Aboard · FARMS
Good farms tours fill up weeks ahead in season and the great ones go first. Below: the 4 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Travel from Porto to Amarante and the Douro Valley with an English-speaking WSET wine guide such as Luis, José, Pedro, or George. Taste 10 wines and olive oils, share a generous regional meal, watch Vintage Port opened with heated tongs, and cruise for an hour from Pinhão.
“Very organized & beautiful day trip from Porto. This is highly recommended.”
Cruise Lake Whakatipu aboard the Spirit of Queenstown or TSS Earnslaw, then join a guided Walter Peak farm visit. Guides such as Josh, Ashley, and Phillip have led lively tours featuring sheep shearing, working dogs, animal encounters, and generous morning or afternoon tea.
“Loved the farm tour! Josh was so knowledgeable and patient (I don’t know how many times he had to tell those kids to leave Mia alone but his tone never changed, it was always kind and gentle). I loved watching Mia work with the sheep. The food was really good! I know a lot of work is going on behind the scenes, so thank you to everyone who made this such an enjoyable experience.”
From O Grove, you’ll cruise the Ría de Arousa with a Spanish-speaking guide, visit the floating bateas where mussels, oysters, and scallops grow, then enjoy steamed mussels with wine, water, or a soft drink. The boat’s underwater viewing area adds a look below the surface.
“This was a very fun thing to do while my wife and I were touring throughout northern Spain. The boat ride to the mussel farms is perfect. We had no idea of everything we were about to learn and then enjoyed an enormous plate of mussels. We even had oysters too. The crew were professional and fun. I would recommend this tour to anyone. Plus O Grove is such a quaint town.”
Visit Daan and Anja’s tulip farm, walk among seasonal flower fields, cruise the Kagerplassen past working windmills, then explore Keukenhof at your own pace. The $99 tour includes transport, entry, and the return bus, with guides speaking English, Dutch, or German.
“My friend and I definitely enjoyed the tour. The highlight was probably the visit to the tulip farm (our first stop). There weren't many people and we had the chance to wander in the tulip fields, which was an amazing experience. We enjoyed Keukenhof less than expected as it was extremely crowded by the time we got there. Although it was such a beautiful flower exposition, the quantity of people around was way too much. Perhaps this should have been the first stop, followed by the visit at the farm. The canal cruise was a good addition to the tour, as we got the chance to relax and rest while…”
Pick a river, a coast or a harbour.
