From CAD 3,110 Was CAD 3,490
Guarantee
Small Group
Easy
Rating
(10 reviews)
Experience Overview
Soak up the slow-paced Spanish way of life on this tour from the Basque country to Barcelona. Explore Bilbao's cobbled old town, discover the famous pintxos bars in San Sebastian and sip rich-red Rioja in the medieval walled village of Laguardia. Finish up in Barcelona, sampling tapas, marvelling at Gaudi's fantasy-style architecture and sipping a vermouth or two.
San Sebastian - Discover the beaches, bars and restaurants of this pretty seaside town, world-famous for its first-class restaurants.
Rioja - Sample wine in Laguardia, a medieval walled village overlooking rolling vineyards.
Montserrat - Explore the mountain-top monastery and soak in the panoramic views of Catalonia.
Highlights
Soak up the Spanish way of life on this tour through the Basque country|Discover the wines of the famous Rioja region|Spend the night in Montserrat and explore its famous mountain top monastery
Trip Details
Product Code: 20446
Tour Type: Small Group
Accommodation: Moderate
Transport: BusOn FootTaxiTrain
Guide Language: English
Supplier Code: MBB
Starts: Spain
Finishes: Spain
Duration: 8 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical rating:
Easy
Includes
- Explore Tour Leader
- Driver(s)
Accommodation
- Hotel Barcelo Nervion
- Hotel Maissonave
- Hotel Catalonia El Pilar
- Hotel Abad Cisneros
- Amrey Sant Pau
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD 3110 (CAD 389 /day)
Itinerary
Our tour begins today in Bilbao. A port city with an industrial past, tucked into a lush corner of northeast Spain and surrounded by rolling green countryside, Bilbao is the largest and most culturally dynamic city in the Basque region. For those arriving on time, our tour leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 6pm for the welcome meeting followed by an included drink before dinner. There are no activities planned today, so you're free to arrive in Bilbao at any time. If you wish to visit the world famous Guggenheim museum, this is open until 7pm. This architectural marvel designed by Frank Gehry, showcases contemporary and modern art and has a unique titanium-clad structure and diverse exhibits making it a must-see for many visiting this part of Spain. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive at Bilbao Airport (BIO), which is around a 20-minute drive from the hotel. Should you miss the meeting, our tour leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up.
After breakfast, we drive towards San Sebastian stopping first in the coastal town of Getaria, famous for its anchovies where we visit a fishery to learn about the importance of this small fish to the local community and how to can anchovies in the traditional way. Continue to San Sebastian where we spend the day exploring this marvellous city. San Sebastian, known locally as Donostia, has long been one of the most famous tourist destinations in Spain, characterized by its superb cuisine. After arriving, we head first to Monte Urgull to get our bearings and stretch our legs. This hill on the headland looms above the old town and we discover the stone remains of a castle and some fine viewpoints. Back in the old town we explore a maze of grand architecture and pedestrianised alleys littered with quality bars, restaurants and smart shops. It does not take long for the famous Pintxos bars to fill with locals and you may see some of them drinking Txakoli - a popular white wine, naturally effervescent with moderate alcohol and natural acidity - in tall, flat-bottomed glasses. The tour leader will make some suggestions for lunch and you may choose a Txakoli tasting with some selected Pintxos. This afternoon, you can explore the old town some more, chill by the beach or we recommend joining the tour leader for a walking tour. Walk the promenade of the Playa de la Concha around the picturesque sweep of golden sand beach, passing surfers until you reach three of Eduardo Chillida's wonderful abstract sculptures being battered by the elements with fine views back across the bay. A nearby funicular ride up and down Monte Igueldo offers superb views of San Sebastian from a classic viewpoint. At the end of a rewarding day, we return to Bilbao for the evening.
This morning, we travel south by charter bus to La Rioja Alavesa, a Basque corner of the Ebro Valley that has a long tradition of producing quality Rioja wines. Our first stop this morning is at a local bodega to learn more about modern life as a wine producer in Rioja and a chance to try some of the famous wines. Some vineyards have chosen modern, striking architecture and we plan to make photo stops outside two of the most emblematic bodegas in the whole region - Ysios (designed by Calatrava) and Marques de Riscal (Gehry). We stop in the village of Laguardia around lunchtime. This hilltop village dates back beyond the Romans to the Celts, and became an important medieval fortress whose walls still stand today. It is also a key player in the Rioja wine trade, the perfect place to enjoy a glass with your meal. After a short drive we then arrive at The Church of Saint Mary of Eunate, a 12th-century Romanesque church known for its unique octagonal plan and surrounding cloister with 33 arches. It is also located on the Camino de Santiago or St. James Way, an ancient Christian pilgrimage route that leads to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia and the final resting place of Saint James. We plan to join the pilgrim route this morning from Obanos village and walk a short 2 to 3km section of the camino to Puente La Reina, a town heavily influenced by the Pilgrim's route and devotees have been crossing its medieval five-arched bridge since the 14th century. We finish our day in Pamplona, a city with a rich history dating back to the Romans.
