Douro Valley and Caramulo: A raod trip with an MGA of Vintage Tours into the history of Portuguese automobile culture
Your Vintage Tour into the history of viticulture and Portuguese automobile culture
On this Vintage Tour, you will experience the impressive landscapes of the Douro Valley and the Sierra de Montemuro and immerse yourself in the unique history of winegrowing and Portugal's automobile culture.
We start our classic car tour with our MGA Roadsters in the picturesque city of Porto and drive along the south bank of the Douro River to the Alto Douro, one of the oldest wine-growing regions in Europe. The landscape with its terraced vineyards and the many historic wineries provide unforgettable impressions on this journey, our MGA Roadsters for an unforgettable driving experience!
You will spend the night in wine hotels and visit the famous Palacio de Matéus wine castle, which will also introduce you to the multifaceted history of this unique wine-growing region.
The second part of this classic car journey takes you along the famous N2 National Road from the Douro Valley to the scenic Sierra de Caramulo. This climatic health resort of Caramulo has made an international name for itself, not least thanks to the Rampa de Caramulo, a hill climb held annually as part of the Caramulo Motor Festival. The Museo de Caramulo, which is based here, houses one of the most valuable collections of classic cars in Portugal, which also boasts unique pieces. In the Caramulo Experience Centre, you have the opportunity to experience the restoration of the collection live. Our tour then continues to the village of Santar, which is famous for its winery, among other things. Here we spend the night in the elegant Valverde Santar, which is housed in a palace steeped in history.
The route back to the Douro Valley leads over winding and impressive pass roads through the Serra de Montemuro, one of the highest mountain ranges in Portugal. After crossing the pass, you are treated to an impressive view of the immense expanse of the Douro Valley, which we approach with our MGA Roadsters.
On the last section of this classic car journey, we return to Porto along the north bank of the Douro River, where we end this unique road trip together.
The highlights of your tour
The highlights of your tour
- On your Vintage Tour, you will experience the impressive landscapes of the Douro Valley and the Alto Douro wine-growing region, which, with its terraced vineyards, is one of the oldest wine-growing regions in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- You will visit the internationally renowned wine palace Casa de Matéus and its gardens, where we will have lunch together in the palace's former kitchen.
- The journey from the Douro Valley to Caramulo takes you through the heart of Portugal over countless mountain passes, where you will gain incomparable impressions of these natural landscapes.
- A visit to the Museo de Caramulo and the Caramulo Experience Centre will bring you closer to the history of Portuguese automotive culture. The collection includes unique pieces from around the world.
- You spend the night in exclusive wine hotels, where you can immerse yourself in the history of the regions and their wine-growing culture.
- You stop off at carefully selected restaurants where you can savour the typical local food.
Your road trip
After your arrival in Porto at the Palacio do Freixo, a former Renaissance Palace from the 18th century, we start with a detailed introduction to the operation of our perfectly maintained MGAs. This is followed by a guided tour to Vila Nova de Gaia, the town on the southern bank of the Douro River. This is where the famous port wine cellars are located. A joint visit to one of the most traditional wineries rounds off the afternoon. The day ends with dinner together in the unique dining room of the Palacio do Freixo, where you will meet the participants of your Vintage Tour, with whom you will share the anticipation of your Vintage Tour.
On our first driving day, we start our classic car journey in the direction of the Alto Douro and drive along the southern bank of the river to Porto Antigo. Here we have lunch with a view of the Douro, which is particularly impressive at this point. We then continue along the famous N222 National Road to Pinhão. Here we end the evening with dinner together and a view of the Douro.
Today we leave the Douro Valley to visit the Palacio de Matéus wine Palace, which is famous for its marvellous gardens, among other things. After the guided tour of the Palace and gardens, we are invited to have lunch together in the former kitchen of the Palace. We then drive through never-ending vineyards back to the Douro River.
We start in the morning in the direction of Lamego and drive along the famous N2 from the Douro Valley towards the Serra de Caramulo. Over impressive mountain passes, we finally approach Caramulo, a climatic health resort that is also internationally renowned for the Rampa de Caramulo hill climb. The guided tour through the Museo de Caramulo and the Caramulo Experience Centre brings us closer to the history of Portuguese automotive culture. The collection includes some unique pieces or vehicles of particular historical value. We then continue through unspoilt landscapes to Santar, where we stop off at the exclusive Valverde Santar.
