8 days / 7 nights
Active
Customized Journey
Programed Journey
The Basque Country
The Wine Regions
Kingdom of Navarra
Dive deep into the part of Spain where ancient routes cross fields and traverse medieval cities. Walk through the prettiest parts of the Rioja, where rolling vineyards flank legendary paths leading to monasteries tucked away in the hills. We hike the gentle ups and downs of the green foothills in the Navarran Pyrenees, and along the wind-swept, sparkling Basque Coast. This journey through the North of Spain is full of sensory delights and authentic experiences. From Michelin-recommended foodie experiences to rustic farm-fresh meals, the food and wine of the region are unparalleled.
April through November
Program:
June 10 – 17 2023
Sept 3 – 10 2023
Deluxe: 4200€
Jr. Suite: Contact for Availability
12 to 18 Guests
*Rates are per person, double occupancy in Euros.
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 through northern Spain starts in Bilbao’s airport where your Northern Spain Travel guide will welcome you and take you into the center of this famous city. Bilbao is known for its museum Guggenheim, modern architecture and has won many international awards for its transformation last century from industrial river-port city to a thriving art, architecture and cultural centre. We transfer from the Bilbao Airport to your hotel in Bilbao city center. Enjoy a private visit to the Guggenheim Museum.
Food: Dinner
Travel: The city of Bilbao
Sleep: Hotel Tayko ****
Our journey to la Rioja starts in Bilbao’s downtown where your Northern Spain Travel guide will welcome you. We transfer to your hotel, check in and then enjoy a walking tour of the town of Briones. We visit a family winery founded in 1870 and then enjoy a sit down meal in an iconic restautant in the “capital del Rioja ” Haro that specializes in lamb. Afternoon pleasures include a museum visit to Vivanco Cultura de Vino, the most complete wine museum in the world. We will regroup for dinner in your hotel restaurant.
Food: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Travel: The best portions of Bilbao / Briones / Haro
Sleep: Hotel Santa Maria de Briones ****
Estimated walking Time: 3hrs
A picturesque country walk among the vineyards – which will be an ochre orange and yellow in late October and early November. We walk along the banks of the river Ebro and cross acres of vineyards beneath the hill on which stands the imposing Davalillo Castle. In the distance are the mountains and the towns of San Vicente de la Sonsierra and Briones. We visit a family winery dedicated to making excellent wine and as well, being lovers of art. We will enjoy a tasting menu lunch in a Basque-French cuisine restaurant in a five star palace, tucked away in the small town of only 50 inhabitants. Afternoon pleasures include a visit to the Rioja Alavesa town of Laguardia, which is perched on top of 300 cellars carved out of the rock.
Food: Breakfast and dinner
Travel: The best portion of San Vicente de la Sonsierra / Samaniego / Laguardia
Sleep: Hotel Santa Maria de Briones ****
Estimated walking time: 2,5/3 hrs
We hike one of the prettiest medieval pathways of la Rioja, through rolling hills and vineyards, stopping at the twin 11th-century monasteries, Yuso and Suso, in San Millan de la Cogolla. We will transfer to a Michelin Star recommended restaurant in Casalarreina. Afternoon pleasures include a visit to a gorgeous 17th century convent in Casalarreina and a visit to Ezcaray, a Rioja mountain village. You will have time to shop in Mantas Ezcaray which offers the highest quality wool products available in Spain. Then we will enjoy a local cuisine dinner in Ezcaray before returning to the hotel.
Food: Breakfast and lunch and dinner
Travel: The best portion of Briones / San Millan de la Cogolla / Casalarreina / Ezcaray
Sleep: Hotel Santa Maria de Briones ****
Estimated Walking Time: 1.5 hrs
We hike a portion of the Lokiz mountain range. We enjoy a premium visit to the winery Propiedad Arinzano, one of the oldest wineries in all of Spain and an informal lunch on the winery grounds. We transfer to Pamplona for a walking tour of the running of the bulls course. The evening is topped with a food and wine pintxo tour in the winding cobblestone streets of Old Town Pamplona.
Food: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Travel: The best portion of Lokiz / Arinzano / Pamplona
Sleep: Hotel Alma****
Estimated Walking Time: 3 hrs
We enjoy a pleasant walk on paths running high in the mountains through beech tree forests, mythology, dolmens and legends under our footsteps, while soaking up the stunning views of the Urbasa-Andia mountain range. We arrive at a twelfth century Romanesque sanctuary named for Saint Michael, who was said to have slayed a dragon at that site. At a special local free range farm, find out why the Euskal-txerri, or Basque pigs, are a delicacy and one of Spain’s best kept secrets. We will sit down to enjoy a culinary extravaganza of Basque Iberian dishes, composed of a multi-course sampling menu. After lunch we transfer to San Sebastian. Once settled at your centrally located hotel in San Sebastián, we’ll take a walk through town along the promenade, and Belle Époque architecture in view all the while. Dinner tonight is free to sample some of the best of the world-renowned pintxos paired with spectacular wines and to revel in the lively and exciting atmosphere.
Food: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Travel: The best portion of Pamplona / San Miguel de Aralar / San Sebastián
Sleep: Hotel Londres****
Estimated Walking Time: 3 hrs
This morning we will wake up in the elegant seaside town of San Sebastián— or Donostia, as the city is known in Basque. We hike a portion of the Camino de Santiago del Norte. Our final destination on foot is Getaria, a scenic fishing village and one of three Txakoli wine-producing regions in the Basque Country. Here, we’ll sip Txakoli wine, which is the distinctive and very Basque sparkling white and Rosé wines called Txakoli, which existed as long ago as the 9th century and are made with grapes grown in an Atlantic climate, and are known for their characteristic acidity. We will visit a txakoli winery paired with traditional Cantabrian anchovies, and enjoy fresh fish for lunch. After lunch we transfer to your Bilbao hotel and say farewell, making the afternoon yours to enjoy on your own.
Food: Breakfast, lunch
Travel: The best portion of San Sebastián / Getaria / Bilbao
Sleep: Hotel Tayko ****
Estimated Walking Time: 3 hrs
After a fine breakfast, we will transfer you to Bilbao for your onward travels.
Food: Breakfast
Travel: Bilbao to Bilbao Airport
* 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.
Alma Pamplona is an active travel friendly hotel. Modern and avant-garde, has its own personality, which seeks to surprise. This quiet enclave is where we luxuriate in the Spa and Treatment center, and chill at the gastro bar after a morning of activity.
This four star hotel + spa personalized and sophisticated for maximum comfort, making this hotel the quiet oasis from the city of Pamplona. A decorative symphony of elegance and exclusivity. The fusion of stone, wood, velvet, works of art and furniture of exclusive design create a warm unique atmosphere. At the foothills of the Pyrenees, we can begin to peddle from the moment we step out the door.
Hotel Miró is located in the center of Bilbao about 170 meters from the Museum of Fine Arts and 900 meters from the Zubizuri Bridge. The historic quarter, where you will find the Arriaga Theater and the Plaza Nueva among other points of interest, is in walking distance.
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.
Hotel Tayko is located in the center of Bilbao, about 70 meters from Arriaga Theater and the Plaza Nueva, among other points of interest, is in walking distance. But, best of all is that Tayko Hotel is a lifestyle hotel with 54 rooms with prime views of the Ria (estuary) or Merced Street.
Señorío de Arínzano is one of the oldest wineries in Spain, but is also one of our favorite accommodations for walking, cycling and food and wine visits.
It is strategically located in the town Briones, it is the ideal location for our culinary journeys to discover the region and its gastronomy. It is already one of the best hotels in La Rioja.
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”.
