Delve deeply into the production of northern Portuguese wines – including fortified port, which is named for the town of Oporto – all while visiting bucolic estates in the Douro Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage site. As a counterpoint, you will explore Oporto’s historic city center, a UNESCO Cultural Heritage site acclaimed for its urban fabric, and drop by the University of Coimbra, a UNESCO World Heritage site overlooking the town of Coimbra. Generous wine tastings and a cable car ride over the Douro River enhance this wonderful adventure.
NOTE: This program begins in Oporto, Portugal; 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 no-shows and their hotel space will be released.
DAY 2
Following breakfast at the hotel, you will head into Oporto's city center for an insightful tour of its landmarks. The Ribeira district, which is Oporto's historic heart, is recognized as a UNESCO Cultural Heritage site. This neighborhood is distinguished by historical landmarks such as the Palácio da Bolsa and the Gothic-style São Francisco Church, as well as its tiny, twisting streets and colorful homes.
The ancient rabelo boats on the Douro River and the city's famous Dom Luís I Bridge add even more appeal to this charming city. In addition, Oporto is well known for producing port wine, which has long played a significant role in the city’s economics and culture.
While exploring the historic district, you will see architectural icons such as the Stock Exchange Palace, Bolhão Market, Lello Bookstore, São Bento Railway Station and the towering bell tower that looms over Clerigos Church. There will be multiple photo opportunities.
Following this enlightening city tour, you will dine in a restaurant renowned for its regional and traditional cuisine.
You will then take a cable car over the Douro River and enjoy incredible views of this river that flows through the city. You will likely see rabelo boats on the water. These classic wooden boats were originally used to move barrels of port wine from the Douro region to Vila Nova de Gaia.
After admiring a broad panorama of Oporto from atop Serra do Pilar, you will travel to higher Gaia town and enjoy a private tour of a wine cellar to discover the process of making port wine. A taste of a super-premium port wine will add even more context to this intriguing process.
You can now either head back to the hotel or choose to continue exploring the city independently.
Dinner will be on your own this evening, which you will spend at The Lodge Porto Hotel.
Note: Most streets in downtown Oporto are pedestrian-only. Streets may be under construction and closed or affected by changes in traffic patterns.
DAY 3
After breakfast at the hotel and check out, you will depart for the Douro Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage site for its outstanding natural beauty and long tradition of viticulture. Renowned for its port wine produced from terraced vineyards, Douro Valley is among the world’s oldest wine regions.
For a closer look at the wine-making process, you will visit Quinta da Aveleda, a family-owned vineyard and winery established more than 150 years ago in the heart of the Vinho Verde wine region. As you will discover, the botanical garden at Quinta da Aveleda are magnificent, too. The plants include century-old American sequoias and Japanese cedars and more than 100 varieties of camellias, which are dazzling when in bloom.
A lunch of traditional Portuguese cuisine paired with Vinho Verde follows. Every wine match will be thoughtfully selected to bring out the distinct characteristics in every dish. The wines may include a varietal created from Loureiro grapes that has citrus and passionfruit notes, a blend named for the winery's founder – Manoel Pedro Guedes – and a varietal made from Alvarinho grapes from two distinct terroirs. Nearly all of Quinta da Aveleda's wines are white.
After lunch, you will travel on through the Douro region to the Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo estate. Following check-in at its manor house boutique hotel, you will tour the winery and sample two wines from traditional terroirs. You may also browse the wine exhibits in the estate’s Fernando Ramos Amorim Museum. The experience will culminate with a tasting in the on-site Patamar wine shop and bar, which offers breathtaking vistas of the vineyard and the Douro River.
A dinner paired with more Douro wines follows at Terraçu’s Restaurant, the primary dining establishment within Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo. Afterwards, you will retire for the evening.
DAY 4
Following breakfast and check out, you will depart for Lisbon with a brief stop in Coimbra. There, you may take in a quick panoramic picture of the magnificent 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.
You might try the famed Pastel de Tentugal, an egg-custard-filled pastry that Carmelite nuns have been making in Coimbra since the 16th century.
You will then proceed to the dock in Lisbon and board 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 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 at The Lodge Porto Hotel or a similar hotel starts at 3:00pm. Although every effort will be made to have rooms available sooner, this cannot be guaranteed.
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 Oporto’s city center
10:30am Tour the city center, explore the landmarks including the Stock Exchange Palace, Bolhão Market, Lello Bookshop, Santa Catarina Street, Clerigos Tower, São Bento Railway Station and São Francisco Church.
12:00pm Proceed to a restaurant for lunch
1:30pm Depart for Gaia to ride the cable car
3:00pm Port wine cellar visit and tasting
4:00pm Return to the hotel or remain in town to explore independently
8:00pm Dinner on your own
Overnight at The Lodge Porto Hotel or a similar hotel
DAY 3
8:00am Breakfast at the hotel and check out
9:00am Depart for a scenic tour of the Douro Valley
12:00pm Tour the Quinta da Aveleda botanical garden
1:30pm Lunch paired with wine at Quinta da Aveleda
2:00pm Drive to Quinta Nova Hotel and check in
5:00pm Visit DOC Douro Wines for a wine tasting
8:00pm Dinner a Quinta Nova Hotel paired with wine
Overnight at Quinta Nova Hotel or a similar hotel
DAY 4
8:00am Breakfast at the hotel and check out
8:30am Depart for Coimbra
10:30am Snack and comfort stop in Coimbra
11:00am Short tour of Coimbra
11:45am Drive to Lisbon
2:15pm Approximate arrival time at the pier for embarkation
Expected Weather
In April temperatures can drop down to approximately 6° Celsius (43° F). In May temperatures can drop down to approximately 9° Celsius (48° F). 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. Dressing in layers is recommended. 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 Porto Hotel
Rua de Serpa Pinto, 60, 4400-037 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
Phone: +351 22 015 7540
Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo
5085-222 Covas do Douro – Portugal
Phone: +351 254 730 430 or +351 254 730 420
*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
• 2 nights at The Lodge Porto Hotel or similar – Deluxe room
• 1 night at Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo or similar
• Day 2 lunch and super-premium port wine tasting
• Day 3 lunch and dinner with paired wines and wine tasting of Douro DOC
• Day 4 tasting of Pastel de Tentugal pastry
• Tours 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.