Oporto is an awarded city of Port Wine, and Douro River- considered one of the most attractive European destinations would enchant you with its open-air museums, narrow streets and sites classified as World Heritage by UNESCO. A highlight will be spending 2 nights in a giant wine barrel overlooking a beautiful vineyard.
NOTE: This program begins in Oporto, Portugual; therefore, arriving flights must be booked into the Francisco Sá de Carneiro Airport in Oporto. The program ends in Lisbon where guests will embark the ship.
This program is limited to a maximum of 10 guests
DAY 1
After flying into Francisco Sá de Carneiro Airport in Oporto, you will proceed through Customs and claim your luggage. You will then be met and transferred to your hotel.
Check-in is 3:00pm. Although every effort will be made to have rooms available earlier, this cannot be guaranteed. If you are arriving early, you may wish to book an extra night to guarantee immediate check-in.
The remainder of the day will be at your leisure, and lunch and dinner will be on your own.
Note: Guests failing to arrive on Day 1 of a scheduled land program will be considered a no-show and their hotel space will be released.
DAY 2
Following breakfast at the hotel and check out, you will travel toward Oporto’s city center for an enlightening tour of its landmarks. For the ultimate view of the Douro River that runs through the city, you will ride a cable car above its banks. You will likely see plenty of rabelo boats, traditional vessels that were once used to transport port wine barrels from the Douro region to the city of Vila Nova de Gaia.
Later, after driving to the Serra do Pilar lookout, you will enjoy a sweeping view of Oporto. Upon reaching upper Gaia town, you will stop at a wine cellar to learn about the production of port wine step by step. It is a fascinating process made even more relevant with a sampling of several port wines.
Lunch follows at the RC Restaurant. Founded in 1894, it is considered the most emblematic restaurant in the city. The setting couldn’t be more exquisite and the cuisine is both traditional and innovative. RC restaurant is located within Oporto’s historic old quarter, an area that UNESCO has deemed worthy of a World Heritage site designation for being an outstanding urban landscape with a 2,000-year-old history.
After dining, you will continue touring the old quarter, where you will see one landmark after another, including the Stock Exchange Palace, Bolhão Market and Lello Bookshop, the São Bento Railway Station and the soaring bell tower that rises above the Clerigos Church. The Church of São Francisco is considered the finest example of Gothic architecture in Oporto.
In time, you will proceed inland and upriver into the Douro Valley wine region, a beautifully terraced landscape that produces some of Portugal’s finest port wine. Upon arriving at the Quinta do Vallado hotel, you will check into one of the most unusual suites that you could ever imagine.
Your accommodations will be one of 10 giant, luxuriously appointed wine barrels overlooking the vineyards. Each wooden barrel features a skylight and an oversized round glass door that opens onto a private terrace and bathes the interior with natural light. Considering their setting in a wine estate, the barrels couldn’t be more a fitting or entertaining place to stay.
This evening, dinner will be on your own at Quinta do Vallado, one of the valley’s oldest and most esteemed wineries.
DAY 3
After breakfast at the hotel, you will travel deeper into the Douro Valley, an area that has been producing wine for at least 2,000 years. Fortified port wine has been a staple since the 18th century, which together with the long tradition of viticulture prompted UNESCO to declare the valley a World Heritage site.
Upon arriving at Quinta da Aveleda, you will begin with an overall tour of the winery that was founded more than 150 years ago. The fifth generation of the Guedes family now runs Quinta da Aveleda and its many vineyards throughout the Douro Valley.
A sumptuous lunch of traditional Portuguese cuisine follows. The dishes will be thoughtfully paired with wines produced with grapes from various vineyards. They may include a varietal made with Alvarinho grapes from two different terroirs, a varietal from Loureiro grapes that boasts aromas of passionfruit and citrus fruits, and a blend from the two grapes that is named for the winery’s founder Manoel Pedro Guedes. Quinta da Aveleda almost entirely produces white wines.
After lunch, you will meander through the botanical gardens that surround the lake and tea house. Some of the specimens, such as the Japanese cedars and American sequoias, were planted more than a century ago. If in bloom, the more than 100 species of camellias will add glorious splashes of color to the lush greenery.
In the late afternoon, you will return to the Quinta do Vallado hotel for the evening. Dinner will be on your own.
DAY 4
Following breakfast at the hotel and check out, you will travel to Lisbon with a brief stop in Coimbra.
There, you will view the Santa Clara Monastery and the University of Coimbra, which consists of several colleges that together UNESCO declared a World Heritage site for the centuries of interdependence between the city of Coimbra and the university.
For a literal taste of Coimbra, you will sample its signature egg-custard filled pastry: Pastel de Tentugal.
Continuing on to Lisbon, you will enjoy a short panoramic driving tour of the capital city, if time permits. Upon arriving at the pier, you will embark the cruise ship.
Land Program Details Step by Step
• The order of sites visited may vary to avoid congestion. Program times are approximate, given here for general reference purposes and subject to change.
• Itineraries with the up-to-date details will be issued when you are emailed your final cruise documents 21 days prior to sailing. You will then receive a final itinerary from our ground operator with a Welcome Letter upon arrival or at your hotel. Please review the letter and your final itinerary carefully for further amendments.
• The hotels used for your land program will be the hotels listed in this document unless you have been advised otherwise in advance of the land program start date.
• Guests failing to arrive on Day 1 of a scheduled land program will be considered no-shows and their hotel space released.
