6 nights starting from
£2599
Almond trees in blossom
Casa de Mateus Palace
Bom Jesus do Monte
Almond Blossom Train
Quinta da Aveleda
Bom Jesus do Monte Funicular
Castelo de Guimaraes Castle
Casa de Mateus Palace
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Estaçao de Sao Bento
Bom Jesus do Monte
Palace of the Condes de Castro Guimaraes
Red Camellia
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Almond Blossom
Rabelo boats
Almond Blossom
Vila Nova de Foz Côa
Marialva
Rock-art - Coa Valley
Almond trees in blossom
Porto’s UNESCO listed old town with Art Nouveau treasures amongst medieval gems
Glorious pink and white almond blossom in the Douro Valley, said to rival Japan’s cherry blossom
Ancient Braga and the Casa dos Biscainhos gardens
Casa de Mateus Gardens, at the home of the famous rose
Guimarães, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and birthplace of the first King of Portugal
Our Head of Sales & Marketing, Ellen Walker, has had an enduring love affair with Portugal for several decades, returning time and again to places that have become second homes to her, as well as developing friendships that have lasted years. Her first foray into tour design led to our Authentic Algarve tour in 2023 which was a huge success. So, she has headed north to develop (and lead) another innovative new tour to Porto and the Douro Valley, taking in the extraordinary almond blossom vistas that compare with the cherry blossom in Japan (but a lot easier to get to!). Added to this is an array of beautiful gardens and manor houses, stunning , ancient towns and cities, a railway journey and a boat trip along the Douro along with excellent local cuisine - this tour is a wonderful way to greet the advent of Spring.
Available Departures |
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| 20 - February - 2025 | £ 2599.00 | Travel Info Book Now |
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Provisional Timings London Gatwick Departing: 20th February 2025 at 10:15 Returning: 26th February 2025 at 13:15 |
Day 1: Fly to Porto and transfer to the hotel.
Fly from London Gatwick to Porto Airport where you will be met by your Travel Editions Tour Manager, Ellen Walker. Transfer by coach to the Vila Gale Hotel in Porto for a two-night stay. Welcome drink and dinner with wine at the hotel in the evening.
Day 2: Porto
A full day guided tour today to show you some of the highlights of the wonderful city of Porto. Its centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in its entirety and the city was European City of Culture in 2001 and is a wonderful place to explore on foot. Its connection to the port wine trade and its riverfront location on the Douro add to the city’s charm. City highlights include the Estaçao de Sao Bento – Porto’s main train station, with its ornate interior of 20,000 tiles, the Torre dos Clerigos, the symbol of Porto dating back to the 18th century, the famed Lello bookshop with a neo-gothic façade, said to have inspired J K Rowling and Carmo church. Down at the vibrant and beautiful Porto Ribeira waterfront, you will see the 19th century Dom Luis I Bridge, which connects the old town with the wine cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia. From here we take a ride in the Gaia Cable Car, which offers superb river views out to the sea and then along the Douro river on a 50-minute cruise aboard a typical “Rabelo” boat, passing under the city’s six bridges. Evening at leisure.
Day 3: Porto to Pocinho, Villa Nova Foz Coa, Barca d’Alva and Marialva
This morning we transfer by coach to the fabled Porto train station, to enjoy a train journey along the banks of the Douro River to Pocinho, the last stop of the centenary Douro Line, to discover the almond blossom, set in the glorious landscape dotted with historic villages. Pocinho station itself is worth a second look with its tile panels depicting scenes from agricultural life and wine production in the Douro, the oldest demarcated wine region in the world, with its magnificent, terraced vineyards, designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. We get more views of the stunning pink and white almond blossom as we journey by coach towards Vila Nova de Foz Coa, the “Capital of Almond Trees”, which has the highest density of almond trees in the Douro. The tour is timed to be at the peak of the extraordinary beauty of the almond blossom, which decks the hills and valleys in a glorious palette of white and pink. Foz Coa is also world famous, thanks to the discovery of prehistoric rock carvings on the Coa River and we will visit the Coa Museum to find out more about one of the most significant sites of Paleolithic open-air art in the world, again recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Lunch is included at a local restaurant before heading to the historical village of Marialva, with its ruined castle perched at an altitude of 613 metres, offering a glorious panoramic view of the surrounding landscape. Within the village walls its ancient, cobbled streets are flanked with interesting old buildings including the 15th century granite pillory, Casa da Camara, the keep, the Church of Santiago with its magnificent painted ceiling and the Chapel of Misericordia, renowned for its carved altarpiece. Overnight and dinner with wine at the four-star Casas do Coro Hotel located in the heart of the historical village of Marialva.
