Douro valley wine and cheese tour

Spend a day in Douro Valley, visiting three beautiful wineries to sample sparkling wine, Port, local wine and ‘vinho verde’ – a young or green wine. Called ‘adegas,’ the Portuguese wine estates are as much of an attraction as the robust wine they produce – steeped in history and surrounded by heart-stopping countryside. Soak up the scenery as well as the wine, and enjoy a traditional 3-course lunch and cheese-tasting session, too.

Leave your central Porto hotel by luxury coach and travel inland to Douro Valley, roughly 1.5 hours away. The area is famous for its scenic landscapes, so sit back and admire the scenery, typified by remote mountains, emerald hills and UNESCO-listed hilltop villages.

Idyllic as it is, the region’s main draw is its wine not the countryside, and, luckily for you, your first stop is one of the valley’s prized adegas. Head inside Raposeira Cellars in Vorosa Valley, where Portugal’s renowned sparkling wines are produced, and take a tour of its cellars. After seeing where the wines are produced, bottled and stored, sample some of the estate’s wares noting the different tones and aromas with your guide.

Visit a nearby local restaurant for lunch and enjoy traditional dishes that originated in Douro Valley. Savor a delicious 3-course meal, featuring fish or meat, with a glass of locally produced wine, and then hop back on board your coach.

Continue traveling deeper into Douro Valley to Quinta do Tedo – an 18th-century adega surrounded by terraced vineyards stacked into the hillside. A small producer, the estate specializes in Port, the fortified wine for which Portugal is famous. Explore the cellars, sample a glass of their gutsy Port, and then shop for a bottle to take home, if you wish.

Hop back aboard your coach and make your way to the final winery of your day at Quinta da Aveleda. A renowned producer of vinho verde, the historical adega has been in the hands of the same family since the 17th century, and their wine is deservedly prized. Take a tour of the estate, learning about the characteristics of vinho verde, and then stroll around the stunning gardens. Enjoy a wine- and cheese-tasting session, sampling some of their finest produce, and then return to your coach.

Relax on the journey back to central Porto, finishing your tour at your hotel in the early evening.