Compare Porto to Coimbra Cycling by Exodus Travels vs Douro Discovery: A Family River Cruise in Portugal plus Madrid 2021 by Tauck

Day 1 Arrive in Porto

Arrive at your hotel in Porto. After a briefing with our agent you can enjoy dinner on the Douro riverfront. You stay at the Hotel Vila Gale (breakfast at the hotel, evening meal included in a local restaurant)

Day 2 At Porto

Today you could opt for a return cycle ride, taking you north of Porto and along both the Douro River and the ocean front, passing glorious beaches, the 16th century castle of Sao Joao da Foz, Matosinhos - with some great seafood restaurants - and the Boa Nova Tea House which belongs to the Portuguese Masterchef's Rui Paula. If you'd rather spend the day exploring Porto, why not enjoy a stroll along the riverfront, wander the narrow, winding streets or explore the historic Ribeira district, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For dinner this evening you can choose from a number of fine local restaurants. You stay at the Hotel Vila Gale (breakfast included)

Day 3 Porto to Furadouro

This morning, enjoy a relaxed ride along the Douro River's south bank, full of brightly coloured rabelo boats. You could stop for a tasting in one of the famous port wine caves before following an idyllic waterfront path from the Natural Reserve of the Douro Estuary - a great spot for birdwatching - to the Atlantic coast. Heading onwards, you'll pass some beautiful sandy beaches - perhaps stop for lunch in one of the seafront restaurants and relax on Espinho's gorgeous golden sands - before following a cycle path through pine forest to your beachfront hotel in Furadouro. You stay at the Furadouro Boutique Hotel (breakfast included)

Day 4 Furadouro to Aveiro (Estarreja)

Head south from Furadouro along the protected Aveiro Lagoon, one of Europe's last pristine coastal marshes and a haven for many bird species including plover and sandpiper - you can discover more about the area by joining the canal and paying a visit to the BioRia Interpretation Centre. It's then on to Salreu where you'll take a short train journey (10 mins - pay locally) to Aveiro, your home for the next two nights. There are plenty of good fish restaurants to choose from for dinner, within easy reach of your luxury hotel. You stay at the Hotel Moliceiro (breakfast included)

Day 5 At Aveiro

Aveiro is known as 'Portugal's Venice', with a picturesque network of canals weaving their way through the city, lined with grand buildings and former fishermen's houses and filled with gondola-style boats making their way leisurely along the water. Charming alleyways are lined with churrasquerias for lunch, while a bustling fish market takes place every day. Visit the impressive Jesus Monastery and Aveiro Museum, along with the beautiful cathedral which dominates the town square. You stay at the Hotel Moliceiro (breakfast included)

Day 6 Aveiro to Praia De Mira

Cycle southwards today and visit the factory and museum of Vista Alegre, Portugal's oldest fine porcelain producer, based in Ilhavo, before crossing the Aveiro Lagoon to meet the ocean again in Vagueira. From here you head north to Costa Nova, home to a lovely sandy beach lined by colourful candy-striped houses, before cycling back to Vagueira and along the coast. Turning inland, you'll make your way to your 4 star beachfront hotel at Praia de Mira, passing fields of pears, lemons and strawberries en route. You stay at the Macarico Beach Hotel (breakfast at the hotel, evening meal in a local restaurant)

Day 7 At Praia de Mira

Perhaps take it easy today and enjoy a day at a beach, relaxing on Praia de Mira's silky sands dotted with brightly coloured fishing boats and several beach cafes. Alternatively, follow a trail eastwards into lagoons and acacia forest, crossing the canals over New England-style bridges. This is a lovely route lined by iris and bright cistus and you're likely to spot kingfisher and blue heron, along with several good picnic spots! You stay at the Macarico Beach Hotel (breakfast at the hotel, evening meal in a local restaurant)

Day 8 Praia de Mira to Curia

Leave the coast behind and follow a cycle path inland through acacia forest, before passing farms and small villages on your way to the vineyards of the Bairrada region. Stop for a spot of wine tasting at the Quinta do Encontro before a short ride brings you to Curia and your 'Palace Hotel' set in 14 acres of gardens and parkland. You stay at the Curia Palace (breakfast and evening meal)