Day 4: Marialva to Braga via Casa de Mateus Gardens
Our first stop of the day as we head northwest to Vila Real in Tras-os-Montes region, is the Casa de Mateus Gardens, a fine 18th-century manor House with beautiful baroque architecture and lovely gardens, set in the estate that produces the famous Mateus Rose wine in its distinctive bottle. A walk here takes in the amazing gardens of the palace, with magnificent plants, trees and flowers, a unique cedar tunnel and a beautiful lake. Time for lunch in the lovely town of Vila Real (not included) before continuing to Braga. Dinner and evening at leisure.
Day 5: Quinta da Avaleda, Guimares and Camelia Park Flavius
A lovely final day of contrasts as we head first to the elegant Quinta da Aveleda, a vineyard estate that is an integral part of the famous Vinho Verde region. Aside from its important architectural heritage, the Quinta da Aveleda estate is also appreciated for its parks and gardens, which we will visit, where rare species of trees flourish, some of which have been around for over three hundred years. From here we proceed to discover the medieval city of Guimaraes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the cradle of Portugal, the birthplace of the first king of Portugal. The city is enchanting not only for its castle and imposing Palacio Ducal but also for the characterful town houses and ancient stone squares - a stroll through the historic centre here truly takes you back to medieval times. Ample time will be allowed for a leisurely lunch (not included). The afternoon takes us to the Camelia Park Flavius where a guided visit will show a huge variety of species of camelia, as well as japonicas, sasanquas and hybrids. Return to Braga for our farewell dinner with wine in a local restaurant.
Day 6: Braga
A full day to explore Braga with a local guide. Founded by the Romans, Braga is one of the oldest Portuguese cities and one of the oldest Christian cities in the world with a 2000+ year history, known as the "Portuguese Rome" for its concentration of religious architecture, including the oldest cathedral in the country and Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte. The latter boasts a famous Baroque staircase that climbs 116 metres and beautiful gardens accessed by the (included) Bom Jesus do Monte Funicular. Free time for lunch at leisure in Braga (not included) before visiting the Casa dos Biscainhos Gardens, an example of landscape design from the height of the Baroque period, with numerous rococo references and terraces of balustrades that create a superbly scenic effect. All the flowerbeds are planted with roses or annuals such as sage, celosias, marigolds and Indian cane in the bright colours typical of the gardens of the Minho region. Dinner and evening at leisure.
Day 7: Transfer to Porto for return flight to London Gatwick
Alas, all good things must come to an end and, after breakfast, we check out of our Braga hotel and transfer to Porto airport for the return flight to London Gatwick.
NB: Exact order of excursions may vary according to local conditions and tour manager’s discretion.
Please note the maximum group size on this tour is 20 passengers.
INCLUDED
NOT INCLUDED
Hotel Vila Gale, Porto (2 nights, first night HB, second night B&B)
Porto’s tallest building, the modern, centrally located four-star Vila Gale offers a rooftop spa with wonderful city views and indoor pool, two bars, two restaurants and very comfortable bedrooms with all modern amenities including en-suite bathroom, TV, telephone, wifi, air-conditioning, minibar, safe and hairdryer.
Casas do Coro, Marialva ( 1 night on HB basis)
An unusual four-star hotel being a collection of houses of Beira architecture grouped around a central “Casao do Largo” which houses the hotel restaurant. Founded 23 years ago, the houses are a mixture of old and new offering very comfortable accommodation with all modern amenities including en-suite bathroom, TV, telephone, air-conditioning, safe and hairdryer. The hotel also offers a spa with sauna, Turkish Bath, indoor pool and aqua gym (at extra cost).
