Best river cruises in Porto

I already wrote about the famous 6 bridges cruise in Porto, but the truth is that a lot of people simply prefer to have a more intimate river cruise in Porto, so I decided to write this Complete Guide of the best river cruises in Porto.

Important note: Please do not mistake these with the best river cruises in the Douro valley! The river cruises on this article that you are reading now refer to the best river cruises in Porto city.

No time to read a long article? Here’s a summary of the best river cruises in Porto

If you are in a hurry, these are the best options for:

• Foodies: Best river cruise in Porto with Wine and Tapas
• Party people: Best river cruise in Porto for bachelor / bachelorette parties
• Solo Travelers: Best SHARED river cruise in Porto
• Premium experience: Top PRIVATE river cruise on a Yacht
• Authentic vibe: Best river cruise with a local Fisherman

These are best river cruises in Porto:

Daytime or Sunset Douro River Cruise With Port Wine

The Daytime or Sunset Douro River Cruise With Port Wine is one of the best river cruises in Porto for large groups (either bachelor / bachelorette parties or holidays with your extended family) because, given its size (49 foot), it can accommodate a loooot of people.

Something else that I love about this river cruise in particular is that it’s a really pretty sailboat, with a very comfortable interior room open to the outside. Beware though, that most of the time (especially when it’s not windy) they use the engines of the boats instead of the sails.

Moreover, and unlike the very touristy 6 bridges cruise, the Sightseeing Sailboat Cruise on the Douro River provides translated explanations of what you are about to see, and hence skipping the loud speakers altogether.

You can book your Daytime or Sunset Douro River Cruise With Port Wine online, and I would recommend to choose the sunset option: it’s magical to be on the river at that time of the day 🙂

Daytime or Sunset Douro River Cruise With Port Wine – Details

Six Bridges Cruise w/ Local Guide & Port Wine Tasting

The Six Bridges Cruise w/ Local Guide & Port Wine Tasting is another great option to navigate the waters of the Douro river on a classic 31-foot motor sailor boat.

The skipper, Raul, is a really charismatic person with tons of nice stories about the Marina, the Douro river and the city itself. He is also quite generous with his Port wine servings, so I am sure you are going to end the trip feeling a bit tipsy 😀

The only thing I don’t like about the Six Bridges Cruise w/ Local Guide & Port Wine Tasting is that the indoors area is a bit small, so I don’t recommend this tour for large groups or bad weather days.

You can book your Six Bridges Cruise w/ Local Guide & Port Wine Tasting online.

Six Bridges Cruise w/ Local Guide & Port Wine Tasting – Details

Douro River Party Boat with Sunset Option

I know how hard it is do organise bachelor / bachelorette parties not only because I organised it for some of my friends, but also because we welcome a lot of such groups on our Full day private tour of Porto 🙂 And hence it is my pleasure to introduce you to the ONLY party boat in Porto, a boat that can accommodate more than 50 people on board!

The idea is quite simple: a large boat, a DJ, and a bar. Plenty of music, no places to sit down (it’s a PARTY boat, not a place to take a nap! :D) and the opportunity to mingle with like minded travellers. Naturally, you can also make the trip private, if you wish to do so. 

I think this is a great, great option for large groups of friends and yes, I have included this on one of my friends bachelorette party 🙂

Party river cruise in Porto – Details

Charming Sailboat Cruise with Port Wine

Charming Sailboat Cruise with Port Wine is one of the most versatile river cruises in Porto. After all, it goes out into the river three times a day, every day; and it provides both group trips (for those of you that want to make new friends) and private trips (for those, like me, that prefer a private experience 🙂

Moreover, the boat has a small but magnificent outdoor area, with very comfortable bean bags, while the indoor area (also very inviting) can accommodate a small group on rainy days.

Ricardo’s team is not only very friendly but also gives you lots of tips to make the most of your days in Porto, while filling your glass with a Port tonic cocktail. No wonder that it is the most popular river cruise in the city!

To finish up the experience, we even got to take a quick spin out on the ocean, sailing directly into the sunset – a once in a lifetime experience that will engrave Porto in your happy memories.

You can book your Charming Sailboat Cruise with Port Wine online.

Charming Sailboat Cruise with Port Wine – Details

Luxury 7 Bridges Yacht Cruise with Wine & Snacks

Another fantastic yacht river cruise in Porto with wines and tapas included (again, massive foodie here!) is this Luxury 7 Bridges Yacht Cruise with Wine & Snacks.

