Essence: Full-day Tour 2 Wineries And Boat Cruise

We had an amazing tour / experience with this tour! We came to the Douro valley on a family trip / as a group of ten. We started off the day with a 50 minute boat tour on the Duoro, which was beautiful, breathtaking, and relaxing. Our guides were very friendly and knowledgeable. Then we got in a van (our tour guide was amazing and, friendly and funny and definitely helped alleviate our fears when driving up / down the narrow mountain roads!) and headed up to a winery to try some wine with beautiful views. Then we got back in the van to go down to lunch (which was delicious, we had family style shrimp linguine and pork & clams over french fries) and more wine of course. Then the van took us to the Croft winery where we got to do a tour and try some Port. Then the van took us up to a beautiful viewpoint. Our tour guide went above and beyond and dropped us back off at our airbnb since it was right near the final viewpoint. Would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the Duoro valley!!

The whole thing was a bit shonky but was held together by the lads conducting the tour - Bruno on the boat and Krispim on land. The boat is a small one with plastic seats. You go up the river for half an hour, have a paper cup of port, and then turn around and go back. Bruno keeps everything lively by cracking jokes, and it is what it is, but be aware there is no toilets and no water. We were a couple and were formed into a party of 8. Kripim picked us up is a decent merecedes mimi van and drove us up to some vineyards. Krispims demeanour was easy and humourous and very knowledgeable about wine and vinyards. Then we went for the wine tasting which was a surprise. We didn’t go to a vineyard to be educated on wine, instead we were brought to to a local restaurant where we had 3 glassess of wine, one white, one pink and one red, and essentially we were told that one was white, one was rose and one was red, and we’re served a choice of meat or fish as a lunch. Back to the mimi van and off the Croft vineyard just outside Pimhao where we had an excellent talk on how to make wine followed by a similar experience but now with Port where we were given a glass of white, a glass of Tawny and a glass of Ruby. After that we did some more sightseeing with Krispem. Overall, I’d say it was more wine drinking than tasting.

We absolutely loved this wine tour! It ended up being one of our favorite experiences of the trip. The boat ride through the Douro Valley was absolutely beautiful. The scenery was incredible, and we got to enjoy some delicious Port wine while taking it all in. Our boat guide was so knowledgeable and entertaining, and I was honestly impressed that he repeated everything in three different languages! Our guide for the rest of the day was just as wonderful. She was so sweet, friendly, and incredibly informative. Everything was very well organized, and we never felt rushed. We got to visit two gorgeous viewpoints high up in the hills and, of course, enjoy two wine tastings along the way. It was such a fun, relaxing, and beautiful way to experience the Douro Valley. We learned a lot, drank some great wine, saw some incredible views, and had such a memorable day. We would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the Douro Valley!

We had a great trip on the river.our guides were very nice and fun.

If like us you were lost looking for the best tour in the douro valley that incorporates a boat cruise, viewpoints, and winery visits this is the one without a doubt. Francesco, our guide, was marvelous! He was very outgoing, helpful and most of all kind to give us travelling suggestions for the rest of our trip. Don't miss this one. It was our best day in our 7 days in the douro valley!

Simon gave us a lot of information and made sure we got safe to our destination. He made sure we were entertained during the travel and made sure we were cool with the airco. We felt really relaxed with him.

This was one of the highlights of our trip to Portugal! Everything was exceptionally well organized and first class from beginning to end. With so many moving parts, I expected at least a few hiccups, but everything ran perfectly and exceeded my expectations. Our boat tour with Bruno and Ivo was fantastic. They were funny, informative, engaging, and clearly passionate about what they do. They kept everyone entertained while sharing interesting information about the Douro Valley while sipping Porto wine. They truly deserve five stars! Our driver for the winery visits was equally outstanding. He was knowledgeable, friendly, and had a great sense of humor. What impressed me most was that if he didn’t know the answer to a question, he took the time to find out and came back with the answer later. That kind of dedication to customer service is rare and very much appreciated. If you’re considering this tour, don’t hesitate—you won’t be disappointed. It was an unforgettable experience and an excellent value.

Buckle up and hang on for the ride! Luis was fabulous from the start. Punctual, friendly, informative and so accommodating. The Duoro Valley is spectacular. Our small group consisted of people from all over the globe. The garden, wine tastings and cruise exceeded our expectations. Highly recommend the experience. John and Ange

We had an amazing time. Our guide Simon brought a very happy energy and knew a lot about the wineries in Pinhao! We met some really great people and just enjoyed our entire day, with all the different activities. Thank you!

Excellent day with Crispin. Our train was delayed but they reorganised our boat cruise for free. He was very welcoming, knowledgeable and friendly, an excellent host! He also made sure everything went smoothly and picked us up from the boat to train station at the end of the day to ensure we made it on time. We especially liked Quinta Formigosa for an incredibly interesting tour and lovely wines in an absolutely stunning location. We also had Kalil/Talmo on the boat cruise who were fantastic. A great day out!

Excellent full-day, private tour. Door-to-door pick-up/drop-off w/ a flexible & acommodating driver. Couldn't have had a better day! Definitely recommend. ☺️

We had a brilliant day. We started with the boat trip. Bruno was a great guide, very informative and entertaining. Crispim was our guide and driver for the wine tours and the rest of the day. He was friendly - and again, very knowledgable. We couldn’t have hoped for a better experience!

We had a great time on our boat tour with Douro Tours. Seeing the Quintas and vineyards from the river is such a unique perspective and really highlights how beautiful the Douro Valley is. Our guides, Evo and Bruno, were excellent — friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely funny. They kept the tour engaging with interesting information while also cracking jokes and keeping things light, which made the experience feel relaxed and fun rather than overly scripted. The boat itself was comfortable, the views were incredible throughout, and the pace was just right. Overall, this was a very enjoyable and well-run tour, and we’d absolutely recommend it to anyone visiting the Douro Valley who wants a scenic, easygoing experience on the water.

Beautiful experience, enchanting places, tasting in an excellent winery. Our guide Simon was very kind, knowledgeable, and attentive to everything. He also knew Italian, in addition to English and Portuguese. And for us Italians, that is not something to be taken for granted when abroad. Absolutely recommended experience!

The tour was great! Our guides Diogo, Kalil, and Matt were really wonderful. We felt well taken care of, there was great information, everything was well organized, and in very small groups. One did not feel like a "mass tourist." Attention was also paid to details; for example, at one stop, the car was started in time before departure, so it was pleasantly pre-cooled. Everything else is anything but taken for granted. Prices are absolutely fair! Immediately and gladly again!

Visits to the wineries were very interesting, with beautiful landscapes and good tasting of three wines. The guide was super friendly and enriched the tour with detailed explanations on each point we passed.