Max group size: 18

Itinerary

Day 1

Private transfer from the San Sebastián airport to your hotel in the center of town. You will have time for a stroll along San Sebastián’s famed La Concha beach. As evening falls, your guide picks you up for a private pintxos (tapas) tour in the atmospheric Old Town.

Day 2

Today you will explore Basque cuisine in a venue usually closed to outsiders.

Basque men gather at Sociedades gastronómicas to cook, eat, drink, sing and socialize. Until recently women were excluded from the “cooking societies”. These clubs have nurtured the Basque culinary traditions, resulting in the current proliferation of top restaurants in and around San Sebastián. It is estimated that over 160 Sociedades gastronómicas co-exist in the area.

We are priviledged to offer you private access to the most prestigious gastronomic society of them all. Accompanied by your guide and translator you will enter and learn about the society from the inside.

Your host and instructor is a young accomplished chef working in his native city. He is often called upon to cook lunches and dinners for San Sebastián’s elite. You will spend the morning cooking traditional dishes and discussing Basque cuisine. Once prepared, you will enjoy the lunch you have made accompanied by local wines in the Sociedad’s very egalitarian and modest dining area.

The evening is at your leisure. You may choose to dine at one of the seven Michelin-starred restaurants here, including Akelare, Arzak, and Martín Berasategui.

Day 3

Full-day excursion to La Rioja, Spain’s premier wine region, with a private guide. You will enjoy traditional riojan cooking for lunch, and return to San Sebastián in time for a dinner of pintxos or dinner at one of the many outstanding restaurants.

Day 4

Coastal walk. Walk from the heart of San Sebastián to the fishing village of Pasajes de San Juan. As you climb Monte Ulia, your views of the city and the surroundings become increasingly glorious. From the stunning views of the city below and the mountains on the horizon, you’ll then turn away from the city and follow a picturesque route that hugs the rugged coastline and which remains surprisingly unspoiled. You’ll pass a striking area of rocky cliffs inhabited by seagulls and our guide will point out medieval ruins and the remnants of defense posts that were carved out of the rock during the War of Spanish succession in the 19th century.

After a little over 3 miles, you’ll come to La Plata Lighthouse. Head down to Pasajes de San Juan, a large fishing harbor where your walk finishes. You either take a taxi back to San Sebastián with your guide or take the boat across the short stretch of water to Pasajes de San Juan and enjoy a picnic lunch or lunch in a restaurant with views overlooking the water.

Pasajes de San Juan is an attractive town with a cluster of 18th and 19th century houses near the channel to the sea. It was here that Victor Hugo spent the summer of 1843 writing his Voyage aux Pyrenees.

Day 5

Private transfer to airport.

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