Douro River Cruise In Depth Review: By a Tour Manager

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Thinking of taking a Saga Douro river cruise?

Check out this in-depth review of this lovely Douro River Cruise, based on my experience of being a Saga Cruise Escort on this tour with 130 SAGA guests.

I’m sharing videos I took on the trip along with everything I think you need to know to decide if this is the perfect trip for you.

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Douro River Cruise

Douro River Cruise – Where is the Douro Valley?

• The River Douro starts in Spain. It flows West where it meets the Atlantic Ocean at the gorgeous city of Porto.
• It is 557 miles long.
• There are 15 dams along the river of which 5 are commonly passed through during a Douro river cruise.
• Scroll across the map below to see where the Douro River flows.

What is the Douro Valley Famous For?

The Douro Valley is UNESCO-listed because of its wine-making history and heritage.

Not only is port wine made in the area (don’t miss a chance to visit a Port Wine Cellar in Porto), but Vinho Verde is produced here too. This wine is generally not exported as it doesn’t travel well. It has a fresh and clean taste because it is classed as a ‘young wine’, although the name means green wine.

(For another popular Portuguese drink try Beirao – best served simply on the rocks)

So now we know a bit more about the Douro Valley area let’s jump into my in-depth review of this lovely cruise.

Douro River Cruise: Cruise Headlines

• 7-night cruise on Spirit of the Douro
• Door-to-door transport to departure point from anywhere in the UK and the same when returning home (car service up to 300 miles for 2024)
• Travel insurance included (can be removed for a discount) – see my note below about insurance in the pricing section
• 7 breakfasts
• 6 lunches
• 7 evening meals
• Return flights to and from the UK
• Transfers to and from the ship
• All-inclusive drinks at the bar from 11am to 11pm
• Captains dinner and drinks reception
• WIFI on board the ship
• Entertainment and activities on board
• Gratuities included
• Porterage to and from your cabin
• Love Your Cruise Moneyback Guarantee
• Interactive maps and headsets for personal exploration

Included excursions as follows;

• Tour of Lamego
• Visit Figueira Castelo de Rodrigo
• Sightseeing in Salamanca
• Dinner at a local Quinta
• Casa de Mateus Palace visit
• Tour of a wine estate
• A tour of Oporto including a port wine cellar visit

Douro Cruise – My Memorable Moments

• Sitting on the sun deck as we travelled through huge river locks and admiring the engineering involved in these massive structures.
• Getting out into the hills and quieter parts of the Douro valley for tours and visits.
• Laughing over a coffee with guests in the picturesque hilltop village home to Rodrigo castle.
• Seeing vultures gliding on the breeze on the way back from Salamanca.
• Enjoying the misty morning views from the sun deck as we cruised back into Oporto – achingly beautiful.
• Meeting the amazing crew onboard.

SAGA Douro River Cruise 2025 Departures

In 2025 the SAGA door-to-door travel service will operate nationwide so there won’t be a mileage limit

Douro River Cruise: Pricing

Departures from May to November from London Gatwick

Prices range from £1521 per person to £4275 per person depending on the time of year.

There are some great prices for 2025 if you want to book early.

Insurance: SAGA insurance is included at £24 per person for this cruise. This is the headline price, which is then updated once travellers have completed their declaration of medical conditions etc. If you do remove SAGA insurance just be mindful that any SAGA staff/representatives cannot help you in the event of any insurance related incident. As a Tour Manager I could speak with the insurance company to arrange return flights, accommodation, medical advice etc if guests had SAGA insurance. This was especially helpful when travellers were on their own.

Douro River Cruise: Included VIP Transfers from Home

• There are several options included with SAGA for getting to your UK departure for your flight to Oporto.
• You can choose a VIP transfer service with a driver which is available from your home, a family member or friend’s home.
• You can also choose to travel by rail.
• If you want to make your own way free airport parking is included.
• If you choose an internal flight to get to your departure point from the UK you can also have your luggage collected from home and taken directly to your river cruise ship and returned to your home after your holiday.

Douro River Cruise: London Gatwick Departures

There are a mix of flights being used for the SAGA Douro River Cruise.

For ease, I have put them into a table to so you can see the details.

These flights might change but I will check them for you if you are interested in booking.

