Tour
Porto and the Douro, even the first sight is unique and forms the perfect starting point for this bike trip. The picturesque shore line invites you to stroll, the famous bridge spans the river and the port wine cellars on the opposite side complete the cityscape. The nested old town of Porto is dominated by the baroque bishop's palace and the cathedral and beautiful pedestrian streets invite you to stroll. Here you can go on a discovery tour right on the day of arrival and indulge in the special flair of the beautiful city. From many European airports, there are inexpensive direct flights to Porto and the airport is 30 minutes by metro, directly connected to the old town.
Start the day in comfort. A car transfer takes you into the hilly hinterland of the beautiful Douro Valley to the Casa de Mateus estate. Marvel at this baroque gem with its romantic garden and fine wine cellar. If you wish, you can visit the estate before getting on the saddle. Cycle along small roads through the magnificent wine landscape and enjoy fantastic views of the Douro on a long descent. You then cycle past the pretty Quinta de la Rosa winery, which invites you to take a break on its sun terrace, to Pinhão, the tourist center of the wine-growing region.
In the morning, you cycle through vineyards and olive groves with panoramic views up to Favaios, whose historic village center is completely listed. Visit the pretty “Pão e Vinho” (bread and wine) museum and enjoy a glass of “Moscatel do Douro”, which is only grown here, on the panoramic terrace. Finally, you roll downhill through the vineyards to the small village of Casal de Loivos. Here you can visit the family-owned historic oil mill and taste the local wines before cycling the last 4 km downhill back to Pinhão.
Today is a day of strolling between Pinhão and Peso da Régua. Wine has been grown here for 2000 years and the area has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001! The flat cycle route on the panoramic road always runs directly along the riverbank and offers refreshment stops with stylish panoramic terraces. In Peso da Régua, be sure to visit the modern “Museo do Douro”, where everything to do with port wine, its history, cultivation and transportation is clearly explained and, at the end, a glass of port wine with a wonderful view of the river is served on the museum terrace. You can then round off the evening in one of the modern wine bars in the town.
Today you cycle slowly but steadily uphill to Lamego, which is considered the cultural capital of the region. The city experienced a heyday in the 18th century, when a “fine wine” was produced here, which is considered the forerunner of the famous port wine. Marvel at the Gothic cathedral and the rococo chapel with its 613-step double staircase. After a leisurely descent, the Douro comes into view again. If you want to spend more time in Lamego, you can shorten today's stage to 33 km.
You will spend another day among the vines in the Douro Valley. Cycle from one hill to the next through terraced vineyards to what is probably the most beautiful viewpoint in the Douro Valley, São Leonardo da Galafura at 640 m above sea level. Enjoy the fantastic view of the Douro Valley and far into the Marão Mountains from up here. After a well-earned break, cycle down to the Douro on a small panoramic road and follow the river on a varied side road back to Peso da Régua.
In the morning, you will travel in comfort by transfer bus to Lixa on the Douro, where you will then set off on your bikes. Look forward to a wonderful cycle tour along the Douro and a fantastic ride into the city of Porto. Take a break in one of the many port wine cellars in Porto and take part in an interesting guided tour through the huge cellars - a real experience and the crowning glory of this varied trip in the Douro Valley. End the evening in a pleasant atmosphere on the riverbank in a nice restaurant and enjoy the fine port wine one last time.
By bike and with possible visits and tastings, you have now gotten to know the UNESCO World Heritage Douro Valley and certainly learned to love it! You will have fond memories of this unique cultural landscape in Europe for a long time to come!
map
Prices / Dates
Services / Info
- Accommodation incl. breakfast
- Room with shower/bath/WC
- Luggage transport
- Personal tour information
- Shuttle from your hotel in Porto to the personal welcome and information meeting
- Transfer Porto - Mateus (day 2)
- Transfer Régua - Lixa (day 7)
- Shuttle from the bike drop off to your hotel in Porto (day 7)
- Travel documents incl. maps
- Touristic information
- 7 days hotline service
Please find more information about the bike trip "Douro Valley - UNESCO World Heritage". If you have any further questions feel free to contact us by phone: 0049 - (0)6421 - 886890.
Accomodations
You spend the night in Porto at the beginning and at the end of the journey, so you can plan your arrival and departure very comfortably. In between you stay three nights in Peso da Regua and two nights in Pinhao. From there you start your bike tours without the hassle of packing bags!
Arrival by plane
Porto can be reached from many German and European airports. From the airport in Porto you will reach downtown Porto by metro (journey time approx. 30 minutes):
Condition of cycle paths
You will cycle on paved roads, bike paths or small roads. The landscape along the Douro is hilly and characterized by the vineyards. Here are many small, partly single-lane side roads without disturbing traffic. Only on some parts of the route you will cycle on expanded country roads through this sparsely populated region. During three tours you have to manage a climb of several kilometers from the river bank to the heights of the vineyards, but with a moderate increase. These climbs are in the morning at the beginning of each day. Once you have reached the height, the further stage is only slightly wavy and leads you downhill to the riverside. From Peso da Regua to Pinhao you will cycle along the river without a climb to the top. Altogether the stages are hilly but not to long and therefore feasible for many enthusiastic cyclists. If you are uncertain on the demands, you can choose an E-bike as well.
Available rental bikes
We provide hybrid bikes (females/men's) and electric bikes (unisex) with freewheel and different frame sizes. The bikes are equiped with a pannier and a lock.
Your contact person at location
In Porto we offer a reliable all-round service as well. Our english- and german- speaking, born in Porto, local partner is available daily. He welcomes you when you arrival, takes care of the rental bikes, knows all routes personally and helps if necessary, with insider tips and everyday information.
Navigation with your mobile phone
It is not difficult to find the routes on this trip, as there are not many roads in the Douro valley that could lead to confusion. Therefore our tour book with maps and directions is sufficient to get to the destination without detours.
However we can send you GPS files free of charge by email. You can save all day tours on your mobile phone to follow them easily.
On request, we will also provide a GPS device with the files on site for a rental fee. GPS device is subject to availabilty, so please contact Velociped at least 1 week before your journey starts.
A short video for handling can be found here tutorial.
Travel times
Starting in March, daytime temperatures are well suited for cycling and from April on you can expect balmy evenings. From May on is high season and in June shady areas are already sought. During summer it is hot in the Douro valley, because the cooling effect of the Atlantic Ocean does not reach the interior. Only in September the temperatures are comfortable again for cyclists and October is a good month for a bike trip through Douro Valley.
Extra costs which are not inculded in the price
The ferry ride in Porto on day 7 costs approx. 3.00 EUR and has to be paid locally. Any tourist tax and charging fees for bicycle batteries are not included in the tour price and must therefore be paid at the hotel.
7 days hotline service
Just in case the bike chain is broken, flooding makes it impossible to continue your tour or any other nasty surprise: you can reach us seven days a week and we will do anything to help you as fast as possible.
Passport and visa requirements
For EU citizens, there are no special passport or visa requirements and no health formalities to be considered for this trip.
Travel insurance
The tour price already includes the statutory insolvency insurance. In addition, we recommend that you take out travel cancellation insurance upon receipt of your travel confirmation in order to protect yourself against financial disadvantages in the event of travel cancellation, interruption of travel, illness or accident.
I provide you with advice and assistance
Siri Nuphim