From the rooftop of our hotel, Bilbao's skyline tells the story of a city in transformation. Once the Pittsburgh of Spain, Bilbao's industrial past has given way to a new era of art and creativity. Nothing expresses this so well as the Guggenheim Museum, sparkling down on the river, which transformed Bilbao from a declining industrial city into a thriving cultural destination, sparking what is known as the “Bilbao Effect.” 

We will begin our week together from this vantage point, overlooking Bilbao, hosted on the rooftop restaurant of Michelin-starred chef Eneko Atxa. His menu, reflecting the creative energy of contemporary Bilbao, will perfectly complement the city's skyline. The style, however, will be informal and friendly, after all, this is a steel town.

We think the best way to get to know a city is the intimacy of small group experiences. For that reason, we have created several experiences from which group members can choose from, with each one kept limited in size so the experience stays personal. We will be able to choose from:
- Culinary Backstreets Bilbao food tour
- Boat tour
- Coastal Excursion
- Bike tour

For dinner, we'll gather in the handsome bistro-style dining room where the chef brings together the finest local ingredients in dishes honoring Basque tradition. There will be grilled loin of cod, oxtail croquettes, artisanal cheeses, and more are paired with wines from the Rioja. although the Basque region's fine dining palaces are worthy of the praise they receive, the Basque culinary heart beats strongest in more casual places like this.

Like the previous day, we are going to again split into smaller groups allowing people to experience the city in more than one way. The activities will be the same as the day before, so participants will get a chance to try one of the other experiences they had their eyes on.

Our evening will be dedicated to to exploring that modern icon of Bilbao, the Guggenheim Museum. The Guggenheim's bold Frank Gehry design gave the city international recognition and positioned it as a hub for contemporary art and architecture. Beyond tourism and economic revival, the museum redefined Bilbao’s identity, symbolizing innovation, creativity, and renewal.

Nestled within the iconic Guggenheim Museum, Nerua is a Michelin‑starred gem where minimalism meets mastery. Chef Joséan Alija crafts seasonal, vegetable-forward dishes grounded in Basque terroir – with a focus on “muina” (soul or core) – that both honor tradition and push culinary boundaries. 

Tonight, we will have the entire museum to ourselves, starting with private tours of the collection. We'll wander among works of modern art's biggest names – Jeff Koons, Anish Kapoor, Andy Warhol – and make our way to a private dinner served by Chef Alija, in one of the museum's galleries. A truly unforgettable experience.

Today we leave Bilbao and head into the stunning wine region of Rioja. After a scenic ride to our destination, the historic town of Logroño, we'll first stop for lunch at a traditional asador on the grounds of the Marqués de Riscal winery. The restaurant offers a refined take on traditional Riojan recipes, crafted with seasonal, locally sourced ingredients and paired with the estate’s celebrated wines. After lunch we'll explore the iconic winery, where centuries-old winemaking meets avant-garde architecture by Frank Gehry. We'll tour the historic cellars, learn about their award-winning Rioja wines, and enjoy a guided tasting of premium selections.

After our winery visit, we'll head to our hotel, set in Logroño’s beautifully restored former post office, to check in. The evening is free for exploring the winding streets of the charming town and its pintxo bars.

Experiencing the grape harvest in the vineyards is a ritual that brings us as close as possible to the process of winemaking. On this day, we will do just that at the family-run Bodegas Valdemar. We'll roll up our sleeves and take part in the harvesting of grapes, crushing them underfoot, like winemakers of old. We'll recharge with a traditional picnic-style lunch of Spanish tortilla, local chorizo and a glass or two of wine. Our immersion continues with a tour of the cellar and a full tasting of the wines over a proper Rioja harvest lunch on the terrace of the winery.  

As we walk through the vineyards nestled in calcareous-clay soils and the cellar’s cool, oak-lined aging rooms, we’ll hear the story of how each wine is crafted — from hand-picked Tempranillo, Garnacha and Graciano grapes to fermentation with native yeasts and the patient aging in American oak barrels. During our visit we’ll pause for a tasting in their elegant tasting room, sampling several of their signature wines — Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva, and perhaps a special barrel selection.

