- Uniworld has added a new departure date for its Douro River itinerary.
- The cruise line is seeing a near sell-out demand on the Douro River.
- The new sailing departs on October 19, 2025.
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises says their Douro River itineraries have been so popular that they’ve added another sailing date to their itineraries. The new sailing date departs October 19, 2025, and cruises the Portugal, Spain & the Douro River Valley itinerary. The Portugal, Spain & the Douro River Valley itinerary sails through UNESCO-designated wine regions with rich heritage and history, proving a hotspot for river cruise travellers.
Why cruise Portugal
Portugal’s Douro River Valley, noted by UNESCO for its 2,000 years of wine-making and its “cultural landscape of outstanding beauty, is the only place in the world that can legally produce port wine. The region abounds with wine-producing farms called quintas offering private tastings. Porto is synonymous with port wine but also offers visitors awe-inspiring architecture, while other ports of call along the river boast
castles and monasteries.
There are so many ways to embrace the enchanting towns tucked along the Douro River. Feel the centuries unfold as Porto’s medieval alleys snake through UNESCO-designated neighborhoods enclosed by 14th-century walls. Head off the beaten path and explore Castelo Rodrigo whose brooding 13th-century remains continue to stand watch over the village. Witness the astonishing prehistoric carvings etched into Côa Valley’s Archaeological Park walls. Marvel at Lisbon’s Jeronimos Monastery, a UNESCO-recognized site of Moorish and Gothic designs with imposing spires, carvings, tombs, and ornate arches.
The Uniworld Itinerary
- 11 days onboard SS. Sao Gabriel
- Departing from Porto to Lisbon.
- Five UNESCO World Heritage sites.
With a highlight hotel stay in Lisbon, this itinerary follows the Douro River through Portugal and into Spain, sailing past the rising hillsides, quintessential villages and fields of vineyards. In Porto’s historic Ribeira district, partake in private tastings of Port – also home to iconic rabelo boats, modern cuisine and a world-class art scene. The UNESCO-designated Douro Valley boasts shore excursions to iconic quintas where guests can meet the local winemakers and and visit the university of Salamanca, Spain, as well as the elevated village of Castelo Rodrigo, ending in Lisbon.
The cruise costs $7069 per person based on twin share, reduced from $10,099. Prices are all-inclusive, with the following features:
- All meals onboard, prepared using the finest and freshest ingredients
- 10 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 7 dinners
- Welcome and Farewell Dinners
- Unlimited beverages onboard, including fine wine, beer, spirits, specialty coffee and tea, soft drinks, and mineral water
- 7 days of excursions, all fully hosted by English-speaking local experts
- Guided “Do as the Locals Do” program
- State-of-the-art Quietvox portable audio-headset system on all excursions
- 7-night cruise in a riverview stateroom on the chic S.S. São Gabriel
- 3 nights in Lisbon at the Tivoli Avenida Liberdade (or similar) with breakfast
- Beautifully appointed riverview staterooms and suites with hotel-style beds, draped in fine linens with a choice of pillows
- Free Wi-Fi
- 2 countries: Spain and Portugal
- 5 UNESCO World Heritage sites
- Services of an experienced Uniworld Cruise Manager
- Group Transfers are included on arrival and departure days (please see terms and conditions for transfer guidelines)
- Gratuities for onboard personnel (ship staff, crew, Cruise/Tour Manager) are included during the cruise/tour
- Cultural enrichment, including captivating onboard local entertainment
Uniworld also offers an 8-day cruise-only version of this itinerary. Click here for more information.
Other cruise lines on the Douro
Scenic River Cruises
Scenic River Cruises offers a variety of river cruise itineraries on the Douro, ranging from eight to 21 days. Prices vary from $6295 to $14,835 per person twin share.
Main highlights of the Scenic itineraries include shore excursions to experience the delicious local produce in Porto, plus visits to the prehistoric rock art sites of the Côa Valley.
Scenic also boasts visits to the Paiva Walkways, a wooden-board path that zig-zags down rocky hillsides along the Paiva River. Guests can explore an active hike, including across the longest suspended pedestrian bridge in the world, over 500 metres long. Another popular highlight is World Heritage-listed site, Vinhateiro, with a history of wine production that stretches back 2,000 years.
