Unique Experiences
Quinta Dinner & Tastings
Enjoy port tastings and a traditional Portuguese dinner at the Quinta da Avessada, an ancient site producing Douro wines in the vineyard village of Favaios.
7 nights from
£3295
Save up to £100 per person
Sailing up and down the Douro is always enchanting, but few cruises compare with Jules Verne’s Royal Barge experience. The MV Spirit of Chartwell carried Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in the Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the Thames in 2012. Now this elegant and sophisticated little ship carries a maximum of just thirty guests along the Douro, its sun deck a perfect viewing platform for the river’s remarkable scenery.
As it flows through a 2,000 year legacy of winemaking, the river meanders around the sun-soaked slopes of its famous valley vineyards, from which, in times gone by, flat-bottom boats would brave the rapids to carry the wine to the river mouth. Now tamed and shelved with five dams and locks, it is a serene journey from the port wine cellars, bell towers and beaux-art buildings of Porto, to the uppermost Portuguese port on the river, Barca d’Alva, its sleepy quayside lining a lazy bend in the river.
In between, we sail beneath the Douro’s seven bridges, cross the Carrapatelo, the highest of the dams, float through super-scenic UNESCO listed landscapes, and go ashore to medieval villages, the Mateus Manor House, port wine tasting at a Quinta, and Lamego’s Moorish castle, museum and holy shrine.
Enjoy port tastings and a traditional Portuguese dinner at the Quinta da Avessada, an ancient site producing Douro wines in the vineyard village of Favaios.
The programme may be altered due to navigational factors with locks, water levels or to enhance your experience at certain sites.
Cabins are available from 5pm on arrival and until 9am on departure (before/after this, luggage storage on board is possible).
Air travel and taxes, port charges, transfers, 7-night cruise, full board on cruise vessel, complimentary tea/coffee on board, drinks at dinner, excursions, Jules Verne Representative, local expert guides and representatives. If our specially negotiated airfares are unavailable at the time of booking, a supplement may apply.
Travel insurance, optional excursions, tipping, any government taxes or compulsory charges introduced after publication.
Drinks Package (£115) Includes: House Brands - House wine (red, white, rose); Open sparkling wine; Bottle of beer (alcoholic/non-alcoholic); All cocktails (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) ; All long drinks: Whisky, Gin, Vodka, Brandy, Baileys & Rum; All non-alcoholic drinks; All coffee specialties (non-alcoholic); Hot chocolate & tea. Premium branded drinks and champagne are not included.
Highlights of the Douro
Cruising the Douro from its mouth on the Atlantic to its crossing into Spain, with daily excursions to medieval towns, majestic palaces, port wine cellars, and vineyard valley landscapes, this beguiling journey includes visits to Guimarães, Lamego, and Salamanca
Grand Tour of Portugal
By train from south to north visiting remarkable cities, crossing scenic landscapes to regional and cultural capitals, through Portugal’s past, to Roman ruins, Moorish enclaves, and medieval towns
Pousadas of Portugal
Staying in hand-picked Pousadas (inns), formerly a monastery, manor house and convent, this tour reveals the sights and psyche of Portugal, from regal splendour to religious heritage, from port-wine cellar to Fado show, from Porto to Coimbra and the capital, Lisbon