16 small-group food tours in 12 destinations

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A cook pouring oil over a whole turbot on a charcoal grill in Getaria

FF04 · The Basque Country · 6 days · moderate pace

Basque Country food tour: pintxos, cider houses and txakoli

Six days of pintxos, cider houses, txakoli and grilled fish, San Sebastián to Bilbao

See dates and pricesDay by day

From $3,890 per person, shared double room

  • Hold your seat with a $300 deposit, by card or bank transfer
  • Balance due 60 days before departure
  • One free change of date or tour up to 45 days before
  • Next date Jan 13, 2027: guaranteed

Questions? [email protected], Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:30 Eastern. Booking terms

Turbot on the grill, Getaria

Key facts

Length
6 days, 5 nights
Starts in
San Sebastián
Ends in
Bilbao
Group size
12 guests at most
Minimum age
18; drinks 18 and over
Pace
Moderate, 3 of 5
Tastings
26 tastings, plus 5 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners
Tour code
FF04

Overview

What to expect on this Basque Country food tour

Three nights in San Sebastián for La Bretxa market, a pintxos evening in the old town and a cooking class, a dinner at an Astigarraga cider house, grilled turbot and txakoli in Getaria, then two nights in Bilbao for La Ribera market and bacalao al pil-pil.

The Basque Country eats better per square mile than almost anywhere in Europe, and it does it without much ceremony. Bars in San Sebastián line their counters with pintxos at lunchtime and again in the evening, cider houses in the hills pour straight from the barrel, and the fishing towns grill whole fish over charcoal on the street. Nearly everything starts with the market and the boats.

This tour spends three nights in San Sebastián, with a market morning at La Bretxa, a hands-on class at a cooking school and a guided pintxos evening in the Parte Vieja. A short drive inland is Astigarraga, the cider capital, where the cider house dinner is cod omelette, rib steak and Idiazabal with quince and walnuts. On the way west we stop in Getaria for txakoli among the vineyards and a turbot cooked whole on the parrilla, then finish with two nights in Bilbao, the bigger, plainer city with the largest covered market in the region.

Ane Etxeberria, who was born in San Sebastián, hosts every departure. January to April departures fall in txotx season, when the new cider is poured from the barrels; May, September and October bring the best of the fish and the vineyards.

More on the destination: The Basque Country: San Sebastián and Bilbao food tours. Tour categories: Cider, Sake & Spirits, Seafood Coasts, Barbecue & Grill, Street Food & Markets.

Read first: San Sebastián pintxos: how to order, pay and drink txakoli

Guests raising cider over salt cod omelet and rib steak at an Astigarraga cider house
Cider house table, Astigarraga

What you will taste

26 tastings on this Basque Country food tour

Tasting portions at the markets, producers, cellars and kitchens on the route, on top of the meals listed. Dishes follow the season, so one or two can change from date to date.

Drinks
Getariako Txakolina, natural Basque cider from the barrel, Rioja Alavesa reds and a zurito of beer. Alcohol is poured only for guests 18 and over, the legal drinking age in Spain, with ID; every pour has a non-alcoholic option.
Diets
Vegetarians eat well in the class and the pintxos bars, but the cider house menu is cod and steak, so expect cheese, salad and peppers there. Gluten-free is easy at the grills and hard at the bread-based pintxos counters. Severe allergies: ask Lena before you book.
  1. 01Hake kokotxas in salsa verdeSan Sebastián
  2. 02Txangurro gratin from the classLa Bretxa market
  3. 03Gildas and pintxos on the counterParte Vieja
  4. 04Salt cod omelette and a bone-in rib steakAstigarraga
  5. 05Idiazabal with quince and walnutsAstigarraga
  6. 06Whole turbot from the charcoal grillGetaria
  7. 07Bacalao al pil-pilBilbao
  8. 08Pintxos around Plaza NuevaCasco Viejo
  9. 09Burnt Basque cheesecakeSan Sebastián

Itinerary

Basque Country food tour itinerary: 6 days, day by day

Day 1 is the arrival day: meet your host at the hotel in the late afternoon. The order of the days can shift with the weather, the harvest or a kitchen that closes early; the places stay the same.

  1. Day1

    Arrive in San Sebastián

    La Concha bay at dawn with swimmers, sailboats and Santa Clara island in San Sebastián

    Transfer from Bilbao airport, about an hour and a quarter, or from San Sebastián airport at Hondarribia, twenty-five minutes. Afternoon free for La Concha beach. Ane meets the group for a welcome dinner in the Gros neighborhood across the river: anchovies from the Cantabrian Sea, grilled peppers and hake in green sauce.

