Wine, walks & tapas in Basque Country & La Rioja

Destination: Spain
Duration: 8 days

The small region of La Rioja is probably the most famous wine producing area in Spain, with some of the most innovative bodegas in the country. With good access from Bilbao airport it makes for a great escape with the chance to for sample some great wines, explor the surrounding hills on foot and take in some cultural highlights such as the iconic Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, the Camino Santiago or the spectacular wine museums of Dinastia Vivanco and Ontañon in Logroño.

Day 1

¡Bienvenidos al País Vasco!

Fly to Bilbao, orientation walk and time allowing visit of Guggenheim museum.

Day 2

San Sebastian & Txakoli

We drive to San Sebastian for a visit. En route stop in Getaria to try the famous Txakoli, a Basque white wine speciality. In the afternoon it’s back to Bilbao and in the evening we dive into local tapas culture by learning how to do some of the famous “pintxos” in a Txoko, one of the local cooking associations where some of the greatest Basque dishes were conceived. Of course we have dinner there as well and eat our own creations.

Day 3

to Haro, (3h walking)

We drive to Haro in the heart of La Rioja, drop off our luggage at the hotel and walk to Briones along the river Ebro before getting to the spectacular bodega and wine museum of Vivanco for a visit and wine tasting. Later back to hotel by bus.

Day 4

Laguardia, Ysios & Elciego, (1h walking)

We drive to Laguardia, a beautiful medieval village in the Basque part of La Rioja, to visit the Ysius bodega, built by Calatrava. Then we head off for a little walk through the vineyards and later we will stop at Elciego village – to admire Frank Gehry’s creation of one of the most avant-garde bodegas anywhere – the Marques de Riscal.

Day 5

Camino Santiago, (3h walking)

In the morning short drive to Santo Domingo de la Calzada and later we go for a little walk on the Camino Santiago to Najera. There is time to see the famous monastery Santa Maria de la Real, then we transfer to San Millan de la Cogolla for our next hotel, situated inside the historically important Yuso monastery

Day 6

Free day

Today is left free to relax in the hotel or for optional walks around San Millan in the Sierra de la Demanda.

Day 7

Logroño

We drive to Logroño, the capital of La Rioja region. After a stroll through the historic centre we walk to the superb wine museum of Ontañon for a visit and wine tasting; the afternoon is free for you to explore.