In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The Six Bridges cruise is 50 minutes on a rabelo boat, €18 from the Vila Nova de Gaia pier and €20 from the Ribeira pier, with a departure every 30 minutes from 10:00 to 18:00 (April to September) or 16:00 (October to March). An online voucher has no time on it: you swap it at the pier for a departure, subject to availability. Every operator sells the same loop under the bridges, and the €18 GetYourGuide ticket is the Gaia-pier price. For a longer boat, a sunset or port wine cruise is from €35. Book a cruise: the Six Bridges Cruisead is from €18 (GetYourGuide).
The cruise
Several companies run the same loop in a rabelo, the Douro’s traditional boat, between the banks of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. The programme passes under the Luís I, Arrábida, Infante, Maria Pia and São João bridges and sights the Freixo bridge, which makes six (douro.com.pt). A guide or audio guide speaks Portuguese, English, Spanish or French.
A sailing boat on the Douro in front of the Arrábida bridge. Photo: Matt Kieffer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
The operators compared
| Operator | Price | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Cruzeiros do Douro | €18 from the Gaia pier, €20 from the Ribeira pier; children 4 to 12 half price, babies free | 10:00 to 18:00 April to September, to 16:00 October to March, every 30 minutes |
| Cruzeiros no Douro | From €18 from the Gaia pier, on Avenida Diogo Leite in front of the Rabelos restaurant-bar | 10:00 to 18:00 April to September, 11:00 to 16:00 October to March |
| Cruzeiroporto | €20 adult, €10 children 4 to 12, free under 4 | 10:00 to 18:30, every 30 minutes |
| Douro Azul | – | March to October: first departure Porto 10:00, Gaia 10:30, and a sunset cruise at 18:00. November to February: first 10:30, last 16:30 |
- Which pier. At Cruzeiros do Douro the Ribeira pier is €2 dearer than the Gaia pier. The Ribeira is on the Porto side of the river, and Gaia is across the Dom Luís I bridge.
- The voucher. An online ticket from Cruzeiros do Douro has no specific time, so you exchange it at the pier for a departure time of your choice. For April to September the choice is between 10:00 and 12:00 and between 14:00 and 18:00, and for October to March between 10:00 and 12:00 and between 14:00 and 16:00. It requires a minimum number of passengers.
- Cancellation: Cruzeiros no Douro allows free cancellation up to 72 hours before.
- Discount: Cruzeiros do Douro takes 10% off for booking online.
On GetYourGuide
GetYourGuide sells the loop from several operators, and the cheapest is the same price as the operator’s Gaia-pier fare.
- Porto: Six Bridges Cruisead is from €18 (4.3 stars from 17,172 reviews), with an audio guide in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish, and boards at Avenida de Diogo Leite 408 in Gaia.
- Porto: Six Bridges Cruise & Sunset & Port Wine Cellar Optionad is from €18 (6,152 reviews) and runs 50 minutes to an hour.
- Porto: River Douro 6 Bridges Cruisead is from €18 (4,323 reviews).
- Porto: 6 Bridges Cruise on a Traditional Rabelo Boatad is from €18, list price €20 (316 reviews), 50 minutes.
Longer boats and sunset
A longer cruise adds port wine and a sunset departure.
- Porto: 7 Bridges Cruise & Port Wine with Sunset Optionad is from €40, list price €45, for 2 hours in a small group (5.0 stars from 2,064 reviews).
- Porto: Charming Sailboat Cruise with Port Wine, Sunset Optionad is from €35 for 2 hours (2,550 reviews).
- Porto: 7 Bridges Port Wine River Cruise with 4 Tastingsad is from €45 for 2 hours, with an afternoon and a sunset timetable. The port wine tasting tours guide has the rest.
- Douro River Party Boat with Sunset Option & 6 Bridgesad is from €14 for 2 hours (2,896 reviews).
- Cruzeiros do Douro also sells the bridges cruise with a port lodge visit and tasting for €29: a 50-minute cruise before or after a guided visit to a lodge.
A traditional wooden boat on the Douro, with the Arrábida bridge in the distance. Photo: Michael Gaylard, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
What to see from the water
The cruise starts between the Ribeira on one bank and the port lodges of Vila Nova de Gaia on the other, under the Dom Luís I bridge. The Dom Luís I bridge is free to walk on both decks, and the lodges of Gaia are the other half of the view.
The arch of the Arrábida bridge from the water. Photo: Matt Kieffer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Before you go
The long Douro cruises to Régua and Pinhão are a different trip, and run from April to October only: see the Douro Valley day trip. Porto viewpoints has the same river from above, Porto walking tours compares the tours on land, Porto in 2 days shows where a cruise fits, and what to book before you go to Porto lists the city tickets. Where to stay in Porto compares the Ribeira with Gaia.
Common questions
How much is the Six Bridges cruise in Porto?
€18 per adult boarding at the Vila Nova de Gaia pier and €20 boarding at the Ribeira pier at Cruzeiros do Douro. Babies up to 3 are free and children aged 4 to 12 pay half. GetYourGuide's lowest price is also €18, so there is no mark-up on the cheapest ticket.
How long is the Six Bridges cruise and when does it run?
It lasts 50 minutes, with departures every 30 minutes. From April to September the first is at 10:00 and the last at 18:00, and from October to March the first is at 10:00 and the last at 16:00.
Do you need to book the Six Bridges cruise in advance?
Not for a time. An online voucher has no departure time on it: you swap it at the pier for the time you choose, subject to availability. Booking online is 10% cheaper at Cruzeiros do Douro.
Which bridges do you pass on the Six Bridges cruise?
The operator lists the Luís I, Arrábida, Infante, Maria Pia and São João bridges, with the Freixo bridge in sight, which makes the six.
Is there a sunset cruise in Porto?
Yes. Douro Azul runs an 18:00 sunset cruise in its summer timetable, and GetYourGuide sells a 7 Bridges cruise with port wine and a sunset option from €40 for 2 hours.
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