Douro Valley small group tour, Mateus Palace, Lunch and Wine tastings

based on 41 reviews

Duration:10 hours (approx.)
Location: Porto, Northern Portugal

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CHILD (Age : 8 to 12)

ADULT (Age : 13 to 99)

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No other Douro Valley tour gives you such a rich cultural, historical and gastronomy experience.

Each stop in the tour program will bring new stories about Portugal history, the importance of Port wine for the region and the country along with delicacies and wines of this amazing region!

WHAT'S INCLUDED

WHAT TO EXPECT

1.
From your hotel in Porto, you’re picked up in the morning for the drive to Amarante. We will stop at the city of Amarante to visit its old bridge and São Gonçalo Church, a symbol of the local identity built in the XIII century by the city's patron saint São Gonçalo, a benedictine monk. Amarante's sweets and cakes are extremely famous and you will have the opportunity to taste them at a well known cake-shop.
2.
After Amarante we will proceed to the Mateus Palace in the city of Vila Real. Mateus Palace, set in beautiful gardens on a vast farm, is considered to be one of the finest examples of baroque civil architecture in Portugal. You will learn from a certified guide the story of the palace and at the end enjoy walking and taking pictures in the gardens.
3.
The highlight of the voyage is the lunch in the wine region of Favaios. Before lunch an aperitif is served in the gardens of the estate.The all-included lunch includes several tasting starters (alheira, pataniscas, rojões), Sopa de Pedra (Stone Soup) in iron pot, a veal stew or roast, and a fruit and dessert buffet.White and red Douro wines are served, as welll as Muscat wine of Favaios and Port wine. After lunch you will visit the estate wine cellars.
4.
The tour continues driving downhill from the Favaios region to Pinhão, on the right bank of the Douro river. In Pinhão you will visit the train station with its fantastic azulejos (tiles) pannels from early XX century and take the one-hour Douro river cruise in a typical Rabelo boat to contemplate the world heritage beauty of the Douro Valley vineyards. Navigation upstream toward the Romaneira estate, in a very beautiful stretch of the Douro river where you will see some wine producing farmhouses, terraces until the river and vineyards, forming a unique landscape considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. We will return to Porto via the road N222 Pinhão - Peso da Régua, that is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. 17 miles, 93 soft bends and breathtaking views of the Douro Valley. Your NOW Douro Valley full-day tour ends with return transport to your Porto hotel.

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Posted By : Sarah_P
Pedro was very kind, knowledgeable and accommodating. The tour was well prepared and a great experience.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-21 05:23:08

Posted By : tulikag2019
Pedro was so wonderful and this trip exceeded our expectations. We are traveling with our 3/6 year olds which can be difficult, especially with long drives, wine tasting and vineyards. He was so kind to the kids and thought of every detail (kids music in the car, tons of snacks, little gift for them). The Duoro River cruise was beautiful, lunch was delicious and the port tasting was in one of the most beautiful locations. I would wholeheartedly recommend Pedro for your next trip to the area!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-05 16:59:56

Posted By : K3378BYroyg
What a beautiful day we had! The weather was uncertain and a little cold but we could make all the stops without rain. And they were many stops all interesting with many explanations from Pedro who knows a lot. From Amarante and the visit of the center with a stop at a café to the visit at the palace of Mateus, what a beautiful place, along with a wine degustation of their own production, to the stop for lunch in a little village with a delicious meal with wine (a lot!) to a tour boat on the Douro, we had a marvelous experience. Of all the tours proposed for the Douro valley, I find myself so lucky to have picked the tour with Pedro! It’s a long day although very smooth (the wine helps!) but at the end you will understand better Porto wine industry and Potuguese culture. Thank you very very much Pedro for this wonderful experience.
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Posted On : 2024-05-17 03:22:27

Posted By : 205alandrar
Our tour with Pedro was wonderful. He was prompt, courteous, and charismatic. He was very knowledgeable, a longtime local with abundant facts and history to share about Portugal and all the places we visited. The views of the Douro Valley were stunning along the way. We had an excellent lunch and our fill of various wines and ports throughout the tour. The boat tour was a nice end to the day before driving back to Porto. The van was also spacious and comfortable. Can't say enough good things about the tour - would definitely recommend!
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Posted On : 2024-05-12 10:43:16

Posted By : Explorer742210
I highly recommend Pedro to guide you through an AMAZING day in the Duoro Valley. What sets him apart is that he genuinely cares about his clients. He has encyclopedic knowledge of wine and the Duoro Valley and will customize the tour to meet your particular needs and desires. And most important, he is extremely likeable and a joy to spend the day with!
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Posted On : 2024-04-21 09:08:35

Posted By : juliedR3819VQ
Pedro was the perfect guide witty and knowledgeable and we had a fantastic day
great variety lots of lovely food and drink
Highly recommended
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Posted On : 2024-03-16 15:45:42

Posted By : B0ethius
I doubt that you can find any better English speaking tour guide than Pedro for an excellent day trip from Porto up through the Douro River valley. Despite the less than ideal weather, Pedro made our day fascinating and fun from beginning to end. He has an in depth knowledge of the river valley history, and his selection of stops was spot on. Food and wine (a lot!) were outstanding, transportation I comfortable and spacious. Pedro is an excellent driver and amazing guide. You won't be disappointed!
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Posted On : 2023-10-26 02:35:56

Posted By : Vacation22510172320
Sr. Cardoso gave us a phenomenal tour of the Douro Valley that, in retrospect, doesn't seem possible to have occurred in a single day. In our opinion, this is the best way to go, with a knowledgeable guide providing historical background information and knowing when and where to see the best sites and sights. His careful, thoughtful planning made the day comfortable and interesting for a small group with diverse needs. Muito obrigado Sr. Pedro, we had a wonderful time in your company.
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Posted On : 2023-10-23 09:04:19

Posted By : Jennifer_W
We had an excellent time with Pedro - he was so knowledgable about the region, wine production, etc. Very much enjoyed our day.
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Posted On : 2023-10-14 16:44:45

Posted By : Toiyeu
Our visit to the Douro Valley with Pedro Cardoso was one of the best tours my husband and I have had. Pedro was outstanding. He made the complex history of Portugal interesting and comprehensible. The itinerary was excellent - the coffee break with pastries and cathedral visit in Amarante, the Mateus Palace visit, the wine tastings, the delicious lunch, the relaxing river cruise, and the clever pacing (we avoided the tour buses). After the tour Pedro sent us a souvenir map with photos he took of us in various locations. A wonderful memory to have of a special day. Thank you, Pedro!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-10-09 13:18:45