Portugal Vineyards & Villages Along the Douro River hosted by Colleen Alsberg

September 20, 2025

– October 1, 2025

12 Days

Explore the dreamy Douro River and discover its gleaming waters as you sail Portugal’s breathtaking panoramic beauty. Marvel at the world’s oldest demarcated wine region, cozy towns, and charming villages!

Before sailing, begin your vacation with a three-night stay in beautiful Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. Enjoy guided sightseeing to see the city highlights, including Belem Tower and the Monument to the Discoveries. Join an excursion to magnificent Palacio Nacional de Sintra. Stop in Coimbra for a city sightseeing tour before reaching Porto where you will board your Avalon Suite Ship® to start a delightful river cruise!

Like a blue-ribbon threading through the green Douro Valley, the Douro River carries you through some of Portugal’s most legendary landscapes. Meaning “River of Gold,” the Douro River lives up to its name by revealing priceless gems along its sloping vineyards. Rugged landscapes have been tamed for centuries to produce a bounty of wines and cuisine. You’ll be swept away by Douro’s timeless treasures and traditions, family farms and fevered Fado music, and mouth-watering culinary creations.

Colleen Alsberg

Daily Itinerary

Your journey begins with an overnight flight from Chicago O’Hare to Lisbon, Portugal

Welcome to Lisbon – The day is yours to relax and explore.

Hotel: Tivoli Avenida Liberdade Lisboa (or similar)

Explore Lisbon, Portugal’s capital, with a Local Guide. Do not miss the must-see sights, including Belem Tower and the Monument to the Discoveries.

You might opt to join an optional gastronomic walking tour to learn about the authentic flavors, aromas, and traditions of Portugal.

This evening you might join an optional excursion including a traditional Portuguese dinner, followed by a live concert of traditional Portuguese Fado music.

Hotel: Tivoli Avenida Liberdade Lisboa (or similar)

Meal: Breakfast

This morning, join us on a guided excursion to Sintra, where you will visit the National Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Afterwards, drive to Cabo da Roca and enjoy some free time in the westernmost point of continental Europe.

Hotel: Tivoli Avenida Liberdade Lisboa (or similar)

Meals: Breakfast

Stop in Coimbra for a guided city sightseeing tour. Accompanied by a Local Guide, you’ll explore the historical area of the city and learn all about the oldest university in Portugal, and one of the oldest in the world.

Transfer to Porto to board your Avalon Suite Ship.

Enjoy dinner and explore the ship on your first night on board. Overnight docking in Porto.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Step back in time within the walls of the Interpretation Centre of the Romanesque with a fascinating introduction to its symbolism and architecture. Enjoy an excursion with an exclusive visit to one of the most iconic monasteries of the Romanesque era with entrance to a XIII century church and be enchanted by sounds of Gregorian Chant from the high choir, OR: Enter a world of Celtic history and the reign of Cesar Augustus where five roads diverged to form an empire with a full-day guided tour of Braga. Marvel at the magnificent castle and San Miguel church in Guimarães, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Celebrate your experience with a stop at one of the area’s many wine farms and enjoy a tasting. Overnight docking in Porto Antigo.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Experience life on one of the oldest farms in the Douro Valley with a personal tour by the owner of the house, including an olive oil and wine tasting, OR: Take a guided walking tour of the charming town of Régua —with its religious architecture, narrow streets, beautiful tiles, and stained-glass window of Casa do Douro. Continue to Lamego to visit the cathedral, followed by a delicious tasting of bola de Lamego and sparkling wine in a local pastry shop.

Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy free time in Pinhão to browse the artisanal markets for woven textiles, terra cotta creations, and culinary delights, or consider joining an optional excursion to learn about the Douro Valley’s “liquid gold” at a traditional olive-oil mill.

This afternoon, consider an optional excursion to Casa de Mateus. Overnight docking in Pinhão.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Enjoy a relaxing cruise to Pocinho for a day in the Terra Quente region. Discover Vila Nova de Foz Côa at the eastern terminal of the legendary Douro Railway line. Marvel at the amazing archaeological site along the River Côa where a wealth of remarkable prehistoric rock paintings and carvings were discovered as the most significant collection of Palaeolithic figurations known today. OR: Join a guided tour of Freixo de Numão, a charming village nestled between the nearby mountains filled with vast vineyards and granite houses. This little suburb is filled with Roman, Medieval, and modern ruins. Overnight docking in Barca D’alva.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Join a guided tour this morning to of one of the most remote villages of the country, Freixo de Espada à Cinta village in the Douro International Natural Park, home to majestic birds of prey, OR: Get a taste of Spain with a full-day excursion to Salamanca. This Spanish city will take your breath away with its stunning streets and squares, featuring a feast for the eyes with Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, and “Plateresque” architecture. Dive into a delicious dish of the traditional Spanish delicacy, tostón asado (traditional roast suckling pig). Overnight docking in Ferradosa.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

