Spain: A Gourmet Journey

Upon your arrival at Barcelona’s airport, you’ll take a private transfer to your hotel in the city. After getting settled and refreshed, dive in with a private walking tour of the historic center. The Gothic Quarter sits at its heart, bringing you back in time to the city’s origins while strolling the narrow streets and alleyways. Marvel at the gothic-style Barcelona Cathedral and walk a unique path to Sant Jaume Square which hosts the City Hall, hidden Roman ruins that will be revealed, and the Church of Santa Maria del Pi with its soaring bell tower. You’ll stroll the famous Las Ramblas and visit Boqueria Market too.

A private guided tour brings you to discover the highlights of architect Antoni Gaudi. In a city known for its spectacular architecture, Gaudi is a standout. You’ll visit the remarkable gothic/art nouveau Sagrada Familia with its vibrant colors and unconventional animal representations, Parc Guell with its fantastical works, including a dragon, and the Gaudi House-Museum with objects and furniture designed by the architect. The UNESCO-listed Casa Mila is on the itinerary too, a Modernista building with an undulating stone façade and twisting wrought-iron balconies. Enjoy the rest of the day on your own – the food and nightlife scene offers a wide range of choices.

Enjoy a full day of pedaling and vineyard exploring, with plenty of opportunities for tasting delicious wines too. This private guided bike tour will bring you to discover the D.O. Penedes wine region that sits just outside of Barcelona. Renowned for producing Cava (a sparkling Spanish wine), your first stop will be a boutique winery that makes some of the best Cava while following eco-friendly practices. Next, you’ll enjoy a VIP visit to another winery with the opportunity to explore the vineyard and take a tour of the barrel room followed by a tasting.

Heading to your next destination today, you’ll be met by our driver for a private transfer to Barcelona’s airport to catch your flight to San Sebastian. Upon arrival, take another private transfer to your hotel in the city. Rest and refresh or take a walk to explore on your own before joining a local guide this evening for a pintxos tour through the historic part of town. Your walk combines the city’s culture with stops at taverns and bars off-the-beaten-path for an authentic taste of the pintxos scene while learning about the local legends you won’t read or hear about anywhere else.

The ultimate day for foodies, you’ll enjoy market-to-table Basque fare alongside a professional chef in an invitation-only gastronomic event. Your unique private cooking lesson starts with a local chef who will bring you to one of the local markets in San Sebastian. Meet some of the local farmers and purchase many of the ingredients you’ll be using today as you learn to make delicious traditional Basque dishes. Afterward, roll up your sleeves in the private gastronomic club for a hands-on lesson, with a glass of wine. Of course, you’ll get to dig into the results with a full lunch complemented by Txacoli and Rioja wines.

Enjoy a full day of touring and tasting in La Rioja, Spain’s most popular wine region, producing 80 to 300 million liters of wine annually. The scenery is impressive too, with verdant rolling hills, soaring mountains, winding rivers, and even lunar-like landscapes. Start in one of the region’s most emblematic boutique wineries that has been producing high-quality wines for generations, followed by two other boutique wineries. You’ll enjoy a traditional Riojan-style hot and cold tapas lunch paired with Rioja wine for lunch, concluding with a panoramic tour, visiting the hilltop walled village of Laguardia. Afterwards, you’ll be taken to your Rioja hotel.

Leaving Rioja this morning, a private transfer brings you to your hotel in Bilbao. The afternoon brings a private tour of the city’s historic sites for a better perspective of the history of the Guggenheim Museum. The highlight is a visit to this $100 million institution called “the beast” by locals due to its bizarre shape. It looks like a huge sculpture with a profile of tumbling boxes from a distance and was designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry. A symbol of Basque economic revival, it’s a masterpiece inside too, with an impressive collection of modern and contemporary works of art.

On your final full day, our driver/guide will bring you to discover the Basque Coast with its picturesque natural landscapes that include estuaries that flow into the sea, steep escarpments, and mountain ranges dotted with oak and beech trees. You’ll visit the small island of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe which is linked to the land by a stone bridge, explore charming Getaria, a fishing village that has managed to preserve its time-honored traditions, bringing history alive Finally, see Zumaia and the Flysch, a place where the mountains merge with the Atlantic on a steep cliff with remarkable rock formations.

With many memories made and likely plenty of photos captured, your journey through Barcelona, Basque Country, and La Rioja comes to an end. Our driver will meet you at your accommodation for a private transfer to Bilbao’s airport where you can begin your journey home or head out on other travels. If you’d like to extend this adventure with another unforgettable itinerary, we’d love to help. Otherwise, we wish you safe travels and hope to see you again soon.