
Portugal's Douro River Cruise Bike Tour
Couples, Friends & Solos
Portugal's Douro River Cruise Bike Tour
Couples, Friends & Solos
8 days
7 nights
Activity Levels 2-4
Small Luxury Ship
2025: Jun-Oct2026: Apr-Oct

From $6,430 - $11,530 /person
Includes port fees
Splendid Salamanca to Historic Porto
The Douro River Valley—an idyllic place to venture off the beaten track. From Spain to Portugal, discover old-world Europe along this enchanting river. Jumbled hillside villages and sun-soaked vineyards. Churches clad in gleaming azulejos. Port wine in Porto and homemade comfort food at local quintas. Be our guest through a landscape that unfolds like a garden-fresh meal where every day is a course.
Highlights
- Behold Porto's colorful history in its splendid plazas, churches and houses adorned with brilliantly tiled façades
- Bike amid terraced vineyards along some of the wildest parts of the Douro River valley, which are best accessed by boat
- Savor the full-bodied reds, crisp whites and luscious aromatic Port of this world-renowned wine region
- Connect with the rich history of Portuguese music, including the mournful sounds of fado

StartSalamanca, Spain
EndPorto or Lisbon, Portugal
* Start/End locations may vary. Do not book flights until your trip details are confirmed.
Itinerary

Days 1-2
From Salamanca, a World Heritage site, venture to the sleepy village of Lumbrales • Savor sweeping views as you bike into the Douro Valley and arrive at our ship • Pedal amid a patchwork of pastures, almond orchards and olive groves • Cycle to a fortified hilltop village for epic vistas into Portugal and Spain.

Nights 1-2
This beautiful ship envelops you in timeless elegance, whether you’re soaking up views from the Sun Deck, relaxing with a massage or enjoying fine cuisine alfresco with new friends. (pool)

Days 3-4
Check out the dazzling tiles in Pinhão, a mecca for wine lovers • Ride through lush forests and the World Heritage Alto Douro region, with showstopping panoramas • A scenic ride brings you to hilltop villages before descending back to the river • Enjoy lunch at a family-run quinta (country estate) accompanied by beautiful views of the riverscape • Visit Lamego, known for its baroque architecture and fine wine.

Nights 3-4
This beautiful ship envelops you in timeless elegance, whether you’re soaking up views from the Sun Deck, relaxing with a massage or enjoying fine cuisine alfresco with new friends. (pool)

Days 5-6
Ride along the Douro with a lovely backdrop of wine estates, perhaps catching a glimpse of the ship from high above • Admire the countryside from the vantage point of our ship • Bike or cruise the final stretch of the Douro into Porto, where a private guided walking tour awaits • This alluring World Heritage city will charm you with its splendid architecture, winding alleyways and ever-changing views.

Nights 5-6
This beautiful ship envelops you in timeless elegance, whether you’re soaking up views from the Sun Deck, relaxing with a massage or enjoying fine cuisine alfresco with new friends. (pool)

Days 7-8
Breathe in fresh ocean air along a bike path that traces the Atlantic coast • Get a feel for local life in the Vila Nova da Gaia neighborhood • Back at our ship, take in superb vistas of Porto from the deck.

