THE DOURO EXPERIENCE
TOUR 2025
September 28th-October 7th, 2025
This 10 day (9 night) tour, designed for the TR Register, will take participants through the incredible roads of Castile following the Duero River until entering the beautiful landscapes of Portugal, where the river changes its name to Douro.
Upon reaching Aranda de Duero, not far from the place where the Duero River is born, endless vineyards welcome you as you arrive to the ribera wine region. Then, a complete tour traveling through beautiful roads and landscapes and discovering some of the spectacular heritage and vineyards both in Spain and Portugal. The Douro Valley has been voted the world's best drive by Avis and also by the Telegraph.
A unique experience for which you will need all five senses, without them you will not be able to taste the best gastronomy, be amazed by the local architecture, breathe nature, enjoy the carefully selected hotels and of course, travel some of the most amazing roads of the Iberian Peninsula.
Mick Forey (International & Vice Chairman) TR Register and his wife Linda, will host this tour.
5 extra places available!
Bilbao
TRIP SUMMARY
Travelers wishing to join the tour from the UK by ferry, are recommended to book the Ferry departing from Portsmouth on September 26th at 21:30h, arriving Santander at 08:00h on September 28th.
There is plenty of time to arrive to Aranda de Duero, where a welcome dinner will take place tonight at the Hotel Torremilanos 4* where the stay will be for one night.
This hotel is located in a rural area surrounded by vineyards belonging to the internationally recognized Ribera del Duero denomination of origin and just a few miles away from Aranda de Duero, European Wine City in 2022.
Today's itinerary is designed to enjoy every mile driving your TR's through beautiful roads surrounded by vineyards.
Halfway, the group will enjoy a guided visit of a winery in the Rueda area, the place where the most popular white wine in Spain is produced. The ancient cellars of Rueda have never-ending underground cellars which will be visited before enjoing a wine tasting.
Today's route through the endless roads of Castile will take us to Topas, a small village just 17 miles north from Salamanca, a UNESCO World Heritage city worth visiting if you have time.
The next two nights the stay will be at Castillo del Buen Amor 4*, declared a Site of Cultural Interest in 1931. Dinner will be served at the hotel.
The route planned for today will be through secondary roads and changing landscapes. We will follow the course of the Tormes River until we reach Fermoselle, a town considered the Capital of the Arribes del Duero Natural Park, and then into Portugal before returning to the same hotel.
A route of amazing scenery through reservoirs, gorges and dams that are amazing works of hydraulic engineering. The highest dam in the Duero River, will be crossed as part of today´s route.
Dinner will be served at the hotel.
Unforgettable roads make their way through gorges more than 200 meters feet in depth when crossing the Arribes del Duero Natural Park. This is the natural border between Spain and Portugal, declared a transboundary biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 2015.
Today the drive should be enjoyed for its beauty and spectacular landscape. An amazing geography modeled over more than 50 miles (more than 30 of them in Portuguese lands).
In the route book, viewing points will be identified so that you may stop to enjoy this sceneary, stopping at the most impressive places, some of which exceed 600 feet in height.
Dinner & accommodation will be at Longroiva 4* Rural Hotel.
We will start the day behind the wheel of our classics, touring the Alto Douro Wine Region, classified by UNESCO in 2001 as a World Heritage Site.
Located in the north of Portugal, the Douro Valley is one of the most beautiful and enigmatic regions of Portugal. The grandeur of the Douro River, which gives its name to this beautiful region, is impressive.
A beautiful road trip through the valley that will conclude with a guided tour of one of the most recognized Quinta (wineries) in the region, with a wine tasting included.
Accommodation & dinner tonight will be at the Lamego Hotel & Life 4*, located in Lamego, on the terraces of the Douro Valley.
Today´s drive will be along the banks of the Douro River, crossing the olive oil valley, to admire its terraces and its characteristic layout for the cultivation of olive oil trees and vineyards, taking advantage of the unique geography and climate of this region.
Today´s destination will be the beautiful city of Porto, its historic center was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996.
The accomodation chosen for the next two nights is Eurostars Heroismo Hotel 4*, with an excellent location in Porto, within walking distance of the main attractions of the city.
Today dinner will be served at the hotel.
Our beloved classics, today will be put on hold, as we plan to discover Porto from a different perspective.
To enjoy the natural beauty of the banks of the Douro River, in a relaxed way, we recommend you to take a panoramic ride on a typical Rabelo boat. These boats were traditionally used to transport barrels of Port wine from the vineyards to the wineries of Vila Nova de Gaia.
Today the day is free for you to discover Porto until 18:00, when a guided tour is planned to a renowned winery with a great family tradition of port where the history of this variety of wine and its production will be discovered... and tasted. After the visit and port tasting the group will enjoy Fado (traditional portuguese music) at the same winery.
Dinner today will be free, so you can enjoy portuguese gastronomy.
Today's road trip is a long one on carefully chosen roads driving back to Castile, Spain.
After breakfast the route will be through portuguese valleys and mountains until we reach Zamora province. To make the most of the route today there are several viewing points and recommended stops on route, so you can drive on your own pace.
The destination today will be Puebla de Sanabria, in a valley of outstanding beauty with several mountain lakes.
Accommodation & dinner tonight will be at the Gran Casona de Sanabria Hotel.
The route we have designed for today crosses Castile and arrives to La Rioja province.
A day of changing landscapes, from the cereal fields of Castile and its infinite straight roads to the colorful La Rioja, full of vineyards that should be great to see with the autumn colours.
Briñas is the chosen place to spend the last night of this tour. Considered one of the most beautiful towns in Spain, Briñas has a privileged location between Toloño mountains and Ebro river.
A farewell dinner is planned in a local restaurant & the accomodation chosen is Hospedería Señorío de Briñas, an iconic refurbished palace.
Today we reach the end of the tour.
If you are taking the Ferry from Bilbao, departure is scheduled at 13:00 p.m, and it takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes (63 miles) to drive to the port from Briñas.
HOTELS
LAMEGO HOTEL & LIFE 4*
(1 NIGHT)ROUGH ITINERARY
9 Nights in carefully selected hotels
8 Dinners (Beverages / Wine Included)
3 guided tour of wineries with wine tasting (Tapas included in 2 of them)
Visits and activities as described in this brochure (Subject to change for other similar activities or visits)
Welcome Pack including very comprehensive Road book including tulip notes will be given to each participant
Tour design and recce trip
1.845 €/Person sharing a double / twin room
2. 795 €/Person in single room
Indicate your interest in the event immediately by registration and a payment of a fully refundable €200 deposit.
Priority to be given to the first 20 registrations subject to the deposit being paid by the due date.
5 extra places available!
40% deposit payable by 15th January 2025
Balance to be paid 2 months before the start of the tour.
Classics on the Road is the most experienced travel agency specializing in tours with classic or sports cars in Europe.
More than 100 organized tours and 15 years of experience, with attention to detail, make us a reference agency in the sector.
The routes will be carried out on carefully selected roads, opting for secondary roads, resorting to alternative routes such as highways when it is not possible otherwise.
Each stage is designed with a clear objective: to offer a balance between landscapes, roads, culture, gastronomy and charming hotels... For the enjoyment of drivers and passengers.
Our tours are not only designed to drive and collect tourist destinations, but you will discover authentic places where local citizens go.
One of our maxims is: Have fun, meet like-minded friends and enjoy yourself. At the end of the tour you will wonder: When is the next one?
CONTACT: +(34) 619 722 185 (Stewart Cusden) - info@classicsontheroad.com