About the tour: Cruising Portugal’s River Douro by Air

Fly to Porto, and transfer to your cruise ship the MS Infante Don Henrique, for seven nights. Depending on your flight arrival time you may wish to join an optional Porto by Night excursion (subject to availability on arrival), a unique opportunity to admire the city of Porto by night during a panoramic tour by coach.

During the tour, your guide will schedule a stop at the Sao Bento railway station to look at its magnificent azulejos.

• Included meals: Dinner

Enjoy free time this morning or join an optional sightseeing tour of Porto (subject to availability on arrival). Porto is one of the oldest cities in Europe and has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. It stands out from the steep banks of the Douro river with its mixture of grey facades and red tiles interspersed with unusual architectural masterpieces.

We will discover The Palácio da Bolsa (Stock Exchange Building), built in 1834 by the city's Commercial Association. After climbing up the beautiful granite and marble stairway, we’ll visit the former Tribunal Room, the Golden Room and the Arab Room, decorated in the exotic Moorish Revival style.

We will also visit the Igreja de São Francisco (Church of Saint Francis), known as the “Golden Church”, and visit a port wine cellar to taste the ‘precious nectar’ made from local grapes grown along the banks of the River Douro. Tonight, we enjoy an evening of Fado entertainment.

• Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today, why not join an optional excursion to Guimaraes? This charming Portuguese town boasts winding cobbled streets lined with bars and cafes. We explore on foot to discover Nossa Senhora de Oliveira Church, the Palace of the Dukes of Braganza, a medieval estate and former residence of the first Dukes of Braganza with striking architecture, as well as the labyrinthine lanes and picturesque plazas of the medieval heart of Guimaraes.

We return to the ship and sail to Régua, through fabulous scenery and the gigantic lock at Carrapatello. We enjoy dinner on board this evening.

• Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Join an optional excursion to Vila Real, which enjoys a spectacular location between the gorges of the Corgo and Cabril Rivers and is famed for the diversity of its religious architectural styles. Aristocrats built grand palaces here during the 16th and 17th centuries.

We will take a panoramic tour of the city by coach, followed by a tasting of the local pastry, Cristas de Galo. We will then set out to explore Mateus Palace, the most beautiful and astonishing manor in all of northern Portugal. Behind the manor is a delightful garden with box hedges, more statues, and a spectacular 115-foot cedar tunnel. After our tour, we will return to our ship, and enjoy an evening of Flamenco entertainment.

• Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Join our included excursion to Salamanca; another UNESCO World Heritage site, the Old Town of Salamanca has been listed since 1988. We will visit the cathedral which is a mixture of styles from late Gothic to Baroque, created its successive extensions.

Afterwards, we will visit one of the world’s oldest Universities which first opened in 1218. Also known as ‘Escuelas Mayores’, the university building has a sumptuous gate adorned with the city’s most famous design: a frog atop a skull, and the library brims with old manuscripts dating back to before the 19th century.

You will enjoy lunch in a restaurant (drinks are not included) and have some time to explore before returning to the ship and enjoying your evening meal and entertainment.

• Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After a morning of sailing, we depart for an optional excursion along part of the ‘Wine Trail of Porto’. We will discover this incredible vineyard extending over 100km along the Douro river, all the way to the Spanish border.

We will visit San Salvador do Mundo and Sao Joao da Pesqueira, two small towns set among the vineyards in the Rio Torto valley. In Sao Joao da Pesqueira, you will have the opportunity to explore the arcaded main square, the chapel and the white houses with their balconies. You will visit a quinta (wine cellar) to taste the famous Porto. (Please note that the excursion follows winding, and sinuous roads – please be aware if you suffer from travel sickness.)

We return to the ship in Pinhao to enjoy free time exploring at your own pace, see Pinhao’s splendid ‘azulejos’ (typical Portuguese tiles) before returning to the ship for tonight’s gala dinner.

• Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Join an optional guided tour of Lamego and discover the Nossa Senhora dos Remedios sanctuary. This 18th century church stands out with its white façade dominating a baroque staircase with 686 steps, ending in a shrine built in the rocaille style and adorned with azulejos. The first stone was laid in 1750 and gave way to the construction of a massive temple overlooking the city and providing a breathtaking view over the misty mountains and of the surrounding landscape.

We return to the ship and spend the afternoon sailing back to Porto through a number of large locks. Tonight we enjoy an evening of traditional folk entertainment.

• Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Disembark this morning. Transfer to Porto airport for our return flight to the U.K.

• Included meals: Breakfast