Night 7
This beautiful ship envelops you in timeless elegance, whether you’re soaking up views from the Sun Deck, relaxing with a massage or enjoying fine cuisine alfresco with new friends. (pool)
What's Included
See moreStraight Talk
We want to make sure you're on the trip that's right for you. Every Backroads trip is unique and this one is no exception.
The ships we sail on are like a floating luxury hotel, so you can visit a new destination each day without touching your suitcase once you’ve settled in. Our ships are custom‐designed with a variety of inviting spaces that offer plenty of room for both relaxing and socializing. These ships are vastly smaller than most cruise ships, with up to just 150 passengers on our river trips and up to only 250 on our ocean trips.
We sail with up to 30 Backroads guests per group. Occasionally there may be more than one Backroads group onboard and you may cross paths with the other group on routes or at restaurants. When this occurs, each group will have their own dedicated onboard Backroads leaders.
If you’re new to Backroads active cruise trips, there are a few things you need to know. Our cruises are smaller, and much more intimate than a typical cruise. They are also quite lively, social experiences, shaped by both our Backroads group and the larger ship community. Additionally, even with an itinerary subject to fixed nautical schedules that may occasionally limit our time on shore, we get out and explore far beyond the cruise norm. If you love meeting new people, enjoy the ease of unpacking once, and don’t mind a set schedule of port departure times, you’ll love our approach to active river and ocean cruising. Nobody does it like we do.
On our active cruises, we seek out diversity by including regionally authentic and inventive meals for onshore lunches, picnics and the occasional onshore dinner. On-ship meals, though delightful, are meant to appeal to a wide cross section of passengers and may at times feel more conventional for some, and less reflective of the region than on Backroads hotel trips.
Our daily itinerary is based on scheduled sailing and port arrival times and as a result some days have more opportunities for exploring on land while other days have more sailing time. Every river has its own unique temperament and for centuries water levels have shifted due to rain, temperature and agriculture. High water levels may mean the ship cannot pass under a bridge, low water levels result in slower sailing, and a disabled lock can also lead to some extra cruising time. Should any unforeseen change happen during your river cruise, we will work closely with AmaWaterways’ captain and staff, who are very experienced in going with the flow.
In contrast to our usual land-based trips, which have similar room categories, the AmaWaterways ships offer a wide range of stateroom categories. The top-tier staterooms often fill fast, so book as early as possible if this is important to you.
Most port conditions require that ships tie up alongside each other, in which case you may need to walk through another ship to access our ship. This is a part of river cruising due to its popularity. You may experience obstructed views from your stateroom when the ship is double-docked, but as soon as we set sail again your beautiful views will be restored.
Accommodations
Small Ships, Big Adventures
Our small ships feel more like boutique retreats, offering an experience a world away from the typical large cruise.
Ship may vary based on departure. Any variations will be displayed when selecting a departure under Dates & Prices.
Nights 1-7
This beautiful ship envelops you in timeless elegance, whether you’re soaking up views from the Sun Deck, relaxing with a massage or enjoying fine cuisine alfresco with new friends. (pool)
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#MyBackroadsTrip
Bikes
Choose Your Perfect Bike
Our bikes are designed and built with specific cyclists and riding styles in mind, so we can always offer you a perfect ride. Please note that bike requests are subject to availability and prioritized based on the date they're submitted.

Included in your trip price
- Ideal for avid cyclists
- Redesigned for 2024
- Next gen titanium frame with carbon wheels
- Responsive, efficient and comfortable
- Drop handlebars only

Included in your trip price
- Suited for a wide range of cyclists
- Comfortable ergonomic seat
- Long wheel base adds to the bike's control and stability
- Upright handlebars only

Included in your trip price
- One of the lightest e-bikes available
- Provides plenty of power and more than enough battery
- Lower top tubes for easier mounting and dismounting
- Upright handlebars only
- Limited availability on Unplugged Bike Tours; learn more
Min. age to ride e-bike: 16+
Review Snapshot
by PowerReviews
Reviewed by 20 customers
Best trip of my life
The countryside through the Douro valley was spectacular. The landscape got prettier and prettier every day. I learned about Portuguese history during the tours. Our leaders were organized, knowledgeable, friendly, and approachable. The staff is available for any questions or concerns you may have.





