On a journey by river and land, discover the historic monuments and palaces of Lisbon and Sintra. Tour Porto’s World Heritage-listed Old Town, then take a seven-night cruise on the Douro River cruise, stopping at vineyards and villages along the famous wine trail.
Portrait of Portugal: Lisbon, Porto and a Douro River Cruise
Aboard the 130-guest Douro Spirit (2024) or 132-guest Gil Eanes or Amalia Rodriguez (2025)
12 days from $5,790
On a journey by river and land, discover the historic monuments and palaces of Lisbon and Sintra. Tour Porto’s World Heritage-listed Old Town, then take a seven-night cruise on the Douro River cruise, stopping at vineyards and villages along the famous wine trail.
Tour Details
TOUR BROCHURE
brochureWHAT OUR TRAVELERS SAY
- John, S.While our group was on a small ship with other groups, we felt very fortunate to have our own subject matter expert and logistics facilitator to make our trip special and rich.
JOURNEYS DISPATCHES
To view a section, please click on an option below.
* Click on hotel name to visit hotel web-site.
Hotel Dom Pedro Palace
Lisbon, Portugal
This popular, deluxe hotel, located in the heart of Lisbon, is within easy reach of the city’s historic and cultural highlights. It offers travelers an excellent base for exploring the city and its environs. Modern architecture and classic décor contribute to the elegance of the hotel while offering stunning views of Lisbon and the Tagus River. Spend some time with a drink in the Bar and try Il Gattopardo, a chic restaurant, serving inspired Italian cuisine. For casual fare and all-day dining, there’s Bistrot Le Café. Unwind in the well-equipped spa, fitness center or indoor pool. Guest rooms are traditional in decor with modern amenities that include complimentary WiFi.
Tivoli Avenida Liberdade Lisboa (May 2024 only)
Lisbon, Portugal
Located in the heart of Lisbon, within easy reach of the city’s historic and cultural highlights. Guest rooms feature elegant furnishings and spacious layouts. There is an intimate lobby lounge, roof top bar, and two restaurants serving Portuguese and International specialties. A full service spa is on site (services at an additional fee), and there is a small garden and pool (open June to October only).
Expectations: This journey is a combination land trip and river cruise, featuring morning, afternoon, or full-day excursions at a moderate pace. Standing and walking for long periods of time during city tours, museum visits, and/or outdoor activities. Walking over sometimes difficult terrain (e.g. cobblestones, city hills, stairs without handrails, the absence of elevators, wineries); some longer walks to get to city centers where coaches are prohibited. Choice of excursions with varying activity expectations offered on some days. During the river cruise, the ship docks along the river embankment for boarding and disembarkation at established permanent sites.
Appropriate for: Travelers who are physically fit and comfortable with long days of touring (both walking tours and coach time).
FlexAir is designed to provide you with the flexibility and choice you need to personalize your air travel experience. Explore a wide range of flight options in consultation with our experienced travel professionals to select the flights, routing, class of service, and dates of travel that most fit your needs. Our partner tour operator has negotiated contracts with a wide variety of carriers that allow them to hold flight reservations and then issue your ticket close to departure without additional fees. This protects you from the need to purchase published-fare tickets, which must be ticketed within 24 hours of purchase. FlexAir reservations provide the flexibility to adjust reservations without penalty and to accommodate extensions and upgrades right up until ticketing time, usually around 60 days before departure. We look forward to providing you with more choice and the best possible itinerary for your air travel plans.
Program Includes:
- Guaranteed transfers between the airport and your overseas accommodations upon arrival and departure (in most cases). We will provide you with all of the details you need to guarantee your transfer.
- Air schedule change and delay assistance. Book FlexAir to ensure assistance should schedule changes or delays impact your air travel plans.
- Flight insurance worth up to $250,000, subject to policy terms, is automatically included.
- Confirmed airline seat assignments at the time of booking (in most cases).
Guidance on water levels and itinerary modifications
Your ship is designed with state-of-the-art flexibility in navigating rivers. On rare occasions, river cruising is subject to challenges due to unannounced river lock maintenance and/or weather-related increases or decreases in river depth. Extreme conditions may render a portion of a river itinerary unnavigable.
Should your river cruise be affected:
- You will receive a revised schedule outlining any changes prior to your departure either by regular mail or email.
- Any additional transportation, hotel accommodations, meals or special events, as a result, changes to the published itinerary will not increase the price of your trip.
- All ports of call and trip highlights contained in your original itinerary will be included in your revised schedule. Under these extreme circumstances, additional motor coach travel, ship changes and/or hotel nights may be required to ensure participants experience the trip safely and as advertised.
Gil Eanes
This upscale ship is a bright star in CroisiEurope’s fleet of fine river ships. The vessel represents a new generation of passenger ships cruising the rivers and waterways of Europe. It employs state-of-the-art marine design that enables it to deliver a high degree of safety and comfort while being mindful of the local environment and ecology. Staff and crew welcome travelers and strive to make each day onboard an extraordinary river cruise experience.
This small ship has only 66 welcoming cabins, accommodating 132 travelers. All cabins afford outside river views and feature individually-controlled air conditioning and heating, flat-screen satellite TV, hair driers, a personal safe and bathrooms with showers. The cheerful, panoramic restaurant accommodates all travelers at one convenient sitting. A comfortable lounge and bar provide a meeting place for shipboard relaxation and entertainment as well as a wide choice of cocktails, beer, wine, and other refreshments. On the Sun Deck, travelers can enjoy the passing scenery and relax in the outdoors as the ship sails to its next port. Stylish décor features contemporary design and furnishings in tones that are in perfect harmony with the congenial atmosphere found onboard.
