BASQUE COUNTRY & LA RIOJA WINE REGION
NOTE: Minimum 4 participants required.
Day 1: BILBAO
Arrival in Bilbao and accommodations at your hotel (transfer not included).
Day 2: BILBAO
Breakfast. This morning enjoy a guided tour of the Guggenheim Museum, indisputable symbol of this city. The visit will include both the exterior and interior of this great work by Frank Ghery, with special attention to the background of the construction of this museum for the city of Bilbao. From the museum, pass along the riverfront of Bilbao to the old quarter, where we will find the "Seven Streets" and the Church of Santiago (St. James). Delighting in some quaint corners, we will enjoy a LUNCH of high quality "pintxos" (tapas in the Basque Country). In the afternoon head for the coast to visit the Hermitage of San Juan de Gazteluktxe, marveling at its unique location looking out over the Cantabrian Sea where you will be introduced to and enjoy tasting "txakoli" (a local sparkling white wine) in a winery. Return to Bilbao. Accommodations.
Day 3: BILBAO-SAN SEBASTIAN
Breakfast. We travel today to one of Spain’s most beautiful cities, San Sebastian. En route discover fishing villages like Getaria or typical places like Zarautz. Once in San Sebastian, we will enjoy a drive along the lovely Bay of La Concha, visit the Port and climb (by car) to the top of Mt. Igueldo to enjoy the stunning view. In the nearby locality of Astigarraga, we will have the chance to discover another local drink, cider, and end the day with a succulent dinner. Accommodations.
Day 4: SAN SEBASTIAN-VITORIA-LAGUARDIA
Breakfast. Our first stop today is the city of Vitoria, where we will focus on the cathedral, now in full process of renovation, which so fascinated the author Ken Follet. The cathedral will show us some of its best secrets on a tour that we must make with a "hard hat". In the afternoon we get to the wine country. In the Alava portion of La Rioja, the quaint village of Laguardia awaits us. This town keeps its medieval atmosphere, through which we walk to the impressive portico of the Church of Santa Maria. Under the streets of the town there are to be found huge wine storage deposits, one of which we will visit to taste the Rioja wine. We will continue to the city of Logroño, where on its lively Laurel Street we can take the pulse of the city. Accommodations.
Day 5: LOGRONO-SAN MILLAN DE LA COGOLLA-SANTO DOMINGO-BURGOS
Breakfast. Wine continues to be the star today as we head into the mountains and San Millan de la Cogolla, cradle of the Spanish language. We will take the occasion to visit one of the famous monasteries (Yuso) and enjoy a little stroll. In Bandaran there awaits us an interesting tour of a winery, at the end of which we will not only enjoy the rioja wine in the barrel room, but a tasty lunch in the atmospheric winery. En route to Burgos, we make our last stop of the day in Santo Domingo de la Calzada, a village on the Road to Santiago, where we will learn some of its fascinating legends and architectural jewels. Continue to Burgos for accommodations.
Day 6: BURGOS & EL CID
Breakfast. Burgos and the folk hero El Cid are inseparable. An expert local guide will tell us stories of this beautiful city and its famous citizens, El Cid and his wife Doña Ximena, paying special attention to the magnificent Gothic cathedral where they are entombed. Also see the Arch of Santa Maria. Visit the town of Covarrubias, which conserves intact traditional architecture where we will enjoy lunch in an atmospheric restaurant. In the afternoon, we will continue to the Monastery of Santo Domino de Silos, for the opportunity to hear their famous Gregorian Chant, before returning to Burgos. Accommodations.
Day 7: BURGOS
Breakfast. End of tour. Transfer out not included.
In the event that 4 minimum passengers aren’t reached, Petrabax will provide an option to purchase the tour with an additional supplement based on the actual number of travelers if under 4 passengers.
