Douro Valley & Amarante: Wine Tasting, Boat Cruise & Food

A full day threading through Portugal's wine country, one stop at a time

You're picked up from your Porto hotel and driven south through the Douro Valley's wine region, stopping at a quinta for tastings of Port, sparkling, and Green Wine with explanations of how each is made. A private one-hour boat cruise on the Douro River includes regional tapas and wines aboard. Then you walk through Amarante's historic center, taste local sweets and smoked meats in a traditional tasquinha, and return to Porto by mid-afternoon.

Step-by-step itinerary

Douro Valley and Amarante full-day tour

• Meet outside Trinity Porto
• Travel to Peso da Régua
• Taste traditional sandwich cake
• Explore pedestrian bridge over Douro
• Visit Quinta for port wine tasting
• Pass through Pinhão center
• Enjoy one-hour Douro river boat tour
• Have tapas brunch with regional wines
• Guided walking tour in Amarante historic center
• Taste Doce de São Gonçalo sweets
• Sample regional Fumeiro and Green Wine
• Return to meeting point in Porto

The experience

The van is already rolling when you settle in. Your guide has timed the pickup to catch the N222 route before the afternoon light gets too flat. You're heading south from Porto toward Peso da Régua, and the first stop is a sandwich cake, the kind locals eat standing up in a café that's been there longer than anyone remembers. Then the pedestrian bridge over the Douro opens up, and you understand why people come back to this valley. The river sits below like something painted in, and your guide points out the terraced vineyards climbing the far bank: each one a different shade of green depending on what's planted and when.

At the quinta, a woman who's been making wine there for thirty years walks you through three: Port, sparkling, and Green Wine, each one tasting like the soil it came from. She explains the production methods in a way that sticks, not technical, just honest about what the grapes do and what time does to them. Then you're back in the van heading to Pinhão, where the railway station sits like a postcard, and the boat is waiting. It's a small group, just your company, which means the one-hour cruise on the Douro feels less like tourism and more like someone's afternoon. Tapas come aboard (smoked meats, meatballs, things you don't have names for), and the wines keep coming. The river narrows and widens, and you're moving through the landscape instead of just looking at it.

Amarante hits different. The historic center is compact enough to walk, and your guide takes you through the streets without rushing, stopping at the Church of São Gonçalo and then at a small tasquinha where they serve Doce de São Gonçalo, a local sweet that tastes like honey and almonds, and Green Wine that's almost fizzy on your tongue. The fumeiro, smoked meat, is salty and real. By the time you're back in the van heading north toward Porto, it's around 3:30 p.m., and the day has the feeling of something complete, not rushed. Hotel drop-off happens the same way the pickup did: on time, no fuss.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup in Porto and return by 3:30 p.m., transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle, a winery visit with tastings of Port Wine, sparkling wine, and Green Wine plus explanations of production methods, a one-hour private boat cruise on the Douro River with regional tapas and wines, a guided walking tour through Amarante's historic center, and tastings of local sweets and smoked meats in a traditional tasquinha.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:15

Book up to8h before

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (5 to 12 years) · Infant (under 5): free

GroupUp to 16

Live guideEnglish and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomeInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Deltatur, Atividades Turisticas Lda

Is this one for you?Right for travelers based in Porto who want to taste the Douro Valley's wines and food without arranging transport or navigating between stops: the full day, from pickup to return, is planned around fitting three distinct regions and a boat cruise into one outing.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Portuguese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 12 years); Infant (under 5): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What time does the tour start and end?

Pickup is from your Porto hotel in the morning. The tour returns around 3:30 p.m.

Is lunch included?

The tour includes regional tastings: a sandwich cake in Peso da Régua, tapas and wines on the boat, and smoked meats and sweets in Amarante. It's more tasting than a sit-down meal.

How long is the boat cruise?

The private boat tour on the Douro River lasts one hour and includes tapas and regional wines.

What's included in the price?

Hotel pickup, air-conditioned vehicle, winery visit with tastings of three wines, the private boat cruise, regional food tastings, and a guided tour of Amarante's historic center.

Is this tour suitable for people with limited mobility?

The tour is not recommended for people with reduced mobility due to walking in Amarante's historic center and the boat boarding process.

What is Green Wine?

Green Wine is a light, slightly fizzy Portuguese wine from the Douro region, typically lower in alcohol than Port or sparkling wine.

Can I book a private guide instead of a group tour?

The tour includes a private guide and operates in small groups. Check with the operator for private tour options.