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Highlights
Explore the Minho region of Portugal with the whole family by bike
Explore sandy beaches, rural vineyard estates, charming fishing villages, and ancient fortified towns.
Enjoy authentic traditional Portuguese food, especially the fresh seafood and local Vinho Verde wine.
Stay in unique accommodations including a manor house and former monastery, which are well-equipped to meet your family’s needs.
Spend quality time in the great outdoors on the included bike trips, or try some of the multisport options like rafting, canoeing and hiking.
This self-guided tour in the beautiful Minho River region is a great way for an active family to explore Portugal. You won’t just be enjoying leisurely bike rides, you’ll be learning about the culture of Portugal, tasting local food and wine, and trying your hand at exciting excursions and activities!
Your family will experience lush vineyards, gorgeous beaches, and wild dunes as you explore on your bikes. You’ll also visit charming fishing villages, picturesque medieval towns, and ancient fortresses. Ready to try something new? Choose to add rafting, canoeing, and a 4-wheel drive mountain adventure to your adventure.
Your trip is split between three hotels so that you don’t have to pack up and move every night. That also gives you more time to explore the amazing towns and sample all the incredible local cuisine! While the kids snack on local seafood and olive oil, you can sip local wine. The Minho Region Family Bike Tour is truly the family adventure of a lifetime!
This self-guided tour in the beautiful Minho River region is a great way for an active family to explore Portugal. You won’t just be enjoying leisurely bike rides, you’ll be learning about the culture of Portugal, tasting local food and wine, and trying your hand at exciting excursions and activities!
Your family will experience lush vineyards, gorgeous beaches, and wild dunes as you explore on your bikes. You’ll also visit charming fishing villages, picturesque medieval towns, and ancient fortresses. Ready to try something new? Choose to add rafting, canoeing, and a 4-wheel drive mountain adventure to your adventure.
Your trip is split between three hotels so that you don’t have to pack up and move every night. That also gives you more time to explore the amazing towns and sample all the incredible local cuisine! While the kids snack on local seafood and olive oil, you can sip local wine. The Minho Region Family Bike Tour is truly the family adventure of a lifetime!
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Minho Region Family Bike Tour Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive in Porto
Today you’ll arrive at Porto Airport, where you’ll be picked up and taken to your hotel. Get settled and enjoy the time to explore everything Porto has to offer.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Monção
Distance: None
Meals: None
Day 2 Transfer to Monção
Start the journey with a transfer to Monção. Get settled into your beautiful rural hotel, which was a former convent.
In the afternoon, relax by the pool or head out to explore the fortified town. The ancient walls of the city enclose historic monuments including the Mother Church and Santo António dos Capuchos monastery.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Monção
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast
Day 3 Explore Monção
Today you and your family are free to explore the town as you please. Monção is surrounded by mountains and green parks, and there are many hiking and biking trails nearby if you’re feeling up to exploring.
In the morning, you can take an optional half-day rafting excursion. The Minho River offers a family-friendly whitewater experience that the kids (and you!) are sure to love.
This afternoon, there is another optional excursion available that takes you to a Vinho Verde wine estate for a tour and tasting from a family-run vineyard. In the evening, choose one of the great local restaurants for dinner.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Monção
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4 Bike Ride Down the Atlantic Coast
Today you’ll be riding along an old railway line that follows the river to the coast. Enjoy the pleasant fields, vineyards, and tiny villages along the way.
Soon you’ll make it to the ancient town of Vila Nova de Cerveira. Explore the medieval square and learn about the town’s history before relaxing during the evening.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Monção
Distance: 2 hours, 34.5km, 110m of total ascent
Meals: Breakfast
Day 5 Choose Your Adventure
Today, you’ll choose between two activities. The first option is to take a bike ride to Valença. This impressive fort has a double row of battlements and bastions that surround the center of the town.
