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Portugal and Spain River Cruises - Viking River Cruises

It's just a little bit ironic that Portugal, which is known for a strong history of discovery and exploration, is barely visited by Americans. Portugal, which sits on the edge of the Iberian Peninsula, is a popular vacation spot for Europeans, with its beautiful beaches, romantic architecture and delicious seafood. Viking River Cruises is seeking to bring more Americans to this fascinating country with cruises along the Douro River.

Viking River Cruises along the Douro River transport guests to the region’s most fascinating and important cities, including Lisbon, Porto, Pinhao, Regua and more. Along the way, you’ll be able to juxtapose the bustling cultural cities of Lisbon and Porto with the serene and picturesque Barca d’Alva, located amongst some of the area’s most beautiful orchards and vineyards.

The water surrounding and flowing through Portugal has really shaped this nation. Thanks to its tremendous coastline, a lot of Portugal's food comes from the ocean. Portugal has the highest fish consumption per capita of any other European nation. Cod is king in Portugal – not only is it the most popular dish, it's also a major export. The Portuguese claim to have a cod recipe for every day of the year. The water has also helped Portugal sail the world in search of new trade routes and territories, like the Azores and Madeira archipelagos, along with Brazil, the largest nation in South America.

The fertile lands surrounding the Douro River Valley are also vital to the Portuguese. After all, it’s here where you’ll find the award-winning vineyards and wineries that make Portugal’s famous wine and Port. So not only will you enjoy the scenic views of the Douro Valley, you'll also get to taste its bounty! Continue below for a few more ideas of the experiences available on a Douro River cruise with Viking River Cruises:

View Viking Rivers Portugal Cruises

• Tour downtown Lisbon and see the city’s famous late Gothic architecture – featured prominently throughout the Jeronimos Monastery and Tower of Belem.  
• Visit one of Porto’s traditional port wine makers as you tour downtown Porto and its UNESCO World Heritage-certified historic city center. Especially popular is the old fishing village of Foz do Douro, where the town’s elite maintain their summer homes.  

• Take a pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Remedies in the small town of Lamego. This lovely 14th century baroque-style shrine is ornately decorated, inside and out.  
• Sip local wines onboard your Viking river cruise ship while enjoying panoramic views of the terraced vineyards and rolling hills and mountains of the Douro River Valley.  

• Enjoy a guided tour of the marvelous Mateus Palace in Vila Real. Walk through the painstakingly landscaped gardens and wander throughout the mansion to admire the artwork and architecture.  
• Embark on a full-day tour to Salamanca, Spain where you’ll take in a tremendous flamenco show during lunch. Your tour continues to the “New” Cathedral (finished in 1733) and the House of Shells with its library and open-air courtyard.  

Douro River cruises with Viking River Cruises are filling up fast. To ensure a beautiful cruise into the heart of Portugal, be sure to book your cruise today with the expert consultants at The Cruise Web.

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Douro’s Valleys & Vineyards

• From £4,845
• 6 Guided Tours
• 2 Countries
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Douro’s Valleys & Vineyards Map

Enjoy rich beauty & history

Journey through the Douro River valley and into the history of fine Portuguese wine. Surrounded by terraced hills, spot some of the area’s quintas, clinging to the slopes. Experience Porto, where you can roam the port warehouses and take in the town’s cultural heritage. Visit Régua, Barca d’Alva and Favaios, home to one of the last traditional bakeries in the Douro Valley. Explore Salamanca, Spain, a UNESCO Site and one of Iberia’s oldest university towns.

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To learn more about each port of call and our included as well as optional excursions, click on the individual days below.

Itinerary and shore excursions are subject to change and may vary by departure.

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One complimentary shore excursion in every port of call

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Here’s what we did on our Portugal River Cruise with Viking

04/02/2024 By Traveling Canucks 29 Comments Categories: Europe Portugal Top Lists Travel Stories Travel Tips Trip Ideas World Heritage Site

Portugal River Cruise in the Douro Valley

We’ve returned from a fun Portugal river cruise and have so many wonderful experiences and photos to share. A European river cruise has been on our travel wish list for years now, so we jumped at the opportunity to partner with Viking River Cruises for this Portugal river cruise .

There are so many European river cruises – why did we choose Portugal?

Well, the simple answer is that we had not visited Portugal before. This is a new country for us. We also want to do something special to celebrate Cameron’s 40th birthday.

After learning about the Douro Valley and it’s famous wine region , a luxurious river cruise in Portugal sounds like the perfect adult-only vacation.

The cruise is called Portugal’s River of Gold . It’s a 10 day river cruise that begins in Lisbon and ends in Porto (learn more here ).

This post shares our experience on the Portugal river cruise, including land excursions.

We break down each day of the tour and provide information about what we did. We took this cruise in May 2018. Times and details may will change for future cruises. Therefore, use this information as a guideline (when in doubt, contact Viking directly).

Watch this short video about our river cruise here .

Day 1 – Lisbon, Portugal

The River of Gold cruise itinerary begins in Lisbon, Portugal’s vibrant coastal capital.

Our flight from Vancouver arrives at Lisbon International Airport at 12:00 PM on Sunday. A representative from Viking waits for us at the airport. She is holding a red Viking sign so we easily identify her.

A private transfer transports us from the airport to our hotel, the Tivoli Avenida Liberdade Lisboa . This transfer is included. No additional payment required.

Although we arrived at the hotel before the standard 3:00 PM check-in time, our room was ready and waiting for us. We were thankful for this because it was a long travel day.

The first day is a free day on the cruise itinerary. This means guests have the opportunity to explore Lisbon at their own pace.