Day 9 Curia to Coimbra

Your final day takes you through vineyards to the Mondego River Valley. You'll cycle alongside farms and rice fields, following the river, with a final stretch through the Choupal Forest to arrive in Coimbra. There's so much to discover in this beautiful riverfront city, including the historic university with its spectacular Baroque library, the Museo de Castro, whose art collection in the Bishop's Palace is one of the finest in Portugal, not to mention the interest-packed streets and leafy plazas just perfect for exploring. We recommend spending extra nights here so you can enjoy the city to the full, including the markets, restaurants and lively fado bars! You stay at the Hotel Vila Gale Coimbra (breakfast included)

Day 10 Leave Coimbra

The tour ends after breakfast in Coimbra.

Day 1 Arrive Madrid

Tour begins: 5:30 PM, The Westin Palace, Madrid. Welcome to Madrid! A transfer is included from Madrid Airport to the Westin Palace, a Parisian-style grand hotel in the heart of the city, only steps from the Parliament and the Prado; commissioned by King Alfonso XIII in 1912, the hotel has hosted royalty, heads of state, film stars and celebrities. Join us for a welcome reception and dinner.

MEALS : D

LODGING : The Westin Palace, Madrid

PORTOFCALL : Lisbon, Portugal

Day 2 Madrid as you please

You have a choice of sightseeing. Explore a neighborhood market where you can get a taste of tapas, artisan foods, and delicacies from all over Spain; your visit ends sweetly with churros and hot chocolate! Or go on a bicycle excursion through the city's largest park, Casa de Campo; once a royal hunting estate, the 4,000-acre park is still inhabited by deer and rabbits; it also features an amusement park and the Madrid Zoo. Take a guided tour of the Royal Palace, a stunning baroque complex with 3,400 rooms and a wealth of artwork, antiques, porcelain, silver, and historical artifacts; or peruse the masterpieces at the Museo del Prado – one of the most famous art museums on Earth – on a guided visit with a local expert. The rest of the afternoon and evening are yours to spend as you wish in Spain's storied capital city.

MEALS : B

LODGING : The Westin Palace, Madrid

PORTOFCALL : Lisbon, Portugal

Day 3 Salamanca & Barca d'Alva

Drive to beautiful Salamanca, a center of learning since medieval times, where a walking tour through the Old City reveals opulent Baroque, Moorish, and Gothic architecture, Romanesque cathedrals steeped in glorious frescoes, and the enchanting courtyards of the University of Salamanca, chartered in 1218, where Cervantes went to school; the area is nicknamed La Dorada (Golden City) for the warm glow that seems to emanate from its sandstone buildings.  Then head to the riverside village of Barca d'Alva – a quiet town on the Portuguese border surrounded by placid, reflecting waters, close to the unspoiled wilderness of Arribes del Douro Natural Park – where your riverboat awaits; the hills are rich with olive groves, vineyards, and almond orchards that bloom with white flowers in spring. Embark, settle in, and join us tonight for a welcome reception and dinner.

MEALS : B, D

LODGING : ms Andorinha

Day 4 Castel Rodrigo & a rock safari

Visit Castelo Rodrigo, a medieval hilltop village with a turbulent history, where battles were once fought against Moors and Spanish rule; the empty ruins of its 13th century palace still stand guard over the walled town with its churches, Manueline pillory, cistern, and panoramic vistas. Return to the ship for lunch and sail to Pocinho; from there you'll set off on a rock-art safari in Vale do Côa Archaelogical Park, to see stunning examples of rock-art from the valley's Paleolithic era, 20,000 years ago. Unlike cave art found in other parts of Europe, the thousands of petroglyphs in the Coa region were created in the open air by the valley's earliest inhabitants; the site is accessible only in 4x4 vehicles.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : ms Andorinha