2024 Flight Timings

Dep. Date	Airline	Outbound Departure Time	Outbound Arrival Time	Inbound Departure Time	Inbound Arrival Time
6/6/24	British Airways	06.50	09.15	10.15	12.35
13/6/24 27/6/24 4/7/24 11/7/24 1/8/24 8/8/24 15/8/24 22/8/24 29/8/24	TAP Portugal	12.00	14.25	08.55	11.10
5/9/24	British Airways	06.50	09.15	10.15	12.35
12/9/24 26/9/24 10/10/24 17/10/24	TAP Portugal	12.00	14.25	08.55	11.10
24/10/24 31/10/24 7/11/24 21/11/24	TAP Portugal	10.10	12.30	07.05	09.25

2025 Flight Timings

Dep. Date	Airline	Outbound Departure Time	Outbound Arrival Time	Inbound Departure Time	Inbound Arrival Time
1/5/25 8/5/25 15/5/25 22/5/25 29/5/25 5/6/25 12/6/25 19/6/25 26/6/25 3/7/25 10/7/25 17/7/25 24/7/25 31/7/25 7/8/25 14/8/25 21/8/25 28/8/25 4/9/25 11/9/25 18/9/25 25/9/25 2/10/25 9/10/25 16/10/25	TAP Portugal	10.15	12.30	08.55	11.10
23/10/25 30/10/25 6/11/25 13/11/25 20/11/25 27/11/25	TAP Portugal	10.15	12.30	07.10	09.25

Douro River Cruise: Solo Travellers

The cost for single travellers ranges from £2586 to £6186 depending on the departure date.

Douro River Cruise: Ship Details and Deck Plans

Spirit of the Douro is an 80-metre long ship that can accommodate 126 guests.

It has 30 officers and crew on board.

There are 4 decks for passengers.

There is a lift between upper, main and lower decks.

To access the sun deck there is a set of steps or a chair lift.

Lower Deck

• Cabins starting with the number 1 are on this deck.
• There is a small gym on this deck also.

Main Deck

• Cabins starting with the number 2 are located on this deck.
• This is where the restaurant is.
• The small spa is also on this deck.

Upper Deck

• This is where most of the cabins are located – all the cabins start with the number 3.
• Access to the sun deck is from here.
• There is a nice lounge area and bar area with access to a small outside area at the front of the ship.
• Reception is also on this level.

Sun Deck

• This is complete with loungers and is ideal for sitting and enjoying the passing views.
• There is also a small splash pool.

Douro River Cruise: Cabins

There are several different types of cabin on the Spirit of the Douro.

Standard Cabins on Main and Upper Decks

Standard cabins on the main and upper decks are around 14 sq.m (around 150 square feet).

Cabins on the main and upper decks have French balconies. This term is a little confusing. A French balcony is a floor-to-ceiling window that slides open. There is often a balustrade (to stop you falling out) or sometimes there may be an outside section of glass.

The main thing to know about a French balcony is that you can’t sit outside – it’s a sliding big window really.

Junior Suites

Junior suites are larger in size – 19 sq.m or 205 square feet.

There are two suites. These are 29 sq.m or 312 square feet in size.

Single Cabins

There are only 2 single cabins on the Upper Deck and 2 single cabins on the lower deck.

On the main deck cabins 224 and 223 are likely to experience more engine noise.

Standard Cabins on the Lower Decks

Standard cabins on the lower deck are a little smaller. They are around 12 sq.m (130 square foot).

Single Cabins

There are two single cabins on the lower deck but they will also use standard cabins on the lower deck for single occupancy if needed.

On the lower deck cabins 111, 112, 114 and 115 are likely to experience more engine noise.

Douro River Cruise: Things to Know About a River Cruise

It may seem obvious but a river cruise is a very different from an ocean cruise.

Here are some of the main differences to know about;

• Ships are generally much smaller. The maximum capacity on board the Spirit of the Douro is 126 passengers with 30 crew.
• River cruises travel along rivers and rivers can be affected by water levels – the water can be too low that the ship can’t travel the designated route or it can be too high and the ship can’t get under the bridges.
• River cruises generally involve travelling through locks, which help ships deal with the changing height of the river as they travel. Locks crossings have to be booked in advance and there is often little or no spare capacity at busy times on the river.
• This can mean that if there is some any delay or issue somewhere along the cruise a sightseeing tour might be cut short in order for the ship to make the next lock crossing. The Captain and the crew will do everything they can to avoid these sorts of problems, but when it comes to river cruising locks trump tours. This happened on our Douro River Cruise – we had to cut short our visit to the Mateus Palace due to a fault on a lock which changed our original booking for the lock crossing.
• The Douro is a popular cruising river and there are lots of other ships travelling the route too. This means there isn’t spare capacity for lock crossings.
• River cruise ships may moor up alongside each other. This can mean that you have to walk through several other ships to reach yours. It may also mean that your cabin window or balcony looks directly into a cabin on the adjacent ship. If you have paid extra for a balcony or an upper cabin to get a better view this might be an issue for you.
• River cruises don’t always cruise at night and moor during the day. Cruising can be done at any time. Again cruising times are governed by lock crossing times.

