Basque Cuisine and the Cantabrian Coast
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 0 User Reviews 6 Days / 5 San Sebastian On Request Nights Best Rate.00€
On this culinary trip we will be based in San Sebastian, one of the most elegant cities of Spain, centre of the new Basque cuisine. From In nearby Bilbao we visit the impressive Guggenheim museum...
General Overview
Country: Spain Type: Private Group Tour
Region: Basque Country Theme: Culinary and Cooking Holidays
City: San Sebastian Group Size: 4 to 6+ People
Duration: 6 Days / 5 Nights Price from: €
Introduction
There is much more to Spain than the topic of the flamenco, bullfights and paella!!! There is the North, green Spain, the Spain of lush green pastures and Atlantic coastal fishing villages and, to many, one of the great gastronomic regions of Europe. The restaurants of San Sebastian, for example, bear more Michelin stars per head of population than Paris.
From the rich treasures of 19th century architecture to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, already a fixture on the international cultural map, the itinerary has been designed to show you the most important aspects of each of the two cities visited - San Sebastian and Bilbao- while allowing you ample free time to rest or make your own discoveries. The Basque Country is historically unique; its traditions, customs, culture and its language, Euskera, are all unlike any other region of Spain.
Our six days/five nights journey starts in San Sebastian, one of the most elegant cities in Spain and the gastronomic capital of the Basque Country. You will enjoy cooking and eating at a "Sociedad Gastronomica" (Gastronomic Society), visit a txacoli winery and the fishing town of Guetaria. One cooking lesson at San Sebastian will provide you with a quite a good introduction to famous Basque Cuisine. We journey further west to Bilbao, where you will visit the magnificent Frank Ghery Guggenheim Museum and the biggest food market in Europe, before our departure for home.
Day by day itinerary DAY 1: SAN SEBASTIAN - Arrival in San Sebastian. Called Donostia in Basque language, it is the capital of the province of Gipuzkoa, and extends like a string of pearls around the Bay of Biscay. - Transfer from the airport to the elegant 19th Century four star hotel in front of La Concha beach. - After the check-in, free time to rest or to walk along La Concha beach and the Old Quarter (Casco Viejo). - Dinner will be at a selected restaurant specializing in traditional Basque cuisine, which revolves around exquisite fish and seafood - especially hake, salt cod, spider crab, and baby eels. Overnight in San Sebastian. D
DAY 2: SAN SEBASTIAN - Breakfast - Morning Cooking Session at a "Sociedad Gastronómica" (Gastronomic Society), some of them are still men-only cooking clubs (although not this one, fortunately!) where Basques share their good humor, songs and kitchen wisdom, as they have done for centuries. - Lunch will follow. - Visit to San Sebastian, a sophisticated city of great beauty and elegance, with a cultural, social, and gastronomic importance exceeding its size by far. The undeniable glamour of the city is charmed by the local colour of its small fishing port. - Free time. - Pintxos (Tapas in Basque) tour for dinner: a gastronomic route through our choice of Pintxos Bars in the city. - Overnight in San Sebastian. B, L, D
DAY 3: SAN SEBASTIAN - GUETARIA - SAN SEBASTIAN - Breakfast - Morning excursion along the panoramic coastal route to Guetaria - Visit to the town and its very lively port, full of local colour. Guetaria is mainly known for its Txakoli (Basque white wine), one of the worlds best seafood wines. - You will visit a Txacoli winery. - Lunch will be at one of the traditional fish bars in the port of Guetaria. - Back to San Sebastian, evening free. - Overnight in San Sebastian. B, L
DAY 4: SAN SEBASTIAN - BILBAO - Breakfast - Transfer to Bilbao, financial center of the Basque country and home of the spectacular Guggenheim Bilbao Museum, "the building of the century." - Check-in at a five star hotel, conveniently located facing the Museum. Of elegant and contemporary interior design, it contains a selection of furniture that represents the most emblematic design from the 20th century. - Visit to the food market, the biggest in Europe, where you will enjoy the aromas and colors of the amazingly varied regional food offer. - Lunch free. - Afternoon visit along the narrow streets of Bilbaos Old Town or Casco Viejo which give off an age-old atmosphere. Free time to rest or, you may consider visiting the impressive art collection of the local Museo de Bellas Artes. - For dinner, Pintxos tour. In Bilbao, pintxos are less sophisticated, more straight-forward than those of San Sebastian, but the festive atmosphere is the same in both cities. - Overnight in Bilbao. B, D
DAY 5: BILBAO - Breakfast - Visit to the spectacular Guggenheim Museum, located right in front of your hotel. - Farewell lunch at the Museum restaurant, directed by one of the most brilliant young chefs in Spain who has trained with 3 Michelin starred chef Martin Berasategui. The cuisine is modern but deeply rooted in Basque traditional cooking and pays special attention to the quality of the ingredients. One of the main specialities here is cod fish, prepared in Bilbao like nowhere else in Spain. - Free time for shopping, doing some exploring on your own, or just having a rest. - Overnight in Bilbao. B, L
DAY 6: BILBAO - Breakfast - Transfer to Bilbao airport B
END OF TOUR SERVICES
Included THE TOUR INCLUDES: - 5 Nights in selected Historic Hotels with private bathroom - Transfers where specified in itinerary - Tour Director accompanying the group for the duration of the tour - Local Step-on guides to also help illustrate the beauty of historic cities - Welcome drink in the hotel - (B) Breakfast Daily except day of arrival - (L) 3 lunches typical product of the areas with a selection Spanish wines - (D) 3 dinner including Spanish wine - 1 Cooking Lesson based on Basque cuisine - Visits and Admissions specified itinerary - Local Taxes - Detailed tour information
THE TOUR DOES NOT INCLUDE: - Airfare - Transfers not specified in the itinerary - Entrance fees not specified in the itinerary - Beverages not specified in selected meals - Meals not specified in itinerary - Laundry Expenses - Telephone & Facsimile charges - Excess Baggage charges - Passport & Visa fees - Personal & Travel Insurance - Airport & Departure Taxes - Optional excursions - Room Service - Tips & Gratuities to Tour Director and driver
Lodging
OVERNIGHTS HOTEL HIGHLIGHT: 3 SAN SEBASTIAN HISTORIC HOTEL HOTEL DE LONDRES Y DE 2 BILBAO INGLATERRA 4* HISTORIC HOTEL FACING LA CONCHA BAY Turn-of-the-last-century charm, dating from the time when this city became a fashionable resort. Directly facing La Concha Bay, it has just completed an extensive renovation. At present the Hotel de Londres has 131 double bedrooms, 5 single bedrooms and 12 suites, all fully refurbished in 1999. Enjoy all the city´s charms on simply crossing the door of your hotel to the beach. Lounges looking out over the Concha bay and Promenade. In the buffet of the Brasserie Mari Galant you`ll find a wide offer of fresh, seasonal greens, salads and creams, as well as our delicious grilled fishes and meats. And your younger children we`ve prepared a children´s menu.