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Porto & the Douro Valley

8 Days & 7 Nights 4.5 Read 21 reviews
  • Explore the Ribeira, Porto’s old town and a World UNESCO Heritage Site
  • Take the train from Porto to Pinhão, renowned for its outstanding views
  • Follow trails through vineyards and traditional white-washed villages
  • Enjoy wine-tasting at renowned local wineries in the Douro region
  • End your journey on a scenic Douro River boat cruise from Regua to Porto
From the World UNESCO Heritage Site of the Ribeira, Porto’s old town, to the green and gold geometric landscapes of the Douro River Valley, this area of northern Portugal offers a unique sensory experience, where the pace of life has been unchanged for centuries. Follow trails through this timeless terrain, visit local wineries that are over a century old and encounter traditional white-washed villages that cling to the hillsides. Enjoy the captivating landscapes of wine terraces with a train journey from Porto to Pinhão, and during a boat cruise along the Douro River. A visit to Portugal isn't complete without experiencing rural accommodations within the grounds of the vineyards, where a traditional warm Portuguese welcome awaits.
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/Casa de Mateus Visit. The majority of the accommodations are in traditional guest houses set within the vineyards.

Tour Type:

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.

Activity:

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

This trip is suitable for:

Solo Travellers

Ideal if you have an interest in:

  • Foodie
  • Wine

Activity Level & Terrain

This tour is suitable for most people that are in good physical condition. The daily distances are not that far, although you should be aware that there are some quite significant elevation gains through the local vineyard terraces in the Douro Valley. However, on some of the days, there is no walking at all to make way for scenic train and boat rides to and from Porto. As this is a self-guided walk you will be responsible for navigation, decision making and safety during your trip.

Navigation

The route is way-marked in places and not in others. You will receive a booklet including a description of the route, a small pdf of the map and points of interest. For navigation, you will also have access to the Macs Adventure Smartphone App enabling you to follow the route using your phone's GPS so you will have no problems finding the way. You can simply download the GPX tracks to your phone for offline use and off you go! 

Experience & Fitness

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.

Accommodations

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. 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.

Included
  • 7 Nights in 4* & 3* Hotels
  • Transfer on Day 6 from Pinhão to Régua
  • Lunch on Day 7 while on the Douro River Cruise
  • The Douro River Cruise
  • 7 Breakfasts
  • Baggage transfers (apart from on Days 2 and 7)
  • Transfers at the beginning and end of the tour from the hotels to Porto Airport
  • A welcome briefing upon arrival
  • GPX tracks and access to our smartphone app
Excluded
  • Travel insurance (required)
  • Train tickets from Porto to Pinhão and from Pinhão to Porto (around €11 one way)
  • Taxi from Porto hotel to train station on Day 2
  • Luggage transfers on Days 2 and 7
  • Taxi from port to hotel on Day 7 (Post-River Cruise)
  • Transfer from Pinhao to hotel on Day 2
  • Dinners & lunches not mentioned in the itinerary
  • Drinks and snacks
  • Personal equipment
Extras
  • Additional nights before or after the holiday
  • Optional Rabelo Boat Trip on Day 6

When To Go

This Porto & the Douro Valley self-guided walking tour is available April through to June and then September through to March, but please bear in mind that for 2023 the River Cruise is not guaranteed in April due to high water levels. May through to October sees full operation. If you are travelling outside of these months, you will be transferred back to Porto by car. 

As the summer months can be extremely hot, making walking quite uncomfortable the departure dates are limited to spring, autumn and winter months. In the spring there will be lots of wildflowers and in the autumn it is the grape harvest, so it will be a great time to be in this area. 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.

NOTE: This tour is now extremely busy for the months of September and October. We recommend booking as soon as possible if you are looking to travel at this time or alternatively why not look at getting booked up early for next Spring.

Getting to the Start

Porto Airport is the nearest airport and is served by many airlines, such as Easyjet, Ryanair, KLM and British Airways. Porto is also accessible from Lisbon Airport.

From Lisbon Airport take an airport shuttle bus to the Santa Apolonia Train Station and then a train to Porto which takes around two and a half hours. Lisbon is also served by many airlines in the UK and from many other gateways in Europe

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.

Luggage Transfer

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.

General Information

The distances and ascent/descents are approximations of the recommended routes. Please note that for this tour, some ascents and descents can be more than what is stated on the itinerary, and is dependent on where your guesthouse is located.

Please be prepared by packing all necessary items. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, a day pack, sun hat, and sunscreen.

Our pre-departure information pack has detailed advice and a packing list on what to bring. This includes walking gear, hiking boots, rain gear, day pack and other specifics. 

Equipment

Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and trousers), sun hat and sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.

Travel Insurance

It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity, emergency evacuation and hospital care.

How fit do I need to be?
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Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Porto Day 2 Discover Old Porto, train ride to Pinhão Day 3 Walk from Pinhão to Vilarinho São Romão 7 miles / 11.2 km Day 4 Walk from Vilarinho São Romão to Alijó 9.5 miles / 15.3 km Day 5 Walk from Alijó to Casal de Loivos 9 miles / 14 km Day 6 Walk from Casal de Loivos to Pinhão; transfer to Regua 5.1 miles / 8.2 km Day 7 River Douro Cruise back to Porto Day 8 Onward Travel

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