Bomfim 1896, the restaurant of the Quinta do Bomfim
What to order: the wood-oven dishes of the Douro cooking, with a house DOC Douro wine and a port to finish
geocalia
Day itinerary · 41.14° N · 8.61° W
The Upper Douro by train, four hours of river to get there, three to eat and taste, and a night-time return.
You leave São Bento at 9:25, lunch at Quinta do Bomfim beside the Douro, taste its ports and return on the 17:15 train. Long, but car-free. Tuesday to Saturday.
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Add to my trip
Total time12 h
TrainFrom €10.85 single
In Pinhão3 h 45
LunchBomfim 1896 · €€€
DaysTuesday to Saturday
Best timeMay – June · September – October
Without a carTrain and on foot
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave home 4 h by train
from São Bento, with a bus between Marco de Canaveses and Régua; arrives in Pinhão at 13:27
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Bomfim 1896, the restaurant of the Quinta do Bomfim
Douro cooking in wood-fired ovens · Tuesday to Saturday, until 15:00 · book
Quinta do Bomfim, 5085-060 Pinhão · +351 254 730 360
Restaurant €€€Book - Carry on on foot
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Visit and tasting at Quinta do Bomfim, in Pinhão
tasting of Dow's ports with the river in front of you · last visit at 17:00 in winter
+351 254 730 370
Activity company With Quinta do Bomfim (Symington Family Estates)Book - 5 min on foot
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The MiraDouro train from São Bento to Pinhão
the station of the grape-harvest tiles; 17:15 train
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Back home 4 h by train
at São Bento at 21:10, with the same transfer
Approximate cost
About €35–60 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Visit and tasting at Quinta do Bomfim, in Pinhão
Pinhão is the Upper Douro village you can do without a car: the station is on the riverbank and the quintas are a short walk away. With the November 2026 timetable the journey is long, because between Marco de Canaveses and Régua the train is replaced by a bus, but it is still possible to go and return in the day. It is four hours out, almost four in Pinhão and another four back. If that seems like a lot, stay overnight: this plan tells you where.
There, the quinta and back
9:25 · Departure from São Bento. The train leaves the tiled hall of São Bento for Marco de Canaveses, where you change to a bus to Régua. From Régua, the 13:00 train hugs the river, between vineyard terraces, and reaches Pinhão at 13:27. Sit on the right: the Douro is on that side. The ticket to Régua costs €10.85 and to Tua €12.95; Pinhão falls in between.
13:45 · Lunch at Bomfim 1896. A few minutes' walk and you are at Quinta do Bomfim, the Symington family estate. Its restaurant cooks Douro recipes in wood-fired ovens in full view, with a central kitchen and big chimneys, and serves the house wines. It serves lunch from Tuesday to Saturday until 15:00: book on its website or on 254 730 360 and say you are arriving on the midday train.
15:15 · Tasting at Quinta do Bomfim. Without leaving the estate. The tastings range from three ports from Dow's, Graham's and Cockburn's to vintages decades old, and there are vineyard walks with a map, hat and water. In winter it is open from 9:30 to 18:30 and the last visit is at 17:00, so the 15:15 one leaves you time. Book the tasting online.
16:45 · The station. Walk down to Pinhão station at an easy pace, decorated with tile panels about the grape harvest.
17:15 · Heading back. The train to Régua connects with the bus and, at Marco de Canaveses, with the train that reaches São Bento at 21:10. CP only guarantees connections if everything is running normally.
The other quinta
On the other side of the village, Croft's Quinta da Roêda has guided visits with a tasting from €20, with sessions in English at 14:15 and 16:15, and a self-guided Discovery Tour for €11. If you eat quickly, you can swap Bomfim for Roêda for the tasting. With both, the day will not stretch: that is what the two-night getaway is for.
If you stay
The Vintage House, on the banks of the Douro in Pinhão itself, has 47 rooms overlooking the river, from €235 a night according to its website. Sleeping there, the return the next day can be on the 10:22 train or the 13:57.
Time1 h 30
Change the route
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Café Santiago
What to order: the francesinha with egg and chips, and the sauce on the side if you do not like spice.
Casa Guedes Tradicional
What to order: the pernil sandwich with Serra da Estrela cheese, standing up or on the square.
Wine Quay Bar
What to order: a glass of Portuguese wine with a board of Portuguese cheeses, on the wall terrace
Prova, wine bar on Rua Ferreira Borges
What to order: let the sommelier suggest two or three glasses from small producers, with a cheese board
Cantinho do Avillez
What to order: the red duck curry with rice and, for dessert, the toucinho-do-céu with raspberry sorbet.
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Porto and the Douro
Tuesday to Saturday, when Bomfim 1896 is open; not from 17 to 21 November 2026 or from 12 January to 2 February 2027, when it is closed. With the CP timetable in force since 3 November 2026, there is a bus transfer between Marco de Canaveses and Régua: confirm it the day before.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Check the timetable the day before
With the bus transfer, connections can change.
- 2Bring water and something to eat for the train
The outward journey is four hours.
- 3Book the table and the tasting
With only one arriving train, there is no margin to wait.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can you go from Porto to Pinhão and back in a day?
Yes, with the 9:25 train and the 17:15 one, but it is about eight hours of travel with the current transfer.
Which days is Bomfim 1896 open?
Tuesday to Saturday.
How much does the train cost?
The single from São Bento costs between €10.85 and €12.95 depending on the destination; Pinhão falls in between.
Do you need a car?
No: Pinhão station is next to the quintas.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/portugal/porto-and-douro/itineraries/a-day-by-train-to-pinhao
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.