During your morning sailing, a professional painter will guide you through the process of painting an azulejos (traditional Portuguese tile) to take home a piece of Portugal’s tradition. You may alternatively join an onboard pastry demonstration.

Join a guided sightseeing tour of Amarante – poised against a breathtaking backdrop of the great Serra do Marão mountain and the Tâmega River, which courses through the heart of the city and assortment of houses lining the riverbanks. Later, feel the passion of Portugal’s soulful and stirring Fado music during a visit with local musicians on board. Overnight docking in Leverinho.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Enjoy the wharfs of the Douro River and the coastal magnificence of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia, on a bicycle and accompanied by a professional biologist tour guide, OR; Join a guided sightseeing tour of Porto, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Continue your experience with a ride to the riverside city of Matosinhos and up Avenida da Boavista to admire some of the modern charms of Porto – from ancient avenues to avant-garde graffiti street art, OR: this afternoon, you may choose to join in a guided optional excursion such as a scenic canal cruise on the Aveiro (Venice of Portugal) or explore a family-owned factory to witness the Portuguese art of cork and barrel production. Perhaps simply spend time strolling through Porto’s cobblestone lanes, lovely shops, and tempting tapas bars this afternoon before experiencing the energy of Porto’s buzzing nightlife.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Enjoy breakfast before transferring disembarking in Porto and transferring to the airport for your flight home.

Meals: Breakfast

Tour Highlights

Explore Lisbon with a local guide including Belem Tower and the Monument of the Discoveries
Excursion to Sintra to visit the National Palace a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Stop in Coimbra for a guided city sightseeing tour with a Local Guide.
Entre Os Rios choice of tours:
- An exclusive visit the Interpretation Centre of the Romanesque, an era XIII century church.
- A full day guided tour of Braga, including UNESCO San Miguel church in Guimarães
Peso da Régua choice of tours:
- Personal tour of the oldest farm in the Douro Valley including olive oil and wine tasting
- A guided tour of Régua and Casa do Douro
Pocinho choice of tours:
- Vila Nova de Foz Côa, an amazing archaeological site
- Guided tour of Freixo de Numão, filled with Roman, Medieval and modern ruins
Barca D’Alva choice of tours:
- Freixo de Espada à Cinta village in the Douro International Natural Park, home to majestic birds of prey
- Get a taste of Spain with a full-day excursion to Salamanca
Caldas De Aregos
- A morning sail with a professional painter teaching the process of painting an azulejos
- Guided sightseeing of Amarante
Porto choice of tours:
- A bicycle tour along the wharfs of the Douro River, the coastal magnificence of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia
- Guided sightseeing tour of Porto, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Complimentary pre-paid gratuities to your shipboard staff, local guides, and coach drivers
And many more onboard events and activities!

Accommodations

3-nights hotel accommodations in Lisbon at the Tivoli Avenida Liberdade Lisboa (or similar) with included daily breakfast
Deluxe 7-night Avalon River cruise in a river view stateroom on the stunning Avalon Alegria

Dining

All meals onboard Avalon Alegria
Chef-inspired regional recipes with wine pairing!
Complimentary sparkling wine with breakfast; wine, beer, or soft drinks with lunch and dinner

Transportation

Roundtrip air from Chicago O’Hare to Lisbon, Portugal, returning from Porto, Portugal
Round-trip airport/hotel motorcoach transfers

Avalon Alegria

Explore Portugal’s dazzling Douro River on Avalon’s newest addition to our award-winning fleet of Suite Ships®. The Avalon Alegria delights river cruisers with exceptional experiences and the elegant yet relaxed luxury you’ve come to expect from Avalon Waterways. As the newest addition to our fleet of Suite Ships, the Avalon Alegria certainly lives up to its name, meaning happiness, which flows from stem to stern on this 262-foot ship.

Choose from 14 deluxe staterooms or 37 Panorama Suites® with a spacious capacity of just 102 passengers.

