Cycling in the Douro Valley

Cycling in the Douro Valley

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7 Days
From

$2765

$2689

Cycling in the Douro Valley

7 Days Starting in Castelo Rodrigo and ending in Porto

Visiting: Porto, Castelo Rodrigo, Almeida, Portugal, Escarigo, Casas do Juizo, Penedono, Alto Douro Wine Region (UNESCO), Pinhão

Tour operator:

Exodus

Tour code:

C06DV

Group Type:

Independent

Guide Type:

Self Guided

Physical rating:

Moderate / Challenging

Age range:

14 to 99

Special diets catered:

Please inform Exodus of specific dietary requirements

Tour operated in:
English
Interests:

Cultural, History

From:
$2765
$2689 (USD) The Big ADVENTURE Sale: -$76
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Tour Overview

This cycling holiday in the Douro will acquaint you with fascinating and magical surroundings, delicious cuisine and some of the world's finest wines (including, of course Port Wine, for which the region is famous). The ride begins in Castelo Rodrigo, a medieval village close to where Portugal borders Spain, and home to an ancient castle and arched palace gates. Your cycling heads across the highland plain to the Spanish border and on through historical villages to the River Douro. You'll cycle through uniquely terraced vineyards and take in the typical towns and villages of the region, including Pinhao, where many of the famous Port wine estates are located. The accommodation is all chosen with the greatest care and you'll stay in different types, from delightful rural houses to 3 and 4 star hotels.





Highlights

  • Guided visit and wine tasting (3 wines) at Quinta do Tedo

  • World-class wines of the Douro Valley

  • Delicious cuisine, prepared with local and seasonal produce

  • Cycle terraced vineyards

  • Unique, handpicked accommodation

Itinerary

Expand All
Day 1 : Start Porto Airport; Transfer Approx. 3 Hours To Castelo Rodrigo, Not Far From The Spanish Border.
Location: Porto, Castelo Rodrigo
Meals Included: No Meals

Pick up a shared transfer from Porto airport (included at 14:20) to the

easternmost point of your holiday; Castelo Rodrigo. Enjoy the beautiful

landscape and scenery that unfolds along the way, entering the fascinating

landscape of the Douro River Canyon and its 200 metre high cliffs. The

historical village of Castelo Rodrigo deserves an exploratory walk, with its

cobbled streets, palace ruins, old walls and ogival arched gates, 16th

century pillory and medieval church. Your hotel is located in Castelo Rodrigo

with great views over the surrounding plains, mountains and all the way to

the border with Spain.



Day 2 : Cycle Across High Plains To Almeida And Escarigo On The Spanish Border
Location: Almeida, Portugal, Escarigo, Castelo Rodrigo
Meals Included: Breakfast

The first day of cycling takes you across high plains to the historical

village of Almeida, one of the most important strongholds in Portugal's

history. Although it had been occupied by humans since the Palaeolithic era,

it was only during the Arabic period that the name of the village came about

- Al Meda meaning "the table". There is an ancient tale that a sumptuous

table embedded with precious stones once stood in this spot. However,

Almeida's military importance was yet to come...taken and re-taken many times

during battles between the Portuguese and the Castilians, in 1296 a new

castle was built by the Portuguese, then in 1640 an enormous star-shaped

fortress was built around the town to defend against Spanish and French

attacks. Eventually falling to Napoleon's armies it was later used by the

Portuguese as a political prison. Also visit the village of Vilar Torpim,

with it's chapel and manor house, and Escarigo, right on the Spanish border.

Return to Castelo Rodrigo for your overnight.



Day 3 : Cycle To Aldeia Do Juízo Along Backroads With Beautiful Landscapes
Location: Casas do Juizo
Meals Included: Breakfast

At the beginning of the day, cycle around the Serra da Marofa mountain range.

Experience stunning views over the Iberian Plateau and from the top you can

also see the Douro river system (which, beyond this river, includes Côa and

Águeda rivers), to the East. Continue on to Aldeia do Juizo, a rural village

with 2 chapels, several wineries and a community oven that is surrounded by

vineyards, olive groves and almond orchards. On the banks of the river, there

are vegetable-gardens, where the locals produce a wide variety of

agricultural products. Stay in a delightful village house, part of a rural

tourism complex of restored houses, all with private bathroom facilities.