  2. Day2

    La Bretxa market and a class

    Morning at La Bretxa market with Ane: the fish hall, the farm women selling peppers and greens, and the cheese stalls. Then a hands-on class at a cooking school: hake kokotxas in salsa verde, a txangurro gratin and a burnt Basque cheesecake. Lunch is what you cook. Free afternoon, then in the early evening Ane leads a pintxos walk through the Parte Vieja, bar to bar.

  3. Day3

    Hondarribia and the cider house

    A free morning, or a bus to Hondarribia for its painted fishing quarter and the walled town above it. In the late afternoon a fifteen-minute drive to Astigarraga, a walk through the orchard and barrel room, then dinner at a cider house: cod omelette, cod with green peppers, a bone-in rib steak, and Idiazabal with quince and walnuts.

  4. Day4

    Getaria and on to Bilbao

    Blue and red fishing boats in Getaria harbor below the Gothic church and vineyard hills

    Thirty minutes west along the coast to Getaria. A family txakoli winery walks us through vineyards that drop to the sea, with a tasting for guests 18 and over. Lunch at a grill on the harbor: a whole turbot cooked in a basket over charcoal. An hour to Bilbao in the afternoon.

  5. Day5

    Bilbao: La Ribera and pil-pil

    The white La Ribera market hall and a church tower beside the river in Bilbao

    Morning at La Ribera market on the river, then a cook shows how bacalao al pil-pil is made, swirling salt cod in garlic oil until the sauce turns thick, and serves it for lunch. Free afternoon for the Guggenheim. Farewell dinner of pintxos around Plaza Nueva in the Casco Viejo.

  6. Day6

    Depart from Bilbao

    Breakfast at the hotel and the transfer to Bilbao airport, about twenty minutes, arriving around 10:30 am.

Route map of the Basque Country food tour: San Sebastián, Astigarraga, Getaria and Bilbao
The route in order; lines are not exact roads. Base map: Esri, HERE, Garmin, © OpenStreetMap contributors

The route

Route and hotels: San Sebastián and Bilbao

  1. 1San Sebastián
  2. 2Astigarraga
  3. 3Getaria
  4. 4Bilbao

Hotels on the route

San Sebastián3 nights
Boutique hotel in the Centro, a short walk from the Parte Vieja, or similar
Bilbao2 nights
Hotel near the Casco Viejo and the river, or similar

Hotels are listed by class and area; the names come with your confirmation and may be replaced by a hotel of the same standard.

What the price covers

What the Basque Country food tour price includes

One price covers 5 hotel nights, 5 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners and the tastings listed, the tastings and classes in the itinerary, transport on the route and your host.

  • 26 tastings
  • 5 hotel nights
  • 9 items included
  • 6 not included

01

Included in the price

  • 5 nights in central hotels with breakfast daily
  • Welcome dinner, cider house dinner and farewell pintxos dinner
  • Three lunches: the class, the Getaria grill and the pil-pil lunch
  • Hands-on Basque cooking class at a San Sebastián cooking school
  • Guided pintxos evening in the Parte Vieja with all pintxos
  • Market visits at La Bretxa and La Ribera
  • Txakoli winery visit and tasting, cider and wine with meals for guests 18 and over
  • Van with driver and airport transfers at group times
  • Ane Etxeberria or another of our hosts throughout

02

Not included in the price

  • Flights to Bilbao or San Sebastián and home from Bilbao
  • Travel insurance
  • The meals not listed and drinks outside the program
  • Guggenheim Museum entry
  • The bus to Hondarribia on the free morning
  • Tips for your host and driver

Tell Lena about allergies, diets or mobility needs before you book, and we will say honestly whether this tour suits you.

03

Getting there and rooms

Flights are not included, so you can use miles or fly from any airport. Arrive at Bilbao (BIO) or San Sebastián (EAS) by mid-afternoon on day 1 for the group transfer, and fly home from Bilbao (BIO) after midday on the last day.

Single room
+$890
Deposit
$300 per person
Balance
60 days before departure

Dates and prices

Basque Country food tour dates and prices, 2027

7 group departures, 12 seats each. Prices per person in a shared double room; the single room supplement is per person.

