Scenic River Cruises

Daily Itinerary

1. Day 1

   Porto

   Portugal

   

   Porto, set dramatically on the granite bluffs above the Douro River, is among Europe's most romantically dishevelled cities — a place where baroque church towers rise above terracotta rooftops and century-old azulejo tilework lines every alley. Cross the iron Dom Luís I Bridge for sweeping views and descend into Vila Nova de Gaia's atmospheric wine lodges for a tasting of aged tawny port direct from the barrel. Seafood is magnificent: salt cod prepared a hundred ways, barnacles glistening with lemon, and custard tarts still warm from the oven. Spring and early autumn offer the finest conditions.

2. Day 2

   Porto

   Portugal

   

   Porto, set dramatically on the granite bluffs above the Douro River, is among Europe's most romantically dishevelled cities — a place where baroque church towers rise above terracotta rooftops and century-old azulejo tilework lines every alley. Cross the iron Dom Luís I Bridge for sweeping views and descend into Vila Nova de Gaia's atmospheric wine lodges for a tasting of aged tawny port direct from the barrel. Seafood is magnificent: salt cod prepared a hundred ways, barnacles glistening with lemon, and custard tarts still warm from the oven. Spring and early autumn offer the finest conditions.

3. Day 2

   Entre-os-Rios

   Portugal

   

   Entre-os-Rios is a charming Portuguese port known for its stunning scenery and historical significance, particularly surrounding the Douro River. Visitors should indulge in local delicacies like "Francesinha" and explore nearby attractions such as Lisbon and the picturesque Odeceixe. The best time to visit is during the spring and autumn months when the weather is mild and the landscapes are vibrant.

4. Day 3

   Entre-os-Rios

   Portugal

   

   Entre-os-Rios is a charming Portuguese port known for its stunning scenery and historical significance, particularly surrounding the Douro River. Visitors should indulge in local delicacies like "Francesinha" and explore nearby attractions such as Lisbon and the picturesque Odeceixe. The best time to visit is during the spring and autumn months when the weather is mild and the landscapes are vibrant.

5. Day 3

   Regua

   Portugal

   

   Régua, gateway to Portugal's vertiginous Douro Valley wine country, sits at the point where the river enters its most dramatic gorge — terraced vineyards climbing impossible slopes on every side, their schist walls a testament to generations of viticultural determination. The Wine Museum in Pinhão's art nouveau azulejo station captures the region's soul, while the great quintas — Ramos Pinto, Croft, Niepoort — open their cellars for intimate tastings of vintage port and luminous dry whites. Harvest season in September and October transforms the valley into a festival of colour and ferment.

6. Day 4

   Regua

   Portugal

   

   Régua, gateway to Portugal's vertiginous Douro Valley wine country, sits at the point where the river enters its most dramatic gorge — terraced vineyards climbing impossible slopes on every side, their schist walls a testament to generations of viticultural determination. The Wine Museum in Pinhão's art nouveau azulejo station captures the region's soul, while the great quintas — Ramos Pinto, Croft, Niepoort — open their cellars for intimate tastings of vintage port and luminous dry whites. Harvest season in September and October transforms the valley into a festival of colour and ferment.

7. Day 5

   Regua

   Portugal

   

   Régua, gateway to Portugal's vertiginous Douro Valley wine country, sits at the point where the river enters its most dramatic gorge — terraced vineyards climbing impossible slopes on every side, their schist walls a testament to generations of viticultural determination. The Wine Museum in Pinhão's art nouveau azulejo station captures the region's soul, while the great quintas — Ramos Pinto, Croft, Niepoort — open their cellars for intimate tastings of vintage port and luminous dry whites. Harvest season in September and October transforms the valley into a festival of colour and ferment.

8. Day 5

   Vega de Terron

   Spain

   

   Vega de Terrón is a tiny Portuguese-border river port where the Douro — navigable here only since the mid-twentieth century — carves its way through the spectacular Arribes del Duero Natural Park, a landscape of granite gorges plunging hundreds of meters to the river below, dotted with ancient villages and rare Black Stork nesting sites. River cruise passengers disembark here to discover an Iberian frontier that centuries of sheer cliff and wild current kept virtually impenetrable, exploring nearby Portuguese wineries producing bold, earthy reds from centenarian schist vineyards. Spring ignites the gorge slopes with wildflowers; autumn suffuses the terraced vines with burnished copper and gold.

