7 days / 6 nights
Casual
Private Group
Kingdom of Navarra
The Basque Lands
Northern Spain offers a world of adventure for families with the perfect backdrop for a fun-filled holiday. Fly your own ultralight plane over the castles of the Kingdom of Navarra, sleep in a monastery, ride horses in the lush Baztan Valley, join us on scenic bike routes along old train rails, hike along the Saint James Way on the Cantabrian Coast, and join in on the fun in the cultural festivities that are included in this week’s adventure.
June 21 – 27, 2022
This enchanting territory and our immersive tours are well worth the discovery, and we can make your vacations unique and memorable, so come and join us on one when it’s optimal for you.
June 21 – 27, 2022
We customize your trip to fit you with unique experiences, the comfort of great accommodation, out-of-this-world gastronomy and the chance to discover this spectacular region.
NST picks you up at the Bilbao airport, however our journey together really does begin in Pamplona’s downtown where your Northern Spain Travel guides will welcome you at your 4-star Hotel. We visit to Pamplona 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. We enjoy an early dinner – a children-friendly cooking class in a private gastronomy club – one of the pillars of traditional local cuisine with a highly regarded Navarre chef.
Food: Lunch and dinner
Travel: Bilbao / Pamplona
Adventure: Running of the Bulls tour and cooking class for families
Sleep: Heart of Pamplona Apartments
After a short transfer towards the Pyrenees, we change the vehicle for ultralight planes. Parents enjoy a flight in ultralight planes – one parent per plane with a flight instructor who will be teaching you how to fly (there are two steering wheels). We fly over the Romanesque architecture and a diversity of landscapes for a bird’s eye view of the region. Kids experience flying in a state-of-the-art two-seater simulator with a personal flight instructor. It’s equipped with a complete panel on a moving platform so kids feel the take off. Once we are back on the ground we visit some of the historic sights we flew over for a ground level visit. In the evening we enjoy the Gregorian chants sung by the Jesuit monks in the oldest monastery of Navarra.
Food: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Travel: Pamplona / Monasterio de Leyre
Adventure: Ultralight plane flight, visit the castle region, sleep in a monastery, Gregorian chants
Sleep: Authentic Monastery Hotel
This is an equestrian adventure in the Baztan valley on a circular horseback ride to the historic castle of Amaiur of Navarra. Learn from our local hero the historian Javier all about the fall of the last Navarra king before Navarra became Castilla.
In the afternoon, we join the fun in the local festival that takes place on the longest day of the year: Las Hogueras de San Juan. This is a traditional cultural event where the whole village participates: young and old. The kids will have the chance to get involved in the event, just like everyone else. Its roots come from sun worship celebrations, where the village makes little bonfires and everyone makes a wish while jumping over them. The fire jumping is followed by food, wine, merriment.
Food: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Travel: Lesaka / Elgorriaga
Adventure: Horseback riding, village festival
Sleep: Three Star Hotel & Spa ***
We enjoy a relaxing morning that includes a fun and very original (and children-friendly) spa session. Immerse yourself in the salty nutrient-rich mountain spa pools while overlooking landscapes of green pastures dotted with stout horses and woolly sheep. From the steamy spa, slip on your robe and follow a stone path to the adjacent river for a cool dip. For lunch expect a spectacular French Basque sampling menu, in one of the best restaurants, if not the best, in this region. Located at the point that separates the Navarra mountain range and the Cantabrian Sea we visit the “Villages of the Witches” and the caves of Zugarramurdi, and the interactive witch museum – ideal for kids. Learn historical facts and legends, infusing your surroundings with a magic. We then transfer to the colorful town of Hondarribia and your hotel which is an exquisitely converted 10th-century castle. In the historic quarter we dine in a Michelin-starred restaurant on what we believe to be the best seafood in town.
Food: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Travel: Elgorriaga / Hondarribia
Adventure: Relax in a salt spring mountain spa and visit the witch caves
Sleep:Four Star Hotel Parador ****
Our day hike begins in Hondarribia, a beautiful and unusual little fishing town. We hike along a gorgeous path with views over the Atlantic, through coastal pine woods and past old stone churches. Descend from the hills, where we stop for a high-end seafood lunch right on the water. Before we depart, we take a Basque fishing boat to the interesting and evocative Basque whaling museum which the kids will love. From there we board the private antique sailboat and sail away to San Sebastian, docking in the famed La Concha Harbor. We have time for a swim or sunbathing on the deck. In the evening we head into town to sample the world-renowned gastronomy of the area. We dine on pintxos and great wines and keep on going to enjoy the bustling and fun nightlife. We stay at the luxury seaside hotel.
Food: Breakfast and lunch
Travel: Hondarribia / San Sebastian
Adventure: Hike along the coast, visit the Whaling Museum, sail on a schooner
Sleep: Four Star Hotel ****
We set off to watch fishermen auction off their morning catch to local restaurants in a pretty fishing town, and then we hike from San Juan de Gaztelugatxe to the beautiful islet hermitage that connects to the mainland by a scattering of stone steps. This dramatic isle was used as the location for Daenerys Targaryen’s ancestral home of Dragonstone in the Game of Thrones. After a fabulous lunch, enjoying good food and ocean views, we travel Bilbao – a city which is best discovered by on foot. We visit the historic quarter with a chance to visit the internationally acclaimed Museum Guggenheim. Dinner on your last evening is on your own to enjoy from a choice of Michelin star restaurants, like the Mina Restaurant or join us for an outside-the-box meal at one of our jewels in the rough restaurants in the oldest part of Bilbao.
Food: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Travel: San Sebastián / Bilbao
Adventure: Visit the fishing town, hike to the San Juan de Gaztelugatxe islet, visit the Guggenheim Museum.
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: Bilbao to Bilbao Airport
* NST itineraries may be subject to slight route changes, hotel substitutions, and other modifications.
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.
This charming hotel is within an authentic Benedictine monastery and forms part of a complex that is a remarkable example of Romanesque architecture and art. The Monasterio de Leyre is one of the most important monuments in Navarra. It is an outstanding out-of-the-box destination and one of the treasures of our adventure into the Kingdoms of the North.
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.
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”.
