Wine Tours and Tastings in Porto

As one of only twelve cities in the world distinguished as a Great Wine Capital, you'll find plenty of premium wine tours and tastings in Porto to choose from.

Across the river in Vila Nova de Gaia, there are over a dozen Port wine cellars to visit. The Douro Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site filled with vineyards, is only a short drive or boat trip away. Get ready to raise a glass for a toast in one of the most beautiful wine regions in the world. Saude!

Check out this helpful guide on wine tours and tastings, simply one of the must-do gastronomic experiences in Porto.

What are the most popular wine tours and tastings in Porto?

Live Fado Show with Glass of Port Wine

Enjoy two of the most iconic Portuguese cultural products in one splendid evening — fado music and Port wine. Sip on a sweet glass of Port wine while the singer's tender crooning over the strumming of a Portuguese guitar washes over you.

A Casa do Fado is the most popular provider of fado shows with three different venues across Porto. Casa da Guitarra is another great place to catch a show at their guitar shop and museum. Calém and Ferreira wine cellars even offer a tour, tasting and fado show combination ticket that's a great bargain.

Calém Cellars Guided Tour and Tasting

Calém Cellars is one of the most visited Port wine cellars across the river from Porto in Vila Nova de Gaia. On a Calém wine tour, you'll see the hundreds of barrels and vats where they store and age their Port wine.

After the tour, you'll have a seat in their tasting room to sip on two of their best selling styles of Port wine. You can even upgrade your ticket to include a larger selection of wine or food pairing.

Douro Valley Day Trip plus Lunch and Winery Visits

The Douro Valley is one of those awe-inspiring landscapes that you have to see to believe. It also happens to be the river valley where they cultivate all the grapes to make Port wine, so you'll have plenty of wineries to visit on your day trip.

You can get to the Douro by train or private vehicle in a couple hours, depending how deep into the valley your tour will go, so most tours will include lunch as part of the package. You can also take a short boat cruise to see the Douro from a different vantage point or you can take the boat all the way back to Porto.

Are there any combos available with wine tours and tastings in Porto?

Yes, there certainly are plenty of activities that you can pair with your wine tasting in Porto.

Douro River Boat Cruise and Winery Visits

There are several different types of boat tours in Porto that you can book with wine tastings at several wineries or cellars either in the city or in the Douro countryside.

The most typical boat ride will take you to and from the Porto riverside past the six bridges near the city center for an hour-long tour. However, you can also take a boat cruise that will transport you all the way to the heart of the Douro, or you can combine train, car or bus with boat transport for a speedier journey.

Porto Food Tour plus Wine Tasting

Why not sample the best francesinha or bifanas in the city with your wine tasting tour? You have plenty of food tours in Porto to choose from to keep you from getting hungry in between all those wine tastings.

Some of the tours offer food pairings to enjoy during your tasting of dry wine and Port wine, whereas other tours will take you to Port wine cellars and later to typical restaurant and snack bars in the city. Look for the tours that offer tastings at different rooftop bars across the city to have a visual feast with your food and drinks.

Porto City Tour plus Wine Tasting

Another convenient option is to combine a city tour in Porto with your wine tasting. You can choose to take a walking tour around the city, or you can kick your feet up and be chauffeured around on a tuk tuk tour.

Whichever option you choose, you'll be able to sightsee around Porto before capping off your trip with a wine tasting at one of the famous Port wine cellars or rooftop bars with gorgeous views over the river.

Which places can you visit?

Port Wine Cellars

There are over a dozen Port wine cellars to visit just across the river from Porto in Vila Nova de Gaia. Likely, you'll visit at least one of them during your wine tour, which will give you the unique opportunity to see where this world famous wine has been stored and aged for centuries.

Rooftop Bars

There are many popular rooftop bars around Porto that give spectacular views over the city and river. What would pair better with your wine tasting? Some of the most scenic options are the rooftop bars at Porto Cruz and Graham's Lodge.

Douro River Valley

The Douro River Valley obtained UNESCO World Heritage status due to both the beauty of its landscapes and the cultural significance of the manmade changes to these landscapes (all the lines you see in the image above are vineyards).

How much do wine tours and tastings in Porto cost?

The price range for wine tours and tastings in Porto is quite wide, as there are basic options with group tours at the cellars or full-day excursions into the Douro River Valley.

A fado show with a glass of Port wine is only €18, which is a bargain considering the fact that it's both a live music concert and a wine tasting all rolled into one.

A Calém Cellar guided tour and tasting starts at only €20, and there are combo tours where you can visit multiple cellars starting at €60.

You can find Douro Valley day trips for as low as €70 and as high as €230 for a private option. However, most day trips to the Douro from Porto cost about €140 per person.

The combo tours with boat cruise, food tour or city tour cost from €40 to €80 depending on how many stops the tour has and how many different food and wine tastings are included.

What is included?

There's a large variety on what's included with wine tours and tastings in Porto. Some tours only include entrance to the cellar and the tasting of two or three Port wines, while the tours to the Douro Valley include transport and often lunch.

Where do they start?

Most of the tours start either from your hotel or at a meeting point in the Porto city center, often near the well-known São Bento train station. Other tours will start at the entrance to a Port wine cellar or on the Vila Nova de Gaia riverside.

How long do they last?

A Port wine cellar tour and tasting normally lasts about 90 minutes, but the entire wine tour to multiple locations will normally last at least 3 hours or more.

Douro Valley day trips are normally full-day tours because the journey from Porto will take a couple hours if you travel by car or bus.

Are they wheelchair friendly?

Some of the Port wine cellars are wheelchair and stroller friendly, but others aren't, so it's best to confirm which Port wine cellars you'll be visiting on your tour. Most of the walking tours and boat tours aren't wheelchair friendly.

When is the best time for a wine tour and tasting in Porto?

Anytime is a good time for a wine tour and tasting in Porto. However, the winters in Porto can be quite rainy, so it might be more difficult to find a sunny day if you're looking to book a boat tour to or from the Douro Valley.

The Port wine cellars offer a good venue to wait out a rainy day in the winter. Port wine also pairs wonderfully with the typically cold and wet winter days in Porto, so consider booking a cellar visit if the weather isn't ideal for walking around the city.

Are children allowed?

Yes, children are allowed to join wine tours in Porto. Obviously, they can't participate in the wine tastings if they're under 16 years old, but they're normally offered juice during that portion of the tour.

Travel tips

• Port wine packs a punch. The sweetness of Port hides its high alcohol level, so it's best to pace yourself with tastings of this local delicacy.
• Visit more than one Port wine cellar. There are over a dozen Port wine cellars that offer wine tours and tastings. Each brand has its unique history and style of Port wine, so it really is worth checking out more than one, especially the ones that offer more intimate tours like Cockburn's and Graham's.
• Don't forget about Vinho Verde. Although Port wine and the Douro Valley get most of the attention, the closest wine region to Porto is actually called Vinho Verde, which offers a low alcohol, slightly sparkling white wine that pairs perfectly with the summer. Try to visit a vineyard there if you can.