9. Day 6

   Vega de Terron

   Spain

   

   Vega de Terrón is a tiny Portuguese-border river port where the Douro — navigable here only since the mid-twentieth century — carves its way through the spectacular Arribes del Duero Natural Park, a landscape of granite gorges plunging hundreds of meters to the river below, dotted with ancient villages and rare Black Stork nesting sites. River cruise passengers disembark here to discover an Iberian frontier that centuries of sheer cliff and wild current kept virtually impenetrable, exploring nearby Portuguese wineries producing bold, earthy reds from centenarian schist vineyards. Spring ignites the gorge slopes with wildflowers; autumn suffuses the terraced vines with burnished copper and gold.

10. Day 6

    Pocinho

    Portugal

    

    Pocinho marks the easternmost navigable point of the Douro River — the terminus of the valley where port wine's history began and where the landscape reaches its most elemental and dramatic expression: near-vertical schist slopes terraced into vineyard stairways, the river running silver between them in the early morning light. The restored rabelo boats that once carried casks of wine downriver are now a romanticised memory, but the valley's working quintas welcome visitors for tastings of the upper Douro's increasingly celebrated unfortified wines. The Douro International Natural Park, bordering Spain, protects rare Egyptian vulture colonies on the surrounding plateau. September through October, during harvest, is the unmissable season.

11. Day 7

    Pocinho

    Portugal

    

    Pocinho marks the easternmost navigable point of the Douro River — the terminus of the valley where port wine's history began and where the landscape reaches its most elemental and dramatic expression: near-vertical schist slopes terraced into vineyard stairways, the river running silver between them in the early morning light. The restored rabelo boats that once carried casks of wine downriver are now a romanticised memory, but the valley's working quintas welcome visitors for tastings of the upper Douro's increasingly celebrated unfortified wines. The Douro International Natural Park, bordering Spain, protects rare Egyptian vulture colonies on the surrounding plateau. September through October, during harvest, is the unmissable season.

12. Day 7

    Pinhao

    Portugal

    

    Pinhão sits at the most photographed bend on the Douro River, where impossibly steep terraced vineyards — the schist-stone walls built by hand over centuries — have shaped a valley so beautiful it is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and produced port wine for the world since the Marquis of Pombal established its boundaries in 1756. The village railway station, decorated with 24 azulejo tile panels depicting scenes of the grape harvest, is a minor masterpiece of Portuguese folk art that alone justifies a stop. The river cruise between Pinhão and Régua, passing through the heart of the Port wine country, is among the most beautiful journeys in Europe. Visit during the September harvest for an experience of extraordinary sensory richness.

13. Day 8

    Pinhao

    Portugal

    

    Pinhão sits at the most photographed bend on the Douro River, where impossibly steep terraced vineyards — the schist-stone walls built by hand over centuries — have shaped a valley so beautiful it is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and produced port wine for the world since the Marquis of Pombal established its boundaries in 1756. The village railway station, decorated with 24 azulejo tile panels depicting scenes of the grape harvest, is a minor masterpiece of Portuguese folk art that alone justifies a stop. The river cruise between Pinhão and Régua, passing through the heart of the Port wine country, is among the most beautiful journeys in Europe. Visit during the September harvest for an experience of extraordinary sensory richness.

14. Day 9

    Pinhao

    Portugal

    

    Pinhão sits at the most photographed bend on the Douro River, where impossibly steep terraced vineyards — the schist-stone walls built by hand over centuries — have shaped a valley so beautiful it is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and produced port wine for the world since the Marquis of Pombal established its boundaries in 1756. The village railway station, decorated with 24 azulejo tile panels depicting scenes of the grape harvest, is a minor masterpiece of Portuguese folk art that alone justifies a stop. The river cruise between Pinhão and Régua, passing through the heart of the Port wine country, is among the most beautiful journeys in Europe. Visit during the September harvest for an experience of extraordinary sensory richness.

