The Douro Valley, home of Port, is one of the oldest and most beautiful wine regions in the world. Wine has been made here for 2000 years and since 2001, it has been a Unesco World Heritage site, protecting its long tradition of viticulture and outstanding cultural landscapes.
The Douro wine region is located in the North-East of Portugal, between Barqueiros and Mazouco, on the Spanish border. The upper Douro Valley lies about 100 kilometers inland from the coast and is protected from the harsh Atlantic winds by the Marão and Montemuro mountains.
The region is mountainous and the majority of vineyards are planted on terraces, many supported by ancient dry-stone walls, creating striking landscapes.
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The Douro Valley, home of Port, is one of the oldest and most beautiful wine regions in the world. Wine has been made here for 2000 years and since 2001, it has been a Unesco World Heritage site, protecting its long tradition of viticulture and outstanding cultural landscapes.
The Douro wine region is located in the North-East of Portugal, between Barqueiros and Mazouco, on the Spanish border. The upper Douro Valley lies about 100 kilometers inland from the coast and is protected from the harsh Atlantic winds by the Marão and Montemuro mountains.
The region is mountainous and the majority of vineyards are planted on terraces, many supported by ancient dry-stone walls, creating striking landscapes.
See below for wine and food tours in the region, grape guides, things to do and much more!
At Winerist, finding the perfect wine tours and experiences to enhance your holiday is what we do best. See below for our top picks of the region from short, gourmet tours of the city, to full-day activities, like cycling around vineyards with an expert guide and a sumptuous picnic. The choice is yours…
We’ve teamed up with some of the best wineries in the region to bring that extra special something to your visit. From centuries-old Châteaux to brand new wineries at the cutting edge of production, we’ve got winery tours to suit every palate and personality.
Whether you’re after a quaint little local bolt hole for the night or the full, wine spa and hotel experience complete with michelin-starred restaurants, here are our hand-picked partners to make sure that your stay is pitched exactly to your budget and tastes.
Top Tours in Douro Valley
Douro Valley Wine and Travel Guides
Plan your visit
HOW TO GET THERE
The closest airport to the Douro region is Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport, which is about 15 km from the centre of Porto. Arriving at the airport in Porto, you will be able to rent a car. You should then get on the A4 motorway and follow the directions to Amarante or Vila Real (+/- 95 km).
You can also travel by train. At the airport there is a Metro station (tube station), line E, which will take you to the Campanhã train station in about thirty minutes. There you can take the train to Régua (Douro Valley centre).
There is also an airfield in Vila Real where you can take a flight to the Lisbon airport or to Bragança airfield. Trips are regular but not necessarily frequent.
CURRENCY
Portugal’s currency is the Euro. £1 is currently worth approx 1.12 Euro and 1$ is currently worth approx 0.86 Euro cents
WHEN TO GO AND FOR HOW LONG?
May or June is the perfect time for good weather and beautiful landscape colours. September and October is harvest and is also a good time for a wine trip.
2-3 days are just enough to get a flavour of the region, but to explore it more in depth a week tour is the best if combined with the historic cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia and some visits and tastes of Vinho Verde (between Douro Valley and Porto city).
ANNUAL CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS
February
Essência do Vinho (Essence of wine festival): A wine tasting event, where the top ten Portuguese wines are selected by a renowned international jury. Find it at Palácio da Bolsa (the Stock Exchange).
March/April
Easter: Visiting Porto during Easter is a magical time. Not only does the city transform into a colourful delight, but your palate will be wooed by all the gastronomic treats.
June
Serralves em Festa (Serralves Festival): One of the largest contemporary arts festivals in Europe.
The festival of St John (Festa de São João) June 23rd
A wonderful, crazy festival all about street music and barbecues. Walk the streets with a plastic hammer hitting people on the head! An amazing fireworks display ends the celebrations.
Regata dos Rabelos (Rabelo Boat Races): Every year, in late June, you can watch the rabelos (wooden sailboats) that used to transport port wine down the river, sail again in these races.
Rhythms of the World Festival (Festival Ritmos do Mundo) in Gaia.
A stunning Portuguese and Brazilian adventure through music, workshops, exhibitions, food and drink and much more.
São Pedro da Afurada on 29th June, Vila Nova de Gaia
Saint Peter (Pedro), was the patron Saint of fishermen and his day is celebrated with fireworks, street parties and processions in Afurada, Vila Nova de Gaia.
August /September
The International Printmaking Biennial of Douro
A festival of beautiful graphic work, celebrating Douro artists from around the world. Goes on through Septe
October
The Douro Jazz festival: One of the best , most iconic jazz festivals in Europe, bringing in musicians from all over the world.
Best tours in Douro Valley
- 1Private Douro Valley Wine Tasting, Cruise & Mateus Palace
- 210-Day Food, Wine and Culture Tour in Portugal and Galicia, Spain
- 34-Day Porto and Douro Wine Tour
- 4Aveiro and Bairrada Sparkling Wine Tour with Typical Lunch
- 5Douro Valley Sky and Wine Experience
- 6Private Douro Valley Wine Experience
- 7Douro Valley Grape Harvest with Wine Tasting and Lunch
- 8Douro Valley Wine Tour from Porto
- 9Half-Day Porto Gourmet and Culture Walking Tour
- 10Porto Olive Oil Tasting and Walking City Tour
- 11Douro Valley Olive Harvest with Olive Picking and Wine Tasting
- 12Wine Tasting and the Historical Douro Valley
- 13Douro River Wine Cruise with Lunch
- 14Douro Full-Day Wine Tour with Visits to Two Wine Estates and Cruise
- 15Grape Harvest in the Douro Valley
- 16Full-Day Douro Valley Private Wine and Food Tour
- 176-Day Douro and Porto Wine Tour
- 18Douro Valley Small Group Tour with Wine Tastings and Lunch
- 19One Day Douro River Cruise with Wine Estate Visit and Tasting
- 20Porto City Full-Day Private Tour with Cruise