{"id":33237,"date":"2018-03-22T17:27:03","date_gmt":"2018-03-22T21:27:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/?p=33237"},"modified":"2018-06-09T12:40:37","modified_gmt":"2018-06-09T16:40:37","slug":"emerald-waterways-2018-douro-river-cruise-itineraries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/2018\/03\/emerald-waterways-2018-douro-river-cruise-itineraries\/","title":{"rendered":"Emerald Cruises 2018 Douro River Cruise Itineraries"},"content":{"rendered":"

Emerald Cruises<\/strong> offers eight different Douro River cruise<\/a> packages that range in length from 8 to 21 days. The river cruise in Portugal is round trip from Porto and is included in all of Emerald’s Douro River itineraries.<\/p>\n

A few of the packages also feature a cruise on the\u00a0Sa\u00f4ne and Rh\u00f4ne rivers in France between Lyon and Arles. Depending on the itinerary, a visit to Lisbon, Madrid, Nice or Marseille might also be included.<\/p>\n

Let’s take a look at the base or central river cruise package, which is the Secrets of the Douro<\/strong>. And then we’ll take a look at the variations of it that are available.<\/p>\n

\"Emerald

Emerald Radiance all alone on the Douro. \u00a9\u00a02017 Lynne Harty<\/p><\/div>\n

Secrets of the Douro<\/h2>\n

The Secrets of the Douro is an 8-day cruise that is round trip from Porto<\/strong>. You’ll travel eastward to Vega de Terr\u00f3n before returning to Porto. The itinerary includes a trip to the Old City of Salamanca<\/a>, a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as visits to cities in the Alto Douro Wine Region<\/a>, such as\u00a0R\u00e9gua, Pocinho,\u00a0Guimar\u00e3es and Lamego.<\/p>\n

On the first day, you’ll board the Emerald Radiance<\/strong> in Porto. One of Emerald Cruises’ newest ships, the Emerald Radiance carries up to 112 guests. Staterooms are between 160 square feet and 300 square feet.<\/p>\n

\"Riverview

Windows all around in the Riverview Suite on Emerald Radiance. \u00a9 2017 Lynne Harty<\/p><\/div>\n

The ship remains docked in Porto overnight.<\/p>\n

You’ll cruise from Porto to\u00a0Pinh\u00e3o<\/strong> on day two. This city is about 78 miles east of Porto. After your arrival in\u00a0Pinh\u00e3o, you’ll have the option of attending either a cooking demonstration (EmeraldPLUS) or a yoga lesson (EmeraldACTIVE). Both activities take place onboard the ship.<\/p>\n

On day three, you can choose to take a guided walk through the vineyards (EmeraldACTIVE), or you can take a guided tour of the city of Lamego<\/strong> (EmeraldPLUS). If you choose the latter, you’ll visit Our Lady of Remedies Sanctuary<\/strong>\u00a0first and then you’ll return to the ship to participate in a cocktail lesson onboard the Emerald Radiance. In the afternoon, you’ll enjoy a scenic cruise to Vega de Terr\u00f3n.<\/p>\n

The fourth day of the cruise, you’ll travel by motorcoach from\u00a0Vega de Terr\u00f3n to Salamanca<\/strong> for a guided tour of the city. After the tour, you’ll have the opportunity to explore the city on your own before returning to the ship.<\/p>\n

Day five of the cruise is spent in Pocinho<\/strong>. There are two shore excursions available. You can take a guided canoe ride, which is followed by a yoga lesson onboard if you choose the EmeraldACTIVE excursion. Or you can visit the Coa Valley Museum – a museum of art and archaeology for the Coa Valley region of Portugal. In the afternoon, the Emerald Radiance will depart for R\u00e9gua.<\/p>\n

The sixth day features a guided tour of\u00a0R\u00e9gua<\/strong> and a visit to the Douro Museum – a museum about the culture and history of the Douro wine region. Later in the day, you can choose between taking a mosaic tile painting lesson (EmeraldPLUS) or a yogo lesson (EmeraldACTIVE). Both activities are onboard the ship.<\/p>\n

You’ll spend day seven in Porto where you’ll enjoy a guided walking tour of the city and have the opportunity to sample local wines.<\/p>\n

Your trip will conclude in Porto on day eight. You’ll disembark after breakfast and be transferred to the airport.<\/p>\n

Cruises are available between April and November.\u00a0Starting prices for the Secrets of the Douro river cruise are between\u00a0$2,545 to $3,645 per person. Port charges are included in the fare.<\/p>\n