In just 6 short days Cruise Fever will be sailing Portugal’s River of Gold on a 10 day cruise that will include stops in Lisbon, Portugal and Salamanca, Spain.
During this trip we will visit 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and soak in Portugal’s rich and timeless history through folkloric musical performances and 18th century architecture. 8 guided tours will be included in this cruise and we look forward to posting pictures, videos, and details about this journey all along the way.
Days 1 & 2
The first couple days will be spent in Lisbon, Portugal, where we will stay at a hotel provided by Viking and recover from jet lag while also being able to explore this historically rich city.
The first day will be more relaxing, and we may have a chance to walk around this capital city a little, but the next day will include a visit to Jeronimos Monastery, considered the city’s most beautiful building. A couple of optional excursions include the National Tile Museum and a Taste of Lisbon, which allows visitors to experience traditional music and a restaurant hidden in the walls of Independence Palace.
Day 3
On the third day we will be enjoying breakfast at the hotel and then taking a short bus ride to Porto. At lunch we will be stopping at Coimbra, which is the birthplace of 6 Portugese kings. We will then be boarding our Viking Longship where we can relax and settle in before dinner on board.
Day 4
After breakfast we will be visiting Porto’s historic center, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, full of unique bridges, baroque cathedrals and 16th century buildings.
Day 5
The morning will be spent enjoying a lovely cruise through the Douro valley and later arriving in Regua. There, we will be visiting Mateus Palace, which is a baroque palace once home to the last Count of Vila Real. We will then be rejoining our ship back in Pinhao for dinner.
Day 6
This part of the Douro river will display terraced vineyards all over the countryside. We will pass through a few locks in the river on our way to Barca d’Alva, where we will get a tour of Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, 2,000 feet above sea level and enveloped in 16th century buildings and facades.
Day 7
We will have all day to go on an excursion in Salamanca, Spain where we will be taken back to the Middle Ages and enjoy some Medieval sites. In the afternoon we will have the opportunity to visit the Gothic House of Shells and Cathedral.
Day 8
This day will be enjoyed cruising along the Douro River, heading westward to Pinhao. We will visit a traditional bakery and see how bread was made in the old days, of course getting to sample some of the bread as well.
Day 9
We will disembark in Regua and visit the small town of Lamego, famous for its baroque Sanctuary of Our Lady of Remedies, which dates back to the 14th century and is still used by Pilgrims today. We will also get to see the town’s Gothic cathedral. The ships will be docked overnight so we will be able to walk around and explore after dinner if we would like.
Day 10
Enjoy breakfast on board the ship and then fly back home.
Be sure to follow along as we post pictures and videos of our journey. You can follow us on any of the social media platforms in our sidebar, but most images will be posted on Twitter and Instagram throughout the trip, with an occasional Facebook post to update our followers.
We will be posting a few videos to Youtube as well, so stay tuned.
