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The Balade entre Douro et Fado tour at a glance

Balade entre Douro et Fado (A Journey Between the Douro and Fado) is an 8-day, 7-night Club Med Discovery tour through Portugal from north to south, starting in Porto and ending in Lisbon. Part of the Cultural Treasures theme, it brings together Porto's historic centre and a port wine cellar, Braga and Guimarães in the Minho, a one-hour barco rabelo cruise through the terraced vineyards of the Douro, the University of Coimbra, the walled town of Óbidos, then Lisbon, from Belém to the Chiado, with a pastéis de nata workshop and a fado show. You stay in four hotels, including the Pousada de Viseu and the Altis Grand in Lisbon. Full board with a drinks package, air-conditioned transport, visits and a French-speaking tour leader are included.

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What is the itinerary in northern Portugal?

On the first day, you settle into Porto. On the second, you discover the city: the Clérigos Tower, the Ribeira quays, the Stock Exchange Palace, the Foz district at the mouth of the river, then a port wine cellar for a tasting. On the third day, you head up into the Minho, to Braga, with the Bom Jesus sanctuary and its great baroque stairway, and the cathedral, then to Guimarães and its medieval centre, tasting the region's vinho verde along the way, for 135 km in all. On the fourth day, you reach Pinhão, in the heart of the Douro valley, before heading on to Viseu, 220 km away.

And from Coimbra to Lisbon?

The fifth day crosses the Buçaco forest, passes through the University of Coimbra, one of the oldest in Europe, then stops in the walled town of Óbidos before the night in Caldas da Rainha, some 235 km. On the sixth day, you arrive in Lisbon, 95 km away: Belém and the Jerónimos Monastery, the Graça district and São Jorge Castle. The seventh day is about food and music, with the pastéis de nata workshop, the tram through the Chiado and the fado show. On the eighth day, you have free time in Lisbon until your departure.

What is special about the barco rabelo cruise on the Douro?

The barco rabelo is the flat-bottomed boat that once carried barrels of wine down to the cellars of Porto. For an hour, from Pinhão, you glide between terraced vineyards that climb like staircases up both banks, with the quintas clinging to the slopes. It is the most peaceful moment of the trip, and often the one that gives the best photos. From 6 people, the cruise is on a private boat reserved for the group.

What other moments stand out on this tour?

In Lisbon, a master pastry chef teaches you to make pastéis de nata, the little custard tarts in flaky pastry eaten still warm, dusted with cinnamon. The same day, you ride a tram through the Chiado, then in the evening, the fado show lets you hear the voice of the city. Further north, the port wine cellar in Porto and the vinho verde of the Minho give the trip a thread of good food and wine from start to finish.

Which hotels do you stay in?

The tour uses four addresses: the 4-star Porto Bay Teatro in Porto, the 4-star Pousada de Viseu, set in a former 19th-century hospital, the 4-star Sana Silver Coast in Caldas da Rainha, and the Altis Grand in Lisbon. Hotels of an equivalent category may replace them depending on the departure, and your advisor confirms the exact list before the trip.

What is included and what costs extra?

The package includes full board, from dinner on day one to breakfast on day eight, with a drinks package at meals, transport in an air-conditioned vehicle, accommodation, guided visits, the French-speaking guide and taxes. International flights, transfers between the airport and the hotel, extra drinks, tips and travel insurance are added. Your advisor books the transfers with your flights, on arrival in Porto and on departure from Lisbon.

Who guides the group and who is this tour for?

A French-speaking tour leader stays with the group from Porto to Lisbon and links the stages, meals and visits. The tour runs in a small group. It is designed for curious travellers who love history, wine and good food, and who want to see Portugal in a week without driving. The pace is brisk, with stages of 95 to 235 km, suited to fit travellers ready to walk the sloping old quarters.

When should you go and how do you get there from Quebec?

Spring and fall are the ideal seasons for walking the cities and seeing the Douro, with the grape harvest colouring the valley in the fall. Summer is hot and bright, perfect for extending at the beach. Your advisor tells you which departures are offered. You arrive in Porto and leave from Lisbon, on flights from Montreal, with or without a connection depending on the season. A valid Canadian passport is required, and your advisor checks the entry requirements at the time of booking.

Which Club Med resort pairs well with the tour?

The most logical plan is to head south from Lisbon to Club Med Da Balaia, in the Algarve, for a few all-inclusive days by the sea after a week of sightseeing. To prepare your trip, read our visit Porto and visit Lisbon guides, as well as our article on wine travel in Porto and the Douro. If you are short on time, the Escapade à Lisbonne fits the capital into 4 days.

Why book this tour with AquaTerra?

Voyages AquaTerra is part of the Voyages Synergia network, winner of the Club Med Excellence Award 2025. Our advisors arrange your flights into Porto and out of Lisbon, the transfers and the extension stay, and compare this tour with the other Club Med tours in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, such as Madère fleur de l'océan or Inspirations celtiques. See also all our Club Med Discovery tours.

Call 1-866-628-6241. You will reach someone who knows this tour and has time for you. We look together at what is available on your dates, we choose the right departure, and we stay on the line throughout your trip. That is the difference between booking alone in front of a screen and travelling with someone behind you.

  • Porto and the banks of the Douro

    Porto and the banks of the Douro

  • Rua Augusta Arch in Lisbon

    Rua Augusta Arch in Lisbon

  • Formal garden of a Portuguese palace

    Formal garden of a Portuguese palace

  • Azulejo-covered facades in Portugal

    Azulejo-covered facades in Portugal

  • Terraced vineyards of the Douro Valley

    Terraced vineyards of the Douro Valley

  • Douro Valley at sunset

    Douro Valley at sunset

Meet our Club Med Specialists who can help you plan your trips to any of the Club Med destinations.

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Frequently Asked Questions

This north-to-south route avoids backtracking and follows the country's history, from the Minho to the capital. Your advisor books an arrival flight into Porto and a return flight from Lisbon.
Vinho verde is a young, fresh and lightly sparkling wine produced in northwestern Portugal. You taste it during the day in Braga and Guimarães, in the region that gave it its name.
The sanctuary overlooks Braga at the top of a great zigzagging baroque stairway. You can climb it on foot, step by step, or take the funicular up to the sanctuary.
The drinks package accompanies the included meals, from dinner on day one to breakfast on day eight. Drinks outside this package are paid locally, and your advisor details its contents at the time of booking.
Yes, the tour welcomes solo travellers, who share the visits and meals with the group. A single room is added at extra cost.
The University of Coimbra occupies a former royal palace on the city's hill. Its baroque library and courtyards are among the most visited places in central Portugal.
In Portugal, a pousada is a hotel set in a historic building. The one in Viseu occupies a former 19th-century hospital, restored around its cloister.
Yes, your advisor can add nights in Porto before the tour or in Lisbon after. Day eight already offers free time in the capital.
Tips for the guide and driver are added to the package and remain at your discretion. Your advisor explains local customs before departure.
Absolutely: it includes a port wine cellar, the vinho verde of the Minho, the Douro valley and its quintas, and a drinks package with meals. To go further, read our article on wine travel in the Douro.
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