Choose from two full decks of award-winning Panorama Suites, featuring wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows that transform your living space into a unique Open-Air Balcony.

The 200-square-foot Panorama Suites are more than 30% larger than the industry standard, with Avalon’s signature window-facing “Beds with a View.” spectacular views!

Luxuriously appointed river view staterooms with Comfort Collection beds, fabulous L’Occitane bath products, bottled water refreshed daily, hair dryer, safe and flat-screen TV with satellite, complimentary movies and entertainment, ample storage space
Remarkable service from your English-speaking crew and on-board tour director

Pricing

Deluxe Stateroom (Categories E-D)

Deluxe Stateroom (Categories E-D)

180 sq. ft.
Two windows
Two twin beds that may convert to a queen-size bed

Air + Cruise Pricing:

$8,211.00 – $8,333.00

Cruise Only Pricing:

$6,422.00 – $6,653.00

Prices are per person, based on double occupancy.

Panorama Suite (Categories B-A-P)

Panorama Suite (Categories B-A-P)

200 sq ft
Wall to Wall and Floor to Ceiling Panoramic Windows
Two twin beds that may convert to a queen-size bed

Air + Cruise Pricing:

$9,661.00 – $9,820.00

Cruise Only Pricing:

$7,981.00 – $8,140.00

Prices are per person, based on double occupancy.

Early Booking Discount

Book and deposit by June 28, 2024 and receive $200.00 per person.

Early Booking Discount not applicable on Single Supplement Waiver bookings. Discounts are subject to change at any time.

Flights from Chicago O'Hare

Departure Flight - September 20, 2025

United Airlines #2654 Depart Chicago at 1:45pm and arrive in Newark at 5:02pm

United Airlines #64 Depart Newark at 8:40pm and arrive in Lisbon, Portugal at 8:20am (21SEP)

Return Flight - October 1, 2025

United Airlines #145 Depart Porto, Portugal at 12:35pm and arrive in Newark at 3:40pm

United Airlines #546 Depart Newark at 7:45pm and arrive in Chicago at 9:28pm

Colleen Alsberg

Colleen will be hosting this tour as your Fox Tour Manager! Colleen’s career with Fox World Travel began in 1995. After escorting her first tour, a motorcoach group to Canada, she fell in love with the job and hasn’t stopped since. In her 20 plus years of being a tour manager, Colleen’s travels have taken her throughout the world. “I’ve met so many wonderful people and shared a multitude of experiences with them,” said Alsberg. You can travel with Colleen on Fox Group Vacations to destinations like Europe, the Mediterranean and Scandinavia, the Caribbean & Mexico, Hawaii, and so many more!

Alaska is where her true expertise lies, and where she says her heart is, having traveled there over 30 times. You can also catch Colleen on the road presenting destination travel shows, educating our clients on the many amazing group tours we offer, along with the occasional on-air radio promotions and webinars.

Her personal travels include visits to Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Russia, South America, the South Pacific, India, Egypt and the Middle East. Alsberg said, “I’ve been truly blessed and hope to continue exploring new destinations!” Outside of work, she can be found volunteering at many of the events at EAA and working with our veterans, always finding her way back to an airplane!

Group Tour Manager

Colleen Alsberg

Meet Your Tour Manager

Important Information

Not Included: Airline flights on land-only packages, air-imposed baggage fees, gratuities for airport porters, tour guides, motorcoach drivers, meals (other than those included in the package), optional excursions, travel insurance and any items of a personal nature.

Terms: Minimum of 20 travelers required for the tour to operate and send a Fox World Travel tour manager to accompany the group. In the event the minimum number is not reached, the tour will operate with a professional, local guide in the destination. Hotels and daily itinerary are subject to change. In the event of water level problems or any problems of a technical nature, it may be necessary to operate the itinerary by motorcoach or to alter the program. Included visits and specific features are subject to change. If a change is necessary, a substitute will be offered.

Group Air: A minimum of 10 passengers is needed for the group air. Air is non-refundable after ticketing. Flights are currently pending. The air-inclusive package includes air that has not yet been assigned, the identity of the carrier, which may include the carrier`s code-share partner, will be assigned and disclosed at a later date. Price includes approximate air taxes and fees of $300.26. Air package pricing is subject to change until contracted due to the volatility of airfare costs. Checked baggage fees may apply. Pricing and flight options from other cities available upon request.