The only organized activity was an optional talk at 6:00 PM that reviewed basic details about the Portugal river cruise itinerary. The hotel has a table in the lobby specifically for Viking River Cruise guests, so there’s someone available to answer your trip related questions.

After a quick nap, we went to the rooftop bar at the hotel. The views from this bar are spectacular. We could have easily spent the entire evening there. However, we only have two nights in Lisbon, so we want to get our and explore the city.

Find out what we did in Lisbon Portugal .

Views from Sky Bar, the rooftop bar at the  Tivoli Avenida Liberdade Lisboa .

Read this post to see more photos of Lisbon .

Day 2 – Lisbon, Portugal

A complimentary breakfast is provided at the hotel. The morning begins with an excursion to see Lisbon’s top tourist attractions.

We depart the hotel at 9:00 AM sharp. We quickly learn that the wheels on the bus start moving at the specified time. Punctuality is very important.

The Lisbon city tour is a guided tour.

Guests on the Portugal river cruise are split into 3 separate coaches. There are about 25-30 people per coach. 

Guests are provided a  QuietVox  audio system so that you can hear what the guide is saying. Our guide was very knowledgeable and shared interesting stories about Portugal’s history and culture.

First stop is the magnificent Belém Tower (above photo).

We spent about 30 minutes at Belém. We did not go inside the tower, we took photos of the outside only.

Belém Tower is arguably the most important tourist attraction in Lisbon. We did not actually go inside this 16th century tower but we were able to marvel at its unique  Manueline architecture .

Navy Museum and Jerónimos Monastery

After Belém Tower we visited the nearby Navy Museum and Jerónimos Monastery, a  UNESCO World Heritage Site . It’s quite an impressive building (see above photo).

The Portuguese are very proud of their maritime history and achievements. The  Portuguese Empire  was one of the largest and longest-lived empires in world history, existing for almost six centuries.

The exhibits in the museum include historical paintings, archaeological items and several models of ships used in Portugal since the 15th century. This museum has over 17,000 items!

We spent about an hour at the maritime museum. The first 30 minutes was with our tour guide, the remaining 30 minutes was for us to explore on our own. Give yourself some time to walk down to the impressive Monastery (the domed tower at the far right of the above photo).

The bus departed the museum at 11:30 AM and passed the beautiful Praça do Comércio  (Commerce Square) before arriving at our next destination – the Alfama District.

The Alfama is is the oldest district of Lisbon.

It’s the only part of Lisbon to survive the great 1755 earthquake, so it retains some of its old world charm. Today, this historical district is famous for its labyrinth of narrow medieval streets, small squares and quaint cafes and restaurants.

We toured the Alfama for about 45 minutes. The tour concludes at 1:00 PM.

We have the option to take the coach back to the hotel or get dropped off in the city center.  We opted to stay in the city and spend the afternoon exploring on our own. Find out what we did here .

Related – Lisbon exceeded our expectations. Here’s what we did.

Optional Tour – A Taste of Lisbon

Viking offers optional tours at some of the locations. We decided to join the A Taste of Lisbon tour. The additional cost for this 3.5 hour tour is $69 USD per person.

The coach departed the Tivoli Avenida Liberdade Lisboa at 3:30 PM. We had 12 people on the tour with us.

The food tour stopped at 3 locations and included small samples of local dishes.

The first stop had us sampling Portugal’s most popular pasty – pastel de nada (see photo below). The second stop included steak sandwiches and beer. The final stop included charcuterie with wine pairings. This was the highlight of the Taste of Lisbon tour.

We also visited the  Miradouro de Nossa Senhora do Monte  to check out the amazing views of Lisbon (see photo below).

We arrived back at our hotel at 7:00 PM.

The iconic pastel de nata. An essential food item for first time visitors to Portugal. Very delicious!

Day 3 – Coimbra & Porto

We departed the hotel in Lisbon at 8:00 AM. Guests are required to be packed and ready by 7:00 AM because the luggage needs to be picked up from your room and taken to the coach.

Complimentary breakfast at the hotel is included (buffet style – typical European spread).

We drove for 3 hours before arriving at Coimbra, the country’s former capital and home to the historic University of Coimbra . The coach stopped for a bathroom and coffee break about half way between Lisbon and Coimbra. The coaches are equipped with wifi and bottled water is provided.

University of Coimbra

We arrived in Coimbra at 11:30 AM. We explored the medieval town for about 30 minutes before making our way to the University of Coimbra, one of the  oldest universities in continuous operation  in the world.

A highlight of the university tour is Joanina Library, an 18th century Baroque library that is home to 300,000 ancient books. We could not take photos inside the library.

That said, the photos we did see do not properly capture how incredible this library is. You have to experience it firsthand (there’s good reason why this university is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site).

The tour at the University of Coimbra is about 1.5 hours.

After the tour we had lunch at a nearby restaurant and were treated to a delicious 3-course meal with live traditional music (guitar and singing). The food was very good and the atmosphere was quite festive. We spent about 2 hours at this restaurant.

We got back on the coaches and made our way north to Porto. The final drive was about 2 hours. Most people had a siesta to sleep off the wine from lunch.

We arrived at the Viking river cruise ship in Vila Nova de Gaia (Porto) at 5:00 PM.

Above – street scene in the city of Coimbra.

Joanina Library at the University of Coimbra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site ( see listing ).

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The courtyard inside the historical University of Coimbra. Quite the place!

Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto

Our river cruise vessel, the Viking Osfrid , awaited our arrival at Vila Nova de Gaia, which is the south side of the Douro River (Porto is the on north side). The above photo was captured close to where the Viking ship docks. It’s technically not Porto but it’s close enough.

