Experience old-world elegance and thousands of years of history, art, wine and culture in Northern Spain.
Our trip starts and ends in Bilbao, which will take us to the capital of wine, La Rioja region, followed by the Basque Country, home to Europe’s oldest culture, where boundless innovation and modern design blend easily with timeless local tradition.
Join us for an exclusive travel experience immersed in the true character of Northern Spain with all its culinary variety, age-old wines, remarkable architecture, natural landscapes, and captivating towns.
- Spain’s heart of Basque Country; Bilbao. The World-famous wine region, La Rioja, and the Atlantic coasts most elegant sea-side town, San Sebastian.
- Exclusive access to wineries
- Seaside exploration and hillside views
- Locals recounting cultural and traditional stories and activities
- Wine growing and harvest at Bodegas Valdemar
- Experience the world-famous architect Frank Gehry designed building Guggenheim Bilbao
- Tapas and pintxos bar crawls
- Savor delicious fresh food at traditional, local restaurants
- 24x7 english speaking guide
A non-refundable deposit of 20% of the total tour cost is required to confirm this booking. Final payment is due 100 days prior to departure. Bookings made within 100 days of the departure date requires full payment.
20% - Upon confirmation
50% - Due April 10, 2023
30% (remainder of balance) - Due June 15, 2023
Cancellations: refunds are based on the full tour price.
200+ days prior to departure: 80% of the deposit is refundable
149 - 199 days prior to departure: 75% of the total cost of the tour is refundable
91-148 days prior to departure: 25% refundable
Within 90 days of departure: No refunds
Please note: there is a 3.0% processing charge when paying with a credit card. If you prefer to pay with a check, include "Arlington Club" in the memo and send it to:
InquisiTours
933 University Street
Walla Walla, WA 99362
Please note, the tour will be operated by our partners Northern Spain Travel.
WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THE PURCHASE OF TRAVEL INSURANCE, trip interruption, medical and baggage insurance when making the initial deposit for your tour, in order to give yourself peace of mind and to provide for any unforeseen circumstances.
While we don’t sell travel insurance directly, we do recommend purchasing travel insurance through Travel Safe. You may also consider AAA or Costco, or protection through your travel agent.
All breakfasts are included at the hotel.
Sept 26: Lunch at Aruzmendi (or similar): wine is not included
Sept 27: Lunch La Vieja Bodega (or similar): wine (1 bottle per 2 guests) included
Sept 29: Lunch in Echarren Tradicion (or similar): wine/beverages not included
Sept 30: Lunch Bodegas Valdemar : wine included
Oct 1: Lunch Getaria Kaipe (or similar): wine (1 bottle per 2 guests) included
Oct 2: Lunch El Tabakalera: wine/beverages not included
Oct 2: Dinner Pintxos and wine walking tour: wine (1 bottle per 2 guests) included
Oct 3: Lunch pintxos in Hondarribia: wine (1 bottle per 2 guests) included
Oct 3: Dinner Astelena: wine (1 bottle per 2 guests) included
Your Arlington Club tour begins and ends in Bilbao, Spain. You will want to arrive in Bilbao on September 25, and October 4 you will be transferred to Bilbao.
You may decide to arrive a few days early or stay late in Europe to explore other locations. Bilbao has daily flights in/out from major European cities such as London, Paris, Amsterdam, Madrid and more. Additionally, Delta airlines offer daily flights from Portland to Bilbao with 2 stops en-route.
If you need flight assistance, we recommend working with a Travel Agent. Contact Vickie Grysen at 616-846-6420 or vgrysen@cruiseandtravelexperts.com. Let her know you are traveling with the Arlington Club.
2-nights Bilbao, Hotel Tayko. 4-nights La Rioja - Lo de Correos. 3-nights San Sebastian, Hotel Lasala.
Daily breakfast, 7 lunches, and 2 dinners (beverage inclusions vary - see above for more details)
All tour transportation, including airport pick up on September 25 and drop off in Bilbao on October 4
Fully escorted with an English-speaking guide. Translator services and assistance throughout the trip. Service includes helping with reservations for dinner on free evenings
Guggenheim Bilbao, Museum San Telmo, Albaola Museum, Balenciaga Museum,Vivanco, wine tasting, activities, admissions, and experiences mentioned in the itinerary
Muga, Valdemar, and wine bars: La Rioja Alta, Gomez Cruzado, Lopez de Heredia
Bilbao, Hondarribia, Ezcaray, Logroño, Haro, Monasterio de San Millan
Minimum 12 / Maximum 20 guests
Gratuities for your Tour Director and Driver. Suggested guidelines: Tour Director: €10 per person/day Driver: €5 per person/day.
