Here’s what we did on our Portugal River Cruise with Viking

Portugal River Cruise in the Douro Valley
We’ve returned from a fun Portugal river cruise and have so many wonderful experiences and photos to share. A European river cruise has been on our travel wish list for years now, so we jumped at the opportunity to partner with Viking River Cruises for this Portugal river cruise .
There are so many European river cruises – why did we choose Portugal?
Well, the simple answer is that we had not visited Portugal before. This is a new country for us. We also want to do something special to celebrate Cameron’s 40th birthday.
After learning about the Douro Valley and it’s famous wine region , a luxurious river cruise in Portugal sounds like the perfect adult-only vacation.
The cruise is called Portugal’s River of Gold . It’s a 10 day river cruise that begins in Lisbon and ends in Porto (learn more here ).
This post shares our experience on the Portugal river cruise, including land excursions.
We break down each day of the tour and provide information about what we did. We took this cruise in May 2018. Times and details may will change for future cruises. Therefore, use this information as a guideline (when in doubt, contact Viking directly).
Watch this short video about our river cruise here .

Day 1 – Lisbon, Portugal
The River of Gold cruise itinerary begins in Lisbon, Portugal’s vibrant coastal capital.
Our flight from Vancouver arrives at Lisbon International Airport at 12:00 PM on Sunday. A representative from Viking waits for us at the airport. She is holding a red Viking sign so we easily identify her.
A private transfer transports us from the airport to our hotel, the Tivoli Avenida Liberdade Lisboa . This transfer is included. No additional payment required.
Although we arrived at the hotel before the standard 3:00 PM check-in time, our room was ready and waiting for us. We were thankful for this because it was a long travel day.
The first day is a free day on the cruise itinerary. This means guests have the opportunity to explore Lisbon at their own pace.
The only organized activity was an optional talk at 6:00 PM that reviewed basic details about the Portugal river cruise itinerary. The hotel has a table in the lobby specifically for Viking River Cruise guests, so there’s someone available to answer your trip related questions.
After a quick nap, we went to the rooftop bar at the hotel. The views from this bar are spectacular. We could have easily spent the entire evening there. However, we only have two nights in Lisbon, so we want to get our and explore the city.
Find out what we did in Lisbon Portugal .

Views from Sky Bar, the rooftop bar at the  Tivoli Avenida Liberdade Lisboa .

Read this post to see more photos of Lisbon .

Day 2 – Lisbon, Portugal
A complimentary breakfast is provided at the hotel. The morning begins with an excursion to see Lisbon’s top tourist attractions.
We depart the hotel at 9:00 AM sharp. We quickly learn that the wheels on the bus start moving at the specified time. Punctuality is very important.
The Lisbon city tour is a guided tour.
Guests on the Portugal river cruise are split into 3 separate coaches. There are about 25-30 people per coach. 
Guests are provided a  QuietVox  audio system so that you can hear what the guide is saying. Our guide was very knowledgeable and shared interesting stories about Portugal’s history and culture.
First stop is the magnificent Belém Tower (above photo).
We spent about 30 minutes at Belém. We did not go inside the tower, we took photos of the outside only.
Belém Tower is arguably the most important tourist attraction in Lisbon. We did not actually go inside this 16th century tower but we were able to marvel at its unique  Manueline architecture .

Navy Museum and Jerónimos Monastery
After Belém Tower we visited the nearby Navy Museum and Jerónimos Monastery, a  UNESCO World Heritage Site . It’s quite an impressive building (see above photo).
The Portuguese are very proud of their maritime history and achievements. The  Portuguese Empire  was one of the largest and longest-lived empires in world history, existing for almost six centuries.
The exhibits in the museum include historical paintings, archaeological items and several models of ships used in Portugal since the 15th century. This museum has over 17,000 items!
We spent about an hour at the maritime museum. The first 30 minutes was with our tour guide, the remaining 30 minutes was for us to explore on our own. Give yourself some time to walk down to the impressive Monastery (the domed tower at the far right of the above photo).
The bus departed the museum at 11:30 AM and passed the beautiful Praça do Comércio  (Commerce Square) before arriving at our next destination – the Alfama District.
The Alfama is is the oldest district of Lisbon.
It’s the only part of Lisbon to survive the great 1755 earthquake, so it retains some of its old world charm. Today, this historical district is famous for its labyrinth of narrow medieval streets, small squares and quaint cafes and restaurants.
We toured the Alfama for about 45 minutes. The tour concludes at 1:00 PM.
We have the option to take the coach back to the hotel or get dropped off in the city center.  We opted to stay in the city and spend the afternoon exploring on our own. Find out what we did here .

