Port house tour and tasting in Portugal
Going on A Week in Portugal Tour very soon and I was wondering which Port Houses does Tauck go to on this tour. We will be in Porto several days before our tour starts and I don’t want to independently go to a port house that Tauck will be taking us to.
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We just returned from this tour and had a port tasting at Cockburn’s as part of the tour.
Traveling independently we had a delightful lunch at the Taylor Fladgate bodega restaurant https://www.baraofladgate.com/en/. As with all bodegas it is in Gaia, across the Douro from Porto. It was a quick cab ride from our hotel. It’s pretty high on the hill and the view looking back at Porto is very nice. The wine and port pairings were also very good. Something to do on your own.
Years ago we ate at Taylor’s Winery. I don’t recall which side of the Douro it was located, but it was high on the hill. I wonder if it is the same place referenced above, perhaps rebranded. We had the pre-set menu with wine pairings. Lovely.
We are doing this trip in September and spending 3 days in Porto ahead of the tour. Not wanting to duplicate tour items, just like Patty above. Appreciate any info
If memory serves (tour dated Sept. 2023), we had port wine tasting at Cockburn's followed by lunch at Taylor's. It was quite a nice experience.
Here are some suggestions of what we enjoyed doing while in Porto on different Tauck tours of the region:
Gondola ride - fantastic views.
São Bento Train Station - the interior walls are lined with azulejos tiles.
Livraria Lello Bookshop - beautiful shop with a wooden staircase as well as stained glass windows. It is best to have a ticket with a timed entry. The cost is ~ €10 which will be refunded if you purchase an item.
Cultura Portuguesa- Portugal is the leading producer of cork in the world. This shop has gorgeous, high-end cork products—hand bags, wallets, shoes…. If you are looking for souvenirs, you will find less expensive but lower quality items in Coimbra and Lisbon.
Ribeira District - a great place for wandering, weaving in and out of the side streets and finding places to eat. Should you not wish to navigate the hills, stroll along the waterfront.
Your hotel’s concierge can assist with logistics.
Have a wonderful time and please consider posting a review afterwards.
I need to correct my statement - I think we had port wine tasting at Cockburn's (south of Douro River) and then on to good restaurant for lunch. Looking at the map, it may have been Enoteca or Restaurante Dona Maria, but I can't quite recall.
And I agree with kfnknfzk's recommendation of Sao Bento Train Station. We ate lunch at Tapabento train station restaurant which is highly rated and gets quite crowded. So see if you can get reservations or arrive outside of main meal times. Staff was friendly and the food was delicious and reasonably priced.
If you like sunsets and views, I highly recommend dining at the Hotel Dom Henrique Downtown restaurant which has amazing skyline views. We walked there from the hotel --- well worth the walk.