7 days / 6 nights
Casual
Private Group
Kingdom of Navarra
The Basque Country
Often referred to as the Tuscany of Spain, Navarra is the perfect backdrop to your fun-filled family adventure. With scenic bike routes and winding trails through flowery sheep pastures, exploration of this dynamic region will engage all the senses and spark the imagination. Cycle on an old train route, explore a river by kayak, meet a champion Basque stone lifter, and learn to cook delicious, creative pintxos – every day is an action-packed adventure for everyone in the family.
May, June, July, August
This enchanting territory and our immersive adventure tours are well worth the discovery, but if you really want to find out how to make your vacations unique, special and memorable, you will have to join us on one.
May through November
We customize to fit with fabulous experiences, the comfort of great accommodation, out-of-this-world gastronomy and a chance to discover this spectacular region.
Our journey together starts in Bilbao’s downtown where your Northern Spain Travel guides will welcome you. We transfer to Pamplona for a private foodie experience in a 1920s private gastronomy club. Enjoy a Master Chef pintxo course and learn how to make creative pintxos, one of the pillars of traditional local cuisine. A visit to Pamplona is never quite complete without a running of the bulls walkabout, and a stroll through the charming cobbled streets in the heart of the historic quarter where we discover 2000 years of history and culture.
Food: Lunch and dinner
Travel: Bilbao / Pamplona
Sleep: Heart of Pamplona Apartments
Cycle across gentle-sloping hills and green meadows on the old train route that once connected Pamplona with San Sebastian. Mostly flat and suitable for all ages, this adventure takes you through fourteen small tunnels. Learn about harri, herri, mito or “stone, town, myth” with the family of a stone lifter champion, in their 300-year-old farmhouse. Then, give Basque rural sports a try: small stone lifting, chingas races, sokatira, and stone dragging. Later, dip into the warm waters of a family friendly spa for a salt-bath experience and then dinner in a Michelin recommended restaurant.
Food: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Travel: Pamplona / Leiza / Elgorriaga / San Esteban
Sleep: Four Star Hotel and Spa ****
We start with a morning of cycling in the province of Cinco Villas, stopping in Lesaka to enjoy a famous potato omelette, considered the best in the region. Our route then consists of a walk through the town, passing through potokas, where we see a Navarra breed of ponies, and woolly sheep before entering local oak forests. Inspired by the landscape we will go to the village of the popular painter Juan Carlos Pikabea, who will give us a master class in Basque landscapes in acrylic or water colours.
Food: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Travel: Lesaka / Igansi
Sleep: Rural Boutique
Spend a day that meets the needs of every family member. Venture into Irrisarri Land for a private, docent-led day where we are offered a variety of activity options such as cycling, ziplining, pendulum swings, or horseback riding. You can do everything as a family or each pick your own fun. While the kids try their hand at whatever they please, the adults can choose to join in or to take a break and enjoy a lie-in, or a glass of wine on your private terrace. We spend the afternoon doing activities everyone will love.
Food: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Travel: Igansi
Sleep: Basque Hotel
Meet your kayaking guide for a full morning of paddling down the Bidasoa River to its mouth at the fishing town of Hondarribia. In the afternoon we gather for a late lunch in the quaint historic quarter, at the oceanfront Fishermen’s Brotherhood, to dine on fresh fish, accompanied by the regional Txakoli sparkling wine for the grown-ups and mosto grape juice for the kids. This evening, dine on your own in Hondarribia. Enjoy the bite-size pintxos in the town center – our guides can readily recommend a few favorite restaurants.
Food: Breakfast and lunch
Travel: Hondarribia
Sleep: Four Star Hotel Parador ****
We board a beautiful sailboat and sail from the port of Hondarribia to the Concha Bay in San Sebastian. San Sebastian, with its elegant French architecture and picture-perfect beach, is a city that still retains its aristocratic feel of a bygone era. Feel free to indulge in a swim in the salty Cantabria Sea before our picnic on the Concha Bay beach. Take time to explore your hotel before we enjoy an early dinner of famous pintxos and wine in San Sebastian’s historic quarter. We will drink a toast to a wonderful week of adventure together.
Food: Breakfast, beach picnic lunch and dinner
Travel: Hondarribia / San Sebastián
Sleep: Four Star Hotel ****
After a morning spent at your leisure, we’ll assist in arranging your transportation to the nearest airport or train station for your onward travels.
Food: Breakfast
Travel: San Sebastián
* NST itineraries may be subject to slight route changes, hotel substitutions, and other modifications.
The Hotel de Londres is a pretty boutique hotel in San Sebastián with a La Belle Epoque feel. It has views to the Concha Bay and the city center. Luxury, modern facilities and a high level service make this historic building one of the best hotels in San Sebastián.
This hotel is located in the cinco villas region, surrounded by valleys and mountains, it is nestled in one of Navarra’s prettiest landscapes. Their mantra is Water, Nature and Silence, making this hotel the perfect reward after a morning of exercise. Its natural springs contain with the highest salinity in Europe and the thermal circuit and massage hit the spot.
With views to the Bay of Biscay coast, this hotel is a 10th century castle fortress. Also known as the Castle of Charles V, you will feel as if you are in an authentic medieval fortress. The imposing entrance and its thick damages stone walls by cannon fire set the tone. The inner patio crowned by adorned arches, wrought iron and coffered ceilings make this hotel unique.
Located in the center of the capital of the province of Navarra, Heart of Pamplona Apartments are ideal for visitors to Pamplona, Navarra or the Basque Country. HOP apartments are located right by all the necessary services for a pleasant stay. They are silent corners in the middle of lively streets, in the most popular areas of restaurants and bars.
Stephanie, the dynamo of our organization, is a Canadian who has fallen in love with this region of Spain. She is enterprising, innovative and has an endless amount of energy to design unique outstanding travel plans, making her passion her profession. She has the firm conviction that until the product standards are exceptional, they should not be offered.
“Our goals are two: one is to dazzle our visitors and another is to share with them what we find so extremely enchanting about this region of Spain”.
Oliver is our greatest ambassador of Pamplona. Oliver has it all: charm, conversation and deep knowledge of his Basque culture. You will feel like you’ve made a new friend during one of his energetic tours. Oliver is always on the beat searching for the perfect pintxo and exciting, outside-the-box experiences. He is dedicated to designing the most exclusive events for our guests, such as the Hemingway to the Basque Coast tour, or a walking tour of the Running of the Bulls course with an international bull runner. He knows the all the best destinations and activities on the off-the-beaten cultural track.
“This is our essential hallmark that sets us apart from any other events agency”.
