot, making walking quite uncomfortable the departure dates are limited to spring, autumn and winter months. Please be aware that in the winter months some of the hotels and hotel restaurants may be closed however there will be options available in the local area and the accommodation you will stay in may not be exactly the same as that in the detailed itinerary however it will be of a similar standard.

Porto Airport is the nearest airport and is served by many airlines. All transfers to and from Porto Airport (or to/from train or bus station in Porto) to the first and last hotels are included in the price. If you're not using the transfer, Porto Airport is approximately 11km from the city centre. You can use the metro, bus, shuttle or taxi to reach your hotel in Porto.

Porto is also accessible from Lisbon Airport. If flying into Lisbon Airport, you can take an airport shuttle bus to the Santa Apolonia Train Station and then a train to Porto (approx. 2.5 hours). 

Your bags will be transferred as per your itinerary. We request that you limit your luggage to 20kg per person and one bag per person.

At Macs Adventure, we work in partnership with many luggage transfer providers who set a limit on how many bags/suitcases they will transfer per person, and also the weight of the bag/suitcase.  Your booking includes transfer of 1 bag per person.  It is very important that you read the luggage information specific to your tour before departure. If you do not adhere to these limits, there is a great possibility that you will be charged locally both for extra bags or if they are too heavy. This limitation can be a challenge, especially as airlines generally have limits that are higher. However, our luggage providers have reasons for these limits (usually due to the Health and Safety of their employees), which we must respect.