Douro River Cruise: Day By Day

Here are a few things to know about the overall cruise;

• The cruise travels along the Douro River from Oporto to Barca d’Alva and back again. The total distance between these two points is approximately 135 miles. As such it’s not a long cruise in terms of distance.
• Most of the excursions are via coach and include a bit of travelling up and down the river.

It may be easier to think of this holiday as a touring holiday with some of the touring done by coach and some by the river cruise ship.

Douro River Cruise: Day 1

On the first day, you will depart from the UK and fly to Porto either on a British Airways flight or a TAP Portugal flight.

On arrival in Porto you will need to take your luggage out to the coach.

There will be 3 or 4 coaches to take everyone from the airport to the ship. You may have to wait until everyone has boarded the coaches before you depart.

It’s around 22km from the airport to Vila Nova De Gaia and the travel time is around 40 minutes, subject to traffic.

You are unlikely to be able to board the ship if your flight arrives before midday, as the ship will be doing a changeover from the previous cruise.

Once you reach your ship your luggage will be taken on board the ship and you will be checked into your cabin.

The ship will be exclusively for Saga guests which could mean that around 130 people are arriving together. As such it can take a little time to get everyone on board and for all the luggage to arrive.

There may well be some time to explore Vila Nova De Gaia which is a pretty area where all the port wine cellars are located.

It’s on the opposite side of the river from Porto itself. There is a pretty riverside promenade area, shops, cafes and a funicular.

Check out things to do in Vila Nova De Gaia

Dinner will be served on board tonight and the ship remains moored overnight, giving the chance to explore Vila Nova after dinner if you wish.

Douro River Cruise: Day 2

Today the ship will cruise from Vila Nova De Gaia to Regua. The total distance travelled by ship is around 80 miles.

The timings shown in the 2025 itinerary show this journey taking 7 hours, leaving at 7 am and arriving Regua 2 pm.

Not far from Vila Nova De Gaia is the first lock navigation. This is through the Crestuma Lever Dam. The height of the dam is 25 metres or around 82 feet. It’s a baby compared to the next dam you will travel through.

Check out my videos that I filmed with my SAGA group.

It is something memorable to experience.

Before arriving in Regua you will pass through the Carrapatelo Dam. The height of the dam is 57m or around 187 feet. This is quite an experience to travel through, and definitely, a moment to enjoy from the bar and the front area of the boat.

Excursion Gradings

SAGA has helpfully graded their excursions to give an idea of the amount of walking and standing involved.

The times given are based on you doing the minimum involved in the tour. For example, if you explore further on your own at any of the places you visit this would increase the amount of standing/walking involved in the tour.

Walking Grade	Details
1	No walking as such – more like stepping on and off coach to do a photo stop
2	Minimal walking mainly on the flat up to around 550 yards (1/3rd of a mile)
3	Mixed terrain which could include slopes, uneven surfaces and some steps. Walking anywhere from 550 yards to 1650 yards (1/3rd mile to a mile)
4	Walking over uneven terrain with lots of steps to deal with. Walking distance more than 1650 yards (over a mile)
5	This is classed as strenuous walking. Long distances over rough terrain, with steps and trekking involved.

Lamego Excursion

In the afternoon, after lunch, there is an included excursion to Lamego.

This excursion lasts around 3.5 hours.

It’s classed as walking grade 4 by SAGA, with a walking/standing time of 1.5-2 hours.

Lamego is in the hills about 10 miles away from Regua where the ship will be moored.

The visit is to see the lovely Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remedios. The shrine was built between the 18th and 20th centuries and it is still a very popular pilgrimage site with the most devout climbing up the nearly 700 steps on their knees.

There is a beautiful baroque staircase and the sanctuary at the top of the hill. You have the option to walk down into the city of Lamego or take the coach down if you prefer.

Check out this page on Lamego for a lovely view of Lamego looking back to the Sanctuary and an interactive map showing the attractions of Lamego.

Lamego is a small town with a pleasant square and some nice coffee shops and cafes to enjoy.

After your visit to Lamego, you travel back to the ship by coach.

During the evening there is a Portuguese folk music session on board the ship.

Douro River Cruise: Day 3

After spending the night in Regua the ship cruises from Regua to Pinhao.

For the 2025 timings, the itinerary shows this journey taking 3 hours, leaving at 9 am and arriving Pinhao at midday.

During this part of the cruise, you will pass through the Regua Dam. This dam is 41 metres or around 134 feet high.

