Douro Valley Premium Wine Experience

Summary: Excellent tour with a small group of only 8 people, great wine, delicious food and Joao, our tour guide was very good. We toured private family run wineries that large tour buses don't visit and enjoyed a really nice boat trip down the river as well. Highlight of our trip to Portugal!!

Summary: We had a fabulous time on our trip to the Douro Valley with our guide, Leo, and BL Heritage Tours. Leo shared lots of his personal experiences and knowledge about the Valley. The wineries were great, as was the delicious lunch we had at one of the wineries. The boat trip was fun, including the refreshments prepared for us while on the boat. Highly recommend this tour!!

Summary: Me and my boyfriend were staying in Porto in december and have decided to visit the Douro Valley with BL Heritage Tours. We couldnt make the best option!!! We have booked their Premium Wine Experience through Douro Valley and it was fantastic... Amazing views, delicious gourmet food and much more. We visited a boutique Winery and tasted Douro Valley wines guided by a proper wine educator. Very comfortable vehicle with a relax driving. I have no words to describe how fantastic it is. Top notch was the private tour with some snacks and Port wine onboard. The price looks high but is nothing comparing what is included. Highly recomended.

Summary: We spent quite a bit of time researching how we wanted to experience the Duoro Valley. One of our biggest deal breakers was the size of the tour. We wanted something smaller than a large bus tour dropped at a winery. This was all that and more. We met at a central location and divided in to two groups to travel by van. During the ride they gave us some awesome background on everything. The first winery we went to gave us a tour of the facility and talked a lot about what they use in each wine and how they go about making it. This part felt like a brewery tour to me and was fun. From there we did boat tours of the river with wine, a homemade drink, and snacks. The info we were given on this tour was awesome and had to do a lot with the history of the wineries and the area in general. From there we went to a very small winery and had an authentic meal prepared for us by the woman working there. This last location was the highlight of this for me. The winery only does about 50,000 bottles a year and has hundreds of year of amazing family history. A tour of the home and winery was sooooo unique. This part was something that could ONLY be experienced by being in small groups. I would highly recommend this tour and if went back I'd even do it again!

Summary: What an unexpected treasure we found in José and Bruno with BL Heritage Tours . One of our Portugal goals was to explore the Douro Valley and to learn about authentic port wines . What we didn’t expect was that we’d experience more than we’d imagined . From the moment we met José and Bruno, their gregarious dispositions fostered immense excitement for the adventure that lie ahead . Even though the assembled group of travelers spoke four different languages, José fluency in all of them quickly made us feel welcomed and connected . My husband I are were not up to speed on Portugal’s history . Jose used the van drive to enthusiastically—and proudly—share his country’s history and its significance as a player on the world’s stage . He even serenaded us with a couple of traditional and modern Fado songs . José drove on the Valley’s—at time treacherous—backroads as opposed to the easier, less interesting main thoroughfares . What an awesome way to see unique sections of the Valley most travelers would miss . Mid-way into the drive, at a most picturesque vista, we stopped for photos . José surfaced a box of pastel de nata, which had somehow survived the hairpin turns and bumpy roads, intact . What a sweet treat! BL Heritage Tours had selected two amazing port purveyors for us . We benefitted from personalized, small-group tours of the Quinta’s grounds and facilities . The wine and port tastings were a great way for us to end each tour . Having the ability to purchase the bottled goodness onsite was ideal . Midday, we sat down to an authentic Portuguese lunch, hosted in a family-owned Quinta . BL Heritage Tours had collaborated with the owners to provide delicious meals for all—vegetarians and carnivores alike . As if we hadn’t had enough fun, we were treated to a late-afternoon boat ride on the river . It was a picture-perfect sunny day . The boat staff created Porto tonics for us to enjoy as we drank in the scenery and beverages . The van ride back was full of joyous laughter as newly made friends recounted the treasures of the trip and shared social media profiles to stay connected long after the trip . We hated to leave the group that José had so deftly and magically connected for an experience we will not soon forget . I’m sure that Bruno’s passengers had fun, but definitely ask to ride in José’s van… he is THE BEST! Bravo, José!