The Tour begins within the labyrinth of medieval streets around Porto’s Sé Cathedral. A short walk down the Avenida Dom Alfonso Henriques brings you to the São Bento train station. You can’t help but notice as you explore the city, azulejos are a major aspect of Portuguese architecture – beautifully painted, glazed ceramic tiles which are used to protect and decorate the exterior of buildings.

Next stop will be the Palacio da Bolsa – the 19th Century HQ of the Associacao Comercial do Porto.
After a stop for coffee and cake, you’ll cross Porto’s most famous landmark: the Ponte de Dom Luis I Bridge. The bridge spans the Douro from Porto on the north bank to her twin city Vila Nova de Gaia on the south bank.

Arriving on the south bank in Gaia, you’ll have a chance to learn more about Porto’s most famous export: port wine. Our guide will hand you over to the porthouse’s own guide and he/she will walk you through the history of wine production in the Douro Valley region of Portugal. You’ll also have a chance to sample the three main styles of port wine: Ruby (the variation we typically see here in the UK), Tawny (aged longer for a more mellow flavour), and Branco (white port from white grapes, and served chilled).