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- Day 1DAY 1, Saturday - Depart for PortugalSat, Aug 15, 2026Depart for Portugal
- Day 2DAY 2, Sunday - Arrive in LisbonSun, Aug 16, 2026Arrive in Portugal's capital city, Lisbon, and transfer to your hotel. Most flights arrive in the early morning and your room may not be ready for you. In this case, leave your luggage with the concierge and your local host will provide suggestions for you to begin to explore the city on your own. Your tour will begin with an orientation meeting with your Tour Manager at the hotel at approximately 6 PM. We recommend that you select flights which arrive no later than 4 PM
Overnight: Lisbon - Day 3DAY 3, Monday - Lisbon City TourMon, Aug 17, 2026Begin the tour of Lisbon with a stop at the top of Edward VII's Park to enjoy panoramic views over the hills of Lisbon and the River Tagus. Next, view the treasured 16th century Belem Tower, a monument to Portugal's Age of Discovery and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Spend the rest of the day at leisure, or join the optional tour to quaint Sintra, the "Glorious Eden" of Lord Byron, and ancient summer retreat of the royal court, highlighted by lavish romantic castles and stunning monuments. Visit the Sintra Royal Palace, a 15th century royal residence, containing one of the largest tile collections in Portugal. Then, spend some free time in the Village Historical Center before returning to Lisbon
*The Belém Tower is currently undergoing restoration work and may not be fully visible from the outside, with completion scheduled for spring 2026.
Optional: Half Day Sintra Tour (PM)
Overnight: Lisbon
Meals: Breakfast - Day 4DAY 4, Tuesday - Obidos en route to Porto/Afurada*, Cruise EmbarkationTue, Aug 18, 2026This morning, depart Lisbon and drive to Porto. Along the way, stop at the medieval town of Obidos, encircled by fortified walls and have lunch on your own. Spend free time exploring the town with its many Gothic and Renaissance churches, before continuing to Porto. Embark on the ship in Afurada, located just outside the city. After arrival formalities, time to relax on board. Tonight, meet your Cruise Director and enjoy dinner, as it sets the mood for your lovely Douro River cruise
*For the Jun 20, Jun 27, Oct 24, Oct 31 and Nov 7 departures, the ship will dock in Leverinho instead of Porto / Afurada.
Overnight: River Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner - Day 5DAY 5, Wednesday - Sail to Regua, Douro Museum, Mateus PalaceWed, Aug 19, 2026This morning, sail along the Douro towards Regua. This historic town in the heart of Portugal's most famous wine region has been the center of the port wine industry for centuries. After a light lunch, disembark to visit the Douro Museum, housed in a restored former wine warehouse, and learn about the winemaking industry of the area. Stroll through the exhibits providing information on the history of the Douro region, including the geography, climate, and people. Later, embark on a tour of Mateus Palace, located in the city of Vila Real. Explore the beautiful Baroque palace with its elaborate carved ceilings and stroll through the manicured gardens
Overnight: River Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner - Day 6DAY 6, Thursday - Torre de MoncorvoThu, Aug 20, 2026This morning, sail towards Pocinho. After lunch, disembark in Pocinho and head to the medieval town of Torre de Moncorvo, known for its historic architecture. Stroll though the town's narrow streets lined with traditional stone houses, and view the Church of Nossa Senhora da Assuncao, an impressive example of Portuguese Gothic and Renaissance styles. You may also choose to stay aboard the ship and enjoy cruising. Rejoin the ship later this afternoon in Vega de Terrón, where it will overnight
Overnight: River Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner - Day 7DAY 7, Friday - Explore SalamancaFri, Aug 21, 2026After an early breakfast, embark on a full day excursion to Salamanca, Spain. Travel through the Spanish countryside to Salamanca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On arrival, spend free time for lunch on your own. Later, visit the prestigious university*, founded in the early 1200s. View ancient sandstone buildings, Plaza Mayor, the Clergy, the striking 12th century old Cathedral with its mysterious carvings, Casa de las Conchas, and the historic center of the city. Afterward, transfer back to the ship
*For June 6 departure the visit of the University will be replaced with the visit of the Cathedral of Salamanca due to site closure.
Overnight: River Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner - Day 8DAY 8, Saturday - Cruise to Pinhão, LamegoSat, Aug 22, 2026Continue sailing along the Douro River. This afternoon, make a brief stop in Pinhão and travel to Lamego, nestled amidst the lush vineyard-covered hills of the Alto Douro region. The town is known for its stunning Baroque staircase leading to the iconic Sanctuary of Our Lady of Remedies. Walk around the town's historic center, characterized by its cobblestone streets, whitewashed buildings, and visit the Gothic Lamego Cathedral. Spend time at leisure before returning to the ship or join for the optional Wine Tasting and dinner at Quinta da Avessada. Visit the vineyard Quinta da Avessada and learn about wine production, aging, and bottling. Afterward, savor dinner with traditional Portuguese meals. Rejoin the ship later in the evening in Regua
Optional: Wine Tasting and Dinner at Quinta da Avessada (PM)
Overnight: River Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner - Day 9DAY 9, Sunday - Sail to Porto/Afurada* & City Tour of PortoSun, Aug 23, 2026Spend the morning at leisure, taking in the beautiful scenery. In the afternoon, admire the views of Porto as the ship enters the city. Disembark for a tour of Porto. Begin with a panoramic drive, then head to the city center to learn about Portugal's second most important city while viewing all the six bridges spanning the Douro River, the Cordoaria Garden, the Photography Museum (housed in the former city prison) and the iconic Clérigos Tower and Church. Then, embark on a walking tour where you will view Porto Cathedral, Sao Bento Train Station, famous for its azulejos tiles. The tour ends at one of the city's most famous streets, Rua das Flores, with free time to shop for souvenirs. Afterward head back to the ship
*For the Jun 13, Jun 20, Oct 24, Oct 31 and Nov 7 departures, the ship will dock in Leverinho instead of Porto / Afurada.