Our evening will be free to explore Logroño.

After breakfast in the hotel, we will meet in the lobby as a group and head out to visit a regenerative biodynamic farm founded by two brothers in a small village that had dwindled to just 70 residents. Today, their work with bees and artisanal mead production has helped turn the farm into an unexpected gastronomic destination for the region. The visit will include time on the farm itself, a relaxed picnic featuring local products, and the chance to experience a different side of the landscape — still deeply rooted in food and craft.

From the farm it's on to San Sebastián, where we'll first check into our hotel, a historic Belle Époque gem that has been welcoming guests for over 150 years. After a free afternoon of either resting at the hotel or exploring on your own, we'll all gather for a taste of San Sebastián best-known culinary creation: pintxos. There really is no better way to experience the backstreets of San Sebastián than getting into a pintxo bar – the right pintxo bar. Tonight that's just what we'll do, with a casual dinner featuring the greatest hits from a destination pintxo bar.  We will arrive on foot and encourage the guests to continue on in smaller groups through the backstreets with a list of our favorite spots where they can continue their pintxo crawl.

After breakfast at the hotel, we will meet as a group and then split up into smaller groups that will each enjoy their own private experience. Choose from:

- Culinary Backstreets San Sebastián tour
- Surf Class
- Cooking Class
- French Markets Visit

In the evening we'll gather again for a group dinner, which will take place in one of the town’s rollicking cider houses. Here we’ll drink crisp cider straight from the barrel and eat txuleta, Basque steaks, right off the grill, celebrating the joys of being in a region of such incomparable culinary delights.

After a lazy breakfast at the hotel, we'll take to the sea for a cruise touring the coast of Zumaia, known for its dramatic cliffs, geological formations, and scenic beauty, making it a favorite for nature lovers and photographers. The dramatic cliffs between Zumaia and Deba reveal millions of years of geological history, carved by the relentless sea. This extraordinary landscape not only tells the story of Earth’s past but also shelters one of the region’s richest ecosystems, home to a unique biodiversity found nowhere else along the coast.

After arriving in the harbor of the fishing village of Getaria, we'll head for lunch at Kaia-Kaipe, a celebrated family-run restaurant known for its perfectly grilled turbot, live seafood tanks, and an extraordinary wine cellar with over 40,000 bottles. Founded in 1962, it blends rustic Basque tradition with fine dining finesse – all with panoramic sea views and the scent of charcoal grilling in the air.

After lunch, we will head to the Txakoli area – renowned for it's signature white wines. Here we will learn about the region’s unique grape varieties, stroll through ocean-kissed vineyards, and enjoy a tasting of refreshing, slightly sparkling Txakoli, often paired with local anchovies or cheese. It’s a light, lively wine experience that perfectly captures the spirit of the Basque coast.

The evening will be free to either relax back at the hotel after a long day or continue your exploration of the San Sebastián backstreets.

After breakfast at the hotel, we will meet in the lobby for our last full day together. Today we will again choose from small group activities for everyone to enjoy, with the menu of options being the same as on Day 7 of our trip.

After a day full of activity, we will go as a group for our last dinner together, at the very special Muka. Set at the base of the Zurriola bridge inside the impressive Kursaal complex, Muka delivers simple sophistication with a relaxed, vegetable-forward take on Basque cuisine with a smoky twist. Chef Juan Vargas, an alum of some of the area's best kitchens, highlights the essence of fire – embers, ash, and flame – using locally sourced, seasonal produce that shines in dishes like grilled leeks with meat emulsion or monkfish in Ezpeleta butter. The Nordic-inspired interior, open grill kitchen, and riverside terrace with views of the Urumea create an inviting space for culinary discovery and for saying goodbye to the magical Basque Country.

Today we say goodbye after 10 full days of activity and really getting to know the Basque Country. Until the next time!