We boarded the ship and checked into our room. The process was fast and easy. Our luggage was delivered from the coach to our room. We had welcome cocktails at 5:30 PM and at 6:15 PM we were required to participate in a short safety drill. Basically, learn where your life jacket is located and how to use it in the unlikely event of an emergency.

Dinner was served shortly after the safety drill, around 7:00 PM. The captain took us up and down the Douro River on a sunset sail of Porto. After the sunset sail the ship docked at Vila Nova de Gaia for the evening.

We decided to get off the ship and explore Porto for a few hours.

Porto is such a photogenic city!

Related –  30 Photos of Porto that will inspire you to visit

Day 4 – Full day in Porto

The included excursion on Day 4 is called Panoramic Porto . Breakfast is served between 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM. The excursion departs at 8:30 AM sharp.

Similar to the Lisbon city tour , guests on the Portugal river cruise are split into 3 different coaches (the same groups as before).

The  QuietVox  audio system is provided so that we can learn about the places we visit (the devices are located in your stateroom – make sure you charge them every evening because you will use them every day).

First stop on the tour is the  Porto Cathedral , one of the city’s oldest monuments.

It’s located on a hilltop and showcases incredible views of the old red roofed city.

After the cathedral, our group walked to the nearby São Bento Railway Station , famous for its detailed tile murals. There are approximately 20,000 azulejo tiles on the walls that date as far back as 1905.

After the train station we visited Porto’s most popular shopping district and had about an hour of free time. We enjoyed another delicious round of  pastel de nata and coffee (Europeans know how to make great coffee!).

We visited Igreja de Santo Ildefonso (Church of Saint Ildefonso), an eighteenth-century church located near  Batalha Square , before re-joining our group and making our way back to Vila Nova de Gaia.

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. The Sandeman location is a short walk from where the ship is docked in Vila Nova de Gaia.

See more photos of Porto, Portugal

Above – monument in front of Porto Cathedral.

Beautiful tile mural inside São Bento Railway Station, Porto.

The Church of Saint Ildefonso. Notice the detailed tile art on the outside of the church.

Inside the Sandeman cave, home to hundreds of barrels of port wine. It smells so good in here!

Exploring Porto, Portugal

We arrived back to the Viking Osfrid for lunch. Guests can join a few different optional tours at this time. Or, you can take a shuttle back to Porto’s main shopping district.

We chose the shuttle back to Porto and spent the afternoon exploring Porto at our own pace.

Our self-guided walking tour began at the infamous Dom Luís I Bridge, where we took hundreds of photos of this incredible city (more on that here ).

We wandered around the city for about 3 hours and made our way back to the ship by 6:00 PM. The city is quite hilly, so we definitely got our exercise. We enjoyed dinner on the boat at 7:00 PM.

Views of Porto from the top of the Dom Luís I Bridge, an iron bridge built in 1886. One of the key people involved in its design was  Gustave Eiffel , the same man who designed the world-famous  Eiffel Tower .

Day 5 – Régua, Mateus Palace and Pinhão

We began the Portugal river cruise up the Douro River on Day 5, passing several towns and villages along the way. The ship departed from Porto at 7:00 AM. We woke up slowly that morning and watched the world slowly pass us by from the comfort of our bed.

We made our way to breakfast around 8:30 AM and finished just in time to witness the ship pass through the first river lock on the Douro River. It’s a very interesting procedure.

These river boats were built for the tight locks on the Douro River. Our captain carefully guided the Viking Osfrid into the narrow lock with only a few inches to spare on each side.

We spent the rest of the morning enjoying coffee on the sundeck of the ship, soaking up the unique landscapes as we sailed up the Douro. Lunch was served at 12:30 PM.

We arrived at the town of Régua at 2:30 PM. The included excursion departed shortly after we arrived, at 2:45 PM. We were a little behind schedule because there was a delay at one of the river locks.

WATCH – Video from our Douro Valley River Cruise

Mateus Palace in Vila Real, Portugal

First stop on the excursion is to Mateus Palace , a beautiful baroque palace located in Vila Real. The drive from Régua to the palace took about an hour. We had a 30 minute guided tour followed by 30 minutes of free time to explore the beautiful gardens and chapel.

After Mateus Palace we boarded the coach and made our way to Quinta do Seixo , located in the Upper-Corgo in the heart of the Douro Demarcated Region . This region is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (read the listing here ) because wine has been produced in the Alto Douro region for 2,000 years.

If you’ve been counting, that’s 4 different UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 4 straight days! 

The drive up the hill to the Sandeman winery is a little harrowing. The tight switchbacks put our driver to the test, but he was up for the challenge. If you don’t like heights, you may not want to look out the window during this part of the tour.

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.

The terraces reminded us of the ancient terraces of Banaue in the Philippines .

Régua to Pinhão

For those who decided to skip the excursion to Mateus Palace and Quinta do Seixo, they stayed on the ship as it sailed from  Régua  to Pinhão . The coaches met up with the ship in Pinhão at around 6:45 PM.

Our coach actually passed the ship while it sailed up river. The above photo was captured from the window seat of the coach. That is our ship, the Viking Osfrid.

Dinner was served at 7:30 PM. That evening, we enjoyed local dishes and the ship’s staff were dressed in traditional Portuguese outfits. Performers came aboard the ship and played live music while we ate. It was a very festive evening.

The ship docks in Pinhão for the night. We had the opportunity to explore the town in the evening but we were too full from dinner. We decided to enjoy some local wine on the sundeck instead. It was a fun day.

