Portugal

Douro Valley 10 days

One of the most spectacularly scenic rivers in Europe, the Douro rises in Spain and joins the Atlantic at Porto, Portugal’s second city. Along the way it twists through steep hillside vineyards, fertile plains and pretty towns and villages. This holiday combines interesting sightseeing, magnificent scenery and excellent accommodation. Our resort hotel is the 4* Hotel Regua Douro which has comfortable air-conditioned rooms overlooking the river with minibar and TV, outside swimming pool, panoramic restaurant, health club with Jacuzzi and Turkish bath and within easy walking distance of the town centre and railway station.
We travel to Plymouth to join the ship which sails for Spain at 1600. We reach Santander next day and then we drive southwards through Cantabria and into Castile then finally into Galicia where we depart Spain to cross into Portugal near Verin. Our overnight hotel is the 4* Aquae Flaviae in the old spa town of Chaves and we have a very interesting and unique Brazilian Buffet for dinner.
Next day there will be plenty of time to sightsee in this charming town before we start the final leg of our journey . A stroll along the river bank taking in the spa waters in the gardens behind the hotel is very popular, then browse in the town centre before admiring the views from the castle. Leaving the hotel we begin a descent through the Tras Os Montes region, an area of stunning scenery, to the River Douro and Peso da Regua and our hotel which sits right on the riverbank with extensive views across the valley. We stay here for five nights and we’ll have dinner on four evenings and lunch on one day.
Wednesday sees us driving to the town of Amarante set in a gorge of the Tamega Valley. We set off back to our hotel in the early afternoon and you’ll be free until dinner with plenty of time to sightsee in Regua or just laze around the swimming pool.
On Thursday morning we travel southwards to the main city, Porto. Here we will visit a Port Lodge on the river then have time for sightseeing . The “Ribeira” is in the Old Quarter and is a fascinating mix of old cobbled streets and quays along which are scores of restaurants and bars serving the freshest of local produce. The cruise ships which traverse the Douro start from here as do the harbour sightseeing boats. We return to the hotel for dinner.
On Friday we leave the coach behind and take the train ( hopefully the old fashioned steam train – this can’t be guaranteed as it is so unreliable!) up the Douro Valley alongside the river past steep hillsides covered in vines. We leave the train at Ferråo and visit the Quinta Nova Port estate where we also have lunch. From here we go the short distance to Pinhåo from where, after sightseeing, we return by boat to Regua. Free evening.
On Saturday we drive to Vila Maior to visit the vineyard “Quinta da Campanha” where we’ll have a tasting of the local wines. From here we drive to Vila Real where there will be time for sightseeing and shopping. We leave in the mid-afternoon and return to the hotel where you’ll have time to relax by the river. Dinner at the hotel.
We leave our hotel after breakfast on Sunday and drive via Braganca into Spain and then past Zamora to the outskirts of Valladolid where we make our overnight stop at the excellent Hotel La Vega. Dinner at the hotel.
On Monday we drive north and will stop at the charming city of Burgos for sightseeing before we cross the mountains to Santander where the cruise-ferry leaves at 1500 for the overnight crossing to England. We are scheduled to reach Portsmouth next afternoon and the coach will then return to the original pick up points.
The price includes: travel by air conditioned coach; cruise-ferry crossing with cabin; seven nights 4* hotels with dinner, bed and breakfast ; dinner with wine on five evenings ; excursions as detailed; River Douro boat trip; train journey; visit, tasting and lunch at a Port Estate; visit and tasting at a local vineyard; Tour Escorts

Departure dates

Single room & cabin supplement £135

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Pick ups : Bath - Bristol – Taunton - Exeter - Newton Abbot - Plymouth