Spain: San Sebastian, Bilbao & Basque Country
7 Days
Starting From
$2,848
10 Days
Starting From
$3,848
per person, double occupancy
Want more from your experience?
Add an ExtensionMaps claim otherwise, but Basque Country, with its unique cross-border culture, is a nation unto itself.
Free-roaming horses wander the green pastures atop Mount Jaizkibel, where your walk brings panoramic views extending clear across Spain into southern France—from the Bay of Biscay to the Pyrenees. You’re on a walking tour in the Basque Country, a unique corner of Europe with its own ancient language and culture. You’ve just begun exploring this fascinating region—from Bilbao’s cutting-edge architecture to Hendaye’s beaches to the mountainous interior. Your week ahead also promises tasty glimpses of local culinary culture: a Basque cooking class, a festive dinner at a traditional gastronomic club, a homemade feast in a hillside farmhouse…. Speaking of food, isn’t it about time to begin your scenic seaward descent through the vineyards for lunch and wine tasting? On egin! (Bon appetit!)
Highlights
- Join a private gastronomic club, or txoko, for an exclusive dinner as the members share their love of Basque cuisine.
- Live like royalty in a setting so beautiful it earned the honor of hosting Louis XIV and Maria Theresa’s wedding in St. Jean de Luz.
- Experience the vibrant nightlife in a Basque wine bar.
- Stroll the seaside paths that Spanish aristocracy once wandered in San Sebastián.
- Tour the world-famous Guggenheim Museum – one of the largest museums on Earth and an architectural phenomenon.
- Satisfy your cravings in a region with more Michelin-star rated restaurants than Paris.
- Rest your mind and body in a restored 17th-century palace, or jauregia.
- Participate in a cooking demonstration of traditional Basque cuisine.
- Follow in the footsteps of pilgrims as you walk the “Way of St. James,” a historic coastal path and part of the Camino de Santiago.
Accommodations
Linger Longer with a Tour Extension

2021 Pre-Tour Extension - Madrid
- Two nights at the NH Paseo del Prado Hotel
- Daily buffet breakfast
- City Information
- Airport transfers
2 Nights From $498
per person, double occupancy
Single Supplement: From $198
Begin your adventure by departing from a convenient gateway city in the United States or Canada. Spend your first night aloft.
Upon arrival at Madrid’s airport, a representative holding a Country Walkers sign meets you as you exit the baggage claim area. A complimentary small-group transfer will be provided to your Madrid hotel, approximately 30 minutes away. The remainder of the day is at your leisure (no meals included).
If you are going to be delayed meeting our transfer representative for more than 15 minutes due to delayed or lost luggage, please let our Airport staff or representative know by calling or sending a text message to +39 334 221 88 93. Our drivers are generally able to wait for up to 45 minutes from the time your flight lands, after which you would be responsible for your own transfer. You may also contact Allianz Global Assistance to advise of your delay and they will contact our transfer service.
Please note: If you arrive early, your hotel room may not be available until 2:00 p.m., in which case you may store your luggage with the reception desk.
Country Walkers provides you with City Information including recommendations on what to see and do in Madrid during your stay.
Accommodation: NH Paseo del Prado Hotel, Madrid
Enjoy your first full day of independent exploration in Spain’s capital. Your hotel is conveniently located on the Paseo del Prado, within the “Golden Triangle of Art” comprising three art museums: the Prado Museum, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (a modern art museum) and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, which is housed in the renovated Villahermosa Palace.
After visiting the museums in your neighborhood, you may wish to continue walking to the Royal Palace (Palacio Real), the official residence of the Spanish royal family, or the nearby Teatro Real, featuring a restored Opera House. Tonight, try one of the many renowned restaurants in this gastronomic capital.
Accommodation: NH Paseo del Prado Hotel, Madrid
Included Meals: Breakfast
Transfer to Madrid’s airport today for your hour-long flight to Bilbao. Upon arrival at Bilbao Airport, claim your luggage. Please make certain your Country Walkers luggage tags are affixed to your bag so your Country Walkers representative can identify you. As you enter the arrival hall, look for your Country Walkers representative holding a Country Walkers sign. Please wait here while your representative helps make arrangements for your transfer to your hotel in Bilbao (a drive of approximately 20 – 30 minutes).
Accommodation: NH Collection Villa de Bilbao, Bilbao
Included Meals: Breakfast