Any items that are not mentioned in the itinerary are not included in the tour price.
Upon arrival at Bilbao airport or train station, you will be welcomed and escorted to a private vehicle to the Hotel Tayko. Look for a driver with your name on a placard outside of baggage claim or outside of the train station in the driver/taxi area.
Erribera Kalea, 13,
48005 Bilbo, Bizkaia, Spain
OPTIONAL: This evening, you may want to join us for an optional welcome happy hour in the Gastrobar in the hotel. This is a very informal gathering. More information regarding exact timing and location will be provided to you upon check in at the hotel.
Dinner suggestions:
Amaren
Zarate Jatetxa
Victor Montes
Restaurant Kate Zaharra
After breakfast, meet your tour director and spend the day getting to know Bilbao. Bilbao, a port city, is surrounded by hills and located in the autonomous community of the Basque Country is also know as the "city of Guggenheim", after the museum was built in 1997. Today, Bilbao serves as an international reference point for modernity combining avant-garde with its traditional old town, charming streets and bars, and passionate gastronomy scene.
Breakfast at the hotel.
9:30 Locals tour of Bilbao and walk to Museum Guggenheim
11:30 - 13:00 Private visit to the Guggenheim
14:00 Regroup for lunch at Aruzmendi
17:00 Transfer to Hotel Tayko
(Times are estimated and subject to change)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Lunch at Aruzmendi: wine is not included
Erribera Kalea, 13,
48005 Bilbo, Bizkaia, Spain
Dinner suggestions:
Amaren
Zarate Jatetxa
Victor Montes
Restaurant Kate Zaharra
After breakfast, your driver will take you to what is arguably the Queen of all Spanish wine destinations – La Rioja.
08:45 Transfer to La Rioja
10:15 Visit and wine tasting at Bodegas Muga.
12:15 Wine tastings in wine bars of 1 or 2 top wineries in La Estacion de Tren.
13:15 Visit to Haro.
13:30 Lunch
16:00 Visit the Vivanco Museum.
18:30 Transfer to Logroño Eurostars Hotel Aurea Palacio de Correos
Pl. San Agustín, 1,
26001 Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
20:30: Self guided, dinner on your own. You may consider a pintxos and wine evening in Logroño.
(Times are estimated and subject to change)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Lunch La Vieja Bodega: wine (1 bottle per 2 guests) included
This is your day in Logroño! Logroño is a city rich in history and traditions and the Pilgrim's Route to Santiago de Compostela made this one of the most important towns on the route, leaving a legacy closely linked to the traditional passing of the pilgrims. Today, the city is quickly gaining a reputation for its excellent pintxos, (Basque tapas). You may decide to get in on the action with a tapas crawl along the famous Calle del Laurel.
After breakfast, join your Tour Director for a one-hour walking orientation tour of Logroño. The rest of the day is for you to explore on your own.
Some ideas on what to do in the city of Logroño:
1. Go enjoy those pintxos and wines, not only on la calle de Laurel, but also along the Calle San Juan, which is less well-known but has some of the best bars in Logroño.
2. The Rioja Museum - Museo de La Rioja. (Most information is in English).
3. Sala Amos Salvador which has an exhibition gallery.
4. Visit the Botas Rioja store that sells handmade ‘botas’ . wineskins
5. A quick trip to el Museo del Revellin.
6. Book a spa treatment or time at the Turkish Bath/sauna in the hotel.
7. Take a 5-10 km walk on the Camino de Santiago (your guide can help arrange routes/taxis)
Ideas on what to do outside of Logroño. Please inquire for more details and arrangements if you are interested in these options.
(1) Visit of Laguardia and San Vicente de la Sonsierra (3 hour activity - 1 hour driving time)
(2) An ebike excursion through Logroño and 10 kms round trip out of Logroño passing by Ermita de Santa Fe de Palazuelos to Clavijo and return.
Meals Included: Breakfast
After breakfast at the hotel, we take a drive through the vineyard-laden hillside to visit the San Millán Yuso Monastery which is known for their role in the development of the Spanish language, and is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. Our day will then take us to Ezcaray, sitting in the Sierra de la Demanda mountains, on the banks of the river Oja, an ideal place for rest and relaxation and known for generation-owned and operated wool-based products.
09:30 Transfer to Monasterio de Yuso
10:30 A visit to the twin 11th-century monastery Yuso, in San Millan de la Cogolla.
12:30 Transfer to Ezcaray
13:30 Lunch in Ezcaray at Echaurren Tradicion
16:00 Visit to Ezcaray and the artisan wool-based products store.