I really like it because it is designed to be a private tour from the start, meaning that you have the undivided skippers’ attention, complete privacy AND nobody can steal the best cheeses from you 😀

Indeed, the crew (who is super nice, by the way – I really enjoyed their company!) will always make sure that your glasses are ful and that your stomach is happy. I particularly enjoyed the regional cheese from the Azores islands, and I think you will like it too 🙂

You can book your Luxury 7 Bridges Yacht Cruise with Wine & Snacks online. The price already includes 2 bottles of wine but, if you feel it’s not enough for your group, feel free to bring your own drinks onboard 😉

Luxury 7 Bridges Yacht Cruise with Wine & Snacks – Details

Sunset Sailboat Cruise with Wine and Tapas

The Sunset Sailboat Cruise with Wine and Tapas is one of the best cruises in Porto, not only because it’s the only one that truly delivers a sunset experience, but also because they serve an INCREDIBLE tapas board (and, as you know, I’m a foodie). It really is one of the most romantic things to do in Porto, and word is that many marriage proposals happen on board :’)

I also find the charming Sunset Sailboat Cruise with Wine and Tapas to be one of the best value-for-money cruises in Porto, because both the wine and food are abundant, and you’ll hardly finish it all. Just to give you an idea, you’ll be welcomed with Douro wines, cheeses and charcuterie, Portuguese olive oil, etc.

Usually this is a group activity—though the boat only accommodates up to 8 people, which keeps the group very small—but you can also book the entire boat (and get that romantic moment you’re looking for 😉).

You can book your charming Sunset Sailboat Cruise with Wine and Tapas online, and you should do it as soon as possible because they only run ONE trip per day.

Sunset Sailboat Cruise with Wine and Tapas – Details

River cruise with a local fisherman

Sometimes what we need is a bit of simplicity, but mostly authenticity, on our holidays and experiences around the world. With that in mind, I decided to include on this article about the best river cruises in Porto a River cruise with a local fisherman 🙂

Indeed, Paulo and Daniel are both former fishermen and now wonderful hosts. They will tell you all about their fishing days, the Douro river, make sure your glasses of wine are always topped and take fantastic photos of you. 

The boat is small (only 20 foot long!), inspired by ancient fishing boats and specially built to allow you for a closer look at the local fishing culture.

This is truly a unique experience, better suited for down-to-earth people, that you will not forget 🙂

You can book your River cruise with a local fisherman online.

River cruise with a local fisherman – Details

Porto Luxury Yacht Cruise

The Porto Luxury Yacht Cruise tour is by far the fanciest river cruise in Porto, particularly for those of you that prefer to yachts over sailing boats. 

This Porto Luxury Yacht Cruise is indeed very fancy, with really nice (and comfortable) sofas both outdoors and on the covered area inside. It is suuuuper nice and makes for a very relaxing trip. 

Moreover, the boat is so large that it allows for several groups to have their own private area (at the bow, the stern, or up top).

The couple that runs this river cruise is Nancy and Fernando, and precisely because this is a family business, they have different schedules for every day of the week, so I recommend you to book the Porto Luxury Yacht Cruise as soon as possible to avoid missing out. They always try to include one schedule that allows for a sunset cruise, which is great!

The only thing I didn’t super like about my trip was that they only serve ONE glass of a welcome drink (wine, sangria, beer or a soft drink), which I find a bit awkward given how generous we, the Portuguese, are with wines.

You can book your Porto Luxury Yacht Cruise online.

Porto Luxury Yacht Cruise – Details

Douro Small Group Boat Cruise with Port Wine

The Douro Small Group Boat Cruise with Port Wine is also a good option for those who want an intimate and uncomplicated boat trip, as the trip takes place on a small boat (maximum 8 people). But don’t worry because despite its small size, the boat is very comfortable and even has an awning to protect you from the sun 🙂

The skipper is called Jonas, a young man who, in addition to being very friendly, has a lot of knowledge about the city and Port wine. He will welcome you with a tasting of 3 Port wines (one of each style), which is the perfect note to start this river cruise in Porto.

Moreover, being a small unpretentious boat, it has two advantages that some of the best river cruises in Porto do NOT have: it welcomes both solo travellers (hiey!) AND pets on board 🙂

You can book your Douro Small Group Boat Cruise with Port Wine online.

Douro Small Group Boat Cruise with Port Wine – Details