Tour Overview
| Duration | 8 Days / 7 Nights |
|---|---|
| Country | Spain — Basque Country & La Rioja |
| Price From | $1,547 per person (twin share, Mega Sale 15% off) |
| Tour Style | Food & Wine / Cultural Discovery |
| Data Source | TourRadar — 2026 (On The Go Tours, 5.0 stars) |
Itinerary Highlights
Day 1: Arrive Barcelona or Bilbao
Welcome to northern Spain! Choose to start in Barcelona or Bilbao. If starting in Bilbao, transfer to your hotel in the rejuvenated city center. Evening walk along the Nervion River to see the Guggenheim Museum illuminated at night. Pintxos crawl in the Casco Viejo (Old Town) — your introduction to Basque cuisine. Overnight in Bilbao.
Day 2: Bilbao — Guggenheim & Old Town
Morning at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao — Frank Gehry’s titanium masterpiece transformed the city. Explore the permanent collection including Richard Serra’s “The Matter of Time” and Jeff Koons’ “Puppy.” Afternoon walking tour of Bilbao’s seven streets (Siete Calles) of the Casco Viejo. Visit the Mercado de la Ribera — Europe’s largest covered market. Evening: a curated pintxos tour — 5 bars, 5 glasses of txakoli (Basque white wine), 5 perfect bites. Overnight in Bilbao.
Day 3: San Sebastian — Culinary Capital
Drive to San Sebastian (Donostia) — the city with more Michelin stars per capita than anywhere else on Earth. Morning climb to Monte Urgull for panoramic views over La Concha Bay — one of the world’s most beautiful city beaches. Afternoon: guided pintxos tour of the Parte Vieja (Old Town). Each bar specializes in one or two pintxos: Gilda (anchovy-olive-pepper skewer), txuleta (aged beef), and the famous cheesecake at La Vina. Overnight in San Sebastian.
Day 4: San Sebastian — Cooking Class & Txakoli Coast
Morning at La Bretxa market with a chef to select ingredients. Hands-on Basque cooking class: learn to make bacalao al pil-pil (salt cod in emulsified olive oil sauce), txangurro (spider crab), and the perfect tortilla de patatas. Lunch of your creations. Afternoon drive along the Txakoli wine coast to Getaria — a picturesque fishing village. Visit a txakoli winery overlooking the Cantabrian Sea. Optional grilled turbot lunch at Elkano (one of the world’s best seafood restaurants). Overnight in San Sebastian.
Day 5: Rioja Wine Country
Full day in La Rioja. Morning: visit Laguardia, a medieval hilltop village surrounded by vineyards. Tour the underground wine cellars (calados) carved into the rock beneath the town. First winery visit: a traditional bodega with centuries-old cellars — taste crianza, reserva, and gran reserva wines. Lunch in a Rioja village. Second winery: a striking contemporary winery designed by a world-famous architect (Frank Gehry’s Marqués de Riscal or Calatrava’s Ysios). Evening return to San Sebastian. Overnight in San Sebastian.
Day 6: Pamplona & Navarre
Day trip to Pamplona, capital of Navarre. Walk the famous encierro (Running of the Bulls) route through the narrow streets — the same path Hemingway immortalized in “The Sun Also Rises.” Visit the Plaza del Toros and the Cathedral. Lunch: Navarre specialties — white asparagus, piquillo peppers, and menestra de verduras (vegetable stew). Afternoon visit to the Bardenas Reales — a surreal desert landscape of eroded clay and sandstone. Overnight in San Sebastian.
Day 7: Hondarribia & French Basque Coast
Morning in Hondarribia, a colorful fishing village on the French border. Walk the Marina district with its painted fishermen’s houses and the medieval Old Town on the hill. Pintxos lunch in the Marina. Afternoon cross into France — visit Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Biarritz, the French Basque coast’s most glamorous resort. Farewell dinner at a traditional Basque cider house (sagardotegia) — txuleton (bone-in ribeye), cod omelette, and unlimited cider poured from giant barrels. Overnight in San Sebastian.
Day 8: Depart San Sebastian
Morning visit to San Sebastian’s La Concha beach for a final swim. Last pintxos for the road. Transfer to Bilbao or Biarritz airport. Agur — goodbye!
Inclusions
- 7 nights accommodation (4-star hotels in Bilbao & San Sebastian)
- Daily breakfast, 3 lunches, 4 dinners
- Guggenheim Museum entry
- Guided pintxos tours in Bilbao & San Sebastian
- Basque cooking class with market visit
- 2 Rioja winery visits with tastings
- Txakoli winery visit
- Cider house dinner experience
- English-speaking guide & air-conditioned transport
Why Basque Country & Rioja
- San Sebastian — more Michelin stars per capita than anywhere on Earth, the ultimate foodie pilgrimage
- Pintxos culture — each bar specializes in one perfect bite, turning eating into an art form
- Rioja — Spain’s most famous wine region, from medieval underground cellars to architectural wineries
- Guggenheim Bilbao — the museum that redefined what a building can do for a city
- Basque cider houses — a uniquely Basque tradition of unlimited cider and massive steaks in rural farmhouses