15. Day 9

    Pinhao

    Portugal

    

    Pinhão sits at the most photographed bend on the Douro River, where impossibly steep terraced vineyards — the schist-stone walls built by hand over centuries — have shaped a valley so beautiful it is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and produced port wine for the world since the Marquis of Pombal established its boundaries in 1756. The village railway station, decorated with 24 azulejo tile panels depicting scenes of the grape harvest, is a minor masterpiece of Portuguese folk art that alone justifies a stop. The river cruise between Pinhão and Régua, passing through the heart of the Port wine country, is among the most beautiful journeys in Europe. Visit during the September harvest for an experience of extraordinary sensory richness.

16. Day 10

    Porto

    Portugal

    

    Porto, set dramatically on the granite bluffs above the Douro River, is among Europe's most romantically dishevelled cities — a place where baroque church towers rise above terracotta rooftops and century-old azulejo tilework lines every alley. Cross the iron Dom Luís I Bridge for sweeping views and descend into Vila Nova de Gaia's atmospheric wine lodges for a tasting of aged tawny port direct from the barrel. Seafood is magnificent: salt cod prepared a hundred ways, barnacles glistening with lemon, and custard tarts still warm from the oven. Spring and early autumn offer the finest conditions.

17. Day 11

    Porto

    Portugal

    

    Porto, set dramatically on the granite bluffs above the Douro River, is among Europe's most romantically dishevelled cities — a place where baroque church towers rise above terracotta rooftops and century-old azulejo tilework lines every alley. Cross the iron Dom Luís I Bridge for sweeping views and descend into Vila Nova de Gaia's atmospheric wine lodges for a tasting of aged tawny port direct from the barrel. Seafood is magnificent: salt cod prepared a hundred ways, barnacles glistening with lemon, and custard tarts still warm from the oven. Spring and early autumn offer the finest conditions.

18. Day 11

    Lyon

    France

    

    Lyon sits at the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône — a geographic destiny that made it the capital of Roman Gaul, a Renaissance silk-trading powerhouse, and, by contemporary consensus, the undisputed gastronomic capital of France. The UNESCO-listed Vieux Lyon preserves Europe's finest concentration of Renaissance architecture, its labyrinthine traboules — secret passageways threading through courtyard after courtyard — offering endless discovery. Paul Bocuse's legacy lives on in the city's constellation of bouchons, where quenelles de brochet and tablier de sapeur are served with the straightforward confidence of a city that has never needed to prove its culinary supremacy. Lyon rewards a visit in any season, with the Festival of Lights in December being particularly magical.

19. Day 12

    Lyon

    France

    

    Lyon sits at the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône — a geographic destiny that made it the capital of Roman Gaul, a Renaissance silk-trading powerhouse, and, by contemporary consensus, the undisputed gastronomic capital of France. The UNESCO-listed Vieux Lyon preserves Europe's finest concentration of Renaissance architecture, its labyrinthine traboules — secret passageways threading through courtyard after courtyard — offering endless discovery. Paul Bocuse's legacy lives on in the city's constellation of bouchons, where quenelles de brochet and tablier de sapeur are served with the straightforward confidence of a city that has never needed to prove its culinary supremacy. Lyon rewards a visit in any season, with the Festival of Lights in December being particularly magical.

20. Day 12

    Macon

    France

    

    Mâcon, a historic city in Burgundy, is a captivating port known for its rich heritage, charming architecture, and vibrant culinary scene. Must-do experiences include savoring local specialties such as "poulet de Bresse" and exploring the bustling Mâcon market. The best season to visit is spring, when the surrounding vineyards are lush and the local festivals bring the city's culture to life.

21. Day 13

    Vienne

    France

    

    Vienne is a historic French city on the Rhône, 35 kilometres south of Lyon, where an exceptionally preserved Roman temple and a thirteen-thousand-seat ancient theatre anchor a rich cultural landscape spanning two millennia. Visitors should not miss the Temple of Augustus and Livia and a gastronomic pilgrimage to La Pyramide, the restaurant that redefined modern French cuisine. The ideal season is late June through July, when the Jazz à Vienne festival transforms the Roman theatre into one of Europe's most atmospheric open-air concert venues, and the Rhône Valley vineyards reach their luminous peak.

