Exploring the Douro, plus Lisbon & Madrid - Eastbound 2021
Overview
Highlights
- Centuries of wine-growing history and timeless Port traditions along an enchanting “river of gold”… white-painted quinta estates lined with terraced vineyards… Lisbon’s treasures from the Age of Discovery and beyond… art and architecture royally inspired and the joys of tapas in Madrid…Cruise through the heart of one of the world’s oldest and most beautiful wine regions on a 12-day journey between Lisbon and Madrid
- featuring a 7-night cruise aboard Tauck’s new riverboat msAndorinha
- custom designed for exploring Portugal’s “golden” Douro River. Visitquintasfor wine tastings
- hike through vineyards and villages
- and discover the UNESCO World Heritage city of Porto
- where the Douro kisses the Atlantic and timeless Port traditions steal your heart. Spend two nights each in Lisbon
- the gate to the “New World
- ” enticing with palaces aplenty andazulejoschronicling life from Moorish times to present day – and Madrid
- Spain’s bigger-than-life capital
- with its bar culture and bevy of baroque and belle époque architecture.
What's this trip about?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Attractions
Activities
Trip includes
- TAUCK EXCLUSIVE – Tour and private dinner in Queluz National Palace in Lisbon 7-night cruise aboard a brand new riverboat custom designed to sail on the Douro River A choice of excursions that includes active hikes, a port cocktail-making class, a tour of wine caves, bicycle rides and more valued at $3,156! In-depth exploration of 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Spain and Portugal Private wine tastings in quintas along the Douro River
Itinerary
Crafted atop seven hills over centuries, Lisbon is home to cobbled lanes, castles in the clouds and maritime monuments that pay lasting tribute to Portuguese explorers like Vasco da Gama who changed the world. City sightseeing today discov...
Drive back in time to Coimbra, Portugal’s medieval capital for more than a century. A walking tour along the tiered cobbled lanes of this hilltop city brings you to its esteemed university, founded here in 1537, where its caped students ev...
Culturally rich and historically charming, Porto’s pleasures are diverse and delightful, blending old and new to reveal a fascinating portrait of the city through art and architecture, wine and food, and magnificent waterfront views...
The Douro River cuts a 200-mile path through one the world’s most beautiful and prolific wine regions as it makes its way from Porto and the Atlantic Ocean through rugged wilderness to the Spanish frontier. The wine growing regions ...
It’s historic role in the production of port wine is written on the landscapes you’ll see today when you step off the boat into Peso da Régua for a day of discovery. An important transport junction, this is where barrels of wine were board...
Enjoy a fabled look at life along the Rio Douro when you embark on a guided tour of 18th-century Casa de Mateus, a Baroque masterpiece you may recognize from the label on bottles of Mateus Rosé, and its fantasy garden of manicured h...
Spend the day enjoying a leisurely cruise in the heart of port wine country, past sloping terraced vineyards and picturesque villages, stopping this afternoon for a shore excursion that celebrates the historic beauty and bounty of the region.
MEALS : B, L, D
LODGING : ms Andorinha
20,000 years ago prehistoric man called the Coa Valley home, leaving evidence of their residence on rocks in the Coa Valley. Visit the Coa Museum, to learn more about the history of the valley before continuing on your Douro River c...
Disembark your riverboat and drive to the UNESCO World Heritage City of Salamanca for a guided walking tour of its ancient heart, viewing the “living room of Salamanca,” the elegant arcaded Plaza Mayor, its stunning 12th-century Rom...
Take a guided one-mile walk – or a short drive – to Madrid’s 18th-century Royal Palace, home to a succession of Spanish kings from Charles III to Alfonso XIII, and reigning today as the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family...
MEALS : B
PORTOFCALL : Madrid, Spain
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Dates & Availability
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Tauck.
The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.
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Tour Operator
It's easy to see the world's sights. To stand in long lines, push through the crowds, and generally have the same standard-issue vacation as everyone else. But that's not good enough for us, and it's not good enough for you. We believe that travel should be easy. It should be fun. It should be worth your time and the price you paid. It should re-energize and transform. And above all else, it should be beyond the ordinary. Because how you see the world matters.
In 1882, Herman Tauck arrived in New York City from Germany in search of the American dream. His determination and values were passed on to his son, Arthur Tauck, who would realize that dream. With ingenuity and an innovative spirit, Arthur started Tauck Motor Tours, a travel company that would give birth to a new industry. The first tour, through the back roads of New England, was created by this 27-year-old in 1925. It embodied the same successful formula used by Tauck today: do the right thing. Craft a life-enriching travel experience; provide it at a single all-inclusive price; ensure there is great value for money; and rely on recommendations of satisfied customers to build a following and grow the business.
Two elements that did change over the next 90+ years – and three generations of Taucks – were the scope of destinations served and the variety of modes of travel used. Today Tauck delivers life-enriching travel experiences to every corner of the globe, incorporating small cruise ships, premium riverboats, trains, helicopters and more. What started as a New England motor coach tour company has truly evolved into an extraordinary global travel company. The fourth generation of Taucks is now involved in the company. While remarkable in any business, this seamless continuity across generations speaks to shared vision and values.
Throughout its history, the concept of “family” at Tauck has gone far beyond those sharing the surname to include hundreds of valued employees, and hundreds of thousands of loyal guests. The story of Tauck is the story of a unique American family company celebrating a passion for travel – a story that will continue to inspire generations to come.
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