Essential Porto (Vinho Verde)

Vinho Verde and Port Tasting in Porto

Essential vinho verde

At a glance

Region:Porto and the Douro Valley
Type of Tour:
Duration:3 Nights
Guide Price:From £442 to £980 per person
Number of Meals:3 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 1 dinner
Number of Winery Visits:2 Wineries/ Port Lodges
Number of Wines Tasted:Approximately 14
Tour Transport:On foot in Porto and transfers in Nine
Dates / Availability:Available mid-week and weekends throughout the year. Please note that day three of the itinerary is not possible on Saturdays and Sundays.

Trip Summary

Vinho Verde and Port Tasting in Porto

This three night break will introduce you to the wines of both Porto and Vinho Verde. Walking between each destination in the city of Porto, you will visit the famous Sandeman Port wine lodge, which boasts magnificent views. Here, your English-speaking guide will accompany you through the lodges full of casks of ageing Porto wine and your visit will conclude with a tutored tasting of four ports; a White, a Ruby Reserve, an LBV and a ten year old Tawny. Also included in the package is a 50 minute Douro river cruise in a Rabelo boat*. Rabelo boats were historically used to transport Port wine barrels from the inner Douro region to Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia, where the wine cellars are located.

On day three, take a short train ride from Porto São Bento station to Nine for the day. We will provide you with a timetable and tickets can be purchased directly at the station for around two Euros per person. Here, you will be transferred to Quinta de Santa Maria. This quinta was first founded in 1884 in Porto and was originally dedicated to the tobacco commerce, lotteries and exchanges before becoming a wine estate. The founders’ great grandson now owns the wine farm and together with neighbouring estate, Quinta de Tamariz, their 35 hectares of Loureiro, Arinto and Alvarinho vineyards produce sparkling Vinho Verde, white, a small amount of red Vinho Verde, brandy that is aged in barrels and Vinho Verde vinegar.

essential vinho verde
rabelo boat essential vinho verde

Portuguese cuisine is truly delicious and you will sample many of the region’s delicacies on your trip. After a guided tour of the estate in Vinho Verde, a three course lunch will be served. As well as tasting delicious regional cuisine, you will also have the opportunity to taste three wines and a brandy. The culinary highlight however, will be the gourmet dinner at the fantastic DOP restaurant. The restaurant is headed by celebrated chef Rui Paula and is situated in a beautiful, historical building. Portuguese cuisine is truly delicious and you will sample many of the region’s delicacies on your trip. Your gastronomic Portuguese dinner will be accompanied by Douro white wine, Dão red wine, Port Wine, water and coffee.

*Please note that the river cruise is subject to minimum numbers and navigating conditions on the river determined by the cruise company. If the cruise is cancelled under any of these circumstances, you will be refunded £7 per person.

Outline Itinerary

Day One

  • Upon arrival in Porto, check into your chosen hotel in the city centre.
  • Free afternoon and evening to explore the city and relax.

 Day Two

  • After having breakfast at the hotel, your tour day will comprise of:
  • A tour and tastings of four Ports at Sandeman Port wine lodge.
  • A 50 minute river cruise in a traditional rabelo boat.
  • A four course gastronomic dinner with drinks at the DOP restaurant.
traditional portuguese food essential vinho verde
Essential vinho verde

 Day Three

  • After breakfast , your tour day will comprise of:
  • Rail travel from Porto – São Bento station to Nine (not included as part of the package price).
  • Return transfers from Nine to Quinta de Santa Maria.
  • A tour of the estate.
  • A three course lunch accompanied by three of the estate’s wines and a brandy.

 Day Four

  • Breakfast and check out at the hotel.

(ii) The outline itinerary is indicative and is subject to minor changes depending on supplier availability. Availability cannot be guaranteed until we have received a confirmed booking, together with the deposit payment (or payment in full where the dates of travel are in less than 60 days). If the named accommodation / visits are not available, we will endeavour to find suitable alternatives of a similar grade; this may be subject to a supplement or a rebate depending on the price available.