22. Day 14

    Tournon-sur-Rhône

    France

    

    Tournon-sur-Rhône is a captivating port town steeped in history, known for its medieval architecture and vibrant culinary scene. Must-do experiences include savoring local specialties such as caillettes and exploring the bustling Saturday market. The best time to visit is in the late spring or early fall when the weather is mild and the local festivities are in full swing.

23. Day 15

    Avignon

    France

    

    Avignon's Palais des Papes — a fortress-palace of staggering medieval ambition where seven successive popes held court for seventy years — still dominates this Provençal city's skyline, its limestone bulk enclosing frescoed chapels and vast ceremonial halls that once shaped the destiny of Christendom. In July, the city transforms for the celebrated Festival d'Avignon, Europe's premier theatre gathering, turning every courtyard and cloister into a stage. Year-round, the beautifully preserved historic centre offers world-class Rhône Valley wines, refined Provençal cuisine, and the beguiling spectacle of the Pont Saint-Bénézet stretching halfway across the river. Lyon and Marseille are each accessible in under ninety minutes by TGV.

24. Day 16

    Avignon

    France

    

    Avignon's Palais des Papes — a fortress-palace of staggering medieval ambition where seven successive popes held court for seventy years — still dominates this Provençal city's skyline, its limestone bulk enclosing frescoed chapels and vast ceremonial halls that once shaped the destiny of Christendom. In July, the city transforms for the celebrated Festival d'Avignon, Europe's premier theatre gathering, turning every courtyard and cloister into a stage. Year-round, the beautifully preserved historic centre offers world-class Rhône Valley wines, refined Provençal cuisine, and the beguiling spectacle of the Pont Saint-Bénézet stretching halfway across the river. Lyon and Marseille are each accessible in under ninety minutes by TGV.

25. Day 17

    Arles

    France

    

    Arles, the most important city in Roman Gaul after Lyon, wears its history with casual magnificence: a first-century amphitheatre still hosts bullfights beneath open skies, and the haunting Alyscamps necropolis — once among the most prestigious burial grounds in the Western world — lines a poplar-shaded avenue with ancient sarcophagi. Yet Arles is equally celebrated as the city that intoxicated Vincent van Gogh, who produced over three hundred works here in fifteen fevered months; the Fondation Vincent van Gogh now honors his legacy in beautifully renovated rooms. Spring and autumn are ideal, with the Camargue's flamingo-filled wetlands just minutes south. Lyon is two hours north by TGV.

26. Day 18

    Viviers

    France

    

    Viviers is one of France's most beautifully preserved medieval secrets — a cathedral town of barely four thousand souls perched on a limestone spur above the Rhône, serving as an episcopal seat since the fifth century when its bishops chose this formidable rock over the declining Roman city below. The Romanesque bell tower, vaulted passageways, and Renaissance townhouses of the haute ville form an ensemble of extraordinary architectural coherence, virtually unaltered since the seventeenth century. River cruise guests arriving from Lyon or Avignon typically spend languid afternoons exploring these narrow, time-suspended streets, best visited in spring or early autumn when Rhône Valley light is at its most golden.

27. Day 19

    Lyon

    France

    

    Lyon sits at the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône — a geographic destiny that made it the capital of Roman Gaul, a Renaissance silk-trading powerhouse, and, by contemporary consensus, the undisputed gastronomic capital of France. The UNESCO-listed Vieux Lyon preserves Europe's finest concentration of Renaissance architecture, its labyrinthine traboules — secret passageways threading through courtyard after courtyard — offering endless discovery. Paul Bocuse's legacy lives on in the city's constellation of bouchons, where quenelles de brochet and tablier de sapeur are served with the straightforward confidence of a city that has never needed to prove its culinary supremacy. Lyon rewards a visit in any season, with the Festival of Lights in December being particularly magical.

28. Day 20

    Lyon

    France

    

    Lyon sits at the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône — a geographic destiny that made it the capital of Roman Gaul, a Renaissance silk-trading powerhouse, and, by contemporary consensus, the undisputed gastronomic capital of France. The UNESCO-listed Vieux Lyon preserves Europe's finest concentration of Renaissance architecture, its labyrinthine traboules — secret passageways threading through courtyard after courtyard — offering endless discovery. Paul Bocuse's legacy lives on in the city's constellation of bouchons, where quenelles de brochet and tablier de sapeur are served with the straightforward confidence of a city that has never needed to prove its culinary supremacy. Lyon rewards a visit in any season, with the Festival of Lights in December being particularly magical.