2021 Post-Tour Extension - San Sebastian
- Two nights at the Hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra in seaview rooms
- Daily buffet breakfast
- City Information
- Airport transfers
2 Nights From $548
per person, double occupancy
Single Supplement: From $498
Your hotel’s location allows multiple options for exploring San Sebastián on foot. You may want to venture inland to what is considered the “romantic area” of San Sebastián. Cross the Santa Catalina Bridge, walk along the Paseo de Francia with its stately French-style mansions, and enjoy the elegant Cristina-Enea Park. You may also visit Bilbao Square, whose circular shape breaks away from the more rationalistic side streets. No matter which neighborhood you choose to wander, you will not be disappointed by San Sebastián’s architecture. Lunch and dinner are on your own tonight.
Accommodation: Hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra, San Sebastián
Included Meals: Breakfast
Continue your exploration of San Sebastián with a tour of its museums. The San Telmo Museum located in the Old Town is housed in a 16th-century convent. This building has been transformed into the current Museum of Basque Society and Citizenship with a focus on the Basque culture through its archaeological, ethnographic, and artistic collections along with audiovisual features of today’s top Basque creators. The Palacio del Mar, or Aquarium, is one of the most modern in Europe and may be of interest for marine enthusiasts.
This evening, enjoy your last night in the Basque Country with a celebratory dinner at one of San Sebastián’s superb gastronomic restaurants.
Accommodation: Hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra, San Sebastián
Included Meals: Breakfast
A complimentary transfer (approximately 60 minutes) is provided to Bilbao Airport based upon your departure time. (Transfer time to be communicated by your guides while on tour.)
Included Meals: Breakfast
Expert Local Guides
Experience your destination like an insider with people who call it home.

Itziar Uriarte
Itziar Uriarte was born in Bilbao and earned a degree in Travel and Tourism Management from the University of Deusto. After years working in tourism in various capacities as well as time spent with non-governmental organizations in South America and Africa, Itziar returned to the Basque Country, where she splits her time between France and Spain and where she loves to teach guests about her native region’s gastronomy. Her favorite escape is to her small home in a peaceful village in the La Rioja wine region. When not enjoying the quiet in La Rioja, Itziar likes to spend her free time hiking, biking, surfing, swimming, dancing, and going out for pinxtos (Basque tapas) with friends.

Luis Rejon
Luis Rejon Ruiz was born in Cordoba, raised in Sevilla, and studied sociology in Granada. He spent time living in Belgium and traveled throughout Europe before returning to Spain, where he began his career in tourism-first working in a wine museum and then in several restaurants before he settled into hotel management. His career took one more turn when he decided to dedicate himself to overseeing his family’s organic farm, which produces olive oil and has a small vineyard. When he’s not guiding or working on the farm, you can find Luis out in nature enjoying a good hike before he returns home to put together a home cooked meal (most likely paired with his farm’s wine, of course).

Txaro Azkue
Txaro Azkue was born in the Basque Country, raised in upstate New York, and spent her summers in Hondarribia, where her grandparents lived. At the age of 17, she fell in love–not only with the town but also with a handsome, young Basque man! After high school, Txaro returned to Europe and her love of languages and adventure took her to Paris where she taught English for seven years until she decided it was time to settle down and return to Spain. Since 1988, she’s been running her own language school teaching English to children, teenagers, and adults. In 2001 she discovered a new passion-leading tours and proudly sharing her love of the surrounding landscape and her knowledge of the ancient Basque customs and traditions with guests from around the world.
Be the First to Get News & Special Offers
0 of 4
Tours Selected