Accommodation

Package Prices

  • These prices are per person and based on two people travelling together and sharing a twin or double room.
  • These are realistic guide prices, based on travel in standard season (usually April to the end of October). Considerable discounts often apply for travel out of season (usually November to the end of March) or if there are more than two of you travelling together. Please let us know your preferred travel dates for a definitive price.
  • Although we propose specific hotels as part of our standard packages, we enjoy excellent relationships and preferential rates at the majority of the hotels in each of our featured destinations. Therefore if you would prefer to stay in a different hotel, this can be arranged. Please contact us for the relevant supplements/discounts.
  • Other room grades are available at most of the hotels that we work with. Just let us know which hotel you prefer and we will send you the relevant supplements for the various room grades.
  • Single supplements and extra night prices are available upon request.
Hotel NameRoom GradeStar RatingDurationPrice Per Person
Grande Hotel do Porto - PortoStandard3*4 Days£490Book Now
Carrís Porto Ribeira - PortoStandard4*4 Days£575Book Now
Teatro Hotel - PortoStandard4*4 Days£575Book Now
Hotel Infante de Sagres - PortoSuperior5*4 Days£746Book Now
The Yeatman Wine Hotel - Vila Nova de GaiaSuperior5*4 Days£980Book Now

 

 

Port cellars - essential vinho verde
nine braga essential vinho verde

Enhance your Experience/Tour Upgrades

Please contact us to request further details and a full list of tour upgrades.

If you would like to make your Grape Escapes holiday even more special, there are a number of additional activities that we can arrange for you. To complement the experience, these could be arranged to fit in/around your current itinerary or we can arrange additional nights and room upgrades at your hotel, as well as your travel arrangements, a stop-over en route and even a visit to another part of Portugal! See below for some of the most popular upgrades.

  • Stay longer! Just let us know which hotel you prefer and we will provide the relevant supplements for any extra nights.
  • Spend a night in Lisbon. Why not stay a little longer in Portugal and spend some time in Lisbon, the largest city in Portugal and a vibrant, cultural and gastronomical hub? We would be pleased to arrange your accommodation in the city.
  • Discover more Portuguese and Spanish wine regions. As well as trips to Porto and Douro, we also arrange holidays to Vinho Verde, Rioja, Navarra, Ribera del Duero, Priorat and Penedès, If you would like to extend your trip to take in more regions, just give us a call to discuss your requirements for a tailor-made trip or alternatively, please feel free to broswe the web site for information about all of our wine tours.
nine braga essential vinho verde

Further Information

Travel

Please contact us to request a more detailed information sheet about travelling to Porto.

There are direct flights from London Gatwick (Easyjet and TAP Portugal), London Stansted (Ryanair) and Liverpool (Ryanair) from the UK to Oporto airport. Grape Escapes is ATOL registered, number 10831 and we would be happy to book your flights at cost, however a booking fee applies.

The airport is situated around 20 minutes’ drive from the city centre and there are always taxis waiting at arrivals. Alternatively, the metro will take you to the city centre in 30 minutes and costs around 1.50 Euros per person for a single ticket.

Return private airport transfers can be arranged for you. Please contact us for prices, which are dependent on the number of passengers.

About Essential Breaks

For more information on our Essential tours please see our Essential tours page.

Further Information / To Book

To secure your booking, a deposit of 20% per person is required.. Your remaining balance will then be due 60 days before you travel. Please call us on +44 (0) 1920 46 86 66 or e-mail info@grapeescapes.net to request a booking form.

Port Tasting in Porto - Credits Quinta da Roeda

Thank you for organising our recent tour of Porto. We had an absolutely amazing trip and our 4 day extended weekend seemed to last much longer - the sign of a great holiday.

David K - Surrey UK

Special Occasion?

Celebrating a birthday, wedding anniversary or engagement? Our expert team would be delighted to talk you through the options and create your perfect trip.

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