Essence of the Douro
From $2,990 per person
6 days
1 countries
Ship: ms Saudade
6 days, 5 nights.
Journey summary
- Day 1 - Arrive Porto
- Day 2 - Porto and the Douro Valley
- Day 3 - Peso da Régua and cocktail making
- Day 4 - Guimarães or bicycle ride
- Day 5 - Vineyards of Vinho Verde
- Day 6 - Journey ends
Itinerary highlights
Begin with a taste of Portugal shaped by river and hillside. In Porto, colorful houses stack above the Douro, tiled façades catch the light, and cafés spill onto cobbled streets where the city's wine legacy was born. As the river carries you inland, the scenery softens into vineyard-covered slopes and quiet villages perched along the water's edge – an ever-changing landscape of stone, green terraces, and sunlit bends. On our shortest Douro River cruise, just six days, journey through the world's oldest demarcated wine region and explore the towns and landscapes that make this valley a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Roundtrip from Porto, where the Douro meets the Atlantic, begin in the city that introduced Port wine to the world and stroll among its picture-postcard houses that climb the hillsides. As you sail past rolling vineyards, enjoy immersive encounters with vine and grape — from learning the region's history at the Douro Museum in Peso da Régua, to making Port cocktails at a local quinta , biking through vineyards that produce Vinho Verde, and sampling those very wines at a vineyard… a memorable way to experience this renowned river and its wines in under a week.
Your journey, ashore & afloat.
Fourteen days. Open any day for the full narrative and that day's highlights.
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* Per double occupancy. Some pricing may reflect single traveler rate.
** Double asterisk - for reverse direction indication
The ms Saudade.
Sail the world in unparalleled luxury aboard the ms Saudade, a masterpiece of design and comfort.
Tauck’s latest Douro River vessel, MS Saudade, arrives in 2027 as an 80-meter (263-foot) riverboat designed by Scylla to host no more than 84 guests. The deck plan prioritizes generous space, featuring twelve 300-square-foot Tauck Suites and twenty 225-square-foot cabins, plus six 200-square-foot and four 150-square-foot options; select Category 3–5 cabins include floor-to-ceiling windows with real French balconies. Each cabin comes equipped with in-room movies, a minibar, and climate control, while all bathrooms are fitted with premium Portus Castelbel toiletries. A small pool rests on the Sun Deck, and the interior draws on Portuguese craftsmanship with tile-inspired design motifs woven throughout the spaces.
Onboard life mirrors Tauck’s refined, immersive philosophy. The main dining room, The Compass Rose, offers open seating, flexible dining times, and vegetarian options, complemented by Arthur’s for a more casual experience and optional al fresco dining on the Sun Deck when weather allows. Saudade sustains a strong guest-to-crew ratio, with about 43 crew members and Tauck Directors dedicated to the journey, while programming spans enrichment lectures, nightly piano performances, in-room movies, culinary demos, local entertainment, and themed events. Off-ship experiences are a hallmark of the Douro itineraries, guided by local experts with opportunities for winery visits and private tastings at Quintas along Portugal’s wine country, bringing the region’s history and flavors directly into Tauck’s on-tour program.
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