From Porto Private Tour Douro Valley two Wineries, Lunch and Boat.

Our day trip to the Douro Valley with this tour company was the highlight of our week in Portugal. The Douro Valley itself is absolutely stunning with its mountainous terrain and sweeping vineyards — truly well worth the trip outside Porto. We went on two vineyard tours and wine/port tastings that were both extremely local and detailed. What was special about this tour company is that their guide was very knowledgeable about both the history of the valley and Portugal so not only did we experience effective and comfortable transportation and planning of our visit, but also a very detailed history lesson along the way. Pedro truly took care of us this day and we really appreciated the attention to detail and top-notch service.

There were a lot of unpredictable things that happened and also it seems they did not prepare for the tour, so I cannot give it good grade. But let me get the whole story out. We booked this trip 1 week before going to Porto and I booked a trip for every day. In the evening before the trip, we got contacted by the agency saying that the driver got ill and if we could move the trip to the next day. We could not because we had Braga trip the next day but the agency found the solution so everything was fine. We started the trip and first, we visited a charming little village called Amarante. It was very nice and we enjoyed it very much. After that on the highway, the car started overheating and we had to stop at the gas station. Agency said they are sending another car and we have to wait 1 hour there. Fine, things like this happen. We had to wait a bit over an hour on benches (no cafe at the petrol station). Finally, a taxi arrives. Fine, it was comfy but a bit more crowded since the 3 of us had to sit together. There we had the first serious problem: the driver was speeding like he is Schumacher and I almost threw up twice. We had to ask him to drive more carefully. Pinheiro was nice and the river cruise was also nice. Here we had the first major issue and the main reason for 2 starts rating. The guide then asked us if we want to have a guided tour of the winery we will visit. We, of course, said yes. After lunch, we find out that tours were booked for 2 weeks in advance. OK, but the agency should have known that and asked about this when I booked the tour, not leave it for the last moment. Then we were going to see the winery (without the tour). Guess what, it was closed for a private event and we ended up drinking port wine in a cafe. I'm sorry, but the agency should have known that in advance plus I believe there are other wineries around. Later (from another agency) we heard that for this trip, wineries are usually booked a week in advance so at that moment I decided to give only 2 stars because preparations for the trip were simply not done. Douro Valley is a must for visiting when in Porto but choose another agency that will not have so many problems.

After booking Go Travel for our airport transfers, we spoke to Pedro about a Douro Valley tour for 4 of us. He organised a great trip for us incorporating, Amarante, Pinhao (where we had an excellent lunch and a boat trip up the Douro) and a trip to a very scenically located vineyard where we did some Port tasting. It was an excellent and memorable day. Pedro is very diligent and his engaging and enthusiastic personality ensures the tour suits the customers, we never felt rushed. We liked it that he had coffee and lunch with us. I cannot recommend this trip enough. In addition to the Douro trip, Pedro told us about a restaurant, a little out of town, that served Robalo (Sea Bass) for 4 cooked in bread. We asked him to book it for us and arrange the transfers. Not only did he do this but he arranged the details for the whole meal - it was excellent and great value. If you are planning to visit Porto, I'd strongly advise contacting Pedro and talking through what you want to do during your visit. You won't be disappointed with what he arranges!