
Basque Country Vacations
Hiking vacations, road trips & tailormade tours to the Basque Country
Basque Country Vacations
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![]() | Highlights |
Bilbao; San Sebastian; Pamplona; Camino del Norte; Basque Rioja
![]() | Major airport |
Bilbao (can also be Madrid via train to Pamplona)
Good food, good company Market day in Ordizia Golden Guugenheim The oak of Guernica First vineyard view Giants & Big Heads Idiazabal cheese The Bay Running with the bulls Pelota with Xabi
From San Sebastián, Basque Country
Of the many ways to cook cod, the Basque have mastered one that beautifully reflects its culture; bacalao al pil pil. It is simple and honest, with nothing artificial nor overly elaborate. And the slow cooking allows space for the other main characteristic of Basque food… socialising!
Food in Spain is not only about what you eat, but who you eat it with. More than anywhere else, in the Basque country food is an excuse to share.
From Ordizia, Basque Country
In days gone by, for the rural Basque population the weekly visit to the local market was not only to sell and buy, but also to socialise, close deals and learn the latest news.
This joyful ambiance is still felt in today's Basque markets in towns like Gernika, Tolosa or Ordizia. And with colourful peppers, aromatic cheeses and autumnal mushrooms on display, browsing the market is always one of the highlights of any visit to the Basque Country.
From Bilbao, Basque Country
The Guggenheim's exterior has stood the test of time remarkably well. Frank Gehry always said that the dramatic shining silver of the titanium cladding would age slowly and gracefully to exude a more golden glow.
I remember thinking at the time that it would most likely become grubby and neglected-looking. Guess who was right? It wasn’t me. I’ve been seeing the Guggenheim for 16 years and it looks more beautiful each time.
From Guernica, Basque Country
In age, the Sacred Oak of Guernica is not an impressive tree today, the young teenager that he is... But like the Basque culture, the tree has a strong character rooted in is history and its values.
Traditionally, the oak of Guernica was were the Medieval lords of Vizcaya would swear to respect the local rights and traditions, something that has extended along the centuries to represent the freedom and traditions of the Basque culture. It's a symbolism strengthend by the oak surviving the infamous bombing of the village on a market morning of 1936.
From Basque Rioja
I remember walking up and over a forested ridge from Navarre into La Rioja. Literally, as you go over the crest of the hills, the landscape switches and you suddenly look down over sun-soaked vineyards rolling over the sides of the valley below.
It’s a memorable view, made sweeter by the tingle of anticipation for the food and wine waiting in the pretty hilltop town of Laguardia.
From Pamplona, Navarre
Pamplona's Running of the Bulls is no longer the rite of passage that it was for me. Now I prefer watching the Sanfermines de la Mañana, when the tourists are asleep.
Giants dance to traditional folk melodies and Big Heads run behind young children, just as they ran behind me, preparing me for the bulls. Parents still hang their children's dummies around the Europeo giant's sword to show they don’t need them anymore, just as mine did.
From the Aralar hills, Basque Country
The shepherd, his dog and his flock of latxa sheep remains an iconic Basque image. Both the dogs and the sheep are still protected breeds. The dogs still take part in contests and the flocks still pasture in the hills. All to create the local cheeses, of which Idiazabal is my favourite.
It's a beautifully creamy ewes’ milk cheese, reminiscent of Manchego but far smoother and richer. I love it even more when washed down with a refreshing cider.
From San Sebastián, Basque Country
A beautiful sweep of white sands, a turquoise blue ocean, gently bobbing yachts and lush green vegetation all watched over by a dominating statue of Christ.
For a minute I thought I had stumbled back to Rio de Janeiro. But we are still in Spain, in stunning San Sebastián in the Bay of Biscay, looking down the over the Concha beach from Monte Igueldo on a crisp September morning. I can't wait to go and have a look around.
From Pamplona, Navarre
Eight days of terror, every year. Yet in every group there'd be one who kept running - the prestigious corredor. That was me. Because amid the fear, without knowing how, something changes...
Instead of separating from the pack, you begin to run ahead of it. You look straight into the eyes of a 600kg bull, just a metre or so behind you, and sense that they consider you another member of the pack - a human with a magical connection with beasts.
From San Sebastián, Basque Country
Xabier Etxarri is a proud Basque. His knowledge of its history, language and traditions is a gift for all who share his company. As part of my own Basque induction with him, I was once coerced into playing an impromptu game of 'pelota' - a bit of a mix of squash and handball - against him.
We had a good laugh, mainly about my skills, but I believe ever since that day my right hand has always been bigger than my left hand!
Let us introduce you to the people and places of the storied Basque Country, a grand old region of lively produce markets and elegant old towns, of sunny vineyards and lush green hills.

Basque culture

For decades, the symbols of Basque identity were also something of a political lightning rod. Their language, customs and culture have long inspired pride, but a pride once hidden behind the headlines and wrapped in a cloak of conflict to the outside world.
No longer. Now the cultural fabric of the Basque Country shines through clear for us all to come and enjoy.
The Basque Country can now be defined differently: by weekly produce markets and traditional fishing communities; by artisan cheesemaking and designer pintxos; by modern art and cutting-edge wine making; by so much more we could rattle off here.
Right now, our job is to give you a quick insight to whet your appetite. When you get there, it's to bring it all to life with our local friends and partners, in a way that makes it all personal to you.


As you move through it all, it is sometimes difficult to separate the reality from the myth, the facts from the politically-oriented truths, the history from the literature. Although there are no clear answers for everything, we hope that by traveling through the Basque Country with the help of our hosting guides, you will draw your own conclusions and enjoy a culture that has always intrigued us.

To give you just one example, there is the language...
Euskera is completely different from any other Indo European dialect and is still of unknown origin. Their language remains a strong source of pride and identity and most Basques still communicate in a way that is completely different to their neighbours, despite having been integrated into Spain for centuries. This is perhaps because the language sketches out lines of history which separated the Neolithic population of the original Basque people from the rest of the Iberian Peninsula for some 5,000 years, a narrative its people actively maintain.
Of course, trying to explain such a complex issue in one paragraph is futile, so we’ll leave it to your guides on the ground to tell the story if it’s a question you want to ask.
And please do read the other parts of this travel guide if you want a deeper dive into the cities, markets, history, pintxos and winemaking of the Basque Country.
Basque Cultures & Cuisines: A Private Guided Journey
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$5,222 pp
- 8 days
Basque Cultures & Cuisines: A Private Guided Journey
When: Apr-Oct
Price: $5,222 per person
Duration: 8 days
Riojan vineyards, Pyrenean cider barns, ancient towns and lively markets - enjoy the tastes and tales of the Basque Country with a guide who calls it home.
Basque Rioja Inn to Inn Walking Vacation
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$2,422 pp
- 9 days
Basque Rioja Inn to Inn Walking Vacation
When: Apr-Jun; Sep-Oct
Guide Price: $2,422 per person
Guide Duration: 9 days (can be made longer)
Walking, wine and world-class cuisine. That's what you can expect from this exclusive route through the quiet valleys, vineyards and villages of Basque Rioja.
Walking Highlights of the Pyrenees: Bay of Biscay to Costa Brava
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$4,900 pp
- 17 days
With Car
Walking Highlights of the Pyrenees: Bay of Biscay to Costa Brava
When: Apr-Jun; Sep-Oct
Guide Price: $4,900 per person
Guide Duration: 17 days (can be made longer or shorter)
Our greatest walking vacation along the Spanish Pyrenees, from the Basque Country to Catalonia, and from fishing villages to deserts, high mountain peaks to beech forest.