The distance cruised from Regua to Pinhao is around 17 miles.

Favaios Excursion

This excursion lasts around 3 hours.

It’s classed as walking grade 3 with a total standing/walking time of approximately 2.5 hours.

Favaios is known as the wine village.

It’s set in the hills around 15km or about 30-40 minutes from Pinhao where the ship will be moored.

Favaios is a UNESCO heritage site. It has a yearly Moscatel wine festival too.

Here’s a video to give you an idea of what it’s like.

You might also find this virtual map useful so you can take a look around this pretty spot.

After a visit to a bakery, you will take a coach to a local Quinta for an evening meal and probably a spot of wine too!

Quinta da Avessada Dinner

This excursion lasts around 3.5 hours

It is a walking grade 3 with a total walking/standing time of 40 minutes.

Check out some pictures of the Quinta here.

After dinner, you will return to the ship which will remain moored in Pinhao overnight.

Douro River Cruise: Day 4

There is a morning sail today from Pinhao to Vega de Terron.

The 2025 itinerary shows this journey as taking 7 hours, leaving Pinhao at 8 am and arriving at Vega de Terron at 3 pm.

During this part of the cruise, you will pass through the Valeira Dam which is 48m or around 157 feet high. You will also pass through the Pocinho Dam which is 49m or 160 feet high.

You will then arrive at Vega de Terron.

Figueria De Castelo Rodrigo Excursion

During the afternoon there is an included visit to Figueria de Castelo Rodrigo.

This excursion lasts 3.5 hours.

It is classed as walking grade 4 with a total walking/standing time of 40 minutes.

This very pretty village sits on top of a hill. It has several pretty narrow streets with some cute cafes to enjoy while you visit too. There will be free time to look around the village at your leisure.

The distance from Vega de Terron to Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo is around 21km or 13 miles. The roads are fairly small so this will take around 30 minutes to travel.

The video above gives you an idea about the terrain for this excursion. There are lots of cobbles and steep paths.

This evening there is a Portuguese dinner on board the ship

Vega de Terron is on the Portuguese/Spanish border where the Douro and Agueda rivers meet.

Douro River Cruise: Day 5

After breakfast, there is an included excursion to the city of Salamanca – a Spanish city set inland.

This excursion lasts 10 hours.

It is a walking grade 4 with standing/walking time of 60 minutes.

It is around 121 km or 75 miles between Vega de Terron and Salamanca.

The first part of the journey involves a climb up over the hills. This part of the road is quite twisty but once out of the Douro Valley, the road is straighter and more level.

The journey takes around two hours and there will be some commentary during the journey about Spanish history.

Important Note;

There were not any comfort stops en route to Salamanca but there was a comfort stop on arrival in Salamanca at a local hotel. It might be worth checking this information in advance if it is important to you.

Salamanca is a Unesco-listed city in Spain. The city has one of the oldest universities in Europe and two cathedrals. The city has a pedestrianised area to make exploring even more enjoyable.

Around half an hour after arrival in Salamanca there will be a walking tour with a local guide to visit Plaza Mayor. The Plaza is deemed one of the finest squares in Spain.

Lunch is included today at a local restaurant and there will be a flamenco show afterward so you can enjoy some traditional Spanish culture too.

Later in the day, you will take the 2-hour journey back to the ship.

The ship will travel from Vega de Terron to Pochino which is a distance of around 35km.

Here’s my video of the view across the Douro Valley from a viewpoint in the hills on the way to Salamanca.

Douro River Cruise: Day 6

This morning the ship will cruise from Pochino to Regua.

In the 2025 itinerary, it shows this journey taking 7 hours with a departure time from Pochino of 7 am, arriving Regua 2 pm.

This is around 80km so it may mean an early start for the ship setting sail.

The ship will pass through the Pocinho and Valeira dams again.

Mateus Palace Excursion

This excursion lasts around 3.5 hours.

It’s a walking grade 3 with a walking/standing time of 90 minutes.

The Mateus Palace, which will be familiar to you if you have seen the Mateus Rose wine label – perhaps you used the bottles as candle holders too!

The visit includes a guided tour of the inside of the palace and a chance to explore the lovely gardens outside.

After returning to the ship you will cruise from Regua to Bitetos. This is a distance of around 75km so it may mean quite a late arrival into Vila Real.

The 2025 itinerary shows this journey as taking 4 hours, leaving at 5 pm and arriving in Bitetos at 9 pm.

There will be a farewell dinner on board the ship tonight.

(Many of the crew live in Oporto so they go home on the last night of the cruise while the ship is moored in Vila Nova de Gaia overnight)

Douro River Cruise: Day 7

This morning you will cruise from Bitetos to Vila Nova de Gaia where your ship will moor overnight.

