6 Day La Rioja & Navarra Wine Touring

Exploration of La Rioja Wines

Today after check out, your knowledgable guide will meet you at the hotel and take you to explore Rioja, its wineries and cuisine, and famous towns such as Haro.

Your first visit of the day will be at a winery such as Valenciso Winery, a small family winery making only reserve wines. After fifteen years of shared work in a prestigious and centenarian cellar of Rioja with strong international presence. Tempranillo grapes from old vineyards with low yields, new barriques - predominantly French oak - having one third renewed annually, cork "flor" quality - the highest level - and a long savoir faire marked by fondness and dedication only applicable to small cuvées.

Alternatively we may consider Remirez de Ganuza for todays first tasting. The traditional architecture of the winery complete with an interior made of hundred-year-old oak beams contrasts with pioneering and innovative modern methods.

After your morning tasting, there will be time for lunch in a traditional Riojan restaurant or winery.

This afternoon your next visit will be at one of our preferred producers, such as Baigorri winery. A total contrast – strikingly modern and high-tech, Baigorri is built on 7 levels into a terraced hillside to take advantage of gravity flow to move their wines. This project is the fruit of years of hard work by Jesus Baigorri and Iñaki Aspizu, an architect whose work is an architectonic reference point thanks to the emblematic nature of his constructions enjoy a tasting and if there is interest a facility visit.

Your guide will bring you to your accommodation after your visits to check in.

Additional Options for Day 2

Marques de Riscal - Multiple Room Options

At the heart of the Marqués de Riscal winery stands the crown jewel, the Frank Ghery designed Hotel Marqués de Riscal. The roofing panels made of titanium and steel, along with the asymmetry of the wall and floor tiles, combine to create a visually stunning effect. The luxury bedrooms, and suites, split between two buildings linked by a spectacular raised walkway, are all different and unique, both in their forms and for their outlook. Most of the exclusive rooms at the Hotel Marqués de Riscal Suites have a particular zig-zag window seat with views of the valley. The black marble bathrooms are fully equipped and includes a hairdryer.

Hospederia Los Parajes - Multiple Rooms

Located in the heart of the walled town of La Guardia, Hospedería de los Parajes is a magnificent new boutique hotel situated in a spectacularly restored and renovated historic palace. One of the most important features of this sympathetic reconstruction is the glass-roofed central courtyard, where the ancient stones of the original building are combined with the modern structure to create a charming, welcoming space, centred on a delightful fireplace.

La Rioja Wine Discovery

Today, meet your local guide at your hotel and together depart for a day exploring La Rioja.

This morning you will be welcomed for a visit and tasting at a local producer such as Muga, one of the classical wineries of Rioja. The Muga family has been making their wines since 1932. They are located in the old station district on the outskirts of Haro - the historical site of the most prestigious bodegas in La Rioja. They follow traditional methods, using oak through and through, carrying out the entire process, including the aging and fermentation stages in oak. The excellence and high quality of their wines are rewarded by recognition and prestige in the most demanding markets both nationally and internationally.

Continue to an estate such as Amaren, meaning "of the mother" in Basque. The first wine under this label appeared in 1995 as a tribute to Ángeles, mother of winemaker Juan Luis Cañas. This was the beginning of what in 2016 became a whole winery, Bodegas Amaren. The estate is comprised of some of Rioja Alavesa’s best and highest altitude vineyards, where the soil is poor and produces small bunches, perfect for making highly concentrated Rioja wines. The vineyard-zone stretches over an area of 65 hectares, where ancient vine plants of 35 to 110 years old are cultivated.

A traditional Riojan lunch, either at a winery or in a local restaurant, will give you more opportunities to taste the wonderful Riojan wines. Typical Riojan dishes include potatoes or bean soup with chorizo (paprika sausage), roasted lamb chops where sarmientos (dry grape vine branches) are used to roast the meat giving it a unique and delicious flavor, meat stew cooked with wine, cod with peppers and tomatoes and many more.

