Scenic train to the heart of the Douro Valley

• The scenic train journey takes you along the Douro River to the town of Peso da Régua. There is a wide array of bars and restaurants and nearby wineries that you can arrange to visit if you have time, as well as the Douro Museum (optional, paid locally).
• Settle into your boutique hotel and rest well for the week ahead or stretch your legs on a riverside stroll.

Accommodation in a Boutique Hotel

Meals: Breakfast

From prehistoric lands to a Manueline town in the Douro International Natural Park

Linear walk from Peso da Régua to Aldeia de Baixo – 15.9 km (9.9 miles)

• Once you leave the bustle of Peso da Régua and the traffic behind, you’ll enter into a landscape filled with birdsong and vineyards. You’ll pass through several villages where tourists seldom venture and life goes on as normal and you can stop at a local café to interact with local people.
• As well as offering remarkable views, the landscape is an interesting mix of rugged, untouched hillsides and those which have been cultivated for growing grapes, olive trees, cherry, and apple trees. In early spring, the fruit tree blossoms add color and joy to the landscape while the spring flowers that follow are an endless source of delight, as are the fruits once they are ripe for picking.

Accommodation: Country house

Meals: Breakfast and packed lunch

Linear walk from Salzedas to Aldeia de Baixo – 14.6km (9.1 miles)

• A short, scenic drive takes you to a magnificent Cistercian monastery in the village of Salzedas which dates back to the 12th century. Take the opportunity to look around the church and village before starting your walk.
• You’ll spend the day walking between apple and cherry orchards, olive groves, and small vineyards, punctuated by villages. Depending on the time of year, you might enjoy an abundance of fruit blossoms, a myriad of wildflowers, ripening fruit, or a harvest in progress.
• As well as the endless orchards, there are mountains in the near and far distance, including the undulating hillsides of the Alto Douro wine region and the majestic Alvão Natural Park.

Accommodation: Country House

Meals: Breakfast and packed lunch

Linear walk from Armamar to Quinta do Tedo – 14.2km (8.8 miles)

• After a short taxi ride to the nearby small town of Armamar, you will start your day with fabulous views but the best is yet to come! The first part of the day takes you through typically rural landscapes with plenty of olive and fruit trees as well as small vineyards.
• The journey to the village of Vacalar offers marvelous views – a taste of what’s to come later. As you progress through gorgeous vineyards, the expanse of the UNESCO World Heritage Landscape of the Douro Valley, with its endless terraced slopes and the mighty Douro River, comes into view.
• End the day’s walk with a wine tasting session at Quinta do Tedo before transferring to the small town of Tabuaço.

Accommodation:  Boutique Guest House

Meals: Breakfast and packed lunch

Tabuaço circular walk via Adorigo – 16.5km (10.2 miles)

• Today’s walk offers a variety of scenery, from the boulder-strewn hills that overlook Tabuaço to the Douro Valley and its undulating slopes, as well as flatter areas at around 1640.5 feet altitude.
• You will pass through the center of one of the Douro’s 6 official Wine Producing Villages, namely Barcos. Around and beyond Barcos, you’ll see lots of vegetable plots and flat vineyards that belong to smaller producers than the vast estates nearer the Douro River.
• The route is tranquil and allows plenty of opportunities to enjoy a peaceful time in the countryside surrounded by birdsong and the various scents of flowers and trees. At the halfway point, you will have fabulous views of the Douro River and UNESCO landscape as you make your way to the village of Adorigo and back to Tabuaço.
• You also have the option of visiting a family-owned winery that’s over 100 years old (additional cost).

Accommodation: Boutique Guest House

Meals: Breakfast and packed lunch

Linear walk from Valença do Douro to Pinhão – 15.4km | (9.5 miles)

• Today’s walk starts in the village of Valença do Douro, which overlooks the hilltop building of the Quinta das Carvalhas estate. You’ll walk through the heart of the village and then out into the vineyards and countryside.
• This is the landscape of small producers and the patterns of the grape rows are interesting and varied on the way to the next village. Head uphill through a wine estate and be prepared for some extra special views as you wend your way down the hill to Pinhão.
• Zig-zag your way downhill through the grape vines to reach the tasting rooms of Real Companhia Velha where a port wine tasting awaits you.

Accommodation: 3* Hotel

Meals: Breakfast and Packed Lunch

Linear walk from Vilarinho de Cotas to Pinhão – 8.9km (5.5 miles) 

Return to Porto

• Experience the views from the north side of the Douro River today on this mostly downhill walk. You’ll start in a small village high in the hills and views of the Pinhão Valley. As you start your descent, you’ll have views of the Douro Valley to your left.
• As you round the hillside towards Casal de Loivos, your views of the Douro Valley arrive and will accompany you all the way down to the river through the vineyards of Quinta da Roeda and Quinta do Bomfim back to Pinhão.
• Catch the afternoon train back to the captivating city of Porto.

Meals: Breakfast