We have some free time this morning to explore Pamplona, before journeying through the proudly independent region of Navarra stopping at places of interest and finally into Aragon. We aim to leave in time to arrive in the historic town of Olite around lunchtime. We visit the luxurious royal residence and castle that King Carlos III of Navarre built in the 14th and 15th century. Part of the old palace is now a Parador hotel and the whole complex was restored in the 1900s after fire damage. Olite is the wine capital of Navarra and the surrounding countryside is largely dedicated to producing wine. Travelling onwards, we cross into Aragon and finally reach Zaragoza. The significant influence of the Moors is here wonderfully illustrated by the numerous examples of Mudejar architecture, though the city goes back to Roman times when it was known as Caesaraugusta, the traces of which can be seen throughout the city. There's time on arrival for an orientation walk to learn about the city, including seeing the impressive El Pilar cathedral.
After breakfast, we drive towards Catalonia where we first stop in the municipality of Agramunt, famous for its chocolate making. There, we visit a traditional chocolate maker and have the opportunity to discover and taste the artisan elaboration of stone-made chocolate. After lunch, we continue our journey by bus to one of Catalonia's most beautiful areas, and one of the most holy places for Catalan Christians, Montserrat. Montserrat is renowned for its distinctive rock formations, stunning landscapes, and the famous Benedictine abbey which is nearly 1000 years old. Located on top of the mountain, we take a journey on the rack railway to reach the monastery and our hotel for the night. The train winds its way through the mountain's unique skyline, offering spectacular views. Through the panoramic windows the surrounding landsacpe unfolds as we climb from Monistrol to Montserrat. Not only is Montserrat Monastery of significant religious importance but the natural beauty surrounding the monastery is simply breathtaking. The afternoon is left free to explore the monastery and its surrounding hills. If you are lucky, you might see the Escolania Choir - one of the oldest boys' choirs in Europe.
After breakfast, we continue our journey to our final destination, Barcelona. We leave Montserrat and drive for approximatively one hour. After dropping off our luggage at the hotel, we take a walking tour through the narrow and winding back streets of the Gothic Quarter, the offbeat and fashionable El Born neighbourhood and the seaside neighbourhood of La Barceloneta. We will try to take in some of the historical covered food markets so you have the chance to try some local specialties to whet your appetite before lunch. This rest of the afternoon is left free to explore the city. We recommend a visit to Gaudi's Park Guell. Park Güell is an enormous garden with distinct architectural elements designed by the renowned Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudí.
Today's highlight for many is an included guided visit to one of Gaudi's most famous works - La Sagrada Familia. Construction on this unique and enormous Basilica started in 1882 and continues to this day. Due to the limited availability of entrance tickets we will arrange our day around our entrance slot. There will be a walking tour through the Eixample neighbourhood, home to the majority of Barcelona's Modernisme art nouveau masterpieces, until we reach the grand Placa d'Espanya. From here we take the metro up to Montjuic hill for fine views over the city, ending our walk back in the old quarter near the Rambla.
The trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Barcelona. There are no activities planned today, so you're free to depart at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to depart from Barcelona-El Prat Josep Tarradellas Airport (BCN), which is around a 30-45 minute drive away.
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Tour Operator
Explore Worldwide
A prominent adventure travel company with over four decades of experience, this business that offers a comprehensive array of unique and thrilling experiences worldwide. Catering to various interests, they provide small group journeys, walking and cycling trips, solo holidays, and family adventures.