Day 4 : Cycle Through The Historical Villages Of Marialva, Meda And On To Penedono
Location: Penedono
Meals Included: Breakfast

On the ride today you cycle through two historical villages, Marialva and

Meda before your approach to Penedono, with views of its almost hexagon

castle, perched on an outcrop. After the first 10 km you will be able to see

the Castle of Marialva. When you reach the village, explore the streets,

lined with buildings that have stood the test of time and which lead to the

citadel surrounded by ancient walls. The next highlight is Meda - in medieval

times this village was essentially a border town and the setting for

hard-fought skirmishes between Christians and Muslims. The watchtower was one

of the most important strategic defence points in the region and combined

with the castles of Marialva and Longroiva. Today the village is quiet and

the main activity is farming and wine-making. Continue on to Penedono and its

medieval castle, a unique example of military architecture that dominates the

surrounding countryside.



Day 5 :  Ride To The Unesco World Heritage Listed Vineyards Of The Douro Valley
Location: Alto Douro Wine Region (UNESCO), Pinhão
Meals Included: Breakfast

The Alto Douro winemaking region is most famous for its Port wine, but the

region also produces world-famous wines from the Touriga grape. The terraced

vineyards are so typical of the region that they are listed a UNESCO World

Heritage site and are a delight to behold. The neatly-kept wine estates rise

proudly amidst the vineyards, their names clearly visible to everyone who

passes. In the afternoon enjoy a boat trip on a 'Rabelo', a traditional

'gondola-shaped' boat that in earlier days transported up to 50 barrels of

wine at a time, downriver, to Porto. The Port wine town of Pinhao is your

next stop, with its exquisite train station, the ceiling covered in azulejos

(traditional Portuguese blue ceramic tiles). You spend the night in Pinhao.



Day 6 : Pinhao Loop Cycling Along The Douro River
Location: Alto Douro Wine Region (UNESCO)
Meals Included: Breakfast

The route today takes you along the magnificent and enchanting Douro Valley.

The views are nothing less than breathtaking, as if the Douro Valley is

ensuring that you will never forget its magical beauty! Head along the

riverside and enjoy a guided visit of an 18th century wine estate, at the

confluence of the Douro and Tedo rivers, and a wine tasting at Quinta do

Tedo. At the end of today's cycle you will arrive back in Pinhao.



Day 7 : Transfer Back To The Airport, Or Choose To Spend Extra Time In The Cosmopolitan City Of Porto. 
Location: Alto Douro Wine Region (UNESCO), Porto
Meals Included: Breakfast

This morning you check out from your hotel and are transferred back to Porto

at 10am; here you can choose to spend some time in this cosmopolitan city, or

go straight back to the airport for your flight home. Extra nights in Porto

can be requested at the time of booking.



What's Included

  • Meals
    6 breakfasts, 0 lunches, 0 dinners.


* All breakfasts and 1 dinners
* 6 nights in hotels, guesthouses and rural tourism houses (see
accommodation section)
* Luggage transfers
* Local bike hire

What's Not Included

  • Electric bikes (available at a supplement)

  • Flights from London (available on request)

  • Travel insurance

  • Single accommodation (compulsory supplement applicable)

  • Visas or vaccinations

  • Solo traveller supplement (where only one person is travelling on a departure date)

Food


A typical hotel breakfast consists of: cake, toast/bread with jam,or honey,
cheese and ham, served with coffee, tea, milk, orange juice, fruit, cake and
yoghurt.

The Douro region is well-known for an endless number of meat dishes, which
include the famous roasted baby goat with rice and potatoes, wild boar stew,
posta mirandesa (veal steak), cozido à portuguesa (boiled meat, sausages and
cabbages), partridge on a skewer, arroz de cabidela (chicken or rabbit with
rice) and feijoada à trasmontana (bean stew).

The region’s fish is caught in the Douro river and its tributaries, and is
served fried or marinated. The codfish is also a famous alternative to meat
dishes. The typical desserts include traditional pastries such as the
peixinhos de chila or the biscoito da Teixeira are famous in the region. The
region is also known for the delicious pão-de-ló (sponge cake) and the
bolo-rei (fruit cake), manly eaten during local celebrations. The rice
pudding and the aletria (vermicelli with cinnamon) are also some of the
region’s specialties.

