RIVER & CANAL CRUISES
Reviewed, compared and ranked by the people aboard.
The 15 most popular wine tours, compared side by side. What you see from the water, how long you are aboard, what it costs and which operator to book, so you can pick your boat in a couple of minutes.
A guided Douro Valley day trip from Porto with two winery visits, lunch, tastings, and a 50-minute Rabelo river cruise.
Most Popular“Wonderful trip. Licinio and our driver did a great job getting us there safely and licinio gave great commentary and tips. Fun day! Recommend.”
Full-day Douro Valley tour from Porto with 2 wine estates, Amarante stop, lunch with pairings, and a Pinhão river cruise.
“Ricardo was a fantastic guide, helped start the day off perfectly and gave us loads of facts about Porto whilst getting our energy up. The stop for coffee and pastries was good, lovely little town even if only there briefly. The two wineries we visited were lovely and very different, the first had great views…”
Small-group Douro day trip from Porto: two tastings, classic lunch in Pinhão, and a Rabelo river cruise with stunning N222 views.
“Luis our guide was fantastic. Proficient in English, friendly, very knowledgeable, and kept us engaged at the appropriate times. The 2 quintas we visited were superb. Great experience. Highly recommended.”
Porto to Douro Valley: two winery tastings, a Rabelo river cruise in Pinhão, and a winery lunch with reds, whites, and ports.
“I wrote a longer review on tripadvisor, so I’ll keep this brief. The Douro valley is beautiful and its wines are great, so what really separates a fine tour from a great one are the people. This tour killed it in that respect. Zthe guides, Rita & Pedro, were great all day (not easy to…”
Porto’s Magic Train links city sights, Real Companhia Velha port tasting, and a 1-hour Douro River cruise with classic views.
“Great value for money. First train leaves at 10am, recommend this time as we had the carriage to ourselves and only 4 in our English speaking tour of the wine cellar. Boat trip has no commentary (think you have to download in advance) and the wind can be chilly. Had a wonderful trip.”
Small-group Douro Valley day trip from Porto with 3 wine tastings, family lunch, aged Port, and optional Rabelo boat in Pinhão.
“Very fun, Manuel is a excellent guide and driver. A great way to learn about the wine and olives. Beautiful river and landscape.”
Small-group Douro Valley day from Porto with two wineries, a traditional lunch in Pinhão, and a Rabelo river cruise.
“Sandro was very friendly, arrived on time, great knowledge and funny, loved the the two vineyards and boat trip. I highly recommend to all and especially with door to door pick-up and return. Thanks Sandro for a lovely day !”
Seine River dinner cruise in Paris with Champagne, a warm 3-course menu, and glowing views of Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, Louvre, and more.
“It’s an expensive experience. Food was ok but after the one very small glass of (warm, flat) champagne, you need to buy everything including water.”
Champagne at the Moulin Rouge with the Féerie revue, plus a glass-enclosed Seine cruise ticket for the next day.
“Was great, just be aware that traffic jam is a thing in Paris, so our activity started almos like 2 hours late, we had the best seats and a lot of chapagne, we can't make the river thing but they gave us an open ticket, I couldn't use it because I'll leave the next day.”
Relax on a 90-minute Amsterdam night canal cruise with UNESCO canal views, audio in 20 languages, and an optional wine & cheese box.
“Comfortable boat, temperature and weather proof. The audio did not work for the first half of the cruise. Captain apologized for the computer failure. Nice overview of Amsterdam.”
Sail the Douro from Gaia with a guide, port wine on deck, and big views of bridges, churches, and riverside wildlife in about 2 hours.
“Was a rainy day but still had a lovely time on the water ! Team was great to talk and tell us about Porto!”
Two hours on a modern catamaran from Porto, sipping port wine past key bridges and Ribeira, with Atlantic air at Foz do Douro.
“I took a boat cruise on the Douro River and it was one of the highlights of my trip to Porto. The ride was peaceful, and I loved seeing the city and the iconic bridges from the water, it gives such a different perspective than walking. The staff were friendly, the boat was comfortable, and…”
Cruise Bordeaux’s UNESCO waterfront on the Garonne with live English/French commentary, plus Bordeaux wine and a canelé for $22.
“Lovely trip but through limited French, missed a lot of information”
2-hour Porto Douro cruise passing 6 bridges, with 4 port tastings and guides explaining Porto and port wine history.
“Really enjoyed it. Guide and skipper were great. Would recommend”
1-hour Seine cruise in Paris on a 100% electric boat with Champagne and live English/French commentary from the Eiffel Tower.
“The tour mentions a glass lf champagne but I never got the instructions for where to get the champagne so i ended up not having it”
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