Cycling Portugal's Douro Wine Valley

A Bike Tour along the River Douro & Port Wine Region
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Miranda do Douro To Porto

7 Days − Self Guided

3 & 4 Star Hotels & Country Inns

From

€ 1650

Cycle one of Portugal’s most emblematic regions, the Douro Valley.

This Portuguese bike tour takes in an area in Europe renown for its wine making and Port Wine, which has carved this landscape into the photogenic stepped hillsides, alive with green vines. It is considered a UNESCO World Heritage area, as the oldest controlled wine making demarcation in the world and it has had a huge influence on the peoples and thus their culture here. The winding Douro, a river which is the source of life essence to these vines, giving the soil a richness to grow, is your companion on this bike trip as are the mighty gorges, forests, vines, olive and almond trees you pass by.

Stay in local places, all giving you an idea of the traditional customs, products, and history of the area including a special family run Quinta (wine making estate) and an olive oil press. Two meals are included in this bike tour, to really get the essence of this remarkable area.

You will relish cycling the river gorge landscape and as well, spotting the bird life of this area is diverse with kingfishers to Golden eagles.
And of course, you will enjoy trying the local produce, both the very finest wines and of course, Port Wine, a delectable way to finish your cycle ride each day!

Dates

1 Mar 2024 to 30 Nov 2024

1 Mar 2025 to 30 Nov 2025

%

Riding Level

Moderate with
Longer Hills

60KM Daily Average

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

  • Explore the Douro Wine making Region, a UNESCO world heritage Area
  • Cruise down the Douro river canyon on a local boat
  • Spend the night on a family run Olive oil Estate
  • Pass through typical villages in a terraced landscape
  • Relish traditional local food & natural products like wine & olive oil
  • Discover Peso da Régua, a Capital of Wine at the heart of the Douro wine region

THE CC ADVANTAGE

We’ve have a personal connection to Portugal and absolutely love exploring it on 2 wheels!

Enjoy as we do, the fascinating history and culture of this country that once ruled the world and read up on it in your personal CC guidebook.

Ride this wine region on a comfortable hybrid or an Electric assist bike.

Cycle Tour in the Douro ValleyIt was a super trip and we enjoyed the route, hotels, and of course stunning scenery. The food and wine was such good value and organisation excellent. Thank you.

H. Wilden

Bristol, U.K.

Route Map
itinerary
Day 1. MIRANDA DO DOURO

Portugal's Douro vinesBe welcomed to Portugal at Porto Airport, at 14h00 for your 2.5 hour transfer to Miranda do Douro and get on your way to enjoy this marvellous area of the Douro River and its Port Wine. It is one of high river cliffs, gorges, plateaus and of course stepped vineyards. An important place during the middle ages, Miranda’s fortress and Sé Cathedral are indicative of these times as are the higgledy piggledy little alleyways of the old part of town.  Wander these cobbled streets and take in this special atmosphere.

 


Day 2. MIRANDA DO DOURO TO SENDIM

Moderate Ride: 47 km | Elevation Gain: 311 m | Challenging Ride: 57 km – Elevation Gain: 350 m

Start your cycling trip by biking through the Douro Nature Reserve, which is a quiet landscape of great wildlife both flora and fauna. If you are lucky, you might see some of the really big birds that inhabit this area, such as the Iberian Kite, Golden Eagle or even, Egyptian Vulture!

  • Picnic lunch included today.

See more

Day 3. SENDIM TO TORRE DE MONCORVO

Douro Wine and Bike TourModerate Ride: 39 km | Elevation Gain: 139 m / Challenging Ride: 45 km! Elevation Gain: 153 m

Ecopistas or Rail to Trails, are a growing phenomena here in Portugal and today you get a chance to try one of these former railway lines out! A lovely way to travel on bike, pass through forest and fields, breathing in deeply the fresh air and enjoying this naturaleza. As you come close to the attractive small medieval town of Torre de Moncorvo with its red tile roofs, round plaza and stalwart church, you will enjoy the small olive and almond groves that dot the terrain here.

  • Picnic lunch included today.
  • Shared transfer from accommodation in Sendim to stage start at 8 am.

Day 4. TORRE DE MONCORVO TO VILA FLOR

Regua's Wine MuseumModerate Ride: 29 km | Elevation Gain: 199 m / Challenging Ride: 37 km | Elevation Gain: 297 m

You have a great highlight today, as you set eyes on the River Douro now and all the bird and plant life that comes with it. It is a very nice area of sloping hills and olive trees and is highly photogenic. Tonight, you will enjoy staying on an estate “Quinta” that produces organic olive oil, so of course your meals will feature this home-made product liberally. To really make you feel at home, you will be served dinner here too. The Portuguese are tremendous cooks, who make use of the world around them using local herbs, fruits and vegetables, and so expect a very tasty meal indeed. After dinner take a stroll to really appreciate the tranquillity of this place and the inky black velvet night.


Day 5. VILA FLOR TO SABROSA

The Douro through ReguaModerate Ride: 23 km | Elevation Gain: 51 m / Challenging Ride: 26 km | Elevation Gain: 212 m

You are in the heart of this delicious region of wines and you are spoilt for choice either for Port Wine, or even some lovely red wines. This joyous landscape of terraced vines in their dark green neat lines, contrasting with the pale soil and made by such hard working peoples of the local area, is certainly picturesque. Now a UNESCO World Heritage area, due to its history and the sheer strength of the human transformation of these hillsides, to produce this nectar. A treat today, is when you actually get down to the Douro’s shore, you are able to load your bike onto one of the boats that has travelled this great river for years, the Rabelo boat, really part of the landscape here and float down the river to embark in Pinhão and taken to your 17th Century accommodation for the evening.