Most of the time, meals in Portugal are served with bread. If you visit the
Douro region, you must try the traditional breads made with meat or olive
oil. Normal bread can be savoured with regional honey or home-made jams.
Regional cheeses and smoked sausages can also be eaten at any time of the
day, either by themselves or with a piece of bread.

There is also a wide variety of fruit in the region, which are picked in
different seasons. Cherries, almonds and apples are the most abundant fruits.
Roasted chestnuts, nuts, diospyros kaki (persimmon) and tangerines are
typical of the colder months. Olives and grapes are the main fruits in the
region, even though they are used more to make olive oil and wine than for
direct consumption.
Olive oil is used in most dishes, whether to cook the dish or as seasoning.
Every dish is seasoned with salt, or it can be replaced by herbs, which are
plentiful in the region. Rosemary, parsley and bay leaves are some of the
most commonly used herbs, mainly to cook meat.

There is nothing better than starting a meal by drinking a glass of Port wine
to open your appetite. The Favaios wine is also served as an aperitif, while
the Douro wines are served with the main course. The liqueurs produced in the
region, which are the result of the mixture of spirits and fruits, such as
the arbutus, blackberries or cherries, are served as digestifs, replacing the
international scotch. For those who do not appreciate alcoholic beverages,
fruit juices and herbal teas are always a treat, especially because these
juices and teas are made with fresh and crystalline water from the several
springs in the Douro region.

Accommodation

The accommodation on this trip is chosen with the greatest care and varies from one stop to the next. You stay in guesthouses, rural village houses, giving you a feel for the local community  and 4 star hotels. Some of the properties have swimming pools for you to relax in after a day of cycling.

Check out our Q&As

  • Are vaccinations required for this tour?

    There are no specific health risks.

  • Are airport transfers included in this tour?

    Only Luggage transfers.

  • Are children permitted to take part in the tour?

    14+ age people can go on this tour

  • Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?

    Yes

  • What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?

    If you wish to make any changes to your booking, particularly if you need to alter any flights booked through us, please let us know as soon as possible. There is a booking or flight amendment fee of £40 per change and flight amendments often incur extra airline costs depending on the changes to be made and if the ticket has been issued or not.

  • How long has the tour company been trading?

    Exodus has been trading since 1974

  • What documents will I receive before I travel?

    Your final joining instructions and flight details, if booked with us, will then be sent out 2 to 3 weeks before departure. If you would like a hard copy posted, or if you require these any earlier, please contact the customer operations team. We advise that if you are booking connecting travel before receiving these, please ensure you leave plenty of time.

  • Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?

    Travellers are welcome to opt to share a room with a tour member of the same gender for no additional charge. If you'd like your own room, we can request a single supplement so that you will have your own room throughout.

  • Can I join the tour once it has departed?

    You are welcome to meet the group after the tour has departed however there is no reduction in rate for joining a tour after the departure date.

Reviews of this Operator

Gergana Racheva  

Very helpful and prompt service

06-Jan-2023

Very helpful and prompt service. I called to check for an already booked trip and once we sorted this, the agent was ready to help me with another booking as well. He actually waited for me to book my flight tickets, answered all my questions, informed me of all my options. Exodus is a tour company I am using regularly due to the quality of their trips, ease of booking and helpfulness of their customer service team

Trustpilot
Tim Hardy  

Stunning walking. Walking the Amalfi Coast

04-Nov-2021

This trip takes you through the most beautiful parts of the Mediterranean walking with a guide and also discovering the wonders of Pompeii and Vesuvius. The hotel had a nice feel as family run, spotless and comfortable rooms, we were well looked after for breakfasts and dinner each day, and the barmen fixed some mean cocktails for us.!

Paul Green  

It's amazing what you can do in a week! Cycling the Dalmatian Coast.

08-Oct-2021

This holiday was extremely enjoyable. The itinerary is well planned and the route takes you to a variety of destinations. Not having been to Croatia before I didn't know there were so many beautiful small islands and I loved the ferry and catarmaran rides. The coastal route we took was dramatic and the World Heritage sites in Split and Dubrovnik very interesting and worth visiting. The Adriatic Sea was warm, blue and inviting, good for swimming even in October. The hotels we stayed in varied in size from medium to large. I particularly liked the one just outside Dubrovnik as I had a sea view. Tourists were plentiful in Split and Dubrovnik but in the other places we stayed there was an end of season feel and it was quiet on the roads and in the resorts. The food was good and our guide was always able to recommend a nice restaurant for our evening meal. The weather in October was good for cycling - not hot, partly cloudy most days and one day it rained!

