Portugal - Walking holiday in the Douro Valley ➤ Fabulous nature and great wine
- Hiking in the heart of Portugal -
Go on a week-long walking holiday in the Douro Valley and walk through the stunning countryside and visit the cosy little villages. The Douro region is a World Heritage Site and it's clear why. On this tour you will walk from village to village along small dirt roads and paths. Take breaks in the terraced fields or at the small wineries - where you can also taste the exquisite wines. The grapes of the Douro Valley are used for Port and Moscatel wines, among others.
Every day you walk in the Duoro Valley, you will have the opportunity to enjoy wine tastings at the various farms you pass.
During the tour you can visit museums, such as the "Bread and Wine Museum" in Favaios, where you can discover local traditions and wine production. You will also see the work of the wine growers as you wander through the countryside.
On the tour you will stay in carefully selected hotels and country houses where you will receive a warm welcome, lovely rooms and fantastic meals.
The walking tour ends in the stunning city of Porto, where you can visit the wine cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia and the city's many other attractions. The perfect end to a wonderful walking holiday in Portugal.
Highlights of the Douro Valley Walking Holiday
- Stunning scenery in the Douro Valley
- Great wines everywhere
- Accommodation with swimming pools
- Great hiking trails with magnificent views
Great things about this tour
Beautiful walking in the wine country
On this tour you walk in vinyards and along the Douro River. The countryside is astonishingly beautiful.
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Taste the wine
On this tour you have plenty of oportunities to taste the great local wine. It is also possible to add a wine tasting in Pinhão.
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Itinerary See all daysClose all days
You arrive at your first hotel in Porto. After arrival, you have the rest of the day to look around. Tomorrow you can choose how to arrive in the Douro Valley.
Hotel (example): Hotel Porto Trindade
Today you'll head for the Douro Valley and you can choose how to do this. There is no hiking today. Here you can see the different options:
- You will be picked up at your hotel in Porto and taken to the train station, where you will take the train to Pinhão at about 13:25 (takes about 2½ hours). The train station is decorated with painted tiles and depicts wine production in the Douro Valley. You walk the 500m or so (or take a taxi) to a winery with lovely rooms, stunning views of the Douro Valley and an outdoor swimming pool. (The train ticket is not included and is bought at the station).
- You will be picked up at your hotel in Porto and driven to the port, from where you will take the boat down the Douro River to Régua. Departure from Porto is at 8:30 or 9:00 and you will arrive at approximately 16:30. Lunch is included on the boat. On arrival in Régua you will be picked up and taken to the hotel in Pinhão. This tour is optional when you book the tour.
- You will be picked up by a private transfer and driven all the way to the first hotel.
Hotel (example): LBV Hotel
Today you'll explore the western slopes of the Pinhão Valley, hiking to the villages of São Cristovão do Douro and Provosende. The views along the way make it all worthwhile. You'll finish today's hike with a home-cooked meal (included in the price) at the historic country house where you'll stay today. Weather permitting, you can also hop in the swimming pool.
Distance: 9.5km
+577m
Hotel (example): Casa de Vilarinho
Today, you'll base yourself in Vilarinho de São Romão as you hike the circular route down to the Pinhão River along small winding paths with a few villages and wineries along the way. The views are stunning!
You'll enjoy your picnic lunch in the beautiful surroundings before hiking back up to the village of Celeirós, where you can stop and sample the wines at Quinta do Portal before hiking back to your lovely accommodation. It is also possible to take a taxi up the hill if you prefer.
Distance: 13km
+507m
Hotel (example): Casa de Vilarinho
Enjoy the view of the valley as you hike to the small, cosy village of Sabrosa. From here, follow an ancient dirt road to Favaios, then descend along the terraced vineyards to the river. From here it's up through vineyards and olive groves to a very different landscape.
Taste the local charcoal-baked bread and Muscat wine in Favaios before hiking on to Alijó for two lovely nights. Explore the town or relax by the pool before dinner at the on-site restaurant or dine in town.
Distance: 16km
+626m
Hotel (example): Pousada Barão de Forrester
Today's walk from Alijó takes you through ever-changing vineyards and meadows to the ancient village of São Mamede de Ribatua, where the views of the surrounding mountains and lake are stunning. You leave the village and take a different route back to Alijó - it's also possible to take a taxi if you want a shorter day. You can also choose to walk down to the lake before hailing a taxi.
Distance: 15km
+358m
Hotel (eksempel): Pousada Barão de Forrester
You'll spend the day on the trails of the Douro Valley, wandering through vineyards and perhaps stopping at a few wineries along the way to book a tour and wine tasting. You finally reach the ridge on the eastern side of the Pinhão Valley. Look back and enjoy the view of the terraced fields and the villages you have passed through. Also enjoy the view of the Douro River before reaching today's destination in the village of Casal de Loivos, where you spend the night in a country house built in the 17th century. Of course, there's a swimming pool to relax in while you take in the views.
Distance: 14km
+214m
Hotel (example): Casa de Casal de Loivos
Today's short and magnificent hike to Pinhão means you'll have plenty of time to visit another winery and possibly have a wine tasting overlooking the Douro Valley. You could have lunch in the village or enjoy a picnic in the vineyards before collecting your luggage from the office just by the station and taking the train back to Porto and the journey ends.
