 4* grand river cruise from Porto to Spain, including the Douro Valley itineraryDay 1 Porto Fly direct from your chosen airport to Porto. On arrival, transfer to the 4* Infante Don Henrique. After time to settle into your cabin, enjoy a welcome on board cocktail reception, followed by dinner at the vessel’s restaurant. Later on, join our optional evening coach trip to see the mesmerising Porto illuminations. Day 2 Porto After breakfast on board, savour the delights of a morning free in Porto before returning for lunch on board. In the afternoon, don’t miss our optional excursion by coach to Braga, the capital of the Portuguese Minho region and one of the most attractive cities in Portugal, with churches, palaces, fountains and gardens in abundance. A historic centre of religion, Braga stages Portugal’s most impressive Semana Santa (Holy Week), where white-robed, pointy-hooded participants form eerie torchlit processions through the ancient streets of Braga. Return to the ship will be in time for a gala dinner and folk evening. Day 3 Porto - Régua After breakfast, join our optional tour of Porto, a city with an inspired setting on the great gorge of the River Douro. Highlights include great bridges, churches, palaces, squares, Sé Cathedral, and the terrific old riverside district. Part of the excursion takes you to Vila Nova de Gaia and an original Port wine cellar for a tasting session. After lunch on board, we cruise leisurely to Régua along the Douro Valley, passing the locks of Crestuma and Carrapatelo, before arriving in Régua, a town watching serenely over the wide Douro Valley. Perhaps enjoy a dance on board after dinner, or join our optional guided walking tour of Régua, the official centre of the Port-wine-growing region, curled up cosily beneath the Serra do Marão mountains. Day 4 Régua - Barca d’Alva Enjoy a buffet breakfast on board before joining an optional excursion to Vila Real, where we’ll visit Solar de Mateus, a magnificent 16th century manor house with beautiful French gardens, pictured on the label of the famous teardrop-shaped bottle of Mateus Rosé wine. A masterpiece of Baroque architecture, the manor’s pinnacled perfection is best viewed across the ornamental lake. We return to the ship in Pinhão for lunch before cruising through the heart of the Douro Valley to Barca d’Alva, passing hilltop churches, whitewashed houses, beautiful quintas with terraced vineyards, which reach heights of 700 metres and seem to be planted in stairs that lead right down to the river’s edge. We arrive in Barca d’Alva in the late afternoon, with dinner on board and Spanish themed evening with Flamenco. Day 5 Barca d’Alva - Vega de Terrón After breakfast join our optional excursion by coach to the stunning golden sandstone city of Salamanca, taking you through countryside unchanged by the centuries and home to the fighting black bulls of the Corrida, wild boars and Golden Eagles. Salamanca itself was awarded Unesco World Heritage status for the outstanding beauty of its Roman, Arabic and Christian architecture, which includes two cathedrals, a Roman bridge, a famous university and one of Spain’s grandest squares, Plaza Mayor. If it’s hot and you’re feeling parched, Plaza Mayor is the place to enjoy an ice-cold leche helada, a delicious and refreshing almond and vanilla concoction. Return to the ship in Vega de Terrón for dinner and an evening’s entertainment. Day 6 Vega de Terrón - Ferradosa Quay - Pinhão An early morning start takes our vessel past the locks of Pocinho and Valeria to arrive in the small town of Ferradosa Quay after lunch. Join our optional Port wine tasting excursion, as we follow the wine road which runs through the heart of this region, which is also home to the famous nine chapels of São Salvador do Mundo, stopping to sample some fine vintages in charming wine-making quintas, or estates. Return to the ship in Pinhão, a spectacularly located little town at the confluence of the Douro and Pinhão rivers. Before dinner and a gala evening on board, perhaps take a stroll to the town’s old railway station to admire its breathtaking azulejos (tiles), which depict an idyllic life beside the river. Day 7 Pinhão - Porto After breakfast, join the coach for an optional guided visit to the town of Lamego. Admire its central square lined by elegant 17th-century buildings, visit the famous shrine of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, a church with a reputation for miracles that attracts pilgrims from all over the country. We’ll also visit the leading medieval sites including the hilltop Castelo, the Old Citadel and the cathedral built in 1129 for Portugal’s first king, Afonso Henrîques. Return to the ship in Régua and enjoy lunch while the vessel sails to Porto, arriving in the evening. Day 8 Porto After breakfast on board join the coach for the transfer to Porto and the return flight to the UK. 
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