Douro Valley small group tour, Mateus Palace, Lunch and Wine tastings

From your hotel in Porto, you’re picked up in the morning for the drive to Amarante. We will stop at the city of Amarante to visit its old bridge and São Gonçalo Church, a symbol of the local identity built in the XIII century by the city's patron saint São Gonçalo, a benedictine monk. Amarante's sweets and cakes are extremely famous and you will have the opportunity to taste them at a well known cake-shop.

After Amarante we will proceed to the Mateus Palace in the city of Vila Real. Mateus Palace, set in beautiful gardens on a vast farm, is considered to be one of the finest examples of baroque civil architecture in Portugal. You will learn from a certified guide the story of the palace and at the end enjoy walking and taking pictures in the gardens.

The highlight of the voyage is the lunch in the wine region of Favaios. Before lunch an aperitif is served in the gardens of the estate.The all-included lunch includes several tasting starters (alheira, pataniscas, rojões), Sopa de Pedra (Stone Soup) in iron pot, a veal stew or roast, and a fruit and dessert buffet.White and red Douro wines are served, as welll as Muscat wine of Favaios and Port wine. After lunch you will visit the estate wine cellars.

The tour continues driving downhill from the Favaios region to Pinhão, on the right bank of the Douro river. In Pinhão you will visit the train station with its fantastic azulejos (tiles) pannels from early XX century and take the one-hour Douro river cruise in a typical Rabelo boat to contemplate the world heritage beauty of the Douro Valley vineyards. Navigation upstream toward the Romaneira estate, in a very beautiful stretch of the Douro river where you will see some wine producing farmhouses, terraces until the river and vineyards, forming a unique landscape considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. We will return to Porto via the road N222 Pinhão - Peso da Régua, that is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. 17 miles, 93 soft bends and breathtaking views of the Douro Valley. Your NOW Douro Valley full-day tour ends with return transport to your Porto hotel.