If you would like an extra night in Porto after the tour, this can be selected on the booking form.
Note, on the booking form you can choose to take the boat back to Porto or a private transfer. If you take the boat, it is not possible to hike today. Instead, you will be picked up at 9:00 and driven to Regua, from where you will take the boat at approximately 10:00. The boat arrives in Porto around 18:00.
Distance: 6km
+50m
Price includes
- 7 nights in 3- and 4-star hotels and country houses
- Breakfast every day
- 5 Packed lunches (day 3-7)
- 2 evening meals (day 3 and 4)
- Luggage transport between hotels
- Carefully elaborated route descriptions maps and other materials
- Welcome briefing
- Private transfer from Porto airport to first hotel in Porto on arrival
- Private transfer from hotel in Porto to train station or port (day 2)
- Access to the route in our GPS-app which works offline while you walk
- 24-hour local and international service hotline for the duration of the tour
- This is a packaged holiday and is therefore covered by The Travel Guarantee Fund - See which benefits this means for you - click here
- Transportation to and from Porto
- Tourist tax (if due)
- Handling fee (€20)
Practical info
The price is based upon two people sharing. For safety reasons, this tour cannot be booked as a solo traveller. If you are min. two participants, single rooms can be selected on the booking form.
On this tour you will be on your own supplied with maps, route descriptions and luggage transfers. That means that your time is your own and you have plenty of time to enjoy the stages in your own pace.
Check the price quickly
You can quickly check the price of your desired trip without having to fill in anything. Here's how:
- Choose your desired start date
- Click on the green button "See price and reserve your holiday" and go to the booking form
- Select number of people, add any optional extras and see the price at the bottom of the page (you don't have to fill in anything on the form).
Get a quote
For example, if you want a flight included or changes to the trip, you can order a quote for this using the "Get a quote" button. Remember to describe in detail what, if anything, you want changed.
The process of your booking
When you book, we will start booking hotels and arranging all the practical details of the trip. This process typically takes 2-5 working days, but some bookings may take longer. If you are arranging your own transport, we recommend that you wait until we have confirmed your booking before arranging this.
Dates
If you can select the date in the tour calendar at the top of this page, this is a possible start date. We continually update the tours with sold-out dates, after which those dates will turn red and cannot be selected.
The flights to/from Porto are not included in the price. You can easily find a suitable flight via a flight booking engine such as Momondo or Skyscanner.
Notice: we recommend that you book with us and wait for the confirmation before you book your flights.
It works like this:
- You book your chosen holiday with us
- We confirm your holiday (usually within 2-5 working days)
- You arrange your transportation
Getting there
Here is a link for the perfect tool which will help you get an overview of how to get to the starting point of the tour: Rome2Rio
On this trip you will stay in 3- and 4-star hotels and resorts. Breakfast is included in all places.
In the itinerary you can see examples of the hotels we use most often on this trip. If there are no vacancies in the hotels when you book the trip, we will book hotels of equivalent quality.
Breakfast is included every day. We have also included 5 picnic lunches (from day 2 - 6) and 2 evening meals (day 3 and 4). All other days it will be possible to buy dinner at the accommodation or in town.
Luggage transfer is included on this tour. Upon arrival at the first hotel you will be given luggage tags along with the rest of the welcome package. You fill out the luggage tags and put them on your bags where they will remain for the duration of the tour.
Your luggage is picked up from the hotel lobby around 9am every morning and will arrive at your next hotel at 6pm at the latest (often long before that). If there are any special exceptions to the luggage transfer you will be notified upon arrival.
Luggage transfer includes one bag per guest and the bags can weigh 20kg each.
You will recieve the following documentation
Upon booking
You recieve practical information about the tour in a digital format
One month before arrival
You recieve your hotel list and your voucher (hotel list is often supplied upon booking)
Upon arrival
You recieve the welcome package which contains the printed version of the road book, luggage tags, local specific vouchers and if you have rented bikes then they will also be delivered and fitted at the first hotel.
This tour has difficulty grade 1-2.
Grade 1
Easy hikes that anyone with good health can do. Short hikes of 2-4 hours a day. The paths are in good conditions and mainly flat, and luggage is transported. Requires no special equipment.
Grade 2
Easier walking at reasonable good paths. The walking time will be 4-6 hours usually in hilly terrain. Every one in good health and a normal physical fitness can participate. Luggage is mostly transported and you only go with a lighter backpack. Requires good footwear such as trekking shoes or hiking boots.
Read more about our Grading System
Here you can get an overview of the entire route and the elevation profile for each day. The data shows the data from the GPX-files related to the tour. Notice that the routes are sometimes updated, which means that there might be small variations.
Colors
Blue routes: The route as normal
Red routes: Variations/options (such as shortened or extended routes)
It can be hard to plan your trip according to the weather, but to give an idea of the local climate, you can see the data below:
We are members of the Travel Guarantee Fund (nr. 2529) and have all available insurances. This covers you regardless of your nationality. Read more about that here.
Call our experts on weekdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Phone: +44 20 3936 1208
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Phone: +44 20 3936 1208
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