Hotel Vila Gale, Braga (3 nights, B&B basis)
Part of the Vila Gale “Collection” of superior hotels, the traditional four-star hotel was formed and expanded from the renovation of the hospital of Sao Marcos, dating from 1506. This characterful hotel, located in the heart of the city offers a beautiful courtyard, two bars, two restaurants and very comfortable bedrooms with all modern amenities including en-suite bathroom, TV, telephone, wifi, air-conditioning, minibar, safe and hairdryer.
I enjoyed the trip and it was a super group. My only comment is that I thought the local guide could have been better prepared. Some of the walking city tours were too long. I would have liked to have taken advantage of the spa facilities available at the hotels. The hotel in Porto was a bit tired.
Review by anonymous who travelled 07-March-2024
Travel Editions feedback:
Thank you so much for your invaluable feedback and comments, we are delighted you enjoyed the tour and company of your fellow travellers. As this was the inaugural tour we are already tweaking parts of the tour for next year based on feedback received.
We were very unfortunate with the weather but the Tour Leader worked tirelessly to minimize the impact of this.
Review by Spence who travelled 07-March-2024
Travel Editions feedback:
Thank you so much for your invaluable feedback and we are delighted that despite the weather the tour was a success and you enjoyed it.
The weather during the first few days was rather unkind but some astute adjustments to the proposed itinerary in Porto enabled us to remain relatively dry for the most part! However, on the third day, the more than 2 hour delay to the train at Regua due to a rock fall on the line ahead had a much greater impact on that and the following day, especially at the Côa Museum where the planned guided tour with a local rock art expert was replaced by excerpts from the audio guide played through our “whisper” headsets; a poor substitute. The Quinta da Aveleda gardens and wine-tasting on the fifth day were most enjoyable but we spent so long there that the “ample time … allowed for a leisurely lunch” in Guimaraes was only 50 minutes, including pigeon swatting! Highlights for me; the final part of the railway journey from Regua to Pochino, the dinner at Casas do Coro, everything in Braga and the company of so many friendly fellow travellers.
Review by Cackett who travelled 07-March-2024
Travel Editions feedback:
Thank you so much for your feedback and we are delighted that you enjoyed the tour and the company of so many friendly fellow travellers. As this is the first time this tour has operated, we are already tweaking parts of the tour for next year based on the feedback received to date. It was unfortunate that the unexpected weather also impacted on parts of the tour. Thank you again for your invaluable feedback and comments.
it was very unfortunate that the weather was so awful (except the last day!), which meant that the almond blossom was a bit disappointing) but the holiday was very enjoyable anyway. An extra day in Porto would be good in future (a whole week's holiday?) in order to get more of a feel for the place, and perhaps the holiday should be called "Camellias of the Duoro" as they were much more in flower and looking good.
Review by Gatward who travelled 07-March-2024
Travel Editions feedback:
Thank you so much for your feedback and we are delighted that you enjoyed the tour. As this is the first time this tour has operated we have already started tweaking parts of the tour for next year based on the feedback received to date. It was unfortunate that the unexpected weather also impacted on parts of the tour including the Almond Blossom. Thank you again for your feedback and comments.
I know this was an inaugural tour, so finding not everything can run smoothly and you have no control over the weather which was not friendly with the blossoming almond trees not at their best. Day's three schedule was thrown by a 2 hr delay caused by a landslide on the track, nobody's fault but we missed the afternoon's planned itinerary and the visit to the Museum was so rushed as to be completely ineffective, and we certainly didn't need the large mid afternoon meal when we had had a hotel breakfast and were having a superb dinner in the evening. One good meal a day after the breakfast is certainly enough. The tour of the Quinta da Aveleda was excellent, that of Casa de Mateus less so. The House of Casa Biscainhos in Braga with its enthusiastic guide was well worth the visit. I loved Oporto.
Review by anonymous who travelled 07-March-2024
Travel Editions feedback:
Thank you so much for your invaluable feedback and we are delighted that the tour was a success and you enjoyed it. As this is the first time this tour has operated your comments are most helpful for future planning and we are already tweaking parts of the tour for next year based on the feedback. Thank you again for your comments as they really do help in developing and improving the tour.