Initial Deposit: $400.00 per person at time of booking

Final Payment Date: No later than June 12, 2025

Single Supplement: Call for pricing and availability

Fox Professional Fee: Package price includes a $50.00 non-refundable Professional Fee per reservation. Fee will be charged at the time of deposit and will show as an additional payment from Fox World Travel.

Requirements: A valid US passport is necessary with a minimum validity of 6 months from date of return.

Optional Insurance: For peace of mind, we recommend purchasing travel protection insurance. Your travel advisor can discuss options with you, including medical expense coverage, pre-existing medical condition exclusion waivers, trip cancellation, trip delay, lost, delayed or damaged baggage and more. To cover pre-existing conditions, most policies must be purchased within 14 days of making your initial deposit. Travel protection insurance prices are based on your age and the trip cost.

Cancellation Penalties:

From date of deposit to June 12, 2025: Initial deposit of $400.00 per person
June 13 to July 21, 2025: 50% package price cancellation fee + applicable airline fees
July 22 to August 20, 2025: 75% package price cancellation fee + applicable airline fees
August 21,2025 to 0 days prior to travel: No refunds

Fox World Cancellation Fee of $100.00 per reservation will apply in addition to any Fox Group Vacation or vendor cancellation penalties. Air tickets are non-refundable once ticketed.

You will receive customized, informative travel documents containing trip details and helpful packing and planning information approximately 2 weeks prior to departure.

Note: Daily Itinerary is subject to change. Order of sightseeing may change throughout the itinerary. Substitute visits to other sites may occur during your trip due to uncontrollable factors.

RESPONSIBILITY: We and any sponsoring organizations act only as agent for the suppliers of travel services such as airlines, hotels, car rental companies, tour operators, restaurants, sightseeing companies, entertainment providers, and cruise lines (the “Suppliers”). We are not responsible for the acts or omissions of the Suppliers that cause losses or damages arising from physical or emotional injury, property or other economic damage, consequential damages, or monetary losses, or arising from any other causes beyond our control. We reserve the right to make any changes in the itinerary deemed necessary, and also the right to decline or retain any person as a member of the Trip. If you choose to arrange your own transportation for any portion of the Trip, we are not responsible for any arrangements or associated costs should there be a change in date that requires changes or cancellation to transportation arranged by you. We are not responsible should there be any changes with vacation hosts, tour managers, or entertainment. You grant to FWT and its designated agents the right to acquire and use the audio, photographic, video and other portrayals of your image, likeness, and voice in any medium of any nature whatsoever, including the Internet, for the purpose of trade, advertising, sales, publicity or otherwise, without compensation.

We will make reasonable attempts to accommodate the special needs of disabled travelers, but we are not responsible in the event we are unable to do so nor are we responsible for any denial of services by Suppliers. The American with Disabilities Act is only applicable within the United States and facilities for disabled individuals are limited outside its borders. Most transportation services, including a touring motor coach, are not equipped with wheelchair ramps. We regret we cannot provide individual assistance to a vacation participant for walking, dining, getting on and off motor coaches and other vehicles, or other personal needs. A qualified and physically able companion must accompany travelers who need such assistance and must assume full responsibility for their well-being. Motorized scooters are unsuitable for most vacations.

We have no special knowledge regarding the financial condition of the Suppliers, unsafe conditions, health hazards, weather hazards, or climate extremes at locations to which you may travel. For information concerning possible dangers at destinations, we recommend contacting the Travel Warnings Section of the U.S. State Department at (202) 647-5225 or www.travel.state.gov. For medical information, we recommend contacting the Centers for Disease Control at (877) FYI-TRIP or www.cdc.gov/travel. You assume full and complete responsibility for checking and verifying any and all passport, visa, vaccination, or other entry requirements of your destination(s), and all conditions regarding health, safety, security, political stability, and labor or civil unrest at such destination(s). You hereby release us from all claims arising out of any problem covered in this paragraph. You agree that the courts in Winnebago County, Wisconsin will be the exclusive jurisdiction for all claims brought by you or us, and you hereby submit to the personal jurisdiction of those courts.

We work vigilantly with the Suppliers to maintain integrity of the price you were originally quoted and placed on deposit. There may be certain circumstances where your vacation may be subject to a price increase prior to full payment due to a supplier or government issued surcharge. Prices will not increase after you make full payment, except for charges resulting from increases in government-imposed taxes or fees, fuel surcharges, exchange fluctuations or any combinations of these. Fox World Travel will make a reasonable attempt to contact you prior to issuing charges.