29. Day 21

    Lyon

    France

    

    Lyon sits at the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône — a geographic destiny that made it the capital of Roman Gaul, a Renaissance silk-trading powerhouse, and, by contemporary consensus, the undisputed gastronomic capital of France. The UNESCO-listed Vieux Lyon preserves Europe's finest concentration of Renaissance architecture, its labyrinthine traboules — secret passageways threading through courtyard after courtyard — offering endless discovery. Paul Bocuse's legacy lives on in the city's constellation of bouchons, where quenelles de brochet and tablier de sapeur are served with the straightforward confidence of a city that has never needed to prove its culinary supremacy. Lyon rewards a visit in any season, with the Festival of Lights in December being particularly magical.

Cabin Categories

Balcony Suite

Balcony

205 sq ftMax 2B

Located on the Sapphire and Diamond Decks they feature a full-length outdoor balcony with the exclusive Sun Lounge system and are larger than the standard river cruise cabins on Europe’s rivers.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTVSafe+2

View Details ›

Balcony Suite

Balcony

205 sq ftMax 2A

Located on the Sapphire and Diamond Decks they feature a full-length outdoor balcony with the exclusive Sun Lounge system and are larger than the standard river cruise cabins on Europe’s rivers.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTVSafe+2

View Details ›

Balcony Suite

Balcony

205 sq ftMax 2C

Located on the Sapphire and Diamond Decks they feature a full-length outdoor balcony with the exclusive Sun Lounge system and are larger than the standard river cruise cabins on Europe’s rivers.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTVSafe+2

View Details ›

Balcony Suite

Balcony

205 sq ftMax 2P

Located on the Sapphire and Diamond Decks they feature a full-length outdoor balcony with the exclusive Sun Lounge system and are larger than the standard river cruise cabins on Europe’s rivers.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTVSafe+2

View Details ›

Single Balcony Suite

Suite

160 sq ftMax 2BS

Single Balcony Suites are located on the Jewel Deck with large picture windows to ensure a great view. They have a spacious design and clever layout alongside all the usual luxurious amenities and furnishings.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerRoom Service AvailableTVSafeHair Dryer+2

View Details ›

Standard Suite

Outside

160 sq ftMax 2E

Standard Suites are located on the Jewel Deck with large picture windows to ensure a great view. They have a spacious design and clever layout alongside all the usual luxurious amenities and furnishings.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTVSafe+2

View Details ›

Junior Balcony Suite

Suite

250 sq ftMax 2BJ

These spacious Suites (250ft²), located on the Sapphire and Diamond Decks, have a private full-length balcony and elegant en-suite bathrooms featuring a large vanity basin, bathtub with shower above.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationLounge AreaShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTV+4

View Details ›

Junior Balcony Suite

Suite

250 sq ftMax 2RJ

These spacious Suites (250ft²), located on the Sapphire and Diamond Decks, have a private full-length balcony and elegant en-suite bathrooms featuring a large vanity basin, bathtub with shower above.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationLounge AreaShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTV+4

View Details ›

Royal Balcony Suite

Suite

315 sq ftMax 2RA

These Suites on the Diamond Deck are the ultimate in luxury with more space (315ft²), impeccable service, thoughtful touches, an outdoor balcony, lounge area and an oversized bathroom.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerBathTVFree Wi-FiSafe+2

View Details ›

Royal Owner's Suite

Suite

315 sq ftMax 2RO

These Suites on the Diamond Deck are the ultimate in luxury with more space (315ft²), impeccable service, thoughtful touches, an outdoor balcony, lounge area and an oversized bathroom.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerBathToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableSuite Benefits+6

View Details ›

Royal Panorama Suite

Suite

269 sq ftMax 2RS

At 325ft², and at the rear of the Diamond Deck, enjoy panoramic views of the breathtaking passing scenery through floor to ceiling windows across two walls of the cabin.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerBathToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableTV+3

View Details ›