Above – ship docked in the town of Pinhão, located in the district of  Vila Real .

Sailing up the calm Douro River. Views from the sundeck of the Viking Osfrid.

The variety of landscapes was unexpected. One minute we’re surround by wineries, the next minute we are sailing within a few meters of jagged rocks and steep canyons.

Panoramic views from Quinta do Seixo, home to the Sandeman brand of port.

Our big coach carefully made its way up these steep, windy roads.

Day 6 – Barca d’Alva and Castelo Rodrigo

The ship casts off from Pinhão at 7:15 AM. Like the previous morning, we take our time and enjoy the passing countryside from the window of our upper level stateroom.

We ate breakfast at 8:00 AM and made our way to the sundeck. The weather did not cooperate that day. It rained for most of the morning.

We arrived at Barca d’Alva at 2:15 PM and joined the included excursion that departed at 2:30 PM. We boarded the coach and made our way to the historical village of Castelo Rodrigo , a tiny medieval fortress town that retains its old world charm. The hilltop village is still home to about 60 people.

We had about 1.5 hours to explore the village, palace ruin and church of Castelo Rodrigo. The guided walking tour takes about 30 minutes. It’s not very big, so you can explore the village on your own.

We arrived back at the ship at around 5:00 PM. That evening we were treated to a cocktail party with a variety of colourful drinks to choose from. We ate dinner at 7:30 PM and went for a walk around Barca d’Alva afterwards. The town is quite small and there’s not a lot to do.

The ship docked at Barca d’Alva for two consecutive nights.

Admiring the palace ruins at Castelo Rodrigo.

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Steep slope in the medieval village of Castelo Rodrigo.

Sampling a glass sparkling white wine that’s manufactured in the region. It tasted like sweet almonds. We’re not sure if the white wine was mixed with the almond flavour? It was an interesting combination. We’ve never tasted anything like it before. It was a little too sweet for our liking.

Our coach stopped at this lookout point so that we could capture photos of these beautiful landscapes. You can see the Douro River in the far distance. That’s where the ship was docked while we toured the region.

Day 7 – Salamanca, Spain

This was the longest and one of the most memorable days on the cruise itinerary..

After an early breakfast on the ship, we boarded our coach at 8:45 AM and began a two hour drive to Salamanca, known for its ornate sandstone architecture and the Universidad de Salamanca  (founded in 1134). 

The Old City of Salamanca has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We arrived in Salamanca at 11:00 AM. We stopped for a coffee break about half way on the drive from Barca d’Alva to Salamanca.

The guided tour begins at Salamanca Central Market. We sample a variety of cured meats fresh cheese, olives and wine. It’s a nice start to the afternoon.

We then walk to the magnificent Plaza Mayor, considered the heart of Salamanca. It’s said to be one of the most beautiful plazas in Spain . We agree with this recognition.

Guests are given free time to explore Salamanca.

You may re-join the group for a guided walking tour at 2:00 PM or choose to discover Salamanca at your own pace.

We decide to enjoy a bottle of red wine and tapas at Plaza Mayor. It’s the perfect place to people watch and soak up the atmosphere.

We visited Salamanca during graduation season and there seemed to be a lot of bachelor and bachelorette parties (we counted at least 10 different groups that were dressed up and ready to party).

If you travel to Salamanca, you must visit the incredible New Cathedral of Salamanca , built between the 16th and 18th centuries in both Gothic and Baroque styles. It’s one of the most impressive Cathedral’s we’ve visited. It is joined together with the  Old Cathedral  that dates back to the 12th century.

The coach departs Salamanca at 4:00 PM and arrives back at the ship at 6:00 PM. The ship remains docked in the town of Barca d’Alva for a second night.

Related – Why you should add Salamanca to your travel list

Outside Salamanca Cathedral. It’s so big that we couldn’t fit it all in the frame!

Inside Salamanca Cathedral. Nicole is dwarfed by the towering columns. This church is huge!

The stunning architecture and detailed ceiling in Salamanca Cathedral.

Random sighting at Plaza Mayor. This girl was dressed up in a fat suit for her bachelorette party – we believe. Salamanca is clearly a university party town.

See more photos of Salamanca here .

Can you spot Nicole in the above photo? Hint – she’s looking left.

Enjoying tapas and red wine in Plaza Mayor.

Above – endless rows of Jamón Ibérico, Spain’s celebrated cured ham. 

Day 8 – Favaios and the Douro Valley

The Viking Osfrid departs Barca d’Alva early, around 6:15 AM.

We arrived at Pocinho  at 9:00 AM and disembarked the ship to join the included excursion to the historical town of  Favaios , a village with a population of about 1,500 people that is known for one thing – its wine, 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.

The first activity in Favaios was a visit to one of the last traditional bakeries in the Douro Valley. We sampled some fresh bread and learned how it’s made. Nicole tried kneading the dough but her bread did not make the cut. The baker was not impressed with her bread making abilities.

VIDEO: 15 Reasons you should visit Portugal’s River of Gold

After the bakery, we visited the local museum and learned about the region’s wine making process. The region is famous for its Moscatel de Favaios.

We then made our way to the Favaios co-operative, where the region’s wine makers work together to produce Moscatel de Favaios .

Of course, we also had a wine tasting.

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.

The owner is quite a character. He kept everyone laughing throughout lunch. We spent about 2 hours at Quinta da Avessada .

The coach travels through the Douro Valley on its way back to the ship.

The landscapes in the demarcated wine region are stunning. The never-ending terraces stretch for miles and miles – see the above photo.

We arrived at Folgosa at 3:30 PM and boarded the cruise ship.

