The Douro River, the spirit of Portugal
Overview
Highlights
- CRUISE HIGHLIGHTS EXCURSIONSINCLUDED: Lamego and the most beautiful Baroque sanctuary in Portugal
- The formal gardens at the Mateus Palace
- Salamanca, awe-inspiring Spanish city
- Pinhão and tasting of port wine
- Porto, a coastal town full of culture and tradition
- Aveiro, known as the "Venice of Portugal”
- Flamenco, Fado and folk entertainment on board
What's this trip about?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Attractions
Activities
Trip includes
- Your cruise with all meals from dinner the first evening to breakfast on the final day - onboard drinks included (except for drinks from our special lists) - double-occupancy cabin with shower in bathroom - the excursions mentioned in the program - assistance from our onboard multi-lingual host/hostess - welcome cocktail - gala dinner - onboard entertainment - Flamenco entertainment - Fado entertainment - traditional folk entertainment - travel assistance and repatriation insurance - all port fees.
Itinerary
Passengers are welcome to board our ship at 5:00 p.m. After comfortably settling into your cabins, we'll introduce our crew at a welcome cocktail. After dinner, the evening is free to do as you please.
Join us for a guided tour of Porto followed by a wine tasting session in the cellars at Vila Nova de Gaïa. The afternoon will be spent sailing.
Take part in our excursion to Vila Réal, a town with a great variety of religious buildings and architecture. We'll stroll through the formal gardens at the Mateus Palace. The afternoon will be spent sailing. Enjoy an evening of Flamenco entertainment.
Join us for an excursion to Salamanca (lunch included). We'll visit its unusual cathedral and its famous university dating back to 1218, making it one of the oldest in the world. We'll return on board after our tour and enjoy an evening of entertainment.
This morning, join us for an excursion to Pinhão. It's a small city that lives in sync with the rhythm of the river. One of its most cherished treasures is the quaint railway station, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Azulejo tiles showing the vineyards...
Join us on a guided tour of Lamego. The afternoon will be spent sailing towards Porto. Enjoy an evening of Fado entertainment.
Enjoy time at leisure this morning to discover Porto at your own pace. Afterwards, join us for an excursion to Aveiro, a charming medieval town surrounded by salt marshes, beaches and lagoons. Enjoy an evening of traditional folk entertainment.
Enjoy one last buffet breakfast on board before disembarking at 9:00 a.m. End of our services.
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Your trip, your way, planned by an expert:
- You choose budget, destinations, activities, transport & lodging type
- Expert designs the itinerary for you, and once approved, takes care of logistics
Dates & Availability
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with CroisiEurope.
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.
CroisiEurope Reviews & Ratings
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Tour Operator
Since 1976 CroisiEurope has pioneered river cruising on the most beautiful waterways in Europe, and we are Europe’s largest and most experienced river cruise line. When you sail with us, you can relax and know that you will be well taken care of.
We have been privileged to take more than 200,000 passengers to the lands of their dreams, for the times of their lives. Our fleet of 30 ships will take you to your choice of dazzling riverside cities in France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Belgium — to the romantic Rhine Valley, the Rhône and Saône, the Seine, the beautiful blue Danube, the Douro Valley, Venice, and more — where you can explore and enjoy local food, wine, history, art and culture. We have a dedicated and knowledgeable staff of almost 1,000 people, whose conviviality, attentiveness and professionalism ensures that your voyage will be comfortable and pleasurable. Our staff and crews speak English, and many of them speak other major European languages as well. So you’ll be in the heart of European culture and charm, but you’ll always be able to find someone who understands you.
All our vessels are fully inspected on a regular basis, and are consistently renovated and upgraded to keep pace with safety standards as well as the needs of our customers. Our entire fleet is certified compliant with VERITAS global standards, a guarantee of safety and quality.
CroisiEurope’s headquarters is situated at the crossroads of Europe, in Strasbourg, France, near the banks of the Rhine. This historic, forward-thinking city is the perfect home us: we’re grounded in the past, and excited about the future. We’re an independent, family-owned business — so even though we’re the biggest and most experienced, we’re still small and friendly. We understand the personal touch.
Come aboard! We can’t wait to show you the sights of Europe.
River Cruising: The Difference
Imagine gliding past quaint villages, ancient hillside castles and stone forts; past sun-drenched olive groves and vineyards, snow-capped mountains and thundering gorges; under glittering night-lit bridges in exotic cities. Imagine eating first-class French cuisine while floating on a sparkling river, watching the gorgeous landscape pass by.
Envision your ship docking in the heart of a beautiful, historic European city: its treasures of art, music, food, culture, and history await your leisurely exploration.
Our trips offer you the opportunity to intimately experience the culture of a region or a country, and to visit some of Europe’s most dazzling cities and towns — in France, Spain, Italy, Germany or Belgium — in ease and comfort.
Our ship will be your floating hotel: small enough to moor at a town or city port, but large enough to provide you every amenity. The capacity of just 100 to 200 passengers allows a warm and convivial atmosphere on board, as well as the opportunity for quiet privacy and independence. The pace of our river cruises is relaxed and tranquil; the scenery is gorgeous and changes moment to moment.
And river cruising is smooth, so there’s no need to worry about seasickness. Unpack your bags, and relax and enjoy the trip.
Come sail with CroisiEurope, and discover why river cruising is the new way to travel.
French Cuisine, European Flair
The heart and soul of CroisiEurope is European and international.
Other cruise lines may offer good food. With CroisiEurope, you’ll cruise the rivers of Europe aboard your own French restaurant.
We carefully design and plan our cuisine and menus in the exacting tradition of fine French gastronomy. Each meal on your cruise will give you a delightful experience of French haute cuisine. Our chefs have worked alongside such Michelin-starred greats as Paul Bocuse and Marc Haeberlin; CroisiEurope’s head chef, Alain Bohn, was recently nominated as a member of the Maîtres Cuisiniers de France. This esteemed French association, created 50 years ago, includes only 250 chefs worldwide.
A large number of our crew and staff speak many major European languages, so you may find yourself able to chat in Spanish, Italian, or Hungarian as well as French and English.
Eco-Friendliness
European countries have long been in the forefront of eco-friendly practices, and CroisiEurope is proud to have been a pioneer in this field since well before these practices became standard. Our commitment to the environment goes far beyond legal requirements.
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Logistics
What's excluded
- Drinks from our special lists, or drinks ordered during excursions or transfers - cancellation and baggage insurance - transfers/travel to and from departure/arrival points - personal expenses.
THE CROISIEUROPE DIFFERENCE
- All meals included - DRINKS INCLUDED with meals and at the bar
- Refined French cuisine - Gala dinner and evening - Welcome cocktail
- Free Wi-Fi onboard
- Headsets are included for excursions
- Official welcome from the captain and crew
- Onboard activities
- Travel assistance and repatriation insurance
- All port fees included
Become a member
- Save up to $700 per person
- Access members-only specials
- Personalize trip recommendations