Golden River Tour, May 2026

Porto, Portugal

IW
Iberian Wine Tours
  • Email address verified
3 reviews
May 3 - 10, 2026
Group size: 1 - 20
Golden River Tour, May 2026
Porto, Portugal

Iberian Wine Tours
  • Email address verified
3 reviews

May 3 - 10, 2026
Group size: 1 - 20

About this trip

The Golden River from Madrid to Porto
 

Co-hosted with wine writer and Madrid based journalist Ian Mount.


Spain brings with it the beauty of the high altitude clarity of Old Castile, with its magnificent castles, mountains and squares and for savouring the wines of the Sierra de Gredos. Regional gastronomic specialities as well as some of the world’s best hams make this a food and wine lover’s heaven. 


Crossing the border into northern Portugal is a throwback to days gone by, a world away from Algarve glitz and glamour in the south. 

Porto is a gem of a city, the clusters of atmospheric streets either side of the Douro retaining their long lived maritime soul whilst opening the door to the 21st century through fabulous restaurants and luxury hotels. 


The Douro is one of the greatest wine tourism destinations, the astonishing terraces overlooking the river now producing great red wines and ports.

Costs and Payments

Payments Policy 

Each tour has a deposit of $750 per person which is payable at booking. The balance of payment is due 90 days prior to the start of the tour.


WeTravel Payments

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our brand-new booking system, powered by the WeTravel platform. Our primary goal is to enhance your booking experience, making it simpler and more convenient, especially when it comes to payment via credit card.WeTravel is a highly respected booking and payments platform for group travel businesses, trusted by over 5,000 companies worldwide. We couldn't be happier to partner with them, knowing that they provide instant payment acceptance, efficient booking management, and global fund transfers.
Booking your next adventure with us is now smoother than ever. Tours will continue to be listed on our website as before. When you click ‘book now’ on the tour page you will transition to the new WeTravel booking page for that tour where you can select the package and options that you wish to book.


We highly recommend creating an account during the signup process. This enables you to track the status of your bookings and make any necessary changes whenever you need to. Rest assured, WeTravel respects your privacy and won't inundate you with marketing emails.


Payment Methods  Once you've completed the familiar booking form, you can proceed to make secure online payments, currently available in 2 different ways:

  1. credit card (which incurs a processing fee that varies according to the currency and location you are paying in, up to 2.9%) 
  2. bank debit transfer. Bank debit transfers occur when an account holder authorises an outside party to “pull” funds from their bank account. The recipient’s bank initiates the transfer of funds, not the sender’s bank. When a customer sets up this type of bank transfer to make a payment, they provide their name and account details to the recipient, who will then use the account information to pull funds from the sender’s account into their own.This is different from bank/ wire transfer where instead of the recipient’s account “pulling” money from the sender’s account, credit transfers work by “pushing” money from the sender’s bank account to the recipient’s.

If you prefer alternative payment methods such as cheques or Wise wire transfer, we're happy to accommodate these arrangements on request.  


Non USA Payments  

Most of our tours are listed in US dollars but if you want to pay in your local currency by the bank debit method then it is as easy as selecting the flag of your country’s currency on the top right of the window when you are making payment. Alternatively, you can request our $US account details to make a wire transfer from outside the USA.  


2nd Participant Payments   

A booking will only show under the account of the person who made the booking, not the second participant. There are 2 options for payment in this case - 

  1. You can pay together and handle the participant's payment outside of WeTravel. 
  2. You can share the login and each make payments with your preferred payment method.

Timings 

The payment timing will stay the same, with a deposit of $750 pp payable at booking and the balance payable by 90 days before the tour starts. You will receive an automated reminder 30 days before the balance is due.We believe this new system will streamline your booking experience. If you have any questions or need assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected].

Cancellation Policy

If you wish to cancel your booking, you need to confirm the cancellation in writing by email or letter. If you contact Iberian Wine Tours prior to confirming your cancellation we can advise you of the cancellation charges applicable to your situation. The cancellation charge is based on the number of days prior to the starting day of the trip booked. The charges are per person cancelling, as follows:

90 days or more – loss of deposit

89-60 days or more – 25%

59-30 days – 50%

29 days or less – 100%


Refund Policy
From time to time, tours do not reach the minimum number of bookings necessary to make the trip viable. We reserve the right to cancel or alter a tour in these circumstances. If we cancel the tour or make substantial alterations, we will advise you at least 60 days before departure and will offer you alternative dates or a full refund. 

Available Packages

Golden River Tour - Early Bird 2 Sharing
Deposit: $750
$5,995
Deposit: $750
Golden River Tour -Early Bird Single
Deposit: $750
6 left
$7,245
Deposit: $750


Itinerary

Itinerary
Itinerary

3rd May (Sunday)

Meet in Madrid to stay one night at delightful and well located Palacio de Tepa hotel (provisional).