If you’re looking for a different kind of adventure, two excursions operate in the afternoon. You can choose between a half-day paddle down the Minho River in a canoe and a 4-wheel drive adventure into the mountains. Both excursions are for an extra charge.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Vila Nova de Cerveira
Distance: 3 hours, 33.1 km, 45m of total ascent
Meals: Breakfast
Day 6 River Cruise and Cycle to Viana do Castelo
Your day will begin with a river cruise from Vila Nova de Cerveira to Caminha. Along the way, you’ll see little islands that are home to heron, ducks, and kingfishers.
You’ll start your bike ride in the seaside town of Caminha. From here, you’ll ride down the coast of the Atlantic and enjoy the fresh sea air and golden beaches. You’ll also pass through some charming fishing villages on your way to Viana do Castelo.
When you arrive, you can take a short guided walk through this town that was founded in Roman times. Learn about its rich maritime history and explore its picturesque streets.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Viana do Castelo
Distance: 2 hours, 30km, 72m of total ascent
Meals: Breakfast
Day 7 Explore Viana do Castelo or visit Barcelos
Your last full day in Portugal can be spent exploring the town at your leisure. Overlooking the town on the mountaintop is the Byzantine church, Santa Luzia. Take the steep 2.1 km climb over 659 steps to reach the top and experience magnificent panoramic views.
Alternatively, walk from your hotel to the Santa Luzia cable car station. You can ride to the basilica on the longest cable car trip in the country. You may also want to visit the Gil Eannes Hospital Ship, which has recently been restored into a maritime museum.
If you wish, you can opt for the second option and head inland, with a train journey to Barcelos (transfers not included), a pleasant riverside town, Barcelos is a medieval town known as the country’s leading ceramics and crafts market. In Barcelos, you’ll find one of the oldest markets in the country and a meeting point for farmers to sell their produce and buy their supplies. Stretching across the main square, it offers everything from agricultural implements, pottery, baskets and wine barrels to fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese and bread, shoes, clothes and hats (held every Thursday).
Overnight Location: Hotel in Viana do Castelo
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast
Day 8 Transfer to Porto
This morning, round up the family to head back home. You’ll be driven to the airport after breakfast.
Overnight Location: None
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast
Minho Region Family Bike Tour Price and Dates
This self-guided family biking tour is always run as a private tour for your group only and the price depends on the size of your group and time of the year. Please note that the prices might increase during public holidays.The departures are available every Friday, from March 1st to November 30th, 2024.
Standard room for 3-4 people sharing (one double bed and one extra bed):
- Adult (must be 2 in one room): from EUR1575 per person*
- Child (3-12 years): from EUR490 per person*
- Child (13-17 years): from EUR625 per person*
Accommodation on the Minho Region Family Bike Tour
This tour is based in 3 and 4-star hotels. All the hotels are family-friendly with pools and other activities at the hotel or nearby.
In some cases, the accommodation listed below may need to be substituted for other comparable accommodations.
Single Rooms and Solo Travelers
If you prefer to have a private room you can pay a supplement (pricing depending on the season).
What’s Included in the Minho Region Family Bike Tour?
Meals
7 breakfasts are included. There are optional meal or tasting packages that may be added to your tour.
Accommodations
Accommodations for 7 nights are included.
Transportation during the Tour
Luggage transfer throughout the tour is included for one piece of luggage per person. Train transfers on day 6 between Viana do Castelo and Barcelos are not included.
Also Included
- Hybrid bicycle, cargo rack, pannier bike bag, bike lock (one per two bicycles), and helmet
- Tool kit, first aid kit, puncture repair kit, pump, spare inner tube, and prepaid mobile phone
- Overnight storage of bicycles at the hotel
- Emergency support between 8 am and 8 pm
- Access to route mobile app
Please note that it is advised that travellers bring their own helmets, however, previously used helmets are provided. You may also opt to purchase a new one locally. Please request this option at the time of booking.