The distance is around 50km and you will pass through the Crestuma dam again.

The 2025 itinerary shows this journey taking 2 hours, leaving at 7 am and arriving into Vila Real at 9 am.

Port Cellar Excursion

This tour takes 1.5 hours.

It’s classed as walking grade 3 with a total walking/standing time of 1.5 hours.

You will walk from the ship to a nearby wine cellar for your chance to learn about how Port is produced. There is also a chance to try some port as well of course.

Oporto Excursion By Coach in the Afternoon

This excursion lasts 3.5 hours.

It is classed as a walking grade 3 with a total walking/standing time of 60 minutes.

In the afternoon there is an included tour of Oporto which is famous for wine production but also served as inspiration for JK Rowling – if you see students from the University during your tour you will see why!

Most of the tour will be on the coach with some stops along the way.

One of the places you will visit is Se Cathedral, where Phillipa of Lancaster married King Joao of Portugal in 1387.

Here is a video showing Oporto and Vila Real and the lovely views of the bridges from the River Douro

Douro River Cruise Day 8

This morning after breakfast you will disembark your ship and travel to the airport for your return flight to the UK.

Generally, groups have to be at the airport 2.5 to 3 hours ahead of flight departure times.

If your flight departs at 8 am you will need to be at the airport at 4.30 am and 5 am. This means leaving the ship at around 4-4.30 am.

The ship probably won’t do a full breakfast for such an early departure.

Once you have landed in the UK you will be transferred home as per your arrangements – either a private car, flight etc.

Douro River Cruise – Professional Traveller Summary

• This Douro River Cruise is an ideal introduction to this particular part of Portugal
• The Douro is a beautiful river and this Douro River Cruise gives you a great combination of the beautiful city of Porto, with the rural countryside of Portugal too
• The Douro Queen will be chartered exclusively for SAGA for your cruise which is great
• Most of the excursions don’t have a huge amount of time for exploring on your own because they have guided tours. You can of course skip these if you want to explore at your own pace.
• There are some lovely parts of the cruise where you can sit on the sun deck and just enjoy the countryside slipping by
• Don’t miss cruising back into Porto and going under the bridges – it might be early but it’s worth it for the view

Interested in finding out more about this cruise? Get in touch to find out about price and availability for your travel dates.

Douro River Cruise Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Further Reading

Check out this Portuguese Government site which gives lots more information on the navigation of the Douro River

Portuguese Government Site About the Navigation of the Douro River

If you have found this review of the Douro River Cruise useful then you might be interested in the following;

Detailed Review of Coach Holiday to Lake Garda – with lots of helpful tips

Australia Tours review – 2 coach holidays compared with detailed itinerary review and helpful tips and advice

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  Coach Holiday Companies – Is Bigger Better?
  Ever considered coach holiday companies and their differences when thinking of booking? There are big differences between smaller and larger coach holiday companies and these can have an impact on all aspects of the coach holiday experience. In this article, I look at 4 main coach holiday company differences you consider when choosing a coach… Read More »Coach Holiday Companies – Is Bigger Better?
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  Don’t Avoid a Coach Holiday – You Are Missing a Great Trip
  Have you heard lots of bad things about coach holidays? As a result, have you tended to avoid a coach holiday as an option for your travels? In this article, I want to discuss some of the most common issues I have experienced over my 25 year career as a coach holiday tour manager. Instead… Read More »Don’t Avoid a Coach Holiday – You Are Missing a Great Trip
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  What Is An Orientation Tour? Coach Holiday Terminology
  Have you seen the phrase ‘orientation tour’ and wondered what it means? Do you know what the difference is between an orientation tour and a guided tour? There are some key differences you need to know about. Read on to learn all you need to know about this coach trip terminology and what it might… Read More »What Is An Orientation Tour? Coach Holiday Terminology
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  Azores Island Hopping Review
  Do you want inside tips and information about the itinerary from someone who has been? Great! You are in the exactly the right place. I have taken 5 or 6 British groups on holidays to the Azores Island Hopping and it is somewhere I really enjoy visiting. If you haven’t already read it I would… Read More »Azores Island Hopping Review
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  Are Coach Holidays Worth It? Here’s 9 Reasons Why They Are
  If you have ever wondered ‘Are coach holidays worth it?’ then you might be interested in these 9 reasons why they are. They are based on feedback I’ve received from guests on coach holidays. I’ve taken over 9,500 people on coach holidays all over the world. Read on to see what they say. Links You… Read More »Are Coach Holidays Worth It? Here’s 9 Reasons Why They Are