Mon–Tue: 0800 - 1800
Wed–Fri: 0900 - 1800
Sat : 0900 - 1700
Sun : 1000 - 1400
BH: Closed
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot
Expert Holiday Directors
60 years experience
Part of the Royal Geographical Society collection, travel from top to toe and explore Italy’s famous landmarks. Visit iconic cities Venice, Florence and Rome and discover the hidden gems of Pompeii, Sicily and more.
Explore the awe-inspiring Rocky Mountains and the vibrant cities of Victoria and Vancouver on a holiday that’s packed full of magnificent sights and scenery.
From Tokyo to Kyoto, Osaka and beyond, discover the unforgettable highlights of Japan including an incredible high-speed ride on the Bullet Train.
LED BY THE HEART, GUIDED BY EXPERTS
60 Years Of Touring
Expert Direction & Local Flavours
A Service You Can Count On
Expert Tour Manager
Your Spanish escape begins with a flight to Bilbao, where on arrival, we’ll transfer you to your hotel near the heart of the city. The rest of the day is free for you to relax before a welcome dinner with your fellow travellers.
Meals included: D
After breakfast, our Bilbao discovery begins with a guided tour showcasing the city’s remarkable transformation from industrial heavyweight to cultural hotspot. We’ll walk through the lively central district and continue with a stroll along the Nervión River to visit the dazzling Guggenheim Museum.
The remainder of the day is yours to explore at a leisurely pace. Step inside one of the pintxos bars to sample one of these delicious Basque bites, visit modern galleries, or simply soak up the city’s atmosphere.
Meals included: B
Today we leave Bilbao and travel further into Basque country. On the way to the medieval town of Hondarribia, we'll stop at one of the most colourful fishing villages, Getaria. This coastal gem is known for its seafood traditions, txakoli wine (a refreshing, slightly sparkling white wine), and local heroes like explorer Juan Sebastián Elcano – the first person to circumnavigate the globe. Surrounded by rolling vineyards, we’ll visit our first bodega to learn the craft of txakoli wine making and enjoy a tasting.
After a light lunch, we’ll continue to San Sebastián for a guided walk of this elegant city including a funicular trip to the top of Monte Igueldo and its panoramic views that stretch across the Bay of Biscay towards the French coast. By far the most popular way to reach this summit.
Dinner this evening will be at the historic Restaurant Zeria, built in 1575 and restored in 1965. A fascinating detail that welcomes visitors at the entrance of the restaurant, is the skeletal remains of a whale that was discovered during the restoration – a conversation starter from Spain’s seafaring past.
Meals included: B,L,D
This morning, after a short tour of Hondarribia, admiring its colourful shuttered houses, narrow streets and ancient stone buildings that transport you back centuries, it’s then time to cross into the French Basque Country. The scenery retains its Basque identity, but the French pastries take on a noticeably flakier character. We’ll journey through quaint villages including Saint-Jean-de-Luz with its Belle Époque appeal, the coastal resort of Biarritz, and the picture-perfect villages of Espelette and Ascain. These settlements, surrounded by the pastoral mountain landscape of the Pyrenees, captivate visitors with their traditional red shuttered houses, cobbled squares and timeless charm.
Later, we’ll return to the hotel where the rest of the day has been left free for you to explore at leisure. This region moves at a gentler pace, and we encourage you to embrace it.
Meals included: B
After breakfast, we’ll travel to Pamplona, a city immortalized by Ernest Hemingway’s literary adventures. We’ll enjoy a short walking tour, strolling through its charming medieval streets before heading into the heart of Rioja wine country, one of the world’s most celebrated wine regions.
We'll immerse ourselves in wine production with a visit to the Bodegas Eguren Ugarte, a family winery located in Laguardia dedicated to producing wines that reflect the authentic terroir of Rioja Alavesa. The day also includes a chance to admire the contemporary architectural design of the Ysios winery nearby that perfectly complements the Cantabria mountains behind.
This evening we’ll arrive in Logroño, our home for the next three nights. Famed throughout Spain for its tapas culture and welcoming wine bars, this is the perfect base for continuing our wine journey.
Meals included: B,L
Today we'll explore Haro, a town in Rioja Alta. Walking through La Herradura, Haro’s vibrant tapas quarter, we’ll see some of the town’s most important landmarks such as Plaza de la Paz, Plaza de San Martín, and the Church of Santo Tomás, and along the way there’s an abundance of perfectly preserved buildings with striking facades.
We continue our tour with a visit to Bodegas Marqués de Riscal, one of the region’s most prestigious wineries. Following this, we’ll enjoy lunch and wine-tasting at the charming Bodega Baigorri.