Extra Nights
• All extra nights booked through the cruise line are confirmed at the hotel that is used on the FIRST NIGHT of your land program
• If you book extra nights through the cruise line, you will be met as per the flight details provided and transferred to your hotel. Check-in is 3:00pm (subject to change). Meals other than breakfast, as well as activities, are on your own until Day 2 of the program.
• If you have an early-arriving flight, you may wish to book an extra night as your room will not be ready for occupation until approximately 3:00pm.
• If you book extra nights on your own, transfers are not included.
DAY 1
Arrive at Francisco Sá de Carneiro Airport in Oporto.
You will be met outside Customs and transferred to your hotel to spend the afternoon and the evening at your leisure.
Check in time at your hotel starts at 3:00pm.
Although every effort will be made to have rooms available sooner, this cannot be guaranteed.
Overnight at the Lodge Hotel or similar
Meet and Greet and transfers
• Final cruise documents will be emailed 21 days prior to sailing. The local ground agent’s telephone number will be on page 1, if you can’t locate the meet-and-greet representative upon arrival. Be aware that the representative may be assisting others and may not be in sight when you first exit Customs and the luggage claim area.
• Look for someone holding a sign with the cruise line logo and possibly your name. If in doubt, ask the airport staff to direct you to the meeting area for transfers or to page our representative.
• Meet and Greet and transfers are arranged for guests arriving on Day 1 of a land program or for extra nights booked through the cruise line and are arranged based on the flight details received by guests at least 14 days before sailing. Guests arriving independently before the program start date will not have a transfer included.
• If we have not received your flight details or your flights have changed, and the Destination Services Land Team has not been notified, then a transfer cannot be provided, and guests will be responsible for getting to the land program hotel at their own expense. Please immediately contact our Reservations Department for any flight changes before departure.
DAY 2
8:00am Breakfast at the hotel and check out
9:30am Depart for a tour of Oporto’s city center
10:30am Tour the city center, partially by cable car
11:00am Visit a port cellar for a wine tasting
12:00pm Proceed to a restaurant for lunch
1:30pm Continue touring Oporto and see landmarks such as the Stock Exchange Palace, Bolhão Market and Lello Bookshop, Santa Catarina Street, Clerigos Tower, São Bento Railway Station and S. Francisco Church.
3:00pm Depart for Quinta da Pacheca, where you will stay overnight in a wine barrel
8:00pm Dinner on your own
Overnight at Quinta do Vallado
DAY 3
8:00am Breakfast at the hotel
9:00am Depart for a scenic tour of the Douro Valley
12:00pm Tour the Quinta da Aveleda winery
1:30pm Lunch and wine Tasting at Quinta da Aveleda
3:00pm Browse the botanical gardens at Quinta da Aveleda
5:00pm Return to the hotel
8:00pm Dinner on your own
Overnight at Quinta do Vallado
DAY 4
7:30am Breakfast at the hotel and check out
8:30am Depart for Lisbon
10:00am Stop in Coimbra for a snack and restrooms
10:40am Proceed to Lisbon
12:30pm Scenic drive through Lisbon’s city center
1:15pm Approximate arrival time at the pier for embarkation
Expected Weather
In October, temperatures can drop down to approximately 20 Celsius (68 F). In November, temperatures will be approximately 15 Celsius (59 F) with expected rain showers.
What to Bring
Comfortable shoes and a jacket or sweater for cooler temperatures. Casual smart dress for dinners. An umbrella in case of rain.
Local Currency
The Euro
Electricity
220 volts. Bring a travel adaptor for electric devices.
Documents and Visa Requirements
A valid passport is required.
Hotels
The Lodge Hotel
Rua de Serpa Pinto, 60, 4400-037 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
Phone: +351 22 015 7540
Quinta do Vallado
Estrada EM108 Vilarinho dos Freires 5050
Phone: +351 254 318 081
*We will only source different hotels in unforeseen situations. If similar hotels are required, they will be of equal ratings and standards and you will be notified of the change. If you are not notified of any changes before your departure then you will be staying at the hotels listed in this program.
Program Includes for guests:
• Transfer from the airport to the hotel
• 1 night at The Lodge Hotel or similar – Deluxe room
• 2 nights at Quinta da Pacheca hotel – Wine Barrel stay
• Lunch and wine tasting on Day 2 and Day 3
• Tours and entrances per itinerary
Please Note: Guests booking their own flights independently of the cruise line are responsible for ensuring that the cruise line has the updated arrival information, so your transfer can be arranged. If you book additional nights independently of the cruise line, an arrival transfer is not provided.
Program Excludes for guests:
• Personal expenses
• Gratuities for drivers and tour guides
• Any meals not mentioned in the program
• Hotel incidentals including mini bar and room service
Please note: Land programs that encompass multiple days ashore customarily include extensive and prolonged activity, while those of shorter durations typically have more moderate activity levels. However, each program varies, and participants should be prepared to negotiate a mixture of surfaces which may include inclines, cobblestones, sand, gravel and natural paths. There may also be a need to climb steps or stairs on occasion. Guests who utilize a wheelchair and those with mobility concerns should check with the cruise line in advance to see if any portion of the tour program may not be considered suitable for their individual situation.
All land programs are capacity controlled and subject to availability. Programs falling under the minimum number of required participants are subject to cancellation. Pricing listed is also subject to change to meet unexpected cost increases for transportation, land arrangements or currency fluctuations. Once purchased, pricing is guaranteed and not subject to change.
Land programs must be purchased no later than 60 days prior to your sail date. Cancellations made within 60 days or less prior to the sail date are subject to 100% cancellation penalty. There are no refunds for unused portions of any program. Guests failing to arrive on Day 1 of a scheduled land program will be considered no-shows and their hotel space will be released.
