Cruise & Hike the Douro Valley

Arrive in Porto and step aboard in the late afternoon (from 5.00 pm). Settle into your cabin, meet the crew over a welcome cocktail, and get a briefing on the week’s walks. If conditions allow, we’ll ease downriver towards the Douro’s mouth as the city lights fade behind us.

Meals:  D

This morning we explore Porto with a guided visit, including time with the city’s iconic azulejo tile tradition. In the afternoon, the Douro takes over—vineyard slopes and riverside villages sliding past as we cruise towards Régua. Evening is yours: dance onboard or wander ashore.

Meals:  B,L,D

Set out on quiet tracks that climb steadily through woodland and scrub, then weave between vineyard lanes as the Douro opens out beneath you. The walk builds beautifully to Provesende, a historic hilltop village of stone houses and narrow lanes — a rewarding finish with wide valley views and time to wander before returning to the ship (2.5–3 hrs | 7 km / 4.3 mi | +320 m). Non-hiker option: Visit Mateus Palace and the Douro Museum, then rejoin the ship.

Meals:  B,L,D

Cross into Spain for a guided visit to Salamanca, a UNESCO-listed city of golden stone, grand plazas and cathedral towers. Return to the ship by late afternoon, then settle in for an evening of flamenco onboard.

Meals:  B,L,D

A standout day on foot in wilder country, this hike climbs into rugged terrain for big-sky panoramas over the Douro and across into Spain. Expect a more demanding ascent that pays off in dramatic viewpoints, a picnic lunch in the landscape, and continued ridge-and-track walking with the scenery front and centre (~3 hrs | 8 km / 5.0 mi | +530 m). Non-hiker option: Explore Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, with time for easy wandering.

Meals:  B,L,D

Walk deep into the Douro’s iconic scenery, following terraced vineyards, stone walls, olive groves and rural lanes as the valley steps down towards the river. This longer route is wonderfully immersive, with photo stops and a picnic lunch, and a steady descent through wine country that keeps the views coming all the way back to the ship (~4 hrs | 14 km / 8.7 mi | ~500 m descent). Non-hiker option: Follow the Port Wine Route around Pinhão, then rejoin the ship.

Meals:  B,L,D

Finish the week with an easy, satisfying riverside walk as the Douro widens and Porto comes back into view. Flat paths, changing light and fresh Atlantic air create a strong sense of journey — tracing the river all the way to where it meets the sea (2–2.5 hrs | 8 km / 5.0 mi | flat). Non-hiker option: Visit Guimarães, with heritage sights and free time to explore.

Meals:  B,L,D

Enjoy one last buffet breakfast on board before disembarking at 9:00 a.m. End of our services.

Meals:  B