On the way back to the Douro Valley, we drive over the Serra de Montemuro, the highest mountain range in Portugal. The journey is characterised by the impression of endless expanses and after crossing the pass, the unique view of the Douro Valley opens up before us, which we slowly approach. We drive to Porto Antigo, where we enjoy an aperitif on the riverbank and reflect on the impressions of this unique day's driving.
Today we start our return journey to Porto and travel back along the north bank of the Douro to the Palacio do Freixo. On the way, we take the opportunity to take one last look at the picturesque river valley from one of the most beautiful vantage points. After arriving at the Palacio do Freixo, we round off our classic car tour with lunch together.
Services
Your Vintage Tour includes the following services
- Transfer from Porto Airport to Palacio do Freixo (and back)
- Meals and dinner as described
- Overnight stays incl. breakfast as described (in a double room)
- Museum visits and wine tastings as described
- Trip in MGA (two people) incl. insurance and petrol
- Road book and welcome gift
- CO2 compensation with myreforest
- Multilingual tour guide (German, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese)
These services are not included
- Travelling to Porto
- Overnight stay in a single room (can be booked individually)
- Dinner and overnight stay in the Palacio do Freixo on the last day (can be booked individually)
Available dates
-
Available PackagesMondayOct 5, 2026SaturdayOct 10, 2026€4.57510Available
-
Available PackagesMondayOct 12, 2026SaturdayOct 17, 2026€4.57510Available
FAQs
On this Vintage Tour, we experience two different wine-growing regions: the Douro Valley with its terraced vineyards that extend far beyond the banks of the river and the Dão wine-growing region, which is located in the Center of Portugal. The regions have a very different character, which is one of the attractions of this trip.
On this Vintage Tour, you will be accommodated exclusively in top-category wine hotels, where you can immerse yourself in the history and culture of the respective region. Of course, you will also taste the wines of these hotels.
This Vintage Tour is characterised by impressive landscapes as well as historical and cultural highlights. The visit and private guided tour of the Museo de Caramulo is certainly unique: here you will learn about the interesting history of Portuguese automobile culture.
This Vintage Tour has a total length of around 700 kilometres, making it one of the more intensive tours and therefore particularly suitable for guests with a high level of riding ability.
We have planned your Vintage Tour so that you have enough time to enjoy the scenery and culture as well as driving our classic cars. On this tour, you will cover around 120 kilometres per day in your MGA Roadster. We have planned sufficient break times for the daily stages.
The winding tour, which is full of scenic surprises, requires a high level of concentration from the drivers as well as a little driving skill. Nevertheless, the tour is also very suitable for less experienced drivers who enjoy classic cars and appreciate the sporty character of our MGAs. However, due to its length, the tour is aimed in particular at guests with a high driving affinity.
After your arrival at the hotel, you will receive a comprehensive introduction to our MGAs and also have the opportunity to familiarise yourself with the car on a short test drive and get ready for your Vintage Tour.
We take care of the transport of your luggage between the individual stages - so you can cover the day's stages with a small amount of hand luggage.
Our MGAs offer weather protection - so we will try to organise the tours as planned even in bad weather - because the tour is worth it!
Our MGAs are more than 60 years old and require a careful hand - this is our express wish for you!
The group size is a maximum of 10 participants. This allows us to respond much better to your individual needs and gives you the opportunity to exchange ideas with your fellow travellers - if you like.
Map
Please send us your enquiry
- Vintage car tour with MGA from Vintage Tours
- Porto
- Pousadas de Portugal, wine hotels
- Full catering included, typical local food
- German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese
- 6-10
- September, October
- Road book, individual guided tours
- 25
Do you need help with your booking?
Send us a message.
Similar trips in this country
Experience the unspoilt nature of the Peneda-Gerês National Park and discover the historic cities of Braga & Guimarães on your Vintage Tour through the north of Portugal.
On this classic car tour in the MGA Roadster, you will experience the golden landscapes of the central Alentejo and get to know the cities of Estremoz, Elvas and Évora.
Experience an unforgettable journey through the Alto Douro - one of the oldest wine-growing regions in Europe - and discover its wineries and landscapes.