Nice scenery, great guides! Awesome bike
The food on the ship was good, not great. The meals at outside restaurants were great. I think it's tacky and cheesy to NOT include the hotel the night before when we start at 9am at a hotel. And, the transport to the local airport was NOT included, also super tacky. Portugal scenery was very nice, routes were chosen well for minimal traffic.

the best guides i have ever had
excellent leaders and support. i felt that they went out of their way to personalize my trip. attended to the many needs with compassion and a smile.
Douro River Valley was dreamy
In true Backroads fashion every detail was perfect and well thought out. The river bought was a nice way to enjoy our week with not having to pack and unpack multiple times. The food was eclxcwllent, the staff were a pleasure and sincerely enjoyed us as much as we enjoyed them. The cycling was wonderful for cyclists and e-bikes I enjoyed learning a lot about Portugal's rich history and kind people, delicious food and wine.






Wow, wow, wow!
We had a fabulous time on this trip which was our 3rd with Backroads. The combination of river cruising and cycling was perfect. We didn't know how spectacular the Douro River Valley was! Our guides were excellent - friendly, knowledgeable, always available and they kept coming up with unexpected surprises that made the trip extra special. We loved not having to pack up our bags and move hotels. The ship was beautiful and we have some great memories of sitting up on the top deck, watching the beautiful river valley go by. Would not hesitate to recommend Backroads and this trip.





Beautiful Portugal
Our 3rd Backroads trip did not disappoint. We invited first-timers along and they are hooked. For the first part of the trip, you are truly on back roads. The views are spectacular and very little traffic. You bike through a few little towns with granite cobblestone. So picturesque. The second part is spent in Porto, which was a nice change. Highly recommend taking the Backroads bus to Lisbon at the end. Very cosmopolitan city. This is our 2nd Backroads river cruise on AMA. The ship is not stuffy or ornate. Just beautiful and relaxing. The best part is you unpack once! You eat off ship for quite a few lunches and dinners. The lunch spots were a highlight because you are up in the countryside having picnics or eating in village restaurants. This is very hilly until the last ride. Highly recommend e-bike for less serious riders. There is a lot of downhill, also. If you are looking to do more cruising than biking, you have that option, but the ship doesn't travel very far on this itinerary. Props to our amazing, cheerful and extremely knowledgable guides, Kerry, Eduardo, Ori and Manuel. True professionals. Everyone was so happy to be traveling again after covid restrictions. Viver a vida!
Best yet!
This was our 9th or 10th Backroads trip and 3rd on an AMA river cruise (previously on the Danube and Rhine). Really addicted to the concept of only unpacking once. Allows for more free time and less need to attend to personal logistics. This boat was smaller than the others and Backroads group bigger. However, VERY well supported with 3 leaders, 3 vans and 3 support staff (co-leaders). A few flat tires, mechanical bike issues and one more serious mishap all handled expertly. Smaller boat felt more intimate but just as luxurious. Terrific boat staff just as on others. Also compared to prior cruises, boat did not move at night and therefore we spent more dinners off boat which was great way to see more of Portugal. Historic tours and lunches at vineyards superb. Biking was spectacular and perfect in length , for the most part on well maintained roads with very little traffic. E-bikes allow for all guests to ride at their own preferred pace. For us, perfect combination of exercise, food, camaraderie, laughs, culture, history and luxury.
Outstanding.
The Douro, the ship, the cycling, the guiding, the choice of restaurants for lunches and dinners all combined for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This was not an inexpensive holiday, but I thought it was great value for money.

Fantastic bike trip!
This was some of the most spectacular biking I have ever done! The accommodations on the boat were superb. The food everywhere was great!
Duoro - do it!
This is an amazing trip From the knowledgeable leaders to the accommodations and the food - and don't forget the incredible scenery, this is a trip NOT to be missed.
Dates & Prices
Dates & Prices
Click on dates for pricing, itinerary variations and to book your trip.
Note: Your stateroom will be assigned based on availability. Please contact us if you are interested in booking multiple Stateroom Categories for your party, selecting a specific stateroom, or Single Supplement pricing.
Please Select a Group Size
Group size is required to show per-person pricing. Your group size can be approximate and can change.