It sails for about two hours before arriving at Regua, our final destination for the day.

We attended the Captain’s Cocktail Party at 6:00 PM before dinner was served at 7:00 PM. Because the ship is docked in Régua for the night, we decided to disembark the ship after dinner to explore the town.

When we return, we are treated to a special performance of Portuguese Folk Music by a local group called the Tuna Folk Show .

Nicole learning to make traditional Portugese bread in Favaios.

Church in the town of Favaios, Portugal.

Felicidades!

Inside the impressive Favaios   Adega Cooperativa  wine making facility.

Enjoying the region’s famous Moscatel de Favaios, similar to port wine.

Our host at Quinta da Avessada gave us a warm welcome and kept us entertained.

Day 9 – Régua and Lamego

We disembarked the ship in Régua at 9:00 AM and joined the included excursion to Lamego . The drive is 30 minutes. The tour is only 3 hours.

The clear highlight in Lamego is the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Remedies , a stunning 18th-century Baroque and Rococo sanctuary that sits on a hilltop with 686 stairs in front of it (see above photo).

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. That’s what we did.

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 spent about 30 minutes inside the museum.

We returned to the ship at 12:00 PM for lunch. The cruise ship departs from Regua and makes its way down the Douro River to Porto, the final stop on this Portugal river cruise.

We arrived at Vila Nova de Gaia at 8:00 PM on the Monday.

The 686 stairs in front of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Remedies.

The beautiful Lamego Cathedral (Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral).

Admiring the exquisite rugs hanging on the wall inside Museu de Lamego .

Douro River Locks

The Viking Osfrid went through five different river locks while on this Portugal river cruise. This was the first time we passed through locks of this size. They are huge!

The lock at Carrapatelo Dam rises up 115 feet (35 meters) and the lock at Valeira Dam rises 109 feet (33 meters).

We were told that these are some of the tallest river locks in Europe.

We have a few time lapse videos that we will post on our Facebook page soon. It’s a very interesting experience. We made sure to be on the sundeck every time we passed though one of these impressive river locks on the Douro River.

Approaching the Valeira Dam

The river lock is located on the right side of Valeira Dam, in that big concrete box with the black door that resembles a garage door.

The ship approaches the lock and the door opens. It then enters the lock compartment and the doors close. The lock fills with water and this lifts the ship. Once it reaches the top, the opposite side door opens and the ship departs at the higher level (or lower lever if the ship is going down).

Above – inside the river lock. Views from the sundeck of the Viking Osfrid.

View of the Douro River from the top of Valeira Dam. It’s a long way up (and down)!

Day 10 – Porto and Disembarkation

The portugal river cruise concludes in the city of porto..

Most of the guests disembarked the ship early in the morning and went straight to the airport. You can enjoy breakfast one last time on the ship. Viking asks guests to vacate the room by 9:00 AM so they can prepare the ship for the next cruise.

We decided to stay one extra night in Porto.

This was the right call for us. Otherwise, we would have had to disembark the ship at 4:00 AM to catch our 7:30 AM flight home.

Porto is such a cool city. We could have easily spent a few more nights there.

We disembarked the ship at 9:30 AM and took a taxi to the hotel. Our accommodations were booked separately. Because we were early, we left our luggage at the hotel and spend the afternoon exploring the city.

On our final evening in Porto, we dined at a restaurant on the riverfront promenade. The Viking Osfrid was docked across the river at Vila Nova de Gaia. We watched guests taking photos on the sundeck, just as we did 7 days earlier. It was a moment of envy and nostalgia as the ship set off for its sunset sail up the river (see photo below).

We knew exactly what those guests were about to experience as they began their unforgettable Portugal river cruise up the Douro Valley.

Above – the Viking Osfrid sets sail up the Douro River.

What did we think of this Portugal River Cruise?

We thoroughly enjoyed our Viking River Cruise. In our opinion, we believe everyone should experience the luxury and simplicity of a European river cruise, at least once in their life.

We look forward to discovering new destinations with Viking River Cruises. Their service and attention to detail is top notch. We would recommend the Portugal’s River of Gold  cruise. It exceeded our expectations.

With that said, we must disclose that we teamed up with Viking River Cruises in order to make this trip possible. Our cruise was complimentary. We agreed to share our honest, firsthand experience on this blog and social media channels. 

Are you considering a Portugal river cruise?

Leave us a comment if you have any questions about this Portugal river cruise.

Related:  Lisbon totally exceeded our expectations! Find out why.

Related posts:.

06/21/2018 at 6:20 am

Portugal is one of the best places to check out in Europe.

08/16/2018 at 8:17 am

We agree! Would love to explore the south too.

06/25/2018 at 10:52 am

This all looks so amazing. Portugal has been #1 on my wish list for quite some time, and as a wine lover here in California, I’d love to spend some time getting to know Portugal’s wine country. It seems like Viking River Cruises are the perfect way to experience it! I’m sure that it was a nice, relaxed way to travel as a couple, too.

08/16/2018 at 8:19 am

It was so nice and a really great way to experience the countryside. We would highly recommend doing it on a river cruise we Viking.

08/23/2018 at 10:42 am

I have been dithering about taking this cruise, but since I’ve read your fabulous article, I’m ready to pick up the phone and book it! We loved our first Viking cruise – the Grand European Tour — so I’m sure we’ll love this one too! Thanks so much for your photos and excellent reports!

08/23/2018 at 11:25 am

Thank you for this review, we do this cruise on the Hemming in October 2018. Reading such a detailed review is like getting spoilers for TV shows. Some folk don’t want to know till it happens. But to know, in such detail, means a lot to my wife and I because it means we have the information to plan our trips. We know what’s what everywhere. So valuable.