Boat cruise and transfer to your accommodation tonight is included

  • Picnic lunch included today.
  • Shared transfers today:
    • From accommodation in Vila Flor to stage start at 8 am
    • Also a Rabelo boat from Tua to Pinhão at 11:45 am
    • At the end, at 3 pm, from Pinhão to your accommodation in Sabrosa

Day 6. SABROSA TO PESO DA RÉGUA

Visit the Wine Museum in ReguaModerate Ride: 32 km | Elevation Gain: 241 m / Challenging Ride: 36 km | Elevation Gain: 270 m

Start out with some quiet back roads which bring you back to the great river’s edge, where you cycle and take in this awesome vista.Arrive in Peso da Régua, which is attractively set on the river and which is the centre of the Port wine-growing region. The air is almost infused with the smell. Take time to amble into town and perhaps visit the very good Museu of Wine and sit in their café, have a glass of wine, and watch the river go by. Go on you deserve it!


Day 7. PESO DA RÉGUA TO PORTO

We are hope you had a wonderful trip and your transfer to Porto airport (included – around 10 am) awaits. If you have time in Porto, read our blog, The Zone, about what to do there.Boa Viagem!

Trip details

Leisure Cycling Tour : Self-Guided – Easy to Moderate

Bikes: Hybrid or Ebike 

Route: Miranda do Douro – Mogadouro – Torre de Moncorvo – Vila Flor – Sabrosa – Peso da Régua – Porto

Group Size: Minimum 2 people

Departures: Saturday Departs (airport transfer at 14h00), Other days upon Request (280€ p.p)

Riding Level

Easy to Moderate: Daily average of 50 km over flat /rolling terrain. The tour is suitable for moderate leisure cyclists of all ages who have a very good level of fitness. Quiet country roads with up-hills and some unpaved trail riding on this tour.

Accommodation

6 nights in 4 Stars Boutique / Inns Hotels | All bedrooms are en-suite

Food

All breakfasts

1 Dinner (Drinks not included)

5 Picnics

Also Included
  • Personal CC guide book TeeShirt & helmet bag
  • Pre-tour information & Travel help
  • Luggage moved on daily
  • Toolkit, first aid kit, puncture repair kit, pump, and spare inner tube and Pre-paid mobile phone
  • GPS loaded with the tracks and a road book with detailed information
  • 5% Off your next tour with us!
Not Included

Good Quality Bike Hire – Specialized Hybrid Bike (or similar) (120€) | CUBE Reaction HPAebike (or similar – ask if a Step Thru ebike needed *please note not available if under 160cm or over 180cm)  (180€)

Meals, wine experiences and cooking experience

Travel Insurance

Personal expenses & any Museum entrances

Other Extras

Olive Oil & Wine Experience featuring 2 visits and tastings: 80€ p.p. Itinerary : ▪ Day 4 – 1 olive oil visit and tasting at an olive oil producer in Vila Flor ▪ Day 6 – 1 wine in a Douro producer in Régua

Special Wine and Dine package with 2 dinners: 140€ p.p. It includes: ▪ Day 5 – Dinner at a typical manor house, three courses menu & wine in Sabrosa / ▪ Day 6 – Special dinner at wine estate, three courses menu & wines in Régua

Portugal Cycling Jersey with iconic Cockerel on it – €65

Transfers

Shared transfers upon arrival, from Porto airport on the first day (at 14h00 ) and back to the airport on last day. Last arrival at airport by 12:30pm

There are also some other transfers on Day 3 & Day 5, described on the itinerary. Please, read them carefully.

Lodgings

On this tour, the hotels are pretty buildings from formidable historic manors to farm houses which have all been carefully restored to maintain their traditional beauty and charm.
Enjoy the quiet movement of village life and the tranquil natural surroundings of the region.
It has a long history due to its port wine industry and the accommodation in the quinta wine estates only adds to that experience.
A wonderful night’s sleep in a wonderful area.

Traditional Quinta hotel in the Douro- Cycling Country Bike Tours
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Reviews

Douro's Wine Region Cycling Tour

Our group of 3 took the week-long Douro Valley self-guided tour in early June and found it to be a wonderful trip. The route was just beautiful, through very rural areas of Portugal, starting in the fairly wild east on the Spanish border, and ending in the midst of cultivated vineyards and olive orchards. The parts on paved roads were not very heavily trafficked and the off-roads were, with one exception, very pleasant. While in a mountainous area, the route avoids the worst climbs by shuttling you at the beginning or end of the ride. This also means that, if there are other people signed up for the same ride, you’ll be with this group for the week. It also meant that we could stay at lodgings that were not directly on the route, so we staying some marvelous quintas out in the countryside. We signed up for two of the optional events (an olive oil tasting and winery tour) and I would recommend both – they were interesting and it gave us a chance to interact with locals more closely. The bikes were in excellent shape and a good choice for this routes that is both on- and off-road. The group that managed logistics was excellent, always friends and on-time.

B.Schall – North Carolina, USA – June 2023

Testimonials from previous cyclists are always available and we enjoy receiving the feedback after tours. It helps us improve our services and offer you an even better experience. Others have also posted reviews on the independent travel website Cycling Country Tour Portugal.

DATES & RATES

PORTUGAL’S DOURO VALLEY

7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS

€1650

SINGLE SUPP. FROM € 290

SATURDAY STARTS

SELECT YOUR DATE AND CHECK AVAILABILITY HERE

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