Douro Valley Self Drive Tour

Let’s hope these photos will convince you to add Douro Region to your Portugal road-trip itinerary. You simply can’t miss it!

Portugal is full of amazing places to discover. If you’re planning a Portugal road-trip, you must add Douro Region on your Portugal itinerary.

Douro Valley is also known for its vineyards, stunning landscapes, and river. Could you imagine yourself cruising on Douro River while trying the best Port wines out there?

Let me convince you!

Douro Region is located in the Northern part of Portugal. It’s quite big actually. Some of us will prefer to cruise the Douro river directly from Porto, and some others will hop a train or in their car and will explore a bit further.

If you’re only after breathtaking views, you will definitely enjoy the ride! You must see Douro Valley by car too!

 

Douro Valley Bridge, Visit Portugal

Road-Trip Portugal: Douro Valley

 

When’s the best time to visit Douro Region

 

If you want to visit the Douro Valley during the harvest time, you’ll have to visit during the two last weeks of September, which is quite a short period of time.

Obviously, the area is still stunning from Spring to Fall, but you should note that it can be very -read extremely- hot during July and August. So, if you’re planning on visiting the region during these months, make sure to bring loads of water or to have access to A/C in your car.

 

Douro Valley, Visit Portugal

Douro Region Portugal

 

Driving around Douro Region – The Highlights & Douro Valley Itinerary

 

You can easily drive from Porto to Douro Valley and be prepared to enjoy the Douro Valley scenic drive!

There’s an amazing lookout around Caldas De Aregos, and this region would actually be quite good accommodation-wise.

Then, I’d suggest you keep going if you have enough time and head towards Peso da Régua where you could visit Douro Museum and get another great view at São Leonardo da Galafura. If you continue further up, I’d suggest you add Lamego, Quinta das Carvalhas and Pinhao to your list as the views appear to be stunning! While in Pinhao, you might want to stop at Casal de Loivos, which is apparently pretty epic too.

I also heard positive feedback from a local who suggested the road between Bateiras and Sao Joao da Pesqueira, which is apparently the most scenic route in Portugal.

While you’re there you could either visit Arribes del Duero National Park or directly head to Spain.

 

Where to stay in the Douro Region

 

We personally opted for Cinfaes as we didn’t want to go too far, but kindly note that there are many amazing spots along the way and if your budget isn’t super restricted, you can even end up booking amazing hotels like Six Senses Douro Valley which, by the way, looks pretty unique!

 

Book a Room!

 

Rent a car to visit Douro Region

 

If you’re ready to hit the road to explore Douro Valley, you could rent a car for 2 or 3 days from Porto. This should be plenty of time to explore the area.

 

Road-Trip Portugal, Douro

Rent a Car Douro Valley

Road-Trip Portugal, Douro

Visiting Douro Valley

Road-Trip Portugal, Douro

Best road-trips in Portugal

Road-Trip Portugal, Douro Valley

Road Trip Douro

Road-Trip Portugal, Douro Valley

Touring Portugal by car

Road-Trip Portugal, Douro Valley

Douro Valley Route

 

 

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BEFORE YOU GO TO PORTUGAL

 

☑ Book your flight: If your flight isn’t booked yet – check out the flights on Skyscanner or via Google Flights. My top saving tip is flexibility. If you’re flexible, you should be able to find a cheaper flight.

☑ Book your accommodation: I always use Airbnb and Booking.com. If you’d rather stay in a hostel, you should take a look at the options on Hostelworld. If you click on the Airbnb link and you don’t have an account yet – you’ll get a $30 discount on your first booking.

☑ Protect your cute face: Oh, you may want to protect your cute face with a travel medical insurance. I would suggest SafetyWing as they offer the best rates, especially for long-term travelers. Otherwise, you can also take a look at World Nomads.

☑ Pack the essentials: You can consult this list when it’s time to pack your bag! Do not leave without a universal charger, a power bank and your passport!

☑  Do you need a visa? If you aren’t sure if you need a visa, it would be a smart idea to take a quick look before you go. You can use iVisa – it’s super useful and easy to use.

 

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