About the Douro Valley
When you think of the best wine regions in Europe, you might picture the rolling hills of Tuscany or the grand châteaux of Bordeaux. But if you’re a true wine lover, the Douro Valley in Portugal is an absolute must-visit. This UNESCO-listed region, famous for its Port wine and breathtaking landscapes, offers some of the best wine tours from Porto.
The Douro Valley, located just east of Porto, is one of Portugal’s premier wine regions, known for its terraced vineyards and the stunning Douro River at the center of it all. The region boasts Portugal’s highest wine classification, Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) and is the only place where authentic Port wine is produced.
While Port may be the celebrity of the Douro Valley, it also produces table wines of red, white, and rosé varieties that are to die for. I went on this tour with bias since my personal favorite wine of all time is Vinho Verde (or the green wine) from another region near Porto. Taking a tour of the Douro really gave me some close seconds—and a cabinet full of wine!
Selecting a Tour & Highly Rated Options
With so many Douro Valley wine tours available, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. Most tours follow a similar structure: round-trip transportation from Porto, visits to two wineries, a traditional Portuguese lunch, and a scenic Douro River cruise. Tours typically last 9-10 hours.
Get Your Guide and Viator are always reliable options since they are commonly used, and many of their tours have ample reviews to read through. I personally chose a tour I found through Airbnb Experiences (which is one of my favorite ways to book wine tours and other excursions in most cities). I find that local companies tend to advertise on Airbnb Experiences. This was probably the biggest expense of the trip, but it was well worth it.
You can also plan your own trip to the Douro by renting a car, taking the river cruise (this is a long journey), or taking the train. But unless you plan to spend a few days in the Douro Valley region, I highly recommend booking a tour with a company. They will organize everything for you, and with the cost of transportation, lunch, the river cruise, etc., you won’t really be getting a bargain by doing it yourself.
My Top Tour Options
If you’re searching for the best Douro Valley wine tour from Porto, these highly rated options consistently receive top reviews.
The tour that I chose (full recap in the tour highlights section)
After endless comparisons of the numerous tours on Airbnb Experiences, this is the tour I chose. The offerings are almost identical for all of them, and this one had great reviews. While some of the other options below have bonus offerings, I really liked that this is run by a local tour company rather than one of the big guys. In my experience, that always brings a more authentic experience, and the guides are usually better.
The tour I would choose if I was to do it again … let’s be honest, I’m going to do it again
I think I have made it known that I love Vinho Verde, and finding tours in that region is really freaking tough. If you like green wine, this is a great option. In addition, this tour offers a lot of bonuses like breakfast and witnessing the opening of a Vintage Porto bottle with fire by a certified sommelier! I have not personally taken this tour, but it is one of the higher-rated options on Get Your Guide.
Additional Offerings Setting This Tour Apart
+ Visit two wine regions: Vinho Verde and the Douro Valley
+ Sample 11 different wines (as a self-declared wine tour expert, that is a lot!)
+ Breakfast included (which you will need with all that wine)
+ Olive oil tasting
+ Witness the opening of a Vintage Porto bottle with fire
+ Private boat tour
+ Farm-to-table lunch
Other Great Tour Options
While one of the pricier options, this small group tour has over 3,300 reviews and nearly 3,000 if them are 5 stars!
Pros
+ 2024 Viator Winner
+ Offers hotel pickup
+ Small group, max of 8
+ River cruise may be a private
+ Stops at Casal de Loivos Viewpoint
Cons
– Pricier Option
Pros
+ Offers hotel pickup
+ Free Porto City Walking (available from the day after your experience)
+ Free cancellation up to 24 hrs in advance
Cons
– Hotel pick up not offered
Pros
+ Peso da Régua photo stop
+ Pinhão photo stop
+ Lunch in a wine cellar
+ Free Walking tour of the city of Porto (available starting the day after your experience)
+ Free cancellation up to 24 hrs in advance
Cons
– The group size will be larger, from 8 to 29 people
Highlights of our Tour
Meeting Point & Start of the Tour
We met at the meetup point at 8 AM, which was only a five-minute walk from our Airbnb in Ribeira. We met the rest of our group and our guide, who gave us the itinerary for the day. From there, we hopped in the van and took off! The drive was scenic; we also drove through the Vinho Verde region, and the guide gave us some facts about it that I, of course, found fascinating.
First Winery Stop: Quinta da Fonte (Best Wine & Views!)
The first vineyard we stopped at was my favorite, Quinta da Fonte. We pulled up to a gorgeous view of the vineyards and were taken to a table set up in the back overlooking the vineyards, where we found olives, nuts, and some other pairings, as well as a cute dog that stopped by for some pets! They served us a white, rosé, and red wine and left the bottle after pouring the tastings (which is not typical in my experience, but we were sure happy about it). My favorite pairing was the pumpkin jam, which we were told was common in the region (I totally bought a jar to take home). After the tasting, there was time to buy some bottles if you chose to, which were very reasonably priced.
Lunch in Pinhão: Traditional Portuguese Cuisine
After the first vineyard, we headed to Pinhão for lunch, which featured both meat and seafood options. I am a picky eater (like five-year-old picky), and I loved it! I did not indulge in the seafood, but my partner said it was great. The meat dish and rice were the perfect lunch for a long day of drinking. Of course, alongside lunch, which was basically bottomless, there was more wine! We wrapped up lunch with espresso and dessert.
Douro River Cruise Experience
After lunch, it was time for the river cruise, which was better than I expected. I recommend trying to get on early to get a good seat, but the boat we were on didn’t have truly bad seats. After the cruise, we had a few moments for a photo stop in a spot that just screamed iconic Douro Valley views.
Second Winery Stop: Quinta do Fojo (Historic Wine-Making Tour)
Back to the van and on to the second vineyard, Quinta do Fojo, which was breathtaking. The photo spot—I could have sat there all day if they let me. They gave us a tour of the facilities and showed us how the wine used to be made. They also showed us a barrel that housed a very old vintage (I cannot recall the year). We made it back to the kitchen area and tasted a red, white, and Port wine, as well as meat and cheese pairings and this amazing tomato dip—I think it was.
Journey Back to Porto
After the last stop we got in the van and drove back to Porto to the original meetup spot and said our goodbyes. We got back at a good time for dinner and drinks. Regardless of which option you choose, I cannot think of a better way to spend the day. I will definitely be doing this again!
Visiting the Douro Valley is an unforgettable experience, whether you’re a wine connoisseur or just love beautiful landscapes. Have you taken a Douro Valley wine tour? Let me know in the comments which one was your favorite!