We were spoilt with our first Viking Cruise on the Rhine, and still consider this the best one. But, who knows, maybe the Douro will outshine it! Viking deservedly regularly gets Best River Cruise company awards and their service makes a cruise as much as the cruising!

08/26/2018 at 2:19 pm

since you spent the extra night in Porto, how did you transfer to the airport which I assume was Lisbon?

08/27/2018 at 7:44 am

We departed from Porto Airport. We caught a taxi the following morning from our hotel. It’s about a 30 minute drive from Porto to the airport.

02/02/2019 at 11:08 am

Am I correct that the “Taste of Lisbon” was the only Optional Tour that you took?

If not, what others did you take and did you like them?

Or what reports of other optional tours did you hear from other passengers?

02/03/2019 at 11:18 am

Hi John – we did the Taste of Lisbon tour, but we did not enjoy it. When we did the tour, we visited 3 locations and the food was disappointing. We shared our feedback with the tour guide, so maybe it will be different in the future. We did not take any of the other optional tours. The included tours were very good, so we did not feel the need to do the optional ones.

02/15/2019 at 12:51 pm

Thank you for an amazing day by day experience with Vikings Duoro river cruise. We are taking the cruise with Vikings late November 2020 – it’s going to be sweater wrather, but hope for Mother Nature’s good weather mood. We are taking the post trip on the road to Santiago and hope someone can also share this experience with us. Thank you.

03/03/2019 at 1:36 pm

You’ll have a great time! Unfortunately we didn’t do the post trip, but we have no doubt that you’ll love it! Come back and tell us what you think.

06/27/2019 at 10:26 am

Any tips for traveling with fractured ankle? I fractured my ankle 10 days ago and our Portugal cruise is in 10 days?

02/17/2019 at 7:25 am

Thank you for this exceedingly helpful guide. We went with Viking last year on a Danube cruise and thoroughly enjoyed it. Our only niggle was the we would have liked the boat’s itinerary to have been more easily found – ie if we sign up on an excursion will the boat be repositioning. We wanted to be able to make an informed decision on whether to coach or stick with the river. Of course, the movement of the boat does depend very much on the river levels (especially on the Rhine and Danube) but a little more transparency would be good.

We have already booked this Portugal cruise for later in the year so I was starting a little pre-tour googling and happened on your site. Wonderful!

03/03/2019 at 1:38 pm

Hi Caroline,

Thanks for your comment. We found this too! We weren’t sure how long we would be cruising etc. So, we hope this post helped you. Come back and let us know what you thought of Portugal!

02/24/2019 at 5:33 pm

Did you find the long bus rides from the ship interesting in themselves or did you feel the bus rides were too long? We took Rhine cruise Basel to amsterdam an enjoyed. How would you compare Yangtze river cruise to portugal with regard to time on buses?

03/03/2019 at 1:51 pm

We hope to do the Yangtze sometime soon, but unfortunately we can’t compare it. A few of the bus rides were longer, especially to Salamanca where it was 2 hours there and 2 hours back. But, that was the longest day. The ride was nice and the buses are comfortable so we sat back and enjoyed the countryside.

04/26/2019 at 9:33 am

Hi. Thank you for this wonderful information. Looking forward to our Viking Douro cruise this coming July, 2019. We have cruised with Viking at least 8 times prior to this one. Booked a few extra excursions, but am thinking of cancelling the one to Historic Guimaraes. Any thoughts? Maybe not so much there as one blogger put it. We are doing the extra Olive Oil grove excursion. Generally, on most of our cruises, we have only procured the included tours. I have made some notes from your post. Thanks again for your input.

04/26/2019 at 1:10 pm

Hi Barbara,

Thanks for reading. We did the included tour in Porto, Panoramic Porto. It was great, and we did enjoy it. Porto is now one of our favourite cities!

You will have time to explore Porto on your own, so there is enough time to visit Historic Guimaraes.

It’s a tough call because we enjoyed our time in Porto so much, that I’m not sure we would have wanted to spend a lot of time elsewhere. However, the places we did go on the included tour could easily be visited by yourself after you get back. And you do have a fair bit of time in Porto.

It’s hard because we didn’t see Historic Guimaraes, so we don’t know what we are missing. If you do decide to go, make sure you visit the places that were on the included tour because they are really impressive.

I hope this helps, a bit at least!

05/18/2019 at 12:43 pm

Hi! So happy I found your description of the Portugal tour. This will be our second cruise with Viking, we did the Grand European in May 2018. The Portugal cruise is a close to my grandparents homeland as I will get. They are both from the Azores. Thank you for all your insight on this beautiful area.

05/28/2019 at 10:32 am

We would love to take the Portugal pot of gold cruise however I am concerned that I might not be able to keep up on the tours as I have MS and it affects my talking. I can walk but not continuously for more than 30 minutes at a stretch before I would need to rest. Also a lot of stairs and hills are very challenging. Appreciate your thoughts on whether this cruise would be okay for someone who has mobility challenges.

06/18/2019 at 2:21 pm

I am interested in knowing the name of the hotel you booked in Porto at the end of the cruise. Also any comments on the Road to Santiago tour offered by Viking would be helpful. Loved your blog.

06/19/2019 at 8:51 am

I don’t recall the name of the hotel – I would not recommend it. The front desk was very rude and unhelpful. The room was fine, but nothing special.

We did not take the Road to Santiago tour, so I can’t help you with that.