Evening tapas tour in the Las Letras district. D

4th May (Monday)

Set off for the remote and excellent Bernabeleva winery in the Gredos mountains where we enjoy a tasting of several different styles of wine, some direct form the cask, including red and white Garnacha, sweet Moscatel and a rancio style wine. On to Avila for short walk around the old town, followed by a tapas lunch in La Bodeguita, incorporating a tasting of the Sierra de Gredos/ Cebreros wines of the region, including delicate high altitude garnacha reds. We then drive on to Salamanca where we check in to the stylish and historic Palacio San Esteban for 2 nights, followed by a walk up to the Plaza Mayor, Spain’s most graceful square where enjoy a couple of tapas and a welcome drink B/L

5th May (Tuesday)

We head south to the ham capital of Spain and, the small town of Guijuelo, where we have a family tour of the finest jamon producers, Simon Martin, concluding of course with a Jamon tasting in the cellar. We then head further south to Spain’s newest DO in the Sierra de Francia mountains where we visit the excellent La Zorra winery. The Rufete varietal is star here and we will also taste their local vermouth. Lunch is next door at their beautifully located Mirasierra restaurant. After lunch we enjoy a walk through La Alberca, one of the beautiful mountain villages of the area before we head back to Salamanca, where the evening is free. B/L

6th May(Wednesday)

We set off for the Portuguese border and on the way meet the magnificently eccentric Charlotte Allen (Almaroja) for a visit to her winery and vineyards in Arribes, followed by a tasting of her excellent wines with some tapas. 

After a scenic drive across the border, we take the train from Pocinho and after a stunning ride hugging the river through the Douro superior we alight at Quinta dos Malvedos, the flagship single quinta property that makes its own vintage port and is the premium wine going into Grahams vintage port. We enjoy a harvest truck ride up to the property for a casual lunch at the quinta overlooking the Douro. Port on the terrace overlooking the river is one of life’s great pleasures, this was where John Major took his summer holidays when Prime Minister. After lunch the harvest trucks take us down to the jetty for a rabelo cruise along the Douro to Pinhão through the dramatic landscapes of the Cima Corgo. The Douro is the oldest demarcated wine region in the world and home to over half of the world’s mountain vineyards. Check in for two nights to the Vintage House where the evening is free B/L

7th May(Thursday)

Morning visit to Quinta do Noval followed by a tasting. Stunning property, great history, ports and magical views. We see the legendary pre phyloxerra Nacional vineyard, home to the number 2 wine of the 20th century. We then travel by winding roads along to the marvellously situated Quinta do Crasto where we enjoy a visit, tasting and private lunch. Crasto makes fine wines and ports, enjoys a field vineyard with almost 50 distinct varietals and the most remarkable infinity swimming pool high on the hills overlooking the Douro. Eventually we make our way back to the Vintage House where there is time to tidy up before dinner. A very short drive takes to dinner at Quinta de la Rosa, nestled by the river and a fine producer of reds and whites as well as being home to one of the top restaurants in the Douro B/L/D

8th May (Friday)

We enjoy a morning visit and tasting at Quinta do Bomfim (Dow’s main Douro property), followed by lunch at DOC the best restaurant in the Douro, overlooking the river at Folgosa where we enjoy a tasting menu with a selection of Douro wines

After lunch we leave the Douro and head on to Porto for a two night stay in the 5 star Yeatman Hotel. Free evening. B/L

9th May (Saturday) 

After breakfast we take a walk down the hill for a visit and tasting to the oldest shipper of all for a tasting. Kopke are renowned leaders in the aged colheitas which makes for a wonderful experience. Lunch and afternoon is free. Late afternoon visit to Taylor’s Port Lodge, before last night dinner in the Orangerie at the Yeatman at 1930. B/D

10th May (Sunday) 

After breakfast, end of tour.

Your Organizer


IW
Iberian Wine Tours
3 reviews
The yearning for soulful travel burns brighter than ever. Imagine slow days filled with great wine, laughter, food and friends in magical places across Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Chile and Argentina and our special selection destinations. Share stories with old friends and new and you can be part of what we love to do: connecting wine, places and people.

Reviews

This was our 2nd trip with Iberian Wine Tours & it was fantastic as expected. Our guide Jenny, a sommelier, was exceptional. Her knowledge of Chile & Argentina as well as her knowledge of the wines is excellent. The winery/vineyard tours were all private & the tastings were always of the high-end wines produced by each winery. We got a good sampling of the grape varieties Chile (Carmenere) & Argentina (Malbec) are known for as well as some Cabernet, Sauvignon Blanc (dry, not fruity), Syrah, Pinot Noir and blends among others. The food was amazing! We were well treated at several of the vineyards with meals paired with their wines. This is not a trip you go on to lose weight ;)! We also had 2 cooking lessons that the entire group enjoyed. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who enjoys food & wine - especially red wine. We can't wait to travel with Iberian Wine Tours again in the near future. -Anne & Randy Todd
By Anne T for Chile & Argentina, March 2025 on Apr 10, 2025
This trip was absolutely amazing. Jenny is so knowledgeable about the wine, the culture and knows the best about everything. The wine tastings, cooking classes and hotels were all premium level and the experience overall was unforgettable. We would do this tour again!
By Jennifer D for Chile & Argentina, March 2025 on Mar 29, 2025
It's the people who make IWT special for me - and why I've now traveled 8 times with them. The wines are always interesting and special, often outstanding; the food is always delicious. This trip was a wonderful celebration of 15 years of IWT!
By Ellen H for England 2025 on Mar 18, 2025

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