The cuisine aboard the Gil Eanes is prepared in a traditional European style and served by staff who take pride in providing service with the ubiquitous French joie de vivre. Delight in a full breakfast buffet, lunch is served buffet style and dinner is a three- or four-course sit-down meal with a selection of specialty entrees complemented with local wine. Chefs aboard have worked with “Michelin-starred” masters, and CroisiEurope’s head chef, Alain Bohn, has been nominated for membership in the Maîtres Cuisiniers de France. An open bar featuring house brands is available throughout the cruise.
Amalia Rodrigues
The Amalia Rodrigues represents a new generation of passenger vessels cruising the rivers and waterways of Europe. It employs a state-of-the-art marine design that enables it to deliver a high degree of safety and comfort while being mindful of the local environment and ecology.
The ship boasts 65 welcoming cabins, accommodating 112 travelers. All cabins afford outside river views and feature individually-controlled air conditioning and heating, flat screen satellite TV, hair dryers, a personal safe and bathrooms with showers. The bright, panoramic restaurant accommodates all travelers at one convenient sitting. A comfortable lounge and bar provide a meeting place for shipboard relaxation and entertainment as well as a wide choice of cocktails, beer, wine, and other refreshments. On the Sun Deck, travelers can enjoy the passing scenery and relax in the outdoors as the ship sails to its next port. Stylish décor features contemporary design and furnishings in tones that are in perfect harmony with the congenial atmosphere found onboard.
Delight in a full breakfast buffet, lunch is served buffet style and dinner is a three- or four-course sit-down meal with a selection of specialty entrees complemented with local wine.
Gil Eanes
This upscale ship is a bright star in CroisiEurope’s fleet of fine river ships. The vessel represents a new generation of passenger ships cruising the rivers and waterways of Europe. It employs state-of-the-art marine design that enables it to deliver a high degree of safety and comfort while being mindful of the local environment and ecology. Staff and crew welcome travelers and strive to make each day onboard an extraordinary river cruise experience.
This small ship has only 66 welcoming cabins, accommodating 132 travelers. All cabins afford outside river views and feature individually-controlled air conditioning and heating, flat-screen satellite TV, hair driers, a personal safe and bathrooms with showers. The cheerful, panoramic restaurant accommodates all travelers at one convenient sitting. A comfortable lounge and bar provide a meeting place for shipboard relaxation and entertainment as well as a wide choice of cocktails, beer, wine, and other refreshments. On the Sun Deck, travelers can enjoy the passing scenery and relax in the outdoors as the ship sails to its next port. Stylish décor features contemporary design and furnishings in tones that are in perfect harmony with the congenial atmosphere found onboard.
The cuisine aboard the Gil Eanes is prepared in a traditional European style and served by staff who take pride in providing service with the ubiquitous French joie de vivre. Delight in a full breakfast buffet, lunch is served buffet style and dinner is a three- or four-course sit-down meal with a selection of specialty entrees complemented with local wine. Chefs aboard have worked with “Michelin-starred” masters, and CroisiEurope’s head chef, Alain Bohn, has been nominated for membership in the Maîtres Cuisiniers de France. An open bar featuring house brands is available throughout the cruise.
Amalia Rodrigues
The Amalia Rodrigues represents a new generation of passenger vessels cruising the rivers and waterways of Europe. It employs a state-of-the-art marine design that enables it to deliver a high degree of safety and comfort while being mindful of the local environment and ecology.
The ship boasts 65 welcoming cabins, accommodating 112 travelers. All cabins afford outside river views and feature individually-controlled air conditioning and heating, flat screen satellite TV, hair dryers, a personal safe and bathrooms with showers. The bright, panoramic restaurant accommodates all travelers at one convenient sitting. A comfortable lounge and bar provide a meeting place for shipboard relaxation and entertainment as well as a wide choice of cocktails, beer, wine, and other refreshments. On the Sun Deck, travelers can enjoy the passing scenery and relax in the outdoors as the ship sails to its next port. Stylish décor features contemporary design and furnishings in tones that are in perfect harmony with the congenial atmosphere found onboard.
Delight in a full breakfast buffet, lunch is served buffet style and dinner is a three- or four-course sit-down meal with a selection of specialty entrees complemented with local wine.
WHAT OUR TRAVELERS SAY
- John, S.While our group was on a small ship with other groups, we felt very fortunate to have our own subject matter expert and logistics facilitator to make our trip special and rich.
Highly Recommended
Also Recommended
*As an Amazon Associate, Smithsonian Journeys earns from qualifying purchases.
For the convenience of our travelers, Smithsonian Journeys includes a basic medical expense and evacuation plan through Trip Mate, a Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services brand, at no additional charge. This plan provides post-departure Medical and Dental coverage of $250,000 per person and Emergency Assistance and Transportation coverage of $1,000,000 per person (U.S. Residents Only). Note: For full details regarding these coverages please review the following Plan Documents here.
In addition, we recommend that travelers purchase a travel protection plan to help protect their travel investment from unforeseen events such as cancellation due to illness, flight delays due to adverse weather, baggage loss, and more. For your convenience, Smithsonian Journeys offers an optional Travel Protection Plan administered by Trip Mate, a Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services brand. For those interested, optional "Cancel for Any Reason" coverage is available for an additional charge. Note: Certain eligibility requirements apply and Cancel for Any Reason coverage is not available to New York residents. For full details regarding this coverage please review the following Plan Documents here.
To learn more about the Travel Protection Plan, you may visit https://www.generalipartner.com/smithsonianjourneys or call the administrator, Trip Mate, a Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services brand at (866) 501-3252.