We’ll return to the hotel where the rest of the day is free for you to make your own discoveries
Meals included: B,L
Today we’ll take a closer look at La Rioja's heritage with a guided tour of the UNESCO-listed Monastery of San Millan de Yuso – the birthplace of the Spanish Language and a centre of faith and culture. This masterpiece of architecture is famous for being the site where the first written evidence of Castilian was recorded, and it holds a significant library of ancient manuscripts and religious artifacts.
After lunch, we’ll return to Logroño for one final winery visit and tasting at the local Bodegas Arizcuren. Later this evening we’ll come together for a farewell dinner.
Meals included: B,L,D
Enjoy one last Spanish breakfast as you reflect on a trip filled with history, exceptional flavours, cultural discovery and the genuine warmth of the Basque people, before heading to the airport for your return journey to the UK.
Meals included: BThe four-star Occidental Bilbao is an urban hotel designed to provide maximum comfort. In an excellent location next to the famous Basilica of Our Lady of Begoña, the hotel is just a few minutes from the center of Bilbao and the main tourist monuments. There is a Club Metropolitan on the hotel premises with an exclusive spa area (at additional charge), gym and indoor heated pool. During the summer season the hotel offers an outdoor pool with sun terrace in a relaxing atmosphere surrounded by pleasant gardens. Occidental Bilbao is the perfect base for discovering the impressive modern architecture of Bilbao, and, of course, its delicious local cuisine.
In the very heart of Hondarribia lies this historic building with its charming garden. Offering Spacious and clean rooms, a cafeteria, restaurant and more than 600m of landscaped gardens that includes the swimming pool and ample terraces.
AC Hotel La Rioja is located on the banks of the Ebro River in Logroño, with facilities that include a Fitness Room and Turkish bath. All hotel rooms have plasma TV, comfortable bed and private bathroom. High-speed WiFi will help you stay connected. The AC Hotel in Logrono is great for a few days in La Rioja.
When you book a holiday, you will be asked to pay a deposit, this will be made clear at the time of booking. In most cases we will charge the following deposit amount;
On some holidays we may charge a slightly higher deposit, to cover any costs we have to pay immediately to secure your booking with our suppliers. This will be made clear at the time of booking.
If you choose a tour that is within 84 days of departure you will need to pay the full balance when you book.
If you decide to cancel your confirmed booking you must notify us (or your travel agent) in writing, as soon as possible. Since we incur costs in cancelling your arrangements, you will have to pay the applicable cancellation charges up to the maximum shown below.
Our full cancellation policy can be found in our booking terms and conditions, section 8.
We have partnered with Sherpa, an on-line self service tool that allows you to search up-to-date information regarding travel entry requirements for all countries and also allows you to apply for eVisas or eTAs via their on-line portal. Just click on this link to find out more – Travel Requirements & Visa Service
You can also refer to the Foreign Travel Advice section on the gov.uk website: Foreign travel advice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Click on your destination and then click on 'Entry Requirements'. For Health Requirements, the Department of Health also offers travellers health advice on www.travelhealthpro.org.uk, click on country information to locate your destination.
It is important to remember that passport, visa and health requirements can change before departure; therefore, we recommend you regularly familiarise yourself with the latest requirements before you travel. If you cannot travel because you have not complied with any passport/entry/immigration requirements, we are unable to accept any responsibility.
For some destinations, it is not always discernable that a visa is required for entry at the border. For example, for some customers, to travel to the United States, an ESTA may be required. For Canada, an ETA and to India, an e-visa may be needed. Please do check your requirements to avoid any unnecessary cost and delays.
No departures found
Departures are unavailable at the moment. Please try again later.
Savour the flavours of southwestern France, sampling local wines while enjoying the stunning scenery of manicured vineyards, rolling hills and châteaux.
Discover the charms and flavours of the Veneto - a region of beautiful landscapes, elegant towns, and rich traditions.
Enjoy the stunning Champagne & Burgundy regions with medieval towns, rolling hills covered in vineyards and sample some local wines.
Prices shown are based on twin occupancy of a double or twin bedded room with private facilities unless otherwise stated. Single occupancy supplements will apply. Travelsphere have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the hotel images provided on this website and images of room types displayed may vary to those offered on your tour. Therefore due to the possibility of inadvertent errors we do not guarantee their accuracy. Accommodation, airlines used and flight times are subject to change and will be confirmed in your final documents.
All Travelsphere holidays are financially protected by ATOL and ABTA. When you book your holiday with us you can have complete peace of mind your money is 100% protected.
