Tauck Australia has announced three cruises commencing in April 2020 aboard Tauck’s new 80-metre Douro Riverboat which has been purpose-built for traversing Portugal’s fascinating Douro River and offers spacious accommodation for 84 guests.
Cruise itineraries and dates are as follows with full pricing to be available in February 2019:
12-Day Exploring the Douro, Plus Lisbon & Madrid
Discover the Iberian Peninsula’s riverside gems, accompanied by two-night land stays in Lisbon and Madrid. Lisbon invites discoveries of then and now in a delightfully paced parade of monumental sites, palaces aplenty and azulejos chronicling life from Moorish times to present day. Discover fascinating Porto whilst in the Douro Valley, white-painted quinta estates lined with terraced vineyards, a rich multicultural heritage, unique grape varieties and a fantastic climate are a big part of the draw. Visit museums, monasteries, castles, riverside wine estates and picture-perfect villages like Pinhão. See Madrid’s 13th-century university, Plaza Mayor and museums royally inspired and enjoy culinary creations that make small bites an art, and a bevy of baroque and belle époque architecture. Departures Eastbound ex-Lisbon to Madrid 8 April, 6 May, 27 May, 14 July, 11 August, 8 September, 6 October 2020. Departures Westbound ex-Madrid to Lisbon 15 April, 13 May, 3 June, 21 July, 18 August, 15 September, 13 October 2020.
7-Night Douro Discovery
Start with a two-night stay in Lisbon, stepping foot where the world’s first explorers set sail and visiting a palace, historic monuments, museums and more. Then embark your riverboat in Porto, home to port wine, storytelling mosaics, Harry Potter influences, and sightseeing aboard a 19th-century tram and a funicular railway. And in the Douro River Valley, cruise through the oldest wine making region in the world, where prehistoric artists created rock art, Romans planted vines in the 2nd century, and monasteries, castles and quintas date back to the Middle Ages. Make this a family adventure for every age and generation exploring Portuguese ports of call from Lisbon and Porto to Pinhão and Peso da Régua, visiting landmarks on a guided tour, riding the rails back in time, hiking or bicycling through picturesque vineyard and enjoying onboard fun with parties, games and a pool on the Sun Deck. Departures ex-Porto return 24 June, 29 June, 4 July, 9 July 2020.
8-Day Villages and Vintages
Experience an authentic taste of daily life in the Douro River Valley steeped in a legacy of wine making for more than 2000 years. Enjoy wine tastings at picturesque quintas hosted by expert wine makers who share insights on Douro Valley wines. Visit villages, a museum, a palace and a prehistoric site and view azulejo-tiled stories. In Porto, discover the essence of world-famous Port wine in the historic seaside city where it was perfected, with private tastings and sightseeing. See traditional Rabelo boats, carrying barrels of regionally produced Port wine bound for aging casks in Porto, set sail from the scenic wine-terraced town of Peso da Régua whilst Pinhão seems to have emerged straight out of a postcard, inviting up-close exploration on a choice of activities including hiking and al fresco wine tasting. Pocinho is the perfect place to visit hidden gems, like the Palaeolithic rock art of Foz Côa and medieval ramparts of Castelo Rodrigo. Departures ex-Porto return 3 April, 24 April, 1 May, 22 May, 12 June, 19 June, 30 July, 6 August, 27 August, 3 September, 24 September, 1 October, 22 October, 29 October 2020.
For more information and to book contact, Tauck Australia on 1300 732 300 or reservations@tauck.com.au or visit www.tauck.com.au.
SOURCE: Tauck Australia
