Day 1

Arrival & Welcome

As travelers arrive, we’ll gather at our hotel for a welcome drink and begin getting to know our guides. Our trip begins in Bilbao, the largest city in Spain’s Basque region and the area’s economic and cultural capital. After checking into our hotel, we’ll head out for an exclusive private dinner at one of the most iconic of Basque institutions, the txoko. Traditional clubs where members gather to cook and eat together, txokos trace their roots back to rural cider houses which served as convivial meeting spots – and that same spirit is today found in Basque cities. In Bilbao, we’ll be joined at our txoko by a local chef, who will prepare for our group a night of classic Basque dishes accompanied by local wine and lots of good cheer.

Day 2

Bilbao Reborn

Our first full day of the trip will be devoted to a deep culinary exploration of Bilbao, Europe’s great comeback city. Until a few decades ago a postindustrial metropolis plagued by pollution and economic decline, Bilbao today is a buzzing cultural and culinary capital, famous for its gleaming Guggenheim Museum and vibrant pintxos – the Basque version of tapas – scene. On our full-day tour, we’ll trace Bilbao’s history and rebirth through the exceptional eateries – old and new – that call the Basque city home and tell its wonderful story. Along the way we’ll taste everything from a stellar Spanish omelette to Basque-style cod and – yes! – pintxos. The evening will be free for further exploration or resting back at the hotel.

Day 3

Back to the Land

Leaving the city behind, it’s now time to dive into Basque rural life and learn about how its traditions are being both preserved and reimagined by a new generation that’s going back to the land. We’ll do this by spending the day at a caserío, a traditional Basque farmhouse, that’s been restored by a botanist and culinary anthropologist named Gorka Menéndez. Giving us an introduction to Basque country life and traditions, Gorka will also walk us through his property and show us what he’s growing. Together with our trip leader Blanca, a chef and edible plants expert, we’ll forage for some seasonal wild crops unique to the region. The two will also give us an edible demonstration of a special project they are working on together – the creation of a “Basque miso,” which uses Japanese techniques and local ingredients such as acorns to create something completely original. We’ll end our visit to Gorka’s caserío with a rustic land-to-table lunch featuring what we’ve foraged and other farm fresh delights, such as roasted vegetables topped with fresh cheese and a hearty Basque bean stew. In the late afternoon we’ll check into the Palacio de Luko, a stunning 18th-century rural manor house that will be our base for the next two nights.

Day 4

Into the Wild

After breakfast at our hotel, we’ll head out towards the mountains of the rugged Álava province, near the border of the famous Rioja wine region. Our destination here is the small village of Santa Cruz de Campezo and the stunning restaurant Arrea!, helmed by chef Edorta Lamo. Born in the village, Edorta returned here to open his restaurant after working for many years in some of the best kitchens in the Basque region. His goal with Arrea! is to use the restaurant to celebrate and revive the area’s traditional cooking – sometimes using almost-forgotten recipes – and also support local producers and artisans. With Edorta as our guide, we’ll visit some of these local culinary craftspeople, including a truffle farmer and a maker of traditional wooden spoons. Back at his restaurant, Edorta will take us on a culinary journey through the surrounding region with a lavish late lunch starring locally sourced ingredients such as chestnuts, mushrooms and wild game. Our evening will be spent back at the Palacio de Luko.

Day 5

Txakoli Time

We’ll check out after breakfast and then hit the road in search of the secrets of one of the Basque Country’s most celebrated and iconic wines: txakoli. Heading north, we’ll make our way to the Gipuzkoa region, the wine’s main growing area. Here we’ll meet with Aitor Irazu, a passionate maker of natural wines who is part of a new movement of bottlers who are redefining what txakoli can be. On a walk through one of his vineyards, Aitor will explain to us how he works the land using organic and regenerative practices and will then give us an al fresco tasting of some of his superb wines. After our tasting among the vines, we’ll head back to Aitor’s winery – also his home – to get a sneak sip of his upcoming vintages with a tasting of some young wines that have just been barrelled. We’ll finish our day here with a family-style lunch that we’ll all cook together under Aitor’s direction. There will be locally-made cheeses, grilled meats, a traditional Basque cod stew and, of course, more of his wine. In the late afternoon we’ll make the short trip to San Sebastian and check into our next hotel. The evening will be free for exploring the seaside town.

Day 6

Down By the Sea

Having explored the Basque Country’s interior, it’s now time to learn about the region’s deep connection to the sea. We’ll start this day bright and early, making the short trip from San Sebastian to Pasaia, a harbor town that serves as the main supplier of fish and seafood for the Basque region. Guided by a member of a local fishermen’s guild, we’ll visit the town’s fish market and witness one of their daily auctions. After getting a good look at the incredible variety of fish and seafood on display, we’ll have a quick breakfast at a bar frequented by fishermen and dock workers and then head back to San Sebatian – by boat! After our short cruise, we’ll stop for a light lunch featuring the catch of the day at a harborside restaurant run by the fisherman’s guild. After a midday siesta, we’ll meet up in the early afternoon for a tour of San Sebastian, one of the world’s true culinary pilgrimage sites. We’ll go beyond the Michelin stars, though, heading into the city’s backstreets, where classic neighborhood spots and exciting new kitchens are cooking food that revolves around seasonality, quality ingredients and a commitment to culinary excellence. Here, depending on what’s in the local markets, our day may include a homey fish stew and a sip of artisanal cider, or perhaps exceedingly fresh and delicate Cantabrian anchovies accompanied by a new school txakoli, minerally and smacking of the sea.

Day 7

The French Connection

To complete our journey, today we’ll head over to the other side of the border and visit the Iparralde, as the French Basque Country is called, and get a taste of where the Pyrenees meet the Atlantic. Our whistle stop tour of the area begins in seaside Saint Jean de Luz, where we’ll visit its 19th-century covered market and taste some of the artisanal products on sale, including pastries and cheese. Our next stop is charming Bayonne, built at the confluence of two rivers, where we’ll pop into what is considered to be one of the best charcuteries in all of France. From there we’ll head back towards the ocean and the famous beaches of Biarritz, where freshly shucked oysters and glasses of chilled white wine await us at the local market. After dipping our feet into the Atlantic, we’ll head back to San Sebastian for a short rest before our final dinner together, which will take place in one of the town’s rollicking cider houses. Here we’ll drink crisp cider straight from the barrel and eat Basque steaks right off the grill, joining the locals in celebrating the joys of being in a region of such incomparable culinary delights.