Overall very good. Your manager coped well with the train delay and ever present chance of rain so that we really didn’t miss anything. Of the garden visited, only the wine estate where we had a tasting was worth visiting. Excellent guide and interesting garden. Sadly both the Mateus garden and the one in Braga were ravaged by box blight and since both relied heavily on clipped box but the gardens had taken no effort to replant (with something else) they were a real disappointment. Hotel one was fine, a bit soulless but ok. Hotel three from the same chain had way more character but a pervading small of damp, at least on the second floor. Hotel two was very interesting. I felt like I should be one of the “beautiful people” to stay there. I imagine it would be glorious by April/may. Down side was that it was quite difficult terrain for us oldies with slippery cobbles on a slope. Our room also had a really treacherous step between bed area and bathroom to beware at night. Enjoyed it anyhow.
Review by Keighley who travelled 07-March-2024
Travel Editions feedback:
Thank you so much for your invaluable feedback and we are delighted that the tour was a success overall with all comments taken on board. As this is the first time the tour has operated it is a great help for future planning and we have already started tweaking parts of the tour for next year based on the feedback. The weather was unfortunate and not the normal for the time of year but hopefully it did not impact too much on the enjoyment of the trip. Once again thank you for all your comments as they really do help in developing and improving the tour.
The tour manager sets the tone and Ellen made sure it was a cracking good tour. Weather and the rock fall were challenging, but work-arounds meant the 'travellers' weren't bothered by either. It was a really good group and all got on well.
Review by kettlewell who travelled 07-March-2024
Travel Editions feedback:
Thank you so much for your invaluable feedback and we are delighted that the tour was a success and you enjoyed it so much.
I was not very happy to be flying with Easyjet as they are not a company I admire or would choose to fly with. I did think twice about booking the tour because if this. The admin support was excellent, ie printing boarding passes, the itinerary, etc. I would have liked to have had more time in Porto, ie an additional day and the tour to have been 7 days. The rejigging of the itinerary due to the weather early on in the week was good, but we spent a lot of time driving around to try to see the almond blossom which to my mind was unnecessary. Maybe the tour shouldn't have included the words 'almond blossom'!! I enjoyed the tour and the varied things we saw and did. The itinerary needs a bit of tweaking, but I hope it continues.
Review by Bateman who travelled 07-March-2024
Travel Editions feedback:
Thank you so much for your invaluable feedback and we are delighted that the tour was a success and that you enjoyed it. As this is the first time this tour has operated your comments are very helpful and we have already started tweaking parts of the tour for next year based on the feedback so far. Thank you again for your comments as it really does help in developing and improving the tour for the future.
There were aspects of the trip which were beyond the control of Travel Editions, such as the weather (wet) and a landslide (train from Porto to Pocinho), but there were other aspects which prevented me scoring you "excellent". The second and third hotels were marvels of restoration and were generally well run. However, the first, the Vila Gale in Porto was not. Enormous queues at reception made receptionists unavailable for booking taxis, etc.. All room keys needed reprogramming one evening, but guests were not stopped from going up to their rooms even though staff knew they wiuld have to come straight down again. Ellen was generally helpful as tour manager, but Anna was useless I'm afraid. She was a nice girl but her english is not good enough for a tour guide, her delivery was in a dull monotone. and she had a habit of walking 50 yards ahead of most of the group, describing sights well before the group could get there and then moving on straight away. The "whisper" communicators were rendered almost useless by this behaviour. Food was generally good, the visits to the camellia garden and Avaleda were highlights, and the walking tour of Porto was also pretty good
Review by Evans who travelled 07-March-2024
Travel Editions feedback:
Thank you so much for your invaluable feedback and we are delighted that the tour was a success overall with your comments noted. As this is the first time this tour has operated your comments are most helpful for future planning and we have already started tweaking parts of the tour for next year based on the feedback. It was unfortunate that the weather also impacted on parts of the tour. Once again thank you for all your comments as they really do help in developing and improving the tour.
