Jewels of Spain, Portugal & The Douro River Cruise
LIMITED TIME ONLY: Book a 2019 Uniworld river cruise of Europe (departing between 1 March - 15 November 2019) and you can fly FREE to Europe and back - or fly Business Class return from just $3,999pp.*
13-day luxury river cruise aboard the Queen Isabel
Cruise through the UNESCO-designated Douro Valley, where grapes have been grown for 2,000 years, visiting picturesque quintas and meeting the winemakers who operate them, as well as tasting the wine.
Get even closer to natural treasures at the Douro International Natural Park, where you can get a better understanding of the flora and fauna of the land with an intimate boat cruise, and at the Quinta Aveleda’s gardens, offering an enchanting landscape that boasts a cascading waterfall, graceful swans swimming, peacocks flaunting their colours and so much more.
DVisit the walled village of Castelo Rodrigo, a site that dates back to the 12th century, and the pilgrimage town of Lamego to see the monumental baroque Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios.
It's just a small sample of the many delights you'll enjoy on this luxury all-inclusive river cruise. Read on for the amazing full itinerary...
- 7 nights crusing
- 5 nights touring
- 28 meals
- 16 included excursions
- 7 UNESCO heritage sites
DAY 1: Lisbon
Arrive at Lisbon Portela Airport. If your cruise/tour package includes a group arrival transfer or if you have purchased a private arrival transfer, you will be greeted by a Uniworld representative and transferred to the hotel.
DAY 2: Lisbon
Everything old is new again in the Portuguese capital, which is undergoing a remarkable rebirth of late. Get to know this hilly metropolis with a city tour that shows you all the top sights and treats you to a unique pastry with an intriguing (and delicious) history. Dynamic, colorful and picturesque, Lisbon will continually surprise you. Glorious historic architecture reflects the wealth brought in during the “Age of Discovery,” when the Portuguese owned the seas, but it is also a modern center of finance and international trade.
Featured Excursion:
Lisbon city tour with visit to the Church of the Jerónimos Monastery
DAY 3: Lisbon, Óbidos, Transfer to Porto (Embark)
You’ll board a motorcoach this morning, heading north through Portugal’s picturesque countryside toward Porto—but you’ll stop in fascinating Óbidos before you reach the colorful city. The tiny whitewashed village of Óbidos is so charming that Portuguese kings traditionally gave it to their brides as a wedding gift. Need we say more? Climb up to the imposing hilltop castle for spectacular, Instagram-worthy photos of the countryside and the sea beyond.
Featured Excursion:
Guided stroll through Óbidos
DAY 4: Porto
There’s much more to Portugal’s second city than its eponymous fortified wine—historic architecture, cutting-edge design, fabulous food and wine, and a hip, laid-back vibe. Discover its many charms with your choice of distinctively different tours today. Today you cruise to the mouth of the Douro and Portugal’s second city (after Lisbon), Porto, which gave its name to the nation’s most famous export, Port wine, and to the nation itself. The city is a fascinating combination of historic buildings and cutting-edge architecture, tradition and vivacious modernity.
Choice of Porto city tour or Exclusive “Do as the Locals Do” Porto walking tour with local tastings and vintage tram ride
DAY 5: Porto (Guimarães)
Guimarães or Porto? That’s the question of the day today (you really can’t go wrong either way). Guimarães is the town where Portugal was born and its well-preserved architecture and stylish young residents make it a pleasure to visit. Or opt to explore one of Porto’s oldest neighborhoods, picturesque Ribeira, considered the soul of the city.
Choice of Guimarães: the cradle of Portugal or Porto shopping experience
DAY 6: Entre-os-Rios (Amarante)
The family-owned Quinta da Aveleda looks like something out of a fairytale, with its lush flower gardens, peacocks and swans, shady terraces and whimsical follies—the perfect place to relax over a glass of vinho verde, the preferred drink of the region. After your visit to the quinta, you will get a crash course in the history of making Port during your visit to the Douro Museum.
