9 Best Day Trips to the Douro Valley from Porto

Porto is a city with many interesting destinations to discover, and the Douro Valley is one of them. It is a wine-producing region with over two thousand years of history and incredible natural scenery that you can explore.

That's why a day trip or longer to the Douro Valley should be on your list of the best things to do in Porto . You can visit the main vineyards and wineries and take part in wine tastings. You will also have the opportunity to enjoy some additional activities (boat trips, historic train rides and jeep tours).

During your visit to Porto, you should set aside a day of your itinerary to visit the Douro Valley and take a wine tour. You can taste wine, sample some traditional foods and, if you wish, hop on a boat to enjoy a cruise.

This activity starts at your hotel door. There, you will board a minibus with a specialised guide and a small group (maximum 8 people). You will then depart for the town of Pinhão, where you will have time to explore at your own pace and have lunch at a local restaurant.

Next, you will board a boat and begin a leisurely cruise along the River Tua, passing by the Quinta da Romaneira winery before returning to the village to visit a couple of wineries included in the tour. You will also have the opportunity to taste some award-winning wines.

Finally, you will visit a couple of wineries included in the tour and have the opportunity to taste some award-winning wines.

Details of interest

• Price: from £115 per person.
• Duration: 10 hours (approx.)
• Transportation: bus.

This is a nine-hour excursion from the city of Porto, where you will discover some of the picturesque landscapes of the Douro Valley. You will also visit a couple of wineries in the region, learn about the wine culture and take a boat trip on the River Douro.

You will travel by car to the Douro Valley and stop at a few places:

• Peso de Régua, where you can explore the region and enjoy the scenery.
• Quinta de Marrocos wine cellar, for a tour and tasting.
• The River Restaurant, where you will have two hours to have lunch and relax a little.
• Quinta de São Luís winery, for a guided tour and, as at the previous winery, you can taste red, white and port wines.

Next, you will board a rabelo (a boat formerly used to transport wine to the city) for a one-hour cruise along the Douro River. Afterwards, you will have free time in the town of Pinhao before returning to Porto.

Details of interest

• Price: from £80 per person.
• Duration: 9 hours (approx.)
• Transport: minibus.

This excursion will not only allow you to learn about the history of the Douro and wine production. You will also learn about other local products such as olive oil, taste traditional food and sail along the river in this iconic location while admiring the region's cultural landscape.

You will travel from Porto to the Douro Valley, where you will visit Quinta do Tedo and Quinta do Beijo throughout the day. At both estates , you will take a guided tour of the vineyards and learn about wine culture: production, body and flavour.

The itinerary for this excursion usually includes a stop in the town of Pinhão for lunch at a local restaurant to sample traditional recipes (meat or vegan). You will also have the opportunity to visit the train station, which dates back to the 18th century. You will also board a rabelo (traditional boat) and sail for an hour on the tranquil waters of the Douro River.

Details of interest

• Price: from £130 per person.
• Duration: 9 hours (approx.)
• Transport: bus.

During your 2-day visit to Porto, you can escape the city and visit the village of Pinhão in the Douro Valley. There, you will take a tour of a winery, taste exquisite wine and sample the local cuisine. You will also have the opportunity to take a boat trip.

The adventure begins and ends at your hotel in Porto. You will board a bus with a specialist guide and travel to the Douro Valley, stopping first at the village of Pinhão, a small wine-producing village with beautiful natural scenery, restaurants, bars, pastry shops and other places to discover.

The itinerary for this activity usually includes:

• A visit to one of the region's wineries. For example, Quinta da Foz or Quinta do Bomfim, among others. It all depends on the tour you choose.
• Traditional lunch (meat or vegan), accompanied by a glass of wine or a craft beer.
• Boat trip on the Douro River, while you admire the valley and return to the city of Porto.

Details of interest

• Price: from £85 per person.
• Duration: 9 hours (approx.)
• Transport: bus.

Among the 10 things to do in Porto in summer, you can include one of the cruises on the River Porto to discover Régua and the Douro Valley. You'll be amazed by the picturesque natural landscape, made up of crystal clear waters, vineyards, mountains and houses at the foot of the riverbank.

You'll depart by boat from Porto to Régua, where you'll stop to explore this wine region, considered one of the oldest in the world, at your own pace. Afterwards, you will have lunch on the boat and continue sailing towards the Douro Valley, while admiring the terraced vineyards.

You will pass by the imposing Carrapatelo Dam and the Crestuma-Lever Dam, originally built to connect the parish of Crestuma de Vila Nova de Gaia with the city. You will then continue along the Douro until you reach Porto.

Details of interest

• Price: from £58 per person.
• Duration: 10 hours (approx.)
• Means of transport: boat.