Day 5 Valeria Gorge & Charming Pinhão

Spend the morning cruising the Douro River Valley where rugged conical mountains and shale hills carved by concentric vineyard terraces tell of a winemaking history thousands of years old. Since the 18th century, when Britain discovered that Portugal's fortified wine could travel long sea journeys without spoiling, the Douro Valley has been the premier port supplier to the world, and the oldest demarcated wine region. Sail the dramatic Valeira Gorge, where the river ran wild and treacherous before it was tamed by dams; in earlier centuries, small wooden boats called rabelos, heaped with barrels of wine, would negotiate rocks here and shoot the rapids on their way downriver. Arrive in the idyllic, tranquil village of Pinhão, nestled at a riverbend in the valley's premier Cima Corgo region, home to prestigious port-wine estates; a walking tour of Pinhão includes the enchanting railroad station, built in the 1930s and covered in azulejos, pictorial blue tiles that illustrate the region's winemaking heritage.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : ms Andorinha

Day 6 Pinhão to Régua

Explore the picturesque area around Pinhao by kayaking along the slow, easy river, or drive to a nearby hilltop village for spectacular views over the valley, and hike back down; on the way, you'll be able to appreciate up close the workmanship of the steep terraced vineyards. Lunch aboard ship and sail to historic Peso da Régua in the Baixo Corgo region of the valley, where you'll dock overnight and dine aboard ship.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : ms Andorinha

Day 7 The Douro Museum and More

Before there was a railroad, Peso da Régua was an important shipping hub where rabelos took on cargoes of port from the local wine estates. Roads from here reach in many directions, offering you a choice of sightseeing possibilities. Take a bicycle tour through Vinho Verde country. Light and effervescent Vinho Verde is not actually green wine; depending on whom you ask, the name refers to its youth or the region it's from: a fertile, temperate land of vineyard-clad mountains and lush green valleys rich with scenic bicycle trails. Or drive to the medieval town of Guimaraes for a walking tour; known as the Cradle City, the kingdom of Portugal was born here after a momentous battle in 1128. The city center is a panorama of architectural treasures, including the ruined Castle of Guimaraes, with its tempestuous history and sweeping views, the opulent Dukes of Braganza Palace, and the 13th-century Sao Miguel do Castelo Church. Return to the ship for lunch, then visit the Museu do Douro in Régua. Housed in a renovated 18th-century building, the museum features multimedia exhibits that tell the history of viniculture in the Douro River Valley; also on exhibit is a restored rabelo, one of the slender wooden vessels that used to ply the river in great numbers, carrying wine to Porto and the sea.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : ms Andorinha

PORTOFCALL : Amarante, Portugal

Day 8 Cruising to Porto

Wind through the Baixo Corgo region of the Douro Valley, where quintas and terraced vineyards rise on both sides of the river, showing their age; the oldest terraces are buttressed by stone walls, others have dirt walls; the valley's heritage is written in the stone walls, centuries old, but as they crumble they are too expensive to replace. Arrive in Porto by the sea in late afternoon, and dine aboard ship; after dinner, enjoy a performance by a local "Tuna" ensemble – a youthful academic string band that plays festive traditional music.  

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : ms Andorinha

PORTOFCALL : Porto, Portugal

Day 9 Porto Sights

Rising on staggered hills along the river, colorful Porto beckons you to its labyrinthine streets and stairways, medieval alleys, baroque churches, fountains, and bell-towers, beaux-arts buildings, and bohemian neighborhoods. It's hard to take a bad picture in Porto, where houses are clad in painted tiles, street art is everywhere, and beguiling, eclectic architecture is around every corner. Ride a three-wheeled taxi on a tour of iconic sights, including the Clerigos Belltower, a soaring baroque landmark, and 12th-century Porto Cathedral standing fortress-like on a hilltop overlooking the city; walk across the scenic Dom Luis I Bridge that spans the river and soak up the fabulous views; the bridge links Porto to the city of Vila Nova de Gaia, and you'll ride a cable car down to the Gaia waterfront. Or take a cycling tour along Porto's colorful riverfront, starting in the picturesque and lively Ribeira neighborhood, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and ending where the river meets the Atlantic. Lunch on the riverboat, then enjoy free time to explore on your own. Join us this evening back aboard ship for a farewell dinner.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : ms Andorinha

Day 10 Journey home

Tour ends: Porto. Fly home anytime. Transfers are included from the riverboat to Porto Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport or Porto train station.  Allow at least three hours for flight checkin.

MEALS : B