This afternoon, visit a third producer or alternatively visit the medieval village of Laguardia, encircled by 13th-century walls. Under the stone paved streets and homes of Laguardia, it is full of old subterranean bodegas, and over them there are many historic monuments and sites, like the Gothic facade of Santa Maria de los Reyes church from the 14th century.

Your guide will return you to the hotel after your final visit.

La Rioja to San Sebastian via Navarra

This morning after check out, your guide will meet you at the hotel and take you on the road towadrs San Sebastian.

En route, take take a detour to the winegrowing area of Navarra. Traditionally associated with the production of crisp, fruit-driven rosé, Navarra is beginning to attract attention for its high-quality red wines made mainly from the Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grape varieties.

Enjoy a visit and tasting at an estate such as Pago de Larrainzar. The vineyard is the soul of the Bodega with Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Garnacha, from different clones and stocks, making up the vineyard’s 13 hectares of stone and pebbles, clay and sand.

Next, you will be welcomed at Bodega Otazu, or similar. Located in an idyllic setting not far from Pamplona, the winemaking tradition here dates to the Middle Ages. Its extraordinary masterpieces of contemporary art highlight the natural beauty of a vineyard certified with the highest category in Spain: Protected DO Pago wines. Enjoy a tour of the Bodega and tasting of their wines.

After your visit, you will be brought to the unviserity town of Pamplona for lunch at a local restaurant. With its grand cathedral, archaeological treasures and 16th-century fortifications, there’s much history hidden in these atmospheric medieval lanes. And with its lush parks and picturesque city centre full of vibrant eating and drinking spots, it’s easy to see why so many – Hemingway included – have fallen under Pamplona’s spell.

Later this afternoon, your guide will deliver you to your hotel in San Sebastian for check in.

Take your time to settle in and get ready for your tapas tour this evening.

San Sebastian Tapas Tour

This evening, join your local guide for a small group tour tasting the best tapas in town. You will find Pintxos (Basque tapas) line every bar in San Sebastian’s famed Old Town, but knowing where to find the best ones is an art. While it’s hard to have a bad meal in town, knowing exactly where to go for the best, and most exciting pintxos takes local, insider knowledge. Do this afternoon in San Sebastian like a local, led by our friendly and knowledgeable Basque guides.

We dive straight into the culinary heart of the city for an afternoon of eating and drinking. From fresh prawns to line-caught baby squid to perfectly charred steak, the pintxo hunt changes daily but always features a range of traditional spots and chic, avant-garde bars. Come thirsty, too, as we’ll be pairing each pintxo with the perfect pour, from cider to local whites and reds.

You will be brought back to your hotel at the end of the evening.

Additional Options for Day 4

Hotel Maria Cristina - Multiple Rooms

Since it opened in 1912, Hotel Maria Cristina, a Luxury Collection Hotel has been intimately linked to the history and cultural life of San Sebastian. In the late 19th century the seaside town on the southern point of the Bay of Biscay became a favorite destination for royalty and aristocrats who came to enjoy the sunshine and newly recognized therapeutic properties of sea bathing. The luxury suites at the exclusive Hotel Maria Cristina, are designed in a Belle Époque architecture which provides guests with maximum comfort. The suites’ contemporary decoration, with marble fireplaces, glass lamps and velvet turquoise arm chairs, come together with shades of grey, beige and green to give the rooms an exquisite elegance.

San Sebastian at Leisure

Today is yours to explore San Sebastian as you please. Visit one of the three beaches of the city and relax on the beautiful shorelines, or enjoy a stroll along the gorgeous promenade to have a look at the local shops. You could also take the antique funicular railway up to Monte Igueldo on the west side of town for an amazing panoramic view of the area. If you want to go even higher, climb up to the 16th century El Torreon tower for a 360 degree view and breathtaking photos.

Dinner Reservation

A dinner reservation will be made for you this evening at a 3 star Michelin Restaurant.

After checking out of your accommodation, spend the remainder of your time in San Sebastian as you please. This afternoon, your private driver will meet you at your hotel and will transfer you to the station to catch your bus to Doneztebe.