09/13/2019 at 7:27 am

Wow, what a fabulous trip review! We just booked the Portugal cruise yesterday for Christmas week. No sure if the scenery will be as gorgeous as your photos show, but each day sounds really exciting. We have done several river and a couple ocean cruises on Viking and this time will be celebrating our 55th wedding anniversary. Thank the Lord we are still going strong.

11/12/2019 at 12:02 pm

It was interesting and informative to read your travelogue. Thanks for sharing. We are booked in the May 2020 Douro cruise with Viking. We have taken three other Viking cruises in Europe and Asia. We thoroughly enjoyed their hospitality. The River of Gold cruise will involve more coach touring. We hope the rides are picturesque and worth the journeys.

04/29/2022 at 1:58 pm

This is exactly the blog I’ve been looking for – Thank You! My friend and I booked this cruise with our young adult daughters in June 2022. None of us have done a river cruise, and I’m a girl who wants to know what’s coming and be able to plan for our free time. Your review with specifics as to timing and locations is exactly what I needed. We are going to skip a couple city tours and do it on our own so we can prioritize locations and likely visit quite a few more in Lisbon & Porto. We also picked a few optional excursions, but this really helped me to know what to expect. Your pictures are lovely and we are so excited to travel and bond with our favorite people.

10/29/2022 at 10:11 am

I’ve just returned from the Viking Portugal trip. I was on the Torgil. Your post is spot-on! I enjoyed the river cruise and time in Lisbon so much. Just curious, do you use a fancy camera or just an iphone? Your photos and blog are terrific!

10/31/2022 at 11:35 am

I’m glad you enjoyed the trip and found the blog post helpful. Thanks for the kind words about our photos. We use a mirrorless camera and phones, plus a gopro at times.

02/28/2023 at 3:45 am

4 of us are taking the Duro river cruise. Is the Silver Drinking package worth the price given that it is a Port Wine heavy trip. ?

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A very pleasant 8 day experience but really more like a five day cruise. The cruise information was incomplete, leaving out interesting opportunities along the way (Port museums and prehistoric rock art,) most particularly an excursion to Salamanca, which turned out to be a highlight for us. The food was good but not as interesting as Portuguese restaurants in Porto or even at home in Canada.

Really appreciated the combination of cruising and hiking, plus excursions for non-hikers so they weren't neglected. Accommodated food needs creatively, although the gluten-free option - while better than previous experience with CroisiEurope - could still be improved. More gluten-free chocolate croissants! Nice selection of evening entertainment. Never a dull moment; but one was able just to sit and read or watch the scenery go by if wanted. Although we choose CroisiEurope partly for the French immersion experience, being paired with other English speakers at meals worked very well. Our American compatriots were grateful to have English-speaking companions, and for us it relieved the intensity that would have been entailed by full French immersion. Thanks for organizing perfect weather! ;-)

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The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Viking cruise ship

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Fast-growing Viking has one of the most diverse arrays of itineraries of any cruise line.

Not only does the California-based company offer ocean cruises in almost every corner of the world, it also offers river cruises on many of the world’s major rivers.

That’s notably different from most cruise lines. Typically, cruise lines operate either ocean cruises or river cruises but not both. That gives them a smaller range of itineraries.

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Viking has a particularly large footprint when it comes to European river itineraries, with a wide range of sailings on nearly every European river of any note, from the Douro in Portugal to (until recently) the Volga in Russia.

The company also operates river trips on the Nile in Egypt and the Mekong in Southeast Asia, and it just began river trips on the Mississippi River .

There are 80 river ships in Viking’s fleet — an astounding number. None of its main competitors among river lines catering to North Americans, which include Avalon Waterways, Uniworld and AmaWaterways , have anywhere near that number of vessels.

Related: First look at Viking’s stylish new Nile River ship

Among ocean cruise destinations, Viking has a major presence in Scandinavia and Northern Europe, which it considers its home turf. (The company was founded by a Norwegian family.) However, you’ll find Viking’s nine traditional ocean ships everywhere from North America to Asia and Australia.

Last year, the line began cruising to Antarctica with its first expedition ship — a type of vessel built specifically for travel to remote, hard-to-reach places. Viking now has two such vessels.

Among the line’s voyages, there’s everything from eight-day cruises in the Mediterranean to 138-day around-the-world voyages.

Overwhelmed with choices? Here are the five best Viking cruise destinations where the line can truly offer you a memorable vacation.

Scandinavia and Northern Europe

Some of Viking’s most interesting itineraries are around Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea, with many beginning or ending in Norway — the homeland of the company’s founder and chairman, Torstein Hagen.

As Hagen once told me, Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea are what the company considers “Viking country” — a region where it wants to dominate.

During summers, in particular, Viking devotes an unusually large number of its ships to itineraries around Scandinavia, the Baltic Sea and other Northern Europe destinations such as Iceland. Many, notably, use the relatively small but famously scenic Norwegian city of Bergen (population 286,000) as a gateway, something no other line is doing. That allows for unusual variations on the typical Baltic Sea or Norwegian fjords cruise.

The line’s most popular route in the region, “Viking Homelands,” is a two-week-long, one-way trip between Bergen and Stockholm that combines several days of exploring the fjord region of Norway’s west coast with more-typical Baltic cruise destinations such as St. Petersburg, Russia, and Helsinki.

Related: The ultimate guide to Viking ships and itineraries

Note that, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Viking has pulled the St. Petersburg stop, as well as stops in Finland and Estonia from the Viking Homelands itinerary; the trips instead feature extra stops in Norway and Denmark. It’s unlikely St. Petersburg will return to the itinerary until the war in Ukraine is resolved.

