Discover the best of northern Spain on this self-drive food and wine-filled adventure through the Basque Country and Rioja. If you prefer not to drive, we can arrange transfers, so you can sit back and enjoy the journey.

10 Night Packages, From £895*

Price is a guide for this itinerary including all your flights, hotels and car hire.

*Prices are only to act as a guide

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Itinerary

3 Nights – Bilbao
3 Nights – Rioja
4 Nights – San Sebastian

✈️ UK to Bilbao (3 nights): Your exploration of the Basque country will begin in Bilbao, with its avant-garde architecture and vibrant atmosphere.  Visit the iconic Guggenheim Museum with its striking titanium-clad design that features artists including Richard Serra and Louise Bourgeois. After immersing yourself in art, take a leisurely stroll through the historic Old Town, where you’ll find pintxos bars (Basque tapas) offering everything from local Idiazabal cheese to jamón ibérico. Also head to the Mercado de la Ribera (one of Europe’s largest covered markets) where you can sample local delicacies and sip your way through crisp Txakoli wines from nearby vineyards. At the end of your stay in Bilbao you’ll pick up your rental car which you will have at your disposal for the rest of the trip.

🚗 Bilbao to Rioja: From Bilbao, it’s a scenic drive into the heart of Spain’s most celebrated wine region – Rioja. This area is a dream for wine lovers, with smooth, oak-aged reds made predominantly from the Tempranillo grape.  An ideal place to base yourself is in Logroño, the lively regional capital, where an evening on Calle Laurel means hopping from one buzzing tapas bar to the next, indulging in traditional small plates with local wines.  Explore the area further by touring the historic bodegas and the more modern wineries.  Whether you’re enjoying a bold red in Rioja Alta or exploring the surrounds of Laguardia in Rioja Alavesa, or visiting an intimate, family-run vineyard in the quieter Rioja Oriental, you’ll get a great understanding of the region’s winemaking and food culture.

🚗   Rioja to San Sebastian (4 nights):  After soaking up the wine country, you’ll swap vineyards for sea views as you drive north to San Sebastián – often hailed as Spain’s foodie capital. Set on the edge of Concha Bay, this coastal city has reportedly more Michelin-starred restaurants per capita than any other city in the world. But you don’t need to do fine dining to eat well here. The real magic is in the pintxos bars.  These offer Basque-style tapas spots where you can hop your way through the Old Town, soaking up the atmosphere and sipping local wine as you go. It’s a little bit like a sophisticated pub crawl with incredible food – washed down with a crisp Basque white or a glass of Rioja Crianza.

✈️ San Sebastian to UK:   Make your way back to Bilbao for your return flight home to the UK.