17:00 Transfer to Logroño Hotel Eurostars Aurea Palacio de Correos
(Times are estimated and subject to change)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Lunch at Echarren Tradicion: wine/beverages not included
The Valdemar family has been making wine in La Rioja, Spain for over 130 years. What started as an underground stone cellar in the small town of Oyón has grown into one of the most prestigious international brands in Rioja. The flagship location, Bodegas Valdemar, has more than 300 hectares of stunning vineyards on the property, making it a truly unforgettable destination.
· Channel your inner winegrower and learn how to harvest, shell, and press grapes!
· Enjoy a picnic with a view at a selected spot, with exclusive wines hand-picked for your very own educational and sensory journey.
· Feast your taste buds with a traditional Rioja lunch paired with unique family wines.
Breakfast at the hotel
10:15 Valdemar Winery private experience becoming a wine grower.
11:30 Picnic in the vineyard with wine and tapas
12:30 Winery tour with paired tasting: 2 wines and 2 Spanish tapas.
13:30 Traditional lunch with lamb chops paired with Valdemar Family Wines.
15:30 Transfer to Logroño to Hotel Eurostars Aurea Palacio de Correos
(Times are estimated and subject to change)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Lunch Bodegas Valdemar : wine included
Our journey from La Rioja to San Sebastian , we will take the scenic route through the Basque Countries spectacular coastline before arrival in the coastal town of San Sebastian, where we spend the next 3-nights.
Breakfast at the hotel
08:00 Depart the hotel
11:00 Arrival to the Islet Gaztelugatxe + hike the Islet Gaztelugatxe. This fantastical ancient stone footbridge requires 2 hours (approx return) and this hike is only possible with good weather. *
14:30 Getaria for a seafood lunch at Kaipe
16:30 Visit the Balenciaga Museum in Getaria
18:00 Transfer to San Sebastian Hotel Lasala
Your guides will give you a brief ‘get-your-bearings’ explanation before you are on your own this evening.
(Times are estimated and subject to change)
* In the event of unfavorable weather, we will take a cultural visit to Gernika to the Casa de Juntas and in walking distance, through the nearby “Parque de los Pueblos de Europa” with sculptures of two well-known artists: Eduardo Chillida and Henry Moore.
Lasala Pl., 2,
20003 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Lunch Getaria Kaipe: wine (1 bottle per 2 guests) included
Get to know this historical, delicious, and picturesque seaside town with your Tour Director.
Breakfast at the hotel
09:30 Walking tour of San Sebastian including a private visit of a gorgeous culture and traditions San Telmo museum
12:00 Visit the Basque Culinary Center for a guided visit followed by a transfer to lunch at El Tabakalera (graduates of the BCC)
16:00 Coffee at the El Torreon in Monte Igueldo at and enjoy the magnificent views of San Sebastian
16:45 Transfer to the hotel and relax or enjoy the city on your own.
19:30/20:00 Regroup for a pintxos and wine evening in the historic quarter of San Sebastian, then walk back to your hotel.
(Times are estimated and subject to change)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Pintxo crawl)
Lunch El Tabakalera: wine/beverages not included
Dinner Pintxos and wine walking tour: wine (1 bottle per 2 guests) included
A day trip to historic, Hondarribia. Hondarribia was settled since the time of the Romans, and became a legitimate village in the 13th century. And it has experienced a tumultuous and colorful past. Today, the medieval walls are still intact and the marina is full of multi-colored houses. The beach, ports, lighthouse, and the neighboring hillsides make it clear why Hondarribia has enjoyed its reputation as a holiday destination for more than 100 years.
Breakfast at the hotel
09:00 Pick up at your hotel in San Sebastian.
Visit to Pasaia + Basque whalers museum with a mid-morning snack in an authentic fisherman’s tavern
12:30 Historic visit to Hondarribia followed by a few pinxtos and wines
15:00 Transfer to Hotel Lasala
17:00 Stroll to the historic quarter of San Sabastian to visit San Telmo Museum for a private visit
20:15 Farewell dinner at Astelena (10 minute walk from the hotel)
(Times are estimated and subject to change)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lunch pintxos in Hondarribia: wine (1 bottle per 2 guests) included
Dinner Astelena: wine (1 bottle per 2 guests) included
This day will vary depending on your travel plans. If you are transferring to Bilbao to a hotel or the airport, your guides will have the most up-to-date information for pick up times from the hotel.
Transfer from your hotel to Bilbao airport or other Bilbao location. San Sebastian to Bilbao is a 1 hour and 10 minute drive.
Meals Included: Breakfast (with the exception of early morning flights/departures)