Overnight: River Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner - Day 10DAY 10, Monday - Porto/AfuradaMon, Aug 24, 2026Spend the morning and the afternoon at leisure in Porto/Afurada* or join in the optional Medieval city of Guimarães. Explore the city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with its wealth of architectural treasures. Walk by the Guimarães Castle where Alfonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal was born. View and learn about the Palace of the Dukes of Braganza. End the tour at the historical main square Oliveira and enjoy some free time before returning to the ship
*For the Jun 13, Jun 20, Oct 24, Oct 31 and Nov 7 departures, the ship will dock in Leverinho instead of Porto / Afurada, and a shuttle bus will be provided to Porto.
Optional: Medieval City of Guimarães
Overnight: River Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner - Day 11DAY 11, Tuesday - Depart PortugalTue, Aug 25, 2026This morning, disembark and transfer to the airport for your departure flight. Disembarkation will end at 8:30 AM
Meals: Breakfast
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Inclusions
Price does not include airfare, departure or arrival transfers, airline taxes and fuel surcharges.
River Cruise Package Includes
Other departure cities available.
Special Features
River Cruise Features & Amenities
†Transfers are available for purchase for land only or on alternative flight dates if pre/post accommodations are booked through us Travel
Additional Information:
Land only price does not include arrival/departure transfers.
Due to physical constraints and space limitations, wheelchairs and walkers are not allowed on motor coaches and/or river cruises. There are no elevators or chair lifts on board. Kindly refer to our Terms for additional information.
While sailing with MS Douro Cruiser, passengers are subject to the cruise's Terms & Conditions which can be viewed at: .
Please note that the following inclusions may contain items that are only applicable when you purchase Land & Air. The brochure prices below are for Land Only - call us for our best deal.
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Ship Information
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Questions & Answers Ask A Question
Question: Will the day-by-day itinerary change?
Question: In what language is the river cruise conducted?
We had a wonderful time and memorable experiences with our Danube River cruise, meeting new friends along the way. We get to see a lot scenic locations. Overall we did have a great time..
Gate 1 travel did an outstanding job on providing a top flight tour and a very reasonable price.
I had not traveled with a tour before and I had heard horror stories from friends and family about tours they had been on. I was very happy with our tour and accommodations. We saw so many wonderful things. The local guides were great. The bus drivers were great. She was amazing and handled all the different personalities of our group in a professional way. She is amazing. My one issue was the shopping. While I wanted to shop and did indeed purchase an expensive jade bracelet and pearls, I did feel the sales people in the jade store and pearl store were a little too aggressive. As a person from California I found it disturbing to be constantly followed in a store by a sales person and called "lady, lady". But, I still bought what I wanted to buy.
The tour more than met our expectations. One thing that we were not happy about is that they assigned us to a different tour director during the trip. We booked the 2 day pre-cruise option in Amsterdam and the tour director there was great. When we transferred to the boat, they explained that because there were more people on the boat, it was necessary to spit the group among 3 tour directors. Unfortunately, we were assigned to a different tour director. She was not as personable or as knowledgeable as our previous director. We often found ourselves tuning into our previous director channel during the walking tours to glean the additional information that he provided. Fortunately, the other director was our tour director for the post-cruise option in Lucerne.
Tour was great, we saw and did a lot. The boat was comfortable, but on the older side.
Working with Shannon was great and it was an excellent trip!
Knowledgeable and friendly staff. Food service was plentiful and consistently good, not lavish. Wished we had more time to spend in each location, but I am sure that is similar on all cruises of this type and timeframe.
The new boat was fabulous with many amenities, conveniences, and was state of the art. The entire crew, reception staff, wait service, tour directors, kitchen staff, entertainment, cabin staff, etc., was exceptional. The food exceeded our expectations. We would not hesitate to book again with the operator.
Our group of 10 have just gotten back from the 14-day Danube river cruise tour from Prague to Budapest The trip was very nice and each one of us enjoyed it very much. The destinations are beautiful, service was good and food was good. We want to give a special thanks to our travel consultant who was very professional, detailed and friendly from the time of booking all the way until departure. Because we booked a land tour, our travel consultant helped arrange the transportation from the Prague airport to the hotel we stayed at. She also booked the trip for us from Prague to Cesky Kromlov. Every booking went smooth and excellent. This was the most memorable trip we have ever had. Plus we got a very good deal compared to other companies. Thank you to AffortableTours.com! :)
Great value for money.
I loved the Monarch Empress. It met our needs. The whole tour was great and the staff in the boat was just the best.
I relayed a message to the tour manager that we could have spent another 30 minutes or so in Melk at the Abbey as there was little or no free time.
This trip was beyond expectations. Hotel accommodations were superior, really great. Staffs attended to every needs. Monarch Express operations went beyond expectations. The dining staff was exceptional... everyone on board was very professional and courteous and helpful throughout. The Captain maneuvered the ship around tough circumstances with locks. The tour guides on ALL the city and extra tours were superior, very knowledgeable, courteous, mindful of seniors, bus etiquette, et al. The chef and food prepared was EXCELLENT, expecially the unbelievable soup creations, and all meals delivered. This was a fun and interesting trip which I will do again with GATE1.
This was our second cruise on Gate1's Monarch Empress. The crew and facilities are both very good.

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Everything are went well & good service.