Featured Excursions:
Quinta da Aveleda visit with gardens
Douro Museum and Port wine history
DAY 7: Régua (Lamego), Pinhão
One of Portugal’s top pilgrimage sites is our destination today, Our Lady of Remedies in Lamego. The church sits high above the town, accessible via hundreds of zigzagging steps adorned with beautiful blue and white tiles. After seeing the sights with a local expert, enjoy a tasting of locally made wines at a picturesque quinta.
Featured Excursions:
Scenic Stroll to Pinhão station
Lamego city tour with a sparkling wine tasting at the Quinta da Pacheca
DAY 8: Pinhão, Pocinho
Today is all about wine, which has been cultivated in the Douro River Valley since ancient Roman times. You’ll head to the hills to a prestigious wine estate, where you can sip Port while savoring marvelous views. Or, take a scenic drive to a family-owned quinta, where you’ll have a firsthand look at grape harvesting.
Choice of Quinta do Seixo guided tour with tasting or Vineyard hike and wine tasting at a local quinta
Whichever excursion you opt for, you’ll spend the afternoon cruising along a stretch of the Douro that is considered one of the most beautiful in all of Europe, boasting dramatic vistas, bountiful countryside and terraced vineyards, as well as picturesque villages tucked along the riverbanks.
DAY 9: Pocinho, Barca d’Alva (Castelo Rodrigo)
A tiny village surrounded by mountains, Barca d’Alva is your base for today's adventures. Go medieval today at Castelo Rodrigo, both the name of a hilltop castle as well as the village that surrounds it. It has been singled out as one of Portugal’s 12 historic villages for its medieval beauty. The view from the top is incredible and the village is a charming place to ramble, relax and replenish. Or, if you wish, you can also lace up your hiking boots and unleash your inner Indiana Jones with an up-close gander at some prehistoric carvings during a visit to Portugal’s first archaeological park, Foz Côa.
Choice of Castelo Rodrigo or Archaeological Park of the Côa Valley
In the evening, a special Gala Dinner will be prepared for you.
DAY 10: Vega de Terrón (Disembark), Salamanca, Transfer to Madrid
What adventures await you in Spain? You’ll disembark today, heading towards Madrid. Along the way you’ll visit the beautiful and historic university town of Salamanca—the “Golden City”—famous for its sand-colored buildings and abundance of churches. This is the university town where Columbus sought advice before sailing west in search of the new route to the Indies. Walk with a local expert through the Plaza Mayor, considered one of the most beautiful squares in Spain, and visit the university and the city’s astounding Food Hall.
Featured Excursion:
Salamanca walking tour
After checking into your hotel in Madrid, join a guided “Madrid at Your Doorstep” vicinity walk to begin getting acquainted with the city.
DAY 11: Madrid
Madrid may very well be Europe’s liveliest capital city, a place where people eat late and stay up even later. Get your bearings with a panoramic overview or a more intimate walking tour, both of which include a visit to the extraordinary Prado Museum. Tonight, enjoy dinner and a colorful, passionate, foot-stomping show at the city’s finest flamenco venue. The capital of Spain, Madrid boasts incomparable artwork, an amazing range of architectural styles— from Moorish to postmodern—and exceptional food. Your Iberian adventure begins here as you sample some of its highlights.
Featured Excursion:
Corral de la Moreria - award winning Flamenco performance and dinner
Choice of Madrid panoramic city tour with Prado Visit or Madrid panoramic and active walking tour: historic center and Prado visit
DAY 12: Madrid (Toledo)
A one-time ancient Roman colony, medieval Moorish capital and center for religious tolerance, Toledo is said to be Spain’s spiritual heart: a timeless, UNESCO-listed city where Muslims, Jews and Christians have peacefully co-existed for three centuries. After your city tour you’ll have time to explore—and eat—on your own; the food here is so exceptional that Toledo was named Spain’s gastronomic capital in 2016.