Related – Lisbon exceeded our expectations. Here’s what we did.

Optional Tour – A Taste of Lisbon
Viking offers optional tours at some of the locations. We decided to join the A Taste of Lisbon tour. The additional cost for this 3.5 hour tour is $69 USD per person.
The coach departed the Tivoli Avenida Liberdade Lisboa at 3:30 PM. We had 12 people on the tour with us.
The food tour stopped at 3 locations and included small samples of local dishes.
The first stop had us sampling Portugal’s most popular pasty – pastel de nada (see photo below). The second stop included steak sandwiches and beer. The final stop included charcuterie with wine pairings. This was the highlight of the Taste of Lisbon tour.
We also visited the  Miradouro de Nossa Senhora do Monte  to check out the amazing views of Lisbon (see photo below).
We arrived back at our hotel at 7:00 PM.


The iconic pastel de nata. An essential food item for first time visitors to Portugal. Very delicious!

Day 3 – Coimbra & Porto
We departed the hotel in Lisbon at 8:00 AM. Guests are required to be packed and ready by 7:00 AM because the luggage needs to be picked up from your room and taken to the coach.
Complimentary breakfast at the hotel is included (buffet style – typical European spread).
We drove for 3 hours before arriving at Coimbra, the country’s former capital and home to the historic University of Coimbra . The coach stopped for a bathroom and coffee break about half way between Lisbon and Coimbra. The coaches are equipped with wifi and bottled water is provided.
University of Coimbra
We arrived in Coimbra at 11:30 AM. We explored the medieval town for about 30 minutes before making our way to the University of Coimbra, one of the  oldest universities in continuous operation  in the world.
A highlight of the university tour is Joanina Library, an 18th century Baroque library that is home to 300,000 ancient books. We could not take photos inside the library.
That said, the photos we did see do not properly capture how incredible this library is. You have to experience it firsthand (there’s good reason why this university is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site).
The tour at the University of Coimbra is about 1.5 hours.
After the tour we had lunch at a nearby restaurant and were treated to a delicious 3-course meal with live traditional music (guitar and singing). The food was very good and the atmosphere was quite festive. We spent about 2 hours at this restaurant.
We got back on the coaches and made our way north to Porto. The final drive was about 2 hours. Most people had a siesta to sleep off the wine from lunch.
We arrived at the Viking river cruise ship in Vila Nova de Gaia (Porto) at 5:00 PM.

Above – street scene in the city of Coimbra.

Joanina Library at the University of Coimbra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site ( see listing ).

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The courtyard inside the historical University of Coimbra. Quite the place!

Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto
Our river cruise vessel, the Viking Osfrid , awaited our arrival at Vila Nova de Gaia, which is the south side of the Douro River (Porto is the on north side). The above photo was captured close to where the Viking ship docks. It’s technically not Porto but it’s close enough.
We boarded the ship and checked into our room. The process was fast and easy. Our luggage was delivered from the coach to our room. We had welcome cocktails at 5:30 PM and at 6:15 PM we were required to participate in a short safety drill. Basically, learn where your life jacket is located and how to use it in the unlikely event of an emergency.
Dinner was served shortly after the safety drill, around 7:00 PM. The captain took us up and down the Douro River on a sunset sail of Porto. After the sunset sail the ship docked at Vila Nova de Gaia for the evening.
We decided to get off the ship and explore Porto for a few hours.
Porto is such a photogenic city!