Viking also offers a 14-night itinerary that includes several stops in the northernmost part of the country above the Arctic Circle. Dubbed “Into the Midnight Sun,” the one-way route between Bergen and London is unique because it combines calls in far-north Honningsvag and Tromso, Norway, with visits to Scotland’s remote Shetland Islands and the Orkney Islands. Though part of the United Kingdom, these archipelagos have ties to Norwegian and Viking history.

Itineraries that will take you from Bergen to Iceland or even as far away as France, Portugal and Spain also are available.

Viking’s Scandinavia and Northern Europe trips range widely in length from just seven nights to a whopping 28 nights.

Among the longest sailings that Viking offers that include calls in Northern Europe are one-way, 28-night voyages between Bergen and New York City. The trips include stops in Norway, Iceland, Greenland and Canada.

In Northern Europe, Viking ships mostly sail out of Bergen, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Copenhagen and London as well as Reykjavik.

The Mediterranean

Viking has grown into a major player in Mediterranean sailings, with more than 30 distinct itineraries that include stops in the region.

The trips include voyages focused specifically on the Western Mediterranean or Eastern Mediterranean and some that include stops across both areas.

Typical of the latter is the line’s 14-night “Mediterranean Antiquities” routing, a one-way trip between Athens and Barcelona that stops in Greece, Turkey, Italy, Monaco, France and Spain.

More-focused Mediterranean itineraries include the line’s nine-night “Empires of the Mediterranean” voyages between Venice and Athens, which mostly concentrate on stops along the eastern side of the Adriatic Sea in Slovenia, Croatia and Montenegro.

In the Mediterranean, the line’s main hubs are Barcelona; Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) and Venice, Italy; Piraeus (the port for Athens), Greece; and Istanbul.

Related: The complete guide to Viking cabins and suites  

Europe riverways

Viking is, quite simply, the giant of river cruising in Europe — at least among lines that cater to English speakers. The company operates around 70 river ships on a broad swath of the continent’s rivers — far more than any other river line catering to North Americans.

In all, the line accounts for about half of all river cruises taken by North Americans in the region. The next biggest player in Europe river cruises for North Americans, AmaWaterways, is less than half the size.

Among the rivers in Europe where Viking has a major presence are the Rhine, Main and Danube in Central Europe; the Seine, Rhone, Dordogne, Garonne and Gironde in France; the Douro in Portugal; and the Moselle and Elbe in Germany. Until recently, Viking also offered cruises on the Dnieper River in Ukraine. The voyages have been suspended since Russia invaded the country in early 2022.

On nearly all of the rivers, the line offers multiple itineraries with lengths ranging from seven nights to as many as 22 nights.

Among 10 different itineraries on the Rhine River alone, offerings range from a seven-night “Rhine Getaway” from Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland, to a 22-night “European Sojourn” from Amsterdam to Bucharest, Romania. The latter adds travel on the Main and Danube rivers to days on the Rhine.

Viking offers some of the most intimate and elegant cruises on the Nile, with three ships including the recently unveiled, 82-passenger Viking Osiris — one of our favorite vessels on the river.

All three of Viking’s Nile ships operate the same seven-night Nile cruise itinerary that Viking pairs with a four-night stay at a hotel in Cairo (three nights before the cruise and one night after) to create an 11-night “Pharaohs and Pyramids” tour of Egypt.

Related: The ultimate guide to Viking’s loyalty program

The cruise portion of the tour includes visits to the historic temples of Luxor, Karnak, Esna, Dendera and Abu Simbel as well as a visit to the iconic Valley of the Kings. The stay in Cairo brings a visit to the pyramids of Giza, the Egyptian Museum and other sites.

Viking Osiris is the first of four sister ships that Viking plans to launch on the Nile by 2025 as it doubles its footprint in Egypt. The vessels offer a clean-lined, Scandinavian-influenced design that mimics the look of Viking’s Europe-based vessels.

Notably, the ship features an entire deck of sprawling suites that rival anything else found on the Nile for luxury and comfort. Each comes with two full-size rooms — a large living room with a residential feel and an adjacent bedroom with a walk-in closet and bathroom. Each suite also has an outdoor balcony with seating for two — something you don’t always see on Nile ships.

Viking is a newcomer to cruises to Antarctica, but the destination is a big growth area for the line. Viking recently added two new, 378-passenger expedition cruise vessels specifically built to travel to the White Continent.

Dubbed Viking Octantis, the first of these vessels began sailings to Antarctica in February 2022. The second ship in the series, Viking Polaris, has just joined its sister in Antarctica this year. Together, the two ships are already making waves in the market for Antarctica cruises, in part because they have several new and unusual features.

Most notable is The Hangar, an enclosed marina that allows passengers to transfer to two of each ship’s exploratory vessels while still in the protected interior of the ship. A first for an expedition ship, it’s something that is significantly improving the experience for passengers heading out on Antarctica exploration.

Related: The 3 types of Viking ships, explained

In another first for polar expedition cruise vessels, every cabin on both Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris has floor-to-ceiling glass walls that slide partially open from the top to create a balcony-like feel.

Viking offers several Antarctic itineraries, with the typical trip starting with a night at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, before a flight to Ushuaia, Argentina, to board one of the two expedition ships for an 11-night cruise to Antarctica and back. A longer version of the trip features 13 nights on board one of the ships and extra days in Antarctica.

Viking also offers Antarctica sailings that combine a visit to the White Continent with stops in the Falkland Islands, Uruguay and Brazil.

Viking Octantis, notably, also operated Viking’s first sailings around the Great Lakes this year. In 2023, both Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris will spend their summers in the Great Lakes.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

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