GASTRONOMY and WINE itinerary -SEPTEMBER 07' Quotation for 20 people 6 days 5 nights Lodging category: boutique hotels – double room -single supplements not included (All Breakfasts(B) included and some lunches(l) and dinners (D) Minibus We picked this area for their beauty, their wines and since in the triangle Sansebastian-Pamplona-Bilbao, there are more Michelin starred restaurants per capita, than anywhere else in Europe! Fall can be cool in the evenings, but the days can also be quite beautiful and comfortable. The colors in the vineyards will be fading but should still be vibrant in mid-November. CLICK HERE if you would like more information about it!.

Included in your private tour: DAY 1 *Pick up at the airport of vitoria or logroño by our guide * Chauffered luxury minibus for 20 people *Complete detailed map of the itinerary and a tour guide information folder of the towns and highlights, restaurants and shopping *Transfer to the region of Rioja and to your hotel . Free time to stroll around the medieval streets and the historic center of town. *2 nights Stay in a palace converted into a brand new Hotel well known for its exquisite restaurant. Located in the main square of the town building of XVIII century. DAY 2 *Breakfast at the hotel (B) *Full day wine tasting excursion. The passage will take you through the green hills of the country’s wine producing region filled with rows of old vines.

Vines here are more than 100 year old. The first stop will take you to the vineyard of one of the bodegas (wineries) where an expert will explain grape production and quality. Here you will also enjoy a private tour and exclusive tasting of high-end wines in 3 different exclusive visits where we will try rare vintages. *2 hour course of initiation to wine tasting *We will take you to one of the most noted restaurants in the Rioja with a true gastronomic menu.(1 michelin Star) considered one of the top tables in the Basque country. We will have a menu degustacion (L) *Time for siesta… *Optional evening driven excursion to Vitoria-Gasteiz. Where your group will be able to visit the most “in” clubs for dancing or just mixing with the locals for a good time. DAY 3 *breakfast at the hotel (B).

*Drive to the coast of Vizcaya to get the blood going *Walking tour to possibly the most beautiful place in the Basque country, A X c. monastery. Is believed captain drake took refuge here and there are also the prints of Saint John. We must go up 231 rock carved steps in order to get to the latter and enjoy splendid views over the steep coast. we will head towards Bermeo (although, if time is on our side, on the way we can have a look at Matxitxako cape). Bermeo is a typically fishing village that keeps its heart very close to the port, where steep narrow streets start. Our next stop will take place at coastal town, core for the best surfers in the world. Going across the Urdaibai biosphere reserve, we will get to Gernika-Lumo , a villa that stands for Basque liberties and peace, since the bombardment it suffered in 1937 reflected in one of the most famous Picasso’s paintings. *Lunch in a fisherman town where you will taste the simple but delicious grilled fish straight from the fishing boats accompanied by Txakoli (basque white wine) (L) *1 night stay in a charming little hotel in the heart of old town Bilbao. *Visit in the evening to the most “in” place in Bilbao for salsa dancing, pasodoble, tango, etc.

DAY 4 *We start at the one time industrial powerhouse of Bilbao, which is currently undergoing its own Renaissance. Leading this resurgence is the internationally acclaimed Guggenheim Museum. Frank Gehry’s titanium masterpiece evokes images of a flower and a ship. Once we get our local guide’s inside perspective of the museum - you can decide what comes to mind! We will stop at the upstairs bar to try the designer tapas by a disciple of renowned chef Martin Berasategui. Turning back the clock, we will explore the Casco Viejo and the original seven streets where Bilbao was born some 700 years ago. *We will visit a small town on the coast where we will participate in the local festivities of San Andres with gastronomical samples and dancing with the local orchestra. *1 night stay in a beautiful stone farmhouse. Your hosts offer homemade cakes, marmalade and cheese fondue for breakfast. This B& B has been featured in several European interior design magazines DAY 5 *Breakfast in the B&B farmhouse(B) *We then make our way to the stylish resort town of San Sebastian, a place that has long been popular with the Spanish bourgeois. Here the beauty of the Concha beach makes it a unique and wonderful place for a stroll along the promenade. Cable car to Monte igueldo, palacio Miramar, etc. We will have the opportunity to visit the food market and rub elbows with the most famous chefs in Spain.

*Tapas (Pintxos) hopping tour: one of the most essential “must do” in San Sebastian occurs in the evening around 9:00 pm. The custom is to have 1 drink and 1 pintxo in a bar, then move on to the next and so on. One night stay in a 3 hotel in front of the beautiful crescent shape beach of la concha (the prettiest stretch of sand in Spain) *Farewell dinner with another fantastic menu degustacion in the old quarter of San Sebastian. (D) DAY 6 (B)Breakfast at the hotel *Transfer to vitoria/logroño airport ( airport of your choice to continue your holiday in Spain or to go back home). Quotation: from US$1764 per person