Sailing the Douro: Porto to Salamanca
7 nights from €3,300 per person
Highlights
- Sail from Porto into the Douro Valley, where vineyard terraces climb from the riverbanks and small towns sit between the hills.
- Choose between Mateus Palace, known for its Baroque architecture and formal gardens, or the Douro Museum in Régua for the story of the region’s wine trade.
- Visit Castelo Rodrigo, a 12th-century walled village close to the Spanish border, with wide views across the surrounding highland landscape.
- Spend a full day in Salamanca, with a guided tour, lunch and flamenco show in one of Spain’s most impressive university cities.
- Taste wine at Quinta de São Luiz, then dine at Quinta da Pacheca, one of the Douro’s historic wine estates.
- Explore Lamego and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Remedies, reached by a tiled stairway with 686 steps down towards the town.
- Return to Porto for a city tour, São Bento station, the cathedral and a port wine cellar visit with tasting.
MS Douro Elegance
MS Douro Elegance gives this Douro journey a relaxed river-cruise setting, with the ship carrying you from Porto towards Régua, Pinhão, the Spanish border and back again. A Lower Deck cabin gives you a comfortable place to return to after time ashore, while life on board is shaped around the river views, regional wine country and unhurried days between visits. Mornings can begin over breakfast as the scenery passes the restaurant’s panoramic windows, while sailing time can be spent in the lounge, fitness room, spa or up on the Sun Deck, where the pool and open-air views make the most of the Douro’s warmer stretches. Dining is part of the experience too, with lunches and dinners on board, a Chef’s Dinner, regional wines available on the wine list and a Portuguese folk music show adding a local note to the evening.
Terms and Conditions
Economy flights from Dublin to Porto, departing 27-05-2027. Seven nights aboard MS Douro Elegance in Lower Deck cabin 103 on the Douro, Porto and Salamanca River Cruise, with gratuities included. The itinerary includes Porto, Régua, Castelo Rodrigo, Salamanca or Almeida, Pinhão, Lamego and Porto, with selected guided visits, wine tastings, a dinner at Quinta da Pacheca, a Chef’s Dinner and Portuguese folk music show included. Airport and ship transfers and return flights from Porto to Dublin are included. Based on two adults.
7 nights from €3,300 per person
The Small Print
All bookings are subject to Travel Counsellors' standard booking conditions, copies of which are available on request. Travel Counsellors Ireland is licenced and bonded with the Irish Aviation Authority, licence number TA 621. We strongly recommend taking out comprehensive travel insurance at the time of booking. Prices are per person based on the stated number of passengers sharing and are subject to availability at the time of booking.