Featured Excursion:
Toledo walking exploration: city of walls, silk and swords
DAY 13: Depart Madrid
You’ve experienced the best of Spain, Portugal and the pristine Douro River, but now the journey comes to a close. If your cruise/tour package includes a group departure transfer or if you have purchased a private departure transfer, you will be transferred to Madrid-Barajas Airport for your flight home. Your Uniworld adventure may be over, but we know you’ll enjoy the memories you’ve made for years to come.
- 12 April 2019
- 18 April 2019
- 17 May 2019
- 23 May 2019
- 21 June 2019
- 27 June 2019
- 19 July 2019
- 25 July 2019
- 23 August 2019
- 29 August 2019
- 20 September 2019
- 26 September 2019
Classic Stateroom (161 sq ft - 15 sq m)
Amenities include built-in closets, hair dryer, safe, individual thermostat, flatscreen TV, radio, alarm clock, and bottled water. Bathroom amenities include L'Occitane en Provence bath and body products, plush towels, comfy bathrobes and slippers.
Upgrades are available. Please contact us to learn more.
Travel at 60 and Uniworld booking conditions apply. Please contact us for more information.
DISCLAIMER *Flight offers are only valid for new bookings made between 13 October and 7 November 2018, unless sold out prior. $1,000pp saving is applicable on all new 2019 European voyages (including Russia) departing 1 March to 15 November 2018. Air offer and $1,000pp discount are not combinable. Prices are per person and represent adult fares including any applicable taxes and surcharges. The offer is based on fares to the nearest available online European city to the cruise embarkation point or an available alternative as advised at time of booking (excluding London). Airline carriers include Qatar Airways & Cathay Pacific Airways. The air carrier selected is at the discretion of Uniworld, based on available fare classes at the time of booking and must be purchased in conjunction with an applicable 2019 Uniworld Europe departure. Departure from Australia is subject to availability, and cannot be booked for travel prior to 1 February 2019. Final flight itinerary is at the discretion of Uniworld. The airfare cannot be sold in isolation and is subject to availability. Business class fares from $3,999pp are applicable to Cathay Pacific Airways for any cruise duration and Qatar Airways on voyages 10 days or more. A $300 surcharge applies to Qatar Airways business fares for voyages under 10 days. Additional surcharges may apply, dependent on airfare availability. Uniworld reserves the right to correct errors or omissions and to change any and all fares, fees and surcharges at any time. Airfares are valid departing from SYD/CBR/MEL/ADL/PER/BNE, subject to selected carrier and routing. A surcharge may apply if the required booking class is not available and a higher booking class is required. Payment terms economy airfares: 10% cruise deposit and $1500 per person additional deposit is due within 5 days of booking. Payment terms business class airfares: 10% cruise deposit and $1,500 per person payment towards business class airfare is due within 5 days. Final payment of cruise fare and balance of any airfare is due 120 days prior to cruise departure. By paying the applicable deposits you accept the terms and conditions of the Uniworld Air Offer, and tickets will be issued. Our partner airlines reserve the right to advise an earlier airfare ticketing time limit date, subject to booking conditions and restrictions. Stopovers are subject to an additional surcharge and flight restrictions apply. After ticket issuance, date changes and cancellation fees apply. For customers purchasing Uniworld Gold Seal Protection (GSP), GSP will not apply to the additional deposit collected to participate in the air offer. Any cancellation charges will be deducted from the GSP credit – see full website terms and conditions on GSP. The promotion is capacity controlled, offer may not be combined with any other offer, except for River Heritage Club savings. This offer is valid on all available cabin categories on all 2019 departures across Europe (excluding Holiday Season voyages) sailings from 1 March to 15 November 2019. For cruise departures where flights are out of date range at time of booking, we will issue tickets only when the return date is within range, approximately 331 days prior to the selected return date. Tickets will only be issued when proposed flights have been confirmed by you or your travel agent. We will do everything reasonably possible to fulfil the air offer. However, if we are unable to fulfil the flights for any reason, we will revert your booking to the cruise only early booking promotion available at the time your booking was made. Offers may be withdrawn or amended at any time. Please contact Uniworld for further details.
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