7 Night Villages and Vintages Cruising the Douro River Valley Cruise from Porto (Oporto)

Tour begins: 5 PM. A transfer is included from Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport (Porto Airport) to your riverboat, ms Andorinha, on the Douro River. Settle in, then join us for a welcome reception followed by dinner and onboard entertainment.

Rising on staggered hills along the river, colorful Porto beckons you to its labyrinthine streets and stairways, medieval alleys, Baroque churches, fountains, and bell towers, Beaux-Arts buildings, and bohemian neighborhoods. Choose a walking tour of the town's historic center or a guided stroll through Ribeira, the riverfront district. It's hard to take a bad picture in Porto, where houses are clad in painted tiles and beguiling eclectic architecture is around every corner. Return to your riverboat and sail to the Douro River Valley and its astonishing landscapes. All along the winding river, rugged conical mountains and shale hills carved by concentric vineyard terraces tell of a winemaking history thousands of years old. Inhospitable to most kinds of farming, the terroir is perfect for Portugal's indigenous wine grapes, whose hardy roots can go down 30 feet or more in search of water. And since the 18th century, when Portuguese vintners created a sweet fortified wine - now famous as Port - that could make the long sea voyage to Britain without spoiling, the Douro Valley has been the only supplier of Port to the world, and the oldest demarcated wine region.

Dock in the historic town of Peso da Regua, once a busy hub where wooden boats called rabelos, laden with barrels of Port, sailed downriver to Vila Nova de Gaia. Visit the Douro Museum, set within the restored Casa da Companhia Velha building, once part of Real Companhia Velha (Royal Oporto Wine Company), chartered in 1756. On your guided visit to the museum, you'll explore its exhibits chronicling the history, culture, and traditions of the Douro River Valley region, from the cultivation of grapes on the vines to the processes involved in the production of Port wine and its distribution around the world. This afternoon, sail to the idyllic, tranquil village of Pinhao, nestled at a dramatic bend in the river; Pinhao is known as the gateway to the valley's quintas (vineyards) and large wine estates. From here it's a short drive to Quinta do Portal, a family-run estate in the Cima Corgo region where renowned Port and non-fortified wines are made. Your visit includes an introduction to the vineyards and a private dinner with wine pairings.

The Douro River Valley and its unique landscapes of terraced mountains, villages, and wine estates unfold today on a full-day sail to the small Spanish port town of Vega de Terron, where the Douro forms the border between Spain and Portugal. The landscape, at a confluence of rivers at the edge of the International Douro Natural Park, is tranquil, beautiful, and unspoiled.

At the town of Pocinho you have a choice of shore excursions. Visit Castelo Rodrigo, a medieval hilltop village with a turbulent history, where battles were once fought against Moors and Spanish rule; the empty ruins of its 13th-century palace still stand guard over the walled town with its churches, Manueline pillory, cistern, and panoramic vistas. Alternatively, travel to the Museu do Coa in the Vale do Coa Archaeological Park for stunning exhibits of rock art from the valley's Paleolithic era, discovered in the 1990s when excavations began for a Coa River dam; unlike cave art found in other parts of Europe, the thousands of petroglyphs in the Coa region were created in the open air by the valley's earliest inhabitants, and the museum explores their mystery through state-of-the-art multimedia exhibits. Return to the riverboat for lunch and sail back to Pinhao, arriving this evening.

Your choice of excursions this morning includes an opportunity to explore Pinhao and its early-20th-century train station, adorned with blue-painted tiles (azulejos); or a vigorous hike in the hilltop vineyards with striking views of the town and river. Sail to Regua, where you'll have two choices; visit 18th-century Mateus Palace, a lavish Baroque residence designed by Nicolau Nasoni that is now a museum with period furnishings and artwork, a heraldic hall, formal gardens, a winery, and a chapel with tombs and reliquaries. Alternatively, join a local guide for a visit to a local wine-making estate called a quinta, rewarding with a Port cocktail making class. Begin the return trip to Porto, and dock overnight in this verdant wine country, where some traditional farms grow vines on pergolas and fences so high the grapes must be harvested with ladders.

Today, you have a choice of full-day excursions; one option offers you a chance to explore the medieval town of Guimaraes, known as the "Cradle City; the kingdom of Portugal was born here after a famous battle in 1128. The city center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers a wealth of architectural treasures, including the ruined Castle of Guimaraes, with its tempestuous history and sweeping views, the opulent Palace of the Dukes of Braganza, lush with 17th-century furnishings and tapestries, and the 13th-century Church of Sao Miguel do Castelo. You also have the choice to take a bicycle ride (for experienced cyclists in good physical condition) through the Vinho Verde region before arriving in the pastoral town of Amarante, famed as being the hometown of Sao Goncalo, Portugal's St. Valentine. Enjoy lunch before your late afternoon arrival into Porto where you'll cross the river to Vila Nova de Gaia, the destination of wines shipped from the vineyards, and home to many Port wine warehouses and cellars; visit one of its "caves" for a tour and tasting, and toast the end of your Douro River journey. This evening, join a farewell reception and dinner aboard ship.

Tour ends: 8 AM, Porto. Disembark and fly home anytime. A transfer is included from your riverboat to Porto Airport. Allow at least three hours for flight check-in.