Adventure and History
The Basque Country sits in the green north of Spain on the Atlantic coast, straddling over into France. Known locally as Euskadi or País Vasco, they have their own language, their own culinary traditions (recognized by Michelin granting stars to over 30 restaurants), and incredibly beautiful geography. For these reasons alone we should visit, but once you learn of their passion for combining the convivial act of dining with the best quality ingredients, well, there’s no turning back.
basque, Spain
Dates - October 4-12, 2025
Travelers - 12
Price - $11,000 Per Person
Who?
The trip is designed for experienced travelers with adventurous spirits and a passion for great food that is still made the way it was done hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago—food that is deeply connected to the people and culture of the place. Our guests are adults of all ages, and share a spirit of openness and a desire to experience a cuisine and culture that may be very new to us. And, our guests need to enjoy walking.
We keep the group small—up to 15 guests traveling with an experienced host from Zingerman’s, plus our local guides!
What’s Included?
Amazing food – almost all breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.
We will enjoy traditional regional specialties made with local, fresh ingredients.
Behind-the-scenes visits with artisanal producers and local farmers, and cooking demonstrations.
A Zingerman’s tour host and our guides, who will be at your disposal at all times.
Our own private bus transportation.
Hotel accommodations for 8 nights.
What’s not included?
Airfare
Alcoholic beverages (other than beverages with dinner or when they are specifically included in the itinerary)
Personal spending money
What about accommodations?
We will be staying in four different hotels over the course of the tour. They will range from lovely rustic comfort to city grandeur. All have private bathrooms. Most have Wifi.
SAMPLE Itinerary*
Day 1
bilbao
October 4
We will meet up on the first day at our hotel for introductions. (We highly recommend that guests fly in a day or two early to get adjusted to the time zone, and visit some of the wonderful sites of Bilbao.) Then head to a cooking class at the Central Market of Bilbao to prepare Pintxos (the Basque version of tapas) and have lunch. We will then have a leisurely guided walking tour of old Bilbao to get our bearings and some historical context. Afterwards we will enjoy a welcome dinner together.
After breakfast at our hotel, we will head just outside of Bilbao to visit a Txakoli winery and its vineyards, and enjoy lunch at the winery restaurant. In the afternoon upon returning to Bilbao you will have some free time for strolling Bilbao before meeting up for evening pintxos in Bilbao.
Day 2
Bilbao
October 5
After breakfast at the hotel we’ll take a picturesque drive further into the mountains to El Ciego. On the way we will stop to visit Salinas de Añana with lunch. Back on the bus El Ciego to our hotel and dinner.
Day 3
Bilboa
Salinas de Añana
El Ciego
October 6
Today we are heading to San Vicente de la Sonsierra. There we will visit Sierra Cantabria winery. After lunch at nearby restaurant will visit their other winery. Before we head back to El Ciego we will stop for pintxos in San Vicente.
Day 4
el Ciego
San Vicente de la sonsierra
October 7
Today we are leaving the mountains and headed back to the sea. On the way we will visit an important market, which plays a strong role in the economy of the whole area and is filled with all kinds of local foods. Then we will visit an award-winning sheep creamery for some delicious cheese and a lesson on cheese-making, and to learn about sheepdogs and sheep herding. Then onward to enjoy an extremely traditional Basque product – hard cider! We will have a lovely lunch at the sidrería and sampling some of the finest cider the Basque region has to offer. Afterward, we will head to the beautiful city of San Sebastian in the late afternoon for our three night stay. As per our custom, we will offer a stroll for pintxos in the evening, focused tonight on the San Sebastian traditional style.
Day 5
El Ceigo
San Sebastian
October 8
Day 6
San Sebastian
October 9
Today, we will be learning about the “alubia negra de Tolosa” – the black beans of Tolosa, much beloved by the Basques. We will visit the growers, and spend time with a local chef learning how to prepare a traditional dish from these famous beans, which we then get to enjoy for lunch. After returning to the hotel you have time explore or rest before a stroll for pintxos in the evening.
Spain is known around the world for the top quality of its tinned seafood, and today we will visit perhaps the most famous producer—Ortiz, in the nearby town of Ondarroa. We will learn about their processes. Then we head inland to visit a txakoli winery and have lunch! And then back to San Sebastian for a city walk and pintxos.
Day 7
Ondarroa
San Sebastian
October 10
You have the morning free to roam and pack for our return to Bilbao. We board the bus around noon, but will stop for lunch at the edge of San Sebastian at a highly rated, yet classic restaurant. Once we return to Bilbao you will have free time to stroll in the evening, and then we will meet up for pintxos, to try a different set of places from the first night. We will say our farewells tonight, in case some of us don’t cross paths at breakfast in the morning.
Day 8
San Sebastian
bilbao
October 11
Breakfast in the hotel; some of us will be leaving today, and others may be staying on for further explorations.
Day 9
bilbao
October 12
*One thing to note: this itinerary is a SAMPLE and things may change. We will make every effort to provide the tours and experiences that are described above. However, the nature of the places we’ll be visiting, not typical tourist destinations, means that plans may change.
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