Related –  30 Photos of Porto that will inspire you to visit

Day 4 – Full day in Porto
The included excursion on Day 4 is called Panoramic Porto . Breakfast is served between 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM. The excursion departs at 8:30 AM sharp.
Similar to the Lisbon city tour , guests on the Portugal river cruise are split into 3 different coaches (the same groups as before).
The  QuietVox  audio system is provided so that we can learn about the places we visit (the devices are located in your stateroom – make sure you charge them every evening because you will use them every day).
First stop on the tour is the  Porto Cathedral , one of the city’s oldest monuments.
It’s located on a hilltop and showcases incredible views of the old red roofed city.
After the cathedral, our group walked to the nearby São Bento Railway Station , famous for its detailed tile murals. There are approximately 20,000 azulejo tiles on the walls that date as far back as 1905.
After the train station we visited Porto’s most popular shopping district and had about an hour of free time. We enjoyed another delicious round of  pastel de nata and coffee (Europeans know how to make great coffee!).
We visited Igreja de Santo Ildefonso (Church of Saint Ildefonso), an eighteenth-century church located near  Batalha Square , before re-joining our group and making our way back to Vila Nova de Gaia.
The last stop on the tour was probably our favorite – we visited Sandeman’s port wine cellar to learn about the region’s famous port wine and sample the goods. The Sandeman location is a short walk from where the ship is docked in Vila Nova de Gaia.
See more photos of Porto, Portugal

Above – monument in front of Porto Cathedral.

Beautiful tile mural inside São Bento Railway Station, Porto.

The Church of Saint Ildefonso. Notice the detailed tile art on the outside of the church.

Inside the Sandeman cave, home to hundreds of barrels of port wine. It smells so good in here!


Exploring Porto, Portugal
We arrived back to the Viking Osfrid for lunch. Guests can join a few different optional tours at this time. Or, you can take a shuttle back to Porto’s main shopping district.
We chose the shuttle back to Porto and spent the afternoon exploring Porto at our own pace.
Our self-guided walking tour began at the infamous Dom Luís I Bridge, where we took hundreds of photos of this incredible city (more on that here ).
We wandered around the city for about 3 hours and made our way back to the ship by 6:00 PM. The city is quite hilly, so we definitely got our exercise. We enjoyed dinner on the boat at 7:00 PM.


Views of Porto from the top of the Dom Luís I Bridge, an iron bridge built in 1886. One of the key people involved in its design was  Gustave Eiffel , the same man who designed the world-famous  Eiffel Tower .


Day 5 – Régua, Mateus Palace and Pinhão
We began the Portugal river cruise up the Douro River on Day 5, passing several towns and villages along the way. The ship departed from Porto at 7:00 AM. We woke up slowly that morning and watched the world slowly pass us by from the comfort of our bed.
We made our way to breakfast around 8:30 AM and finished just in time to witness the ship pass through the first river lock on the Douro River. It’s a very interesting procedure.
These river boats were built for the tight locks on the Douro River. Our captain carefully guided the Viking Osfrid into the narrow lock with only a few inches to spare on each side.
We spent the rest of the morning enjoying coffee on the sundeck of the ship, soaking up the unique landscapes as we sailed up the Douro. Lunch was served at 12:30 PM.
We arrived at the town of Régua at 2:30 PM. The included excursion departed shortly after we arrived, at 2:45 PM. We were a little behind schedule because there was a delay at one of the river locks.

WATCH – Video from our Douro Valley River Cruise

Mateus Palace in Vila Real, Portugal
First stop on the excursion is to Mateus Palace , a beautiful baroque palace located in Vila Real. The drive from Régua to the palace took about an hour. We had a 30 minute guided tour followed by 30 minutes of free time to explore the beautiful gardens and chapel.
After Mateus Palace we boarded the coach and made our way to Quinta do Seixo , located in the Upper-Corgo in the heart of the Douro Demarcated Region . This region is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (read the listing here ) because wine has been produced in the Alto Douro region for 2,000 years.
If you’ve been counting, that’s 4 different UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 4 straight days! 
The drive up the hill to the Sandeman winery is a little harrowing. The tight switchbacks put our driver to the test, but he was up for the challenge. If you don’t like heights, you may not want to look out the window during this part of the tour.
The views from the Sandeman at Quinta do Seixo are spectacular – see photos below. We’ve been to wine regions in Europe before (read about our trip to the Mosel Valley in Germany ), but we haven’t see vineyards quite like these. The rows of grape vines stretch up the side of the river valley for miles.
The terraces reminded us of the ancient terraces of Banaue in the Philippines .