Not included
- Train tickets to Barcelos
- Cable car ticket to Santa Luzia hill and entry to the basilica
- Travel insurance
- Flights to and from Porto
- Meals, drinks, or snacks not previously mentioned
- Tourist taxes if applicable
- Visas if required
- Personal equipment
- Fees not mentioned as ‘included’
- Gratuities for hotel staff, servers, or drivers
Optional Extras
- Guide services
- Wine & Dine experiences
- Adventure experiences:
- Half-day rafting
- Half-day canoeing
- Half-day four-wheel drive mountain tour
- Painting or pottery workshop
- Picnic lunches
- E-Bike Supplement
- How hard is the Minho Region Family Bike Tour?
- Do I need internet access for the App during my rides on Minho Region Family Bike Tour?
- Do I need a visa to travel to Portugal?
- Are meals included on the Minho Region Family Bike Tour?
- Do I need insurance?
- How do I get to Porto to start this tour?
- Is the Minho Region Family Bike Tour guided?
- Where does the Minho Region Family Bike Tour end?
- Is my bike rental included?
- Is my helmet rental included?
- Can I rent a child seat or trailer?
- Do I need special vaccines to travel to Portugal?
- Are there any travel restrictions for Portugal?
- When is the best time to travel to Portugal for this tour?
We rate this tour as a 2 / 5. This tour includes several bike rides that are about 2 hours in length on mostly flat terrain. Some of the add-on excursions may not be suitable for children younger than 6 years old.
You will need to download the guide app included in this trip before you begin any of your rides. This way you will be able to access the maps and route guides on your device when it’s offline.
Check with your local country about visa requirements. You could also try this website, though you should verify with your government.
7 breakfasts are included. Additional meal packages may be added in advance.
Yes, it is mandatory to have health and medical insurance to join this trip. Get your Travel Insurance.
You can fly into Porto Airport (OPO), where you will be picked up and taken to your hotel.
No, this is a self-guided tour. You will have access to a route guide on an included app. If you’d prefer to book with a guide, let us know.
You will be taken to Porto Airport (OPO) at the end of your tour.
Yes, your cycling equipment is included. This tour includes a hybrid bicycle, cargo rack, pannier bike bag, bike lock (one per two bicycles), and helmet. A tool kit, first aid kit, puncture repair kit, pump, spare inner tube, and prepaid mobile phone are still included.
Please bring any additional equipment desired.
Yes, a previously used helmet will be provided. You can bring your own helmet if you prefer. You may also opt to purchase a new one for €55 EUR. Please request this option at the time of booking.
Yes, you can rent a child seat or bike trailer for children older than 9 months and up to 4 or 5 years old. Please request at time of booking for pricing and availability.
Check with your family doctor.
Please check with your local government about travel restrictions before you book your tour. This map from the US Department of State provides an overview of the current status in countries around the globe. The UK‘s Foreign Office and Government of Canada also provide advice on foreign travel. Note that the travel advice may change depending on your nationality.
Customer Ratings
VINITUR is a full-service tour operator providing fine customized programs about wine, food, and culture in Portugal and Spain. VINITUR has dedicated itself to special groups, corporate travellers, and gourmet and luxury-focused visitors for leisure travel since 1998. VINITUR’s innovative approach and unique services include wine, food, and culinary itineraries, gourmet experiences, meetings, and conferences. The company has provided self-guided bike tours since 2014 alongside other self-guided tours by car since 2005. VINITUR is the Portuguese travelling agency endorsed by the world-famous Great Wine Capitals network.
In 2014, Vinitur launched the Portugal Biking Experiences, a new offering linked to active tourism and nature. This new service was the result of an intense year of exploration of new concepts, selection of the best bicycle routes, new partnerships, and the creation of innovative cycling products. Relying on their many years of experience, Portugal Biking Experiences combines the best that nature has to offer in a beautiful, authentic experience.