In Business Since 1981
Reviews
Anonymous - Traveled, May 2025
The tour was really good, went to quite interesting places. Occasionally it would have been good to have had a little more free time in the towns and cities when the museums, art galleries and shops were still open- i.e. not just arrive at a place at say 5-6pm, then leave after breakfast the next day. Our leader, Cybelle , was excellent-organised, informative, friendly, fun.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/15/2025
Cliff - Traveled, September 2024
The itinerary spells out what you are in for and the trip delivers it. However, some tweaks would make this even better. Starting at Madrid and only being one night there before a 5 hour early morning train ride to Bilbao may not be the greatest start. Either have more time in Madrid as part of an extra tour or come earlier by yourself. Madrid is not really “Northern Spain” so maybe start the trip in Bilbao which is great. One negative is arriving in Bilbao on the Monday which is the day the Guggenheim Museum is closed. This is all stated in the itinerary so you know what you sign up for, BUT I believe the trip would be better served by having time to go in if you so wish. There are other great spots of interest in N. Spain - Zumaia, with interesting rock formations and Game of Thrones film location for example. Montserrat was wonderful but again timings made for late arrival and lack of time to grab the funicular up to the high peaks … more time could be allocated here. However, you do get a grand sweep of the area, see many interesting sites and try various wines and foods which literally give you a good flavour of the region. The guide does give good insights into where the “locals” go and she was very keen and enthusiastic. Enjoyable, but personally the frequent changes of hotel, whilst inevitable, were a bit of a drag, but then things a whistle stop tour. Good for an oversight of the region.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/06/2024
Robert & Hilary S.hepherd - Traveled, September 2024
The trip could be improved by giving longer in some places (Madrid & Zaragoza) and less time to others (chocolate factory) The trip got to places which would not have been possible in a similar time on one's own. Having been on so many Explore holidays in the past, walking and camping, we were surprised by the time imperative and a constant feeling that we were clock-watching.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/14/2024
Emily - Traveled, October 2024
Overall this trip included a lot of great stops but has a couple places it could be improved. I especially enjoyed the day in San Sebastian, the chocolate/nougat tasting, and the La Sagrada Familia visit. However, it seemed that a couple stops were more filler with not much time to really look at anything. I could have skipped Pamplona and Zaragoza in favor of more time in Montserrat or San Sebastian. Overall, the tour was a good mix of planned activities and time "on your own". The hotels were good (except for the one in Laguardia which was great!) and the transportation all went smoothly.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/14/2024
Anonymous - Traveled, October 2024
I really enjoyed this trip although starting in Madrid for one night meant a 5 hour train journey to Bilbao on day 2. It would be better if the trip started in Bilbao, or extended the trip to allow at least one full day in Madrid. The highlight for me was Monserrat. I also enjoyed seeing the countryside of Northern Spain as we travelled between the towns/cities. Ending in Barcelona was lovely - it was amazing to see the Sagrada Familia and the guided tour (inside and outside) was wonderful. We were also fortunate to see the Americas Cup while in Barcelona.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/10/2024
Susan - Traveled, October 2024
A very enjoyable trip. The Explore Leader was well organised and very knowledgeable about the area. She was also very approachable if we had any questions. There were just 7 in the group which was a good number, we could always sit together at meals etc which made it more sociable. The sites we visited were very interesting ie Sagrada Familia, Guggenheim Museum, Laguardia etc.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/13/2024
Anonymous - Traveled, May 2024
Really enjoyed the tour. Itinerary needs a reshuffle as you get no time in Madrid and the Guggenheim is closed on the Monday you’re in Bilbao. But you still get to see and experience some marvellous trips, etc. over the 10 days. My tour was particularly successful owing to the presence of a fantastic tour guide / leader.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/11/2024
Alasdair - Traveled, May 2024
This was a good tour. It fulfilled my ambition of seeing more of Spain. There were many highlights including Bilbao, Rioja, Pamplona, Monserrat, and Barcelona. There were problems with the itinerary -There should have been two nights in Madrid. Arriving in Bilbao on the day that the Guggenheim was closed was not a good idea.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/09/2024
Anonymous - Traveled, June 2024
Itinerary could have been better designed. There should be dedicated one single bus for the entire trip. Travel of group of 15 by different taxis is cumbersome. Hotels should invariably have hot water kettle in room. There should be local guide for every city. One tour leader can not possibly have good familiarity with so many cities. The local guide for Sangrada familia was extremely knowledgeable and it made all the difference to the experience. There should be formal introduction of all group members on the first day and names and contact details of all may be shared on day 1, after checking with each one if they don’t want to share. In a busy place like La Rambla, the tour leader should hold a unique flag so that all members of the group can follow her comfortably. Homogeneous group of people can be put into similar group so as to make group tour more enjoyable.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/10/2024
Richard - Traveled, May 2024
A very enjoyable and comfortable trip through northern Spain, expertly and enthusiastically led by the Explore tour leader. Madrid, Bilbao, LaGuardia and the Rioja bodegas, Zaragoza, Montserrat and Barcelona all wonderful.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/08/2024
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