Avalon Waterways
Avalon Waterways offers either an eight or 11-day itinerary on the Douro River ranging from $5979 to $7574 per person, twin share in a Deluxe Stateroom.
Highlights of the Avalon Waterways itinerary include the Douro Valley’s granite bluffs, signature tiled streets, and ancient thermal spas. Guests will cruise on the Avalon Alegria, built exclusively to sail the Douro with the signature, award-winning Panorama Suites, featuring Avalon’s signature Open–Air Balconies, Comfort Collection beds that face the view, and an inviting Sky Deck pool to soak it all in.
The itinerary traverses the Douro River from Porto to Porto, offering selections of Avalon Classic, Discovery, and Active excursions depending on levels of fitness and energy.
APT River Cruises
APT River Cruises offers four itineraries on the Douro River, ranging from nine to 11 days. Prices vary from $5995 to $11,395 per person twin share.
The APT itinerary begins in the popular Spanish city of Madrid before the seven-night cruise along the Douro River aboard the MS Estrela. Highlights of this itinerary include the shore excursions to sample local fare at the medieval towns. The visit to Palácio da Bolsa and wine tasting at Quinta da Aveleda are also popular on this itinerary.
CroisiEurope Cruises
CroisiEurope Cruises offers six itineraries on the Douro River ranging from six to eight days. Prices range from $1200 to $3695 per person twin share.
Croisi Europe Cruises boasts visits to sites such as the Vila Real and the gardens of the manor house of Solar de Mateus. This itinerary traverses the Douro Valley and will take you along the Port wine route and terraced vineyards extending over a hundred kilometers along the Douro to the Spanish border. Other highlights include historical cities such as Porto, Braga and Guimarães. At the end of this trip, you can opt for the extension taking you on to Lisbon to discover the city on the banks of the Tagus.
Viking River Cruises
Viking River Cruises offers a ten-day cruise on the Douro River from $4795 per person twin share.
Classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001, the “Golden River” Douro offers Viking guests the chance to experience the renaissance of Lisbon, newly invigorated with trending galleries and restaurants. Highlights of this itinerary include shore excursions to two of Iberia’s oldest university towns: Coimbra, Portugal and Salamanca, Spain.
Guests can roam the port warehouses of Porto or enjoy traditional cuisine, wine, and fado singing. Cruise the Douro River Valley, the world’s oldest demarcated wine region and a UNESCO Site. This 10-day cruise tour includes a hotel stay in Lisbon and a visit to Spain.
Tauck River Cruises
Tauck River Cruises offers three itineraries on the Douro River ranging from eight to 12 days. Prices vary from $8890 to $11,790 per person twin share.
The highlights of this itinerary include an immersion in the two-thousand-year legacy of winemaking throughout Portugal’s lush Douro River Valley. Visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites… including the city of Porto, famous as the home of Port wine, carried in barrels along the golden Douro River aboard traditional rabelo boats.
Emerald River Cruises
Emerald River Cruises offers three itineraries on the Douro, ranging from eight to 13 days. Prices range from $4745 to $7710 per person twin share.
This itinerary starts in the northern section of the Douro River and carves a path through the north of Portugal. This luxury cruise offers an itinerary where culture, cuisine, history, and majestic scenery are the focus. Leaving the pastel-coloured metropolis of Porto, the cruise sail past the enchanting countryside with terraced vineyards along the river banks, historic landmarks and quaint townships. Salamanca shines both day and night and an itinerary highlight includes a kayak experience in Pinhão, providing a new perspective on the Douro.
AmaWaterways
AmaWaterways offers multiple itineraries on the Douro River, from seven nights at $5313 per person twin share.
On this itinerary, guests will sail roundtrip from Porto, the beautiful “City of Bridges”; visit Regua, the ‘capital’ of the Douro Valley; and arrive at Salamanca, the UNESCO-designated “Golden City.” Highlights include wine tastings from historic quinta wineries and soaking up the genuine beauty of one of Europe’s most unadulterated landscapes with the Salamanca excursion and the ‘City of Bridges’ tour.
