Sip and Smile: Port Wine Tasting in Gaia, Portugal with Family-Friendly Twists

One of the reasons many tourists travel to Porto every year is to enjoy its world-famous wines. In particular, wine enthusiasts are seeking a taste of port, the sweet wine that was created in the cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia, the city located across the bridge from Porto.

Port wine is sweeter than traditional wine because it is fortified, meaning it has a different fermentation process that includes the addition of brandy. There are many other port-style wines made around the world, but only port wine made in Portugal can be named “Port.”

As a big fan of port wine, I wanted to make sure we found a family-friendly way to enjoy it in the city it hails from. In addition to the wine, we hoped to check out some other aspects of Gaia, too. Here are some recommendations to consider if you are hoping to have a fun port wine adventure along the Avenida de Diogo Leite in Vila Nova de Gaia, just across the bridge from Porto, with your family:

Trip Purpose

Go Port wine tasting and spend a day in Vila Nova de Gaia in the Porto Region of Portugal

DESTINATION: Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal

AGE OF OUR KIDS: 2 years; 5 years

LENGTH OF STAY: 6+ hours

TIME OF YEAR: December

Map courtesy of Wanderlog, an itinerary planner on iOS and Android

Before you go

If you stay in the historic center of Porto, like we did, decide how you’d prefer to cross the Douro River to reach Vila Nova de Gaia, the port cellar district. There are a few ways to reach this district with kids:

Catch a taxi or an uber and cross the Dom Luis I bridge
Take the train or a bus across the Dom Luis I bridge
Walk across the Dom Luis I bridge
Take a water taxi across the river

We chose to take a water taxi across the river and walk back to our Airbnb in the afternoon. See below for more details.

What we packed

Standard diaper bag essentials
Comfortable shoes, clothes, and sunscreen
Baby carrier
Camera

BASE COST

One-way river taxi ride €1 for kids ages 4-10 or €3,5 for an adult. Kids under four are free
Port wine tasting ranges €30-40
Cable car tickets are free for kids under five, €3,50 for children ages 5-12, and €7 for adults

Add-ons

Food and snacks

How to spend a day exploring Vila Nova de Gaia with your family

Take the water taxi to cross the Douro River

~20 min; €1 for kids 4-10, €3.50 for adults, free for kids under 4

Walk to the Cais da Ribeira along the river to find the Douro River Taxi. Once you reach the water, the river taxi is hard to miss.

The boat leaves every fifteen minutes from 9:15 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. and takes less than 10 minutes to cross the river. You can purchase tickets online or from the boat driver in cash. One-way tickets cost €1 for kids ages 4-10, €3,5 for adults, and is free for kids under four.

Our toddler and preschooler loved the short river ride on the “Rabelos” boat so much that they asked to stay on board for another trip.

Go Port Wine Tasting at Calém Cellars

~1 hour; ~€30/adult

The Avenida de Diogo Leite that runs along the shoreline is lined with port wine cellars, all calling to you with large white signs that read, “Come and try my wine!”

What they don’t advertise is that some tastings include a two- or more-hour long wine tour as part of their wine tasting experience.

We walked into and right back out of a couple of wineries, knowing that our two little kids would not be able to tolerate a slow, albeit informative and interesting, tour of the history of these port cellars.

Lucky for us, we wandered into Calém Cellars, a historic port wine cellar dating back to the 1850s, that offered both tours and wine tastings separately. They welcomed us into their cellar, set us up with a small table for our family of four, and gave us a menu for port tasting.

We enjoyed our wine next to the giant port barrels in the cellar while our kids played with sticker books.

Stroll along the Avenida de Diogo Leite

~1 hour

Our kids enjoyed chasing the birds along the river walkway, shopping at local booths, and dancing to the sounds of the troubadours playing acoustic tunes with the most gorgeous Porto city and Dom Luis I bridge backdrop.

Take your time and soak this magic in.

Enjoy lunch with a view at a rooftop restaurant

~1 hour; €15/person

The 360 Terrace Bar Lounge at Porto Cruz offered delicious food, more opportunities for port tasting for the grown-ups, and spectacular views of Porto, the river, and bridge.

We enjoyed the octopus and codfish (€11,5 each), while our kiddos slurped soup (€4) and a smoothie. It was a great way to relax before our trip back to the city center.

Ride the Gaia Cable Car to the bridge

~20 minutes

The Gaia Cable Car, or Teleférico de Gaia, connects the Gaia riverside promenade to the upper deck of the D. Luis I bridge and the metro station.

This one-way trip allowed us to begin the trek back to the historic center of Porto and our Airbnb without too much fuss. Our children giggled the whole ride up as they watched the pedestrians below and waved at cable cars going the opposite direction.

Tickets are free for kids under five, €3,50 for children ages 5-12, and €7 for adults, and can be purchased in person or online. We purchased our ticket at the entrance to the cable car and had no problem getting on board.

Walk along the Dom Luis I bridge to return to Porto

~20 minutes

The Dom Luis I Bridge is a double decker bridge with a beautiful arch, connecting Porto on the north bank of the Douro River, and Vila Nova de Gaia on the south bank. The lower deck can be crossed by pedestrians or cars, while the upper deck is for pedestrians and the Porto metro.

We caught the cable car to the upper deck and walked along the bridge over the Douro River. Traditional boats sailed the river below as they have for many years, although now they are filled with tourists instead of wine. My kids loved seeing where we were just walking at either Vila Nova de Gaia or Cais da Ribeira.

The pedestrian walkway is only protected on the river-facing side. The side of the walkway closest to the metro did not have a barrier, meaning kids could easily walk into the path of an oncoming train if not paying attention. So, keep an eye on your kids or make sure everyone is holding hands at all times.

No trip to Porto is complete without port wine. I was a little disappointed that my kids were too young to join me on an all-day wine cruise down the Douro River, or a three hour long detailed wine tour. No, those types of activities would be best done on another trip to Porto, maybe just with my partner. Sure, I could have brought my two- and five-year-olds on those activities but I knew my well-behaved and well-travelled toddler would have only tolerated so much.

Instead, we found a way that both parents and kids could enjoy a day in this historic region of Porto, doing a mixture of adult-only activities and more kid-focused activities. We all had a great day.

We didn’t see many other families or any families of color along our way, but felt that staff treated us kindly, were sweet with our kids, and made us feel welcomed and safe.

Have you had to forego a more adult-oriented activity while traveling with your kids? Or are you braver than me and took them anyway? Share in the comments below!

This post is part of a series of posts about visiting Portugal with kids. Continue the adventure with us here:

How to visit Quinta da Regaleira with kids

Our favorite activities in Sintra with Kids

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Angel

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Puerto Rican & Indigenous mama of two. Bay Area native. Salsa dancer. Backpacker. Doula. Angel (she/her/hers) is a co-founding member of the Beautiful Brown Adventures team. She has traveled to over 30 countries and loves to explore the world with her two daughters & partner - one ice cream shop at a time.