Delights of Portugal’s Douro River

Day 1 London – Porto
Titan’s VIP Home Departure Service® transports you from your front door to Gatwick Airport and your direct, scheduled Air Portugal fl ight to Porto. On arrival our coach will transfer you to Douro Queen for an evening embarkation and dinner. The ship overnights in Porto.

Day 2 Porto – Régua – Pinhão
The Douro Queen sets sail this morning. At lunchtime we arrive in Régua in the heart of the port wine district, and join an included excursion by coach to Vila Real and the Mateus Palace gardens. Your guide will give you an introduction to the palace, and you then have free time to enjoy the gardens and the exterior of the palace. We then return to Pinhão to meet the ship, where it overnights. After dinner you will be entertained by a Portuguese folk show.

Day 3 Pinhão – Barca d’Alva
After breakfast, we enjoy an included excursion to a local wine quinta and vineyard. At lunchtime we set sail for Barca d’Alva, leaving the afternoon free to enjoy the wonderful scenery as we gently cruise through the Douro valley. This evening the Salamanca Cathedral ship overnights in Barca d’Alva and we enjoy a Captain’s Dinner.

Day 4 Barca d’Alva (Salamanca) – Vega de Terron
Following breakfast, we cross the border into Spain on an included excursion to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Salamanca. On arrival, we take a guided walking tour. This ancient seat of learning is a city of copper and golden stone architecture, and narrow cobbled streets, with two universities, majestic cathedrals, palaces, churches and one of Spain’s most magnificent squares, the Plaza Mayor. Later, we enjoy an included lunch at a hotel and a flamenco show before returning to our ship at Vega de Terron, in time for a Portuguese barbecue dinner. The ship moors here overnight.

Day 5 Vega de Térron
This morning we drive to Figueira da Castelo Rodrigo, the small medieval town situated on top of a hill where we visit the fortress and church. This town has medieval fortifications with round towers, and the ruins of a mansion where Cristóvão de Moura lived in the 17th century. Many Portuguese considered this famous statesman a traitor as he was in favour of the union of their country with Spain. His house was burned down by a mob in 1640 when Portuguese independence was restored. We return to the Douro Queen at midday in time for lunch. This afternoon and evening is spent cruising the Douro valley en-route to Pinhão

Day 6 Pinhão – Régua – Bitetos
This morning, after breakfast we take an excursion to Lamego, one of the most attractive cities in Portugal. On arrival, we visit the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, where we can stop and admire the views over the town. There is then some free time to explore this impressive Baroque church, and then we rejoin our coach to visit the cathedral, which dates back in part to the 12th century. Or if you prefer, you can walk down into the city from the Sanctuary using the ornate staircase (700 steps) decorated with blue tiles.
We then continue by coach to Bitetos where we rejoin our ship. This evening we travel to the Alpendurada Monastery, a convent used by pilgrims on their way north to the shrine of Santiago de Compostela, where dinner will be served. This large religious house is of 14th century origin, but the present buildings date mainly from a major reconstruction in 1611. We return to our ship which remains here overnight.

Day 7 Bitetos – Porto
This morning we cruise back to Porto and disembark for a city sightseeing tour of Porto which will showcase the city’s wealth of historic sights, and begins with a panoramic drive up to the Romanesque Cathedral, offering views over the city. Following a guided visit of the cathedral, we continue to one of the famous port wine cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia for a visit and a port wine tasting. This evening, the ship overnights in the heart of Porto and we enjoy a farewell drink and dinner.

Day 8 Porto – London
After breakfast, we disembark Douro Queen and make the short transfer to Porto Airport for our Air Portugal flight to London Gatwick, where our staff will greet you and transfer you to Titan transport for your journey home to your own front door.

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