Enjoy a different kind of adventure during your trip and hop on a two-day cruise to the villages of Régua and Barca D'Al in the Douro Valley. You'll visit a couple of wine-producing villages, enjoy beautiful scenery and see several monuments. This is definitely a good option if you don't know what to do in Porto in October, as the autumn weather is perfect for these kinds of experiences.

Day 1

You will board a boat at one of the docks in the city of Porto and sail along the tranquil waters of the Douro River while listening to the audio guide. You will pass by the Cresuma Lever dam and the Carrapatelo dam, continuing upriver to enjoy the colourful landscape. Afterwards, you will have lunch on the boat and continue sailing to Régua, where you will visit a farm and taste some wines, before heading to the hotel where you will spend the night.

Day 2

On the second day of the excursion, you will have breakfast on the boat and depart for the village of Barca D'Alva, located on the border of the Douro. During this tour, you will continue to be dazzled by the natural scenery around you, including the impressive Bagaúste, Valeira and Pocinho dams. You will have lunch at midday and enjoy a snack before disembarking. You can explore the village, take photographs and buy some souvenirs. Afterwards, you will board a train to return to Porto.

Details of interest

• Price: from £220 per person.
• Duration: 2 days.
• Means of transport: boat and train.

To make the most of your visit to Porto in 4 days or more, you should include one of the day tours and excursions from the city in your itinerary , which combine a bus and historic train ride. You will be able to discover some of the villages in the Douro Valley.

These types of activities may offer the company of a local guide or audio guide in several languages. It will all depend on your selection when you book the excursion. In any case, you will leave very early in a bus with a small group from the city and arrive at an estate in the Douro Valley. There, you will learn about the history of the place, have lunch and drink a glass of Port wine.

Afterwards, you will go to the historic train station in Régua. This is an early 20th-century steam engine that will take you through the Douro Valley to the village of Túa. There, you will have free time to discover the place at your own pace and finally return to Porto by bus after 9 pm.

Details of interest

• Price: from £150 per person.
• Duration: one day.
• Transport: bus and historic steam train.

Quinta do Portal and Quinta da Roêda are two estates with a long tradition in the Trás-os-Montes region of the Douro Valley, which you can discover on a guided day trip from Porto.

You will leave Porto in a minibus with your guide and a small group of tourists to follow the planned itinerary, which usually includes:

• The town of Amarante, where you will have approximately 30 minutes to explore the area. You will be dazzled by the architectural beauty of the Church of San Gonzalo.
• Quinta do Portal, where you will tour a family-run winery with a long history of producing Port, Muscatel and Douro wines.
• Lunch and a trip on a rabelo boat in Pinhao.
• Quinta da Roeda at the Croft winery. There, you will taste a variety of vintage, tawny and white Port wines.

Afterwards, you will return to the city to continue your 3-day itinerary in Porto. You can join one of the gastronomic tours of the city's restaurants and bars or attend traditional fado shows.

Details of interest

• Price: from £85 per person.
• Duration: over 10 hours.
• Transport: minibus.

During your visit to Porto, you can escape the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy the best viewpoints in the Douro Valley. Join a guided minibus tour from the city and see this iconic wine-growing valley from different perspectives.

Among the viewpoints you can visit are:

• St. Leonardo de Galafura viewpoint, where you will see a colourful landscape of vineyards and olive trees which, despite Porto's characteristic cold winter climate, offers a wonderful contrast of colours.
• San Antonio viewpoint in Peso de Régua.
• The San Salvador do Mundo viewpoint and the Casal de Loivos viewpoint, which are approximately 50 minutes away from the village of Pinhão. There, you will see the wineries at the top of the valley and the houses of the locals on the banks of the Douro River.

Finally, the guide will take you to the Romanesque monastery of São Pedro de Cête and tell you the history of this ancient monument, built in the 9th century. You will have free time in this region before returning to the city of Porto.

Details of interest

• Price: from £60 per person.
• Duration: 8 hours (approx.)
• Transport: minibus.

The excursion to the Douro Valley from Porto offers you spectacular scenery all the way there and back, whether you travel by car, train or boat. You will also enjoy the warmth of the people, the beautiful vineyards and historic wineries where the wine is aged.

You will find unspoilt landscapes such as Lake Tua, which is surrounded by a number of hiking trails. You can see the River Douro and some boats that were once used to transport wine barrels to the city of Porto. You will also find restaurants serving traditional food, museums and some monuments.

Guided tours or excursions to the River Corral Valley allow you to save time, as you will be accompanied by a local guide who will take you directly to each of the destinations on the itinerary. This makes it a more advantageous option than visiting on your own.

In addition, thanks to the help of the guide or audio guide (depending on the tour you choose), you can learn about the history of the Duero Valley, its vineyards, wineries, monuments and much more.