Porto & the Douro Valley

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.

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.

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

Solo Travellers

The minimum age for this tour is: 18 Years

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.

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.

Your trip in Portugal includes 7 nights in characterful 3-star and 4-star hotels and guest houses set on wine estates. The hotels are charming and comfortable with great locations featuring 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. 1 Dinner is also included on Day 5.  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.

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! 

You can begin your trip Monday-Saturday from January to June and then from September to December. Spring and autumn is the best time to visit the Douro Valley. In early March the trees of the almond groves start to blossom with delicate white flowers. While in mid to late September the grape harvest begins and the normally slow pace of life in the Douro Valley kicks up a gear. Please note that the Douro River Cruise cannot be guaranteed until May due to the water levels. May through to October sees full operation. A private transfer by car will replace the cruise should you travel outside the cruise season.

As the summer months can be extremely hot, making walking quite uncomfortable the departure dates are limited to spring, autumn and winter months. 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.

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.

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.