Greetings!
I am trying to come up with a day trip to the Douro Valley region. We are traveling as a group of 18! So, we are definitely getting a charter bus and everything needs to be booked in advance.
Now, I seem to have some spare time (about 40-60 min) between a winery visit and Rabelo boat ride. I wonder how lively Pinhao is in itself. Are there any cute souvenir shops? I know I know ;)) ... but I have to be realistic and I know that we'll be looking for gifts.
as of now, the program looks like this:
9.00 depart Porto (only our second full day in Portugal so still a bit jet-lagged hence late start).
11.00 arrive at Quinta de Seixo for a 1-hour tour + 2-hour picnic lunch/siesta ;)
14.00 - 14.30 transfer to Pinhao
14.30-15.30 Tour Pinhao (station? anything else?) + souvenier shopping + coffee?
15.30-16.30 1-hour Rabelo Boat ride
16.30-17.00 transfer to Quinta do Marrocos
17.00 - 20.00 short tour + homecooked dinner w/tasting at Quinta do Marrocos
20.00-22.00 transfer to Porto. (sleep off all that wine!)
Debated about dinner in Porto, but we love family-style-rustic experiences. And timewise, even with dinner in Porto, we would be returning to the hotel at about the same time. So, that's why I chose to have an early dinner at the Quinta.
Any thoughts? Maybe I've missed something that is an absolute must do in the area?
And is Pinhao fun enough to just walk around and / or good for shopping?
Thank you!