Viking River Cruises to Portugal and Spain

We left Favaios and traveled 30 minutes to Quinta da Avessada, an ancient site that has long produced one of the richest wines in the Douro wine region. We enjoyed a welcome glass of Moscatel before sitting down for a memorable 3 course meal. Our coach stopped at this lookout point so that we could capture photos of these beautiful landscapes.

Viking River Cruises Portugal: Traveling the Douro in Style

This means guests have the opportunity to explore Lisbon at their own pace. It’s a 10 day river cruise that begins in Lisbon and ends in Porto (learn more here). We made our way through the historic district, absorbing the culture and the atmosphere. I would love to return and have more time to explore. We decided that we had taken a gondola, a bus, and stairs, so we needed to descend using the Funicular dos Guindais. The funicular, built in 1891, sat unused for almost a century.

Introduction to Viking River Cruises

We would recommend the Portugal’s River of Gold cruise. We could have easily spent a few more nights there. You can walk up the stairs, as many pilgrims will do, or you can take the bus to the top of the church and walk down. When we return, we are treated to a special performance of Portuguese Folk Music by a local group called the Tuna Folk Show. We then made our way to the Favaios co-operative, where the region’s wine makers work together to produce Moscatel de Favaios. The drive from Pocinho to Favaios took about an hour and passed through the region that was heavily impacted by the forest fires of 2017.

Vila Nova de Gaia to Lamego

In our opinion, we believe everyone should experience the luxury and simplicity of a European river cruise, at least once in their life. After walking down the stairs in front of the Sanctuary of Our Lake of Remedies, we visited Lamego Cathedral (also known as Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral) and Museu de Lamego. Viking guests are given free admission to the museum.

We have a few time lapse videos that we will post on our Facebook page soon. We made sure to be on the sundeck every time we passed though one of these impressive river locks on the Douro River. Enjoying the region’s famous Moscatel de Favaios, similar to port wine.

Located along a rocky embankment, the city boasts picturesque neighborhoods, fashionable restaurants and lively markets. At the riverside, small barcos rabelos, boats once used to transport casks of wine, paint a charming scene. The last stop on the tour was probably our favorite – we visited Sandeman’s port wine cellar to learn about the region’s famous port wine and sample the goods.

I believe Porto is one of my favorite stops in all of Europe. It has a unique charm that is different from most of Western Europe. Rowling found this a captivating and motivating city for weaving magical tales. We walked back to the hotel—about 2 kilometers, which I needed after all that food.

Douro River Cruise Ships

The Maître d’ always remembered my favorite wines for the meals and suggested a few stellar wines that I have added to my permanent list. After the library, we climbed the bell tower to look over the city. This beautiful little chapel dates to the 12th century. The classic tile throughout the chapel is breathtaking. It’s a quiet sanctuary that makes you feel peaceful and offers a few quiet moments. After a long day of traveling, I was content to settle into my comfortable room at Tivoli Avenida Liberadade Lisboa.

Day 5 – Régua, Mateus Palace and Pinhão

We had rooftop drinks at Sky Bar, where the views over Lisbon were breathtaking. Then, we went to the hotel’s main restaurant, Cervejaria Liberdade. The restaurant opens onto Lisbon’s main street, which runs in front of the hotel – Avenida Liberadade. The food was a perfect introduction to Portugal—we had a rice seafood dish that was possibly the best seafood I’ve ever eaten.

How to Choose a Europe River Cruise - Cruise Critic

How to Choose a Europe River Cruise.

Posted: Tue, 18 Apr 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

The ship has only 53 staterooms, accommodating 106 guests at the most. The Viking Helgrim main deck has standard staterooms. The middle deck contains both Veranda staterooms and Veranda suites. The upper deck contains Veranda staterooms and suites, the reception desk, the lounge, and Aquavit Terrace. The Francesinha—which means little Frenchie in Portuguese—is a relative of the amazing Croque monsieur in France. It’s two slices of bread, stuffed with ham, beef, and two or three types of sausage.

We stopped in a café for coffee, sat down, and watched the people go past. We returned across the bottom of the Luís Bridge, past the scenic Rabelo boats, and strolled through the street vendors. The Viking Helgrim is one of four ships custom-built for cruising the Douro River. They have the same Scandinavian feel of all Viking ships, but they are quite a bit smaller and offer a more intimate feel.

This is a bustling food hall, the kind of which we’re only just seeing arrive in the U.S. We were there on a Sunday evening, so the vendors were closed, but the market was packed. At first, it was a little overwhelming, with all the restaurants around the sides and bustling tables in the center. FREE international airfare based on Jul & Nov-Dec 2023 departures of Portugal’s River of Gold. Air prices are per person based on cruise or cruise tour check-in date and include transfers.

You have the Program Director who gets to know you and is with you throughout the cruise, along with Viking-dedicated staff who can help you with any questions. They have a welcome reception in the hotel, and there are several pre-cruise tours to help you discover your embarkation location. Wander through Lisbon and Porto on a 10-day Viking River cruise on Portugal’s Douro River with history, architecture, wine, and food. Porto is a lovely old city, especially so for the beautiful tiles you’ll see almost everywhere. Be sure to visit the Sao Bento train station with its beautiful blue and white tiles telling the story of the Douro.

The views from the Sandeman at Quinta do Seixo are spectacular – see photos below. We’ve been to wine regions in Europe before (read about our trip to the Mosel Valley in Germany), but we haven’t see vineyards quite like these. The rows of grape vines stretch up the side of the river valley for miles.

You can enjoy house wines, beers, and soft drinks during lunches and dinners. We found that the Silver Spirits beverage package is well worth the cost. You get a bottle of sparkling wine in your cabin and a choice of premium local wines, beers, cocktails, specialty coffee drinks, soft drinks, and juices throughout the day. There is also an open bar where you can enjoy cocktails or soft drinks during evening happy hour and entertainment. Porto holds a place of great traditional importance. The town lends its name to the port wine produced in the region and throughout the nation.