Régua to Pinhão
For those who decided to skip the excursion to Mateus Palace and Quinta do Seixo, they stayed on the ship as it sailed from  Régua  to Pinhão . The coaches met up with the ship in Pinhão at around 6:45 PM.
Our coach actually passed the ship while it sailed up river. The above photo was captured from the window seat of the coach. That is our ship, the Viking Osfrid.
Dinner was served at 7:30 PM. That evening, we enjoyed local dishes and the ship’s staff were dressed in traditional Portuguese outfits. Performers came aboard the ship and played live music while we ate. It was a very festive evening.
The ship docks in Pinhão for the night. We had the opportunity to explore the town in the evening but we were too full from dinner. We decided to enjoy some local wine on the sundeck instead. It was a fun day.

Above – ship docked in the town of Pinhão, located in the district of  Vila Real .

Sailing up the calm Douro River. Views from the sundeck of the Viking Osfrid.

The variety of landscapes was unexpected. One minute we’re surround by wineries, the next minute we are sailing within a few meters of jagged rocks and steep canyons.

Panoramic views from Quinta do Seixo, home to the Sandeman brand of port.

Our big coach carefully made its way up these steep, windy roads.

Day 6 – Barca d’Alva and Castelo Rodrigo
The ship casts off from Pinhão at 7:15 AM. Like the previous morning, we take our time and enjoy the passing countryside from the window of our upper level stateroom.
We ate breakfast at 8:00 AM and made our way to the sundeck. The weather did not cooperate that day. It rained for most of the morning.
We arrived at Barca d’Alva at 2:15 PM and joined the included excursion that departed at 2:30 PM. We boarded the coach and made our way to the historical village of Castelo Rodrigo , a tiny medieval fortress town that retains its old world charm. The hilltop village is still home to about 60 people.
We had about 1.5 hours to explore the village, palace ruin and church of Castelo Rodrigo. The guided walking tour takes about 30 minutes. It’s not very big, so you can explore the village on your own.
We arrived back at the ship at around 5:00 PM. That evening we were treated to a cocktail party with a variety of colourful drinks to choose from. We ate dinner at 7:30 PM and went for a walk around Barca d’Alva afterwards. The town is quite small and there’s not a lot to do.
The ship docked at Barca d’Alva for two consecutive nights.

Admiring the palace ruins at Castelo Rodrigo.

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Steep slope in the medieval village of Castelo Rodrigo.

Sampling a glass sparkling white wine that’s manufactured in the region. It tasted like sweet almonds. We’re not sure if the white wine was mixed with the almond flavour? It was an interesting combination. We’ve never tasted anything like it before. It was a little too sweet for our liking.

Our coach stopped at this lookout point so that we could capture photos of these beautiful landscapes. You can see the Douro River in the far distance. That’s where the ship was docked while we toured the region.

Day 7 – Salamanca, Spain
This was the longest and one of the most memorable days on the cruise itinerary.
After an early breakfast on the ship, we boarded our coach at 8:45 AM and began a two hour drive to Salamanca, known for its ornate sandstone architecture and the Universidad de Salamanca  (founded in 1134). 
The Old City of Salamanca has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We arrived in Salamanca at 11:00 AM. We stopped for a coffee break about half way on the drive from Barca d’Alva to Salamanca.
The guided tour begins at Salamanca Central Market. We sample a variety of cured meats fresh cheese, olives and wine. It’s a nice start to the afternoon.
We then walk to the magnificent Plaza Mayor, considered the heart of Salamanca. It’s said to be one of the most beautiful plazas in Spain . We agree with this recognition.
Guests are given free time to explore Salamanca.
You may re-join the group for a guided walking tour at 2:00 PM or choose to discover Salamanca at your own pace.
We decide to enjoy a bottle of red wine and tapas at Plaza Mayor. It’s the perfect place to people watch and soak up the atmosphere.
We visited Salamanca during graduation season and there seemed to be a lot of bachelor and bachelorette parties (we counted at least 10 different groups that were dressed up and ready to party).
If you travel to Salamanca, you must visit the incredible New Cathedral of Salamanca , built between the 16th and 18th centuries in both Gothic and Baroque styles. It’s one of the most impressive Cathedral’s we’ve visited. It is joined together with the  Old Cathedral  that dates back to the 12th century.
The coach departs Salamanca at 4:00 PM and arrives back at the ship at 6:00 PM. The ship remains docked in the town of Barca d’Alva for a second night.
Related – Why you should add Salamanca to your travel list


Outside Salamanca Cathedral. It’s so big that we couldn’t fit it all in the frame!

Inside Salamanca Cathedral. Nicole is dwarfed by the towering columns. This church is huge!<