SAN SEBASTIAN
What is not to love about this majestic city on the Cantabrian Sea? San Sebastián, or Donostia as it is called in Basque, has a circular bay with pristine white sand beaches that have long attracted wealthy beach-goers in search of sun and sophistication. This is what made the city famous during the Belle Époque era and it is also where Queen Maria Cristina established her royal summerhouse. The evidence of San Sebastián’s glamorous past can still be seen throughout the city. La Concha, the most beautiful urban beach in Europe, is adorned by luxurious beachside mansions as well as the famous spa called La Perla (The Pearl). Its boardwalk is lined by an ornate white railing that has become a symbol of the city. There are, however, two other beaches in the city both of which are less posh and more relaxed: Ondarreta and Zurriola. Zurriola is also popular with surfers. In more recent years, San Sebastián has gained significant press for its cuisine. The city alone has 15 Michelin stars spread across 7 restaurants and famously boasts more stars per capita than anywhere else in the world other than Tokyo. Restaurants Mugaritz and Arzak have been ranked numbers 6 and 17 in the world (2015 World’s 50 Best Restaurants). It is in many ways like a mini Paris, except in Basque style. San Sebastián is also famous for its pintxos. And the best place to go to try some of them is the Parte Vieja (Old Part). This charming old city center is famous for having the highest concentration of bars in the world. This is where the pintxo is king and the food is taken very seriously. Despite its relative small size (186,000 inhabitants), international events are also held here. The most famous of these is the San Sebastián International Film Festival.
Vitoria
Vitoria-Gasteiz is the most modest of all the Basque cities. It doesn’t have a fancy beach like San Sebastian nor a Guggenheim Museum like Bilbao and because of this it is often overlooked. But don’t be so quick to skip it. Vitoria offers visit
Logroño
Logroño is a city rich in history and traditions which have been preserved since the Middle Ages. The Pilgrim's Route to Santiago de Compostela made this one of the most important towns on the route, leaving an interesting monumental legacy clos
Santo Domingo de la Calzada
One of the Rioja towns most deeply marked by the Pilgrim's Route to Santiago de Compostela is Santo Domingo de la Calzada. Its network of medieval streets, declared a National Historic Interest Site, store a valuable heritage, particularly its walls, t
Burgos
Burgos, a city in Castilla-Leon situated in the Pilgrim's Road to Santiago de Compostela, still preserves important vestiges of its medieval splendor. The city, which was the capital of the unified kingdom of Castilla-Leon for five centuries, boasts a
Hotel or Similiar
HOTELS SUPERIOR
Gran Hotel Domine Bilbao, Bilbao
Hotel De Londres y De Inglaterra, San Sebastian
NH Herencia Rioja de Logroño, Logroño
NH Palacio de Burgos, Burgos
- 6 nights of accommodations in first class hotels Buffet breakfast daily
- Private transportation throughout English speaking guide throughout
- Guide service in Bilbao full day to visit the city and the Guggenheim Museum
- Access tickets to the Guggenheim Museum
- Access to the public tram to travel as a panoramic view from the modern area to the old part of Bilbao
- Pintxos tour as lunch (6 pintxos and 3 drinks per person - including tastings for the guide)
- Guided visit to Txakoli Winery with tasting included
- Full day guide service from Bilbao for the route to San Sebastián
- Access to Igeldo by road to enjoy the views of La Concha Bay in San Sebastian
- Dinner at Astigarraga Cider House based on a typical traditional menu with cider included
- Transfers for dinner: San Sebastian-Astigarraga-San Sebastian
- Full day guide service from San Sebastián for route to La Rioja
- Guided visit to the Santa Maria de Vitoria Cathedral with access tickets included
- Guided visit to a family winery in Laguardia with wine tasting included
- Full day guide service from La Rioja for the route to Burgos
- Access to the Yuso Monastery
- Guided visit to a famous winery in Badarán with tasting and lunch with drinks included
- Full day guide service to visit Burgos, Covarrubias and Santo Domingo de Silos Monastery
- Access to the Burgos Cathedral
- Lunch with drinks included in traditional restaurant in Covarrubias
- Access to the Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos
Call 800-634-1188 for price quote
Petrabax
Petrabax is also a leader in Spanish language escorted tours of Europe, Middle East and the Orient.
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