How to visit the Douro Valley without driving (or a coach tour)
Train, boat, group tour or a guide with a car: the ways to get from Porto to the Douro, what to see around Pinhão and Régua, and why you shouldn't be the one driving.
The Alto Douro Wine Region is about two hours from Porto and one of the most striking landscapes in Portugal: whole hillsides of terraced vineyards, carved by hand into the schist, running down to the river. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001.
The hard part is getting there. Douro roads are beautiful but full of bends, and a day of wine tastings doesn't go well with driving. These are the alternatives.
Ways to get there
Train. The Douro Line leaves Porto (São Bento or Campanhã) and runs along the river to Régua and Pinhão. The ride is lovely, but you arrive with no transport to the wine estates and viewpoints up on the slopes.
Boat. River cruises go up the Douro from Porto or Régua. It's a calm way to see the landscape, but most of the day is spent on board.
Group tour. It solves transport, but with fixed times, the same stops for everyone and a full coach.
Local guide with a car. Picked up at your hotel, you stop wherever you like and nobody in your group has to drive after the tastings.
What not to miss
- São Leonardo de Galafura viewpoint, near Régua: one of the best-known views of the valley, with the river winding below.
- Pinhão, in the heart of the Douro, with its train station decorated in tiles showing grape-harvest scenes.
- A wine estate with a tasting. It's the centre of any visit; many also serve lunch overlooking the river.
- Douro Museum in Régua, to understand the history of one of the oldest demarcated wine regions in the world, since 1756.
- Casal de Loivos viewpoint, above Pinhão, for the postcard photo.
- A rabelo boat trip, on the boat that for centuries carried barrels of wine downriver to Porto.
When to go
The harvest, in September and early October, is the liveliest time. In spring the vines are green and there are fewer people. In summer the valley gets very hot: start early.
With a local guide
Douro Wine Country is a full day: São Leonardo de Galafura, a wine estate tasting, lunch in Pinhão and a rabelo boat ride, leaving from Porto. Douro: Viewpoints & Pinhão Estates combines the Douro Museum, two estates and the Casal de Loivos viewpoint. In both, the guide drives and you just taste.