All deals
Departure dates, prices and seats for the Basque Country Food Tour tour
DatesLengthPriceSingle roomStatusBook
to 6 days$3,890$890GuaranteedAsk about this date
to 6 days$3,890$890AvailableAsk about this date
to 6 days$3,940$890AvailableAsk about this date
to 6 days$3,990$890GuaranteedAsk about this date
to 6 days$4,040$890AvailableAsk about this date
to 6 days$4,040$890AvailableAsk about this date
to 6 days$3,990$890AvailableAsk about this date
Private date, 6 or more guests6 daysPriced per groupAs bookedYour datesPlan with Grant

Guaranteed means the date runs: at least five guests have booked. Few seats means three or fewer seats are left. A deal price is shown next to the regular price.

Prices per person in US dollars: multi-day tours in a shared double room, flights not included; day tours paid when booked. Deposit $300 per person, balance 60 days before departure, one free change of date or tour up to 45 days before. Booking terms

Before you book

Before you book this Basque Country food tour: honest notes

Pace and walking
Moderate: two to three hours on foot most days, late Spanish dinners and short drives between towns.
Your host
Ane Etxeberria. Ane trained as a cook in San Sebastián and spent ten years behind pintxos counters in the Parte Vieja before she started guiding. She has hosted our Basque tours since the first departure in 2025 and still buys her cheese at La Bretxa. All our hosts
What can change
The order of the days can shift with the weather, a harvest or a kitchen that closes early. A stop of the same kind and value replaces anything that falls through.
Weather
Tours run in all weather. If a storm closes a boat trip or a farm visit, we move it or replace it, and if a serious weather warning stops the tour before it starts, you choose a new date or a full refund.
Arrival and departure
Arrive at Bilbao (BIO) or San Sebastián (EAS), leave from Bilbao (BIO). Transfers are included at the group times on the first and last day.
Drinks and age
Adults only, 18 and over. Alcohol is poured only for guests 18 and over, the legal drinking age in Spain, with ID; every pour has a non-alcoholic option.
Diets and allergies
Vegetarian, pescatarian and gluten-free versions with notice when you book. Tell us about severe allergies first; we will say honestly what we can and cannot promise.
Luggage
One suitcase and a day bag. Leave space for olive oil, coffee or a bottle of wine, and check your home customs rules before you pack cured meat or fresh cheese.

Questions about this tour

Basque Country food tour FAQ

General questions on booking, flights, insurance and luggage are on the main FAQ page.

Ask Lena directly

Lena Ortiz in reservations replies within one working day, Monday to Friday.

What is txotx, and will we see it?

Txotx is the moment the cidermaker opens a tap on a huge barrel and guests catch the stream in their glass. The season runs roughly mid-January to late April, so our February to April departures get it. From May we eat the same menu at a cider house that stays open all year, with bottled cider and a look at the press.

Is this a lot of walking?

About two to three hours a day on foot in San Sebastián and Bilbao, on flat streets in the old towns. The Getaria vineyards are on a slope, but the walk is short.

Can we cook in a txoko, a Basque cooking society?

The txokos are private clubs for members and their guests, so we do not sell visits. Our class is in a professional cooking school, taught by cooks who learned the same dishes at home.

Is there a shorter version?

The San Sebastián Pintxos Walk is three hours in the old town. Book it the day before this tour and the walk is on the house.

Can I join on my own?

Yes. About a third of our guests travel solo. A single room on this tour costs $890 extra, and some dates have no single supplement; we can also try to match you with a roommate.

What if I have a food allergy or a special diet?

Tell Lena when you book. Vegetarian, pescatarian and gluten-free versions are arranged with every kitchen before you arrive; for severe allergies we tell you honestly which stops we can and cannot make safe.

What if I need to cancel or change?

Your $300 deposit holds the seat, the balance is due 60 days before departure, and you can move once to another date or tour free up to 45 days before. The full scale is on the booking terms page.

Should we tip the host?

Tips are welcome but never expected. Guests who want a guideline usually give 10 to 15 US dollars, or the same in local money, per person for a day walk, or per person per day on a multi-day tour; restaurant tips on included meals are already paid.

Dates and seats

Ask about Basque Country food tour dates

Tell us the tour, the date and how many of you are coming. Lena Ortiz in reservations replies within one working day with seats, room options, the total price and any questions about dietary needs.

Lena, Grant and Priya, Charleston

To[email protected]

SubjectThe Basque Country: Pintxos, Cider Houses and Txakoli: dates and seats

Please include

  • Tour: The Basque Country: Pintxos, Cider Houses and Txakoli
  • Date
  • Guests (all 18 or over?)
  • Room type (double, twin or single)
  • Dietary needs or allergies
  • Message
  • Your name, email and a phone number
Write to Lena

Lena Ortiz in reservations replies within one working day. No payment now. A $300 deposit per person holds seats on a multi-day tour; day tours are paid when you book.

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