Real Companhia Velha Cellar Tour: Prices, Tastings and What to Expect

Included in the Ticket

Your ticket buys the guided tour of the Real Companhia Velha Port wine cellars, access to the private wine cellar of the Silva Reis family, viewing of the rare Vintage Ports including the oldest from 1765, and a tasting of selected Ports. The guide speaks Portuguese, English, French or Spanish, and your mobile ticket is available immediately in the GetYourGuide app, no printing required.

The number of Ports in the tasting is not stated in the listing. One reviewer reported 4 ports served with crackers and nuts. Treat that as a data point, not a promise.

• Guided tour of the Real Companhia Velha Port Wine Cellars
• Access to the private wine cellar of the Silva Reis family
• Viewing of rare Vintage Ports, including the oldest dating back to 1765
• Tasting of selected Port wines

What You Pay for Yourself

The listing states no mandatory extras and names no exclusions beyond the basics, so plan for the usual personal costs. There is no lunch, no hotel pickup and no transport across the river included. Getting to Gaia costs a cable car or metro fare if you do not walk, and extra Ports beyond the stated tasting, snacks and tips come out of your pocket.

Smoking and bringing in alcohol or drugs are not allowed.

Meeting and the First Galleries

Your meeting point depends on the option you select and is shown at booking. Note that two reviewers say the listed address sent them a block away, so screenshot the exact pin and arrive with time to spare. Once the group is together, the guide leads you into the cellars, which the listing describes as a place of deep silence and constant darkness on the left bank of the Douro, opposite Porto.

Casks, History and the Private Cellar

You learn the history of the two-hundred-year-old company and the winemaking process, then walk past the noble wooden casks, vats and barrels where the wine rests and ages. The guide explains the time each wine needs to reach its exact point of maturation. The highlight follows: the private wine cellar of the Silva Reis family, who own the company, with more than 16,000 bottles of rare Vintage Ports, the oldest dating back to 1765.

The Tasting and the End

The visit closes with a tasting of selected Royal Oporto premium Ports. One reviewer was served 4 ports with crackers and nuts, so eat beforehand if four fortified wines on an empty stomach sounds risky. The listing states no return point and no return time, so you finish where the tasting ends and walk back across the river or on to a second cellar at your own pace.

Access and Fitness Limits

The tour is not suitable for wheelchair users or people with mobility impairments. The cellars are walked on foot and the listing describes constant darkness. No difficulty rating or stair count is stated.

Age, Food and Drink

No minimum age is stated for joining, but the tasting pours port, a fortified wine usually 19-22% vol. No lunch is included and the only food mentioned is crackers and nuts at the tasting, so eat first. If you want a tour that puts three houses and 7 tastings into one afternoon, look at the three port houses walking tour instead.

Group, Logistics and Language

A live guide speaks Portuguese, English, French or Spanish, so there is no phone audio guide to wrestle with, unlike the Taylor's port cellars tour where the audio plays on your phone. There is no hotel pickup, the maximum group size is not stated, and a private group is available if you want the cellar to yourselves.

Crossing the River from Ribeira

The simplest route is on foot over the lower deck of the Dom Luís I bridge, which carries road traffic, buses, taxis and pedestrians and puts you on the Gaia side. From the upper deck, Metro line D crosses to Jardim do Morro, the station at the Gaia end of the bridge. The Gaia cable car runs from Jardim do Morro down to Cais de Gaia, adult one-way €7, a 3 min 45 s ride.

Check the port wine cellars map to see which lodge you end up nearest.

A Second Cellar the Same Afternoon

The lodges below sell their own visits, with prices in euros from their official sites. Sandeman 'Porto Sandeman Visit' costs €23 for 50 minutes and 3 Ports. Ferreira 'Porto Ferreira Visit' also costs €23 for 50 minutes and 3 Ports, at Av.

Ramos Pinto 70, open daily 10:00-12:30 and 14:00-18:00. Ramos Pinto's Classic Tasting visit costs €20 with 3 Ports, and Quevedo Lodge pours a 'Porto Discovery' tasting of 4 Ports for €16, minimum 2 people. More options are on the page of port wine cellar tours.