Mrs Y Morrison  

Fabulous company and trip

06-Jan-2023

We went overland from Cape Town to Zimbabwe through Botswana and Namibia. What a fantastic trip. Our first time with Exodus although we have travelled extensively around the world. We would highly recommend this company for such a brilliant trip - we got everything and more all at a good price. Thanks to everyone involved. We are looking at our next trip!

Trustpilot
John Edwards (Google Reviewer)  

I went cycling in Albania...

19-Aug-2023

I went cycling in Albania with exodus as my first holiday with them. Such a well organised and wonderful experience where I met multiple fellow travellers who have been advocates of them for many years. You can't argue with happy repeat customers and I'm planning my next adventure with them soon

Rob Burridge (Google Reviewer)  

I'v just come back from...

17-Jul-2022

I'v just come back from an amazing Wildlife & Wilderness trip in Botswana and I highly recommend Exodus Travels. Our guide Brian, was extremely knowledgeable on both the wildlife and history of Botswana and neighbouring countries. The other three staff, Abbis, Chief & Mr T, who accompanied us through out our 2 week trip, put in the hard work and made sure our camp was always prepared and that we we're well fed and looked after. The tour took us to some beautiful places and we saw some amazing wildlife, and on several occasions this was due to Brian's knowledge of the area and wildlife behaviour. Exodus have been very quick to respond to any queries I had, and the whole experience ran smoothly. I was also pleased to hear that during lockdown they provided staff with food packages 👍. I'd normally go on self organised trips, however, with this trip, the tour and guide Brian took us to places not possible otherwise and showed us things that we would'v missed out on. All of which were the highlights of the tour.

Daphne Partridge (Google Reviewer)  

After 14 roup adventure holidays...

26-Nov-2023

After 14 roup adventure holidays with Exofus we would not hesitate to recommend them as an excitingholiday company. They take you off the beaten track but offer great support and expertise :)

Alison Payton (Google Reviewer)  

I've done 8 trips in...

17-May-2023

I've done 8 trips in the last 14 years with Exodus, and have been rewarded with a 10% discount on all future bookings. I feel very confident that I'll receive pleasant, efficient service, and have the unusual holiday experience that I'm looking for each time. I've trekked to the top of snow-capped peaks, wild-camped in the desert, seen amazing spectacles of nature, visited 4 capital cities in a week, and learned about local culture and experienced local hospitality in a way that I simply wouldn't on a conventional holiday. The quality of the accommodation and guides can vary, but this is mainly down to cultural differences and things that Exodus can't control. I've only ever complained once, my complaint was taken seriously, and I was sent a discount voucher - you can't say fairer than that. I remain a loyal customer.

Jacquelyn Moore (Google Reviewer)  

Food came quickly. Staff very...

07-Mar-2024

Food came quickly. Staff very friendly and polite . However the chef or person preparing the food did not seem to read the menu! If it says a meal should come with vegetables, you should not have to ask for them. They served shepherds pie with garlic bread! The munchies ice cream sundae said it should come in a glass with a flake but came in a little bowl with just a few munchies! When asking the staff were happy to replace and correct but customer should get what they order and what menu says first time round!!

johanna leonor (Google Reviewer)  

If you like to be...

07-Sep-2023

If you like to be mistreated Exodus is perfect for you. If you enjoy terrible choices for hotels and pseudo restaurants Exodus is perfect for you. Careless about their clients and loveless about their propositions. Exodus has been a dissatisfaction and disappointment about every dealing i and my group have had with him. Especially a man called Simone who just cares about the money he can get from you couldn’t care less about service.

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Thursday - Wednesday

May 02, 2024 - May 08, 2024
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The Big ADVENTURE Sale: -$76 (USD)

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Oct 03, 2024 - Oct 09, 2024
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Oct 17, 2024 - Oct 23, 2024
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Book with Confidence

  • Transfer as credit to Future Tours

    Exodus allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform exodus, 43 days before departure.

  • Low Deposit

    Exodus requires a minimum deposit of 25% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.

  • Cancellation Policy

    We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of exodus charges.

    Up to 70 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.

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