Vibrant Bilbao

• Tour Highlights: Airport transfer & Artxanda viewpoint, Check‑in at 4* Bilbao hotel, Pintxos tour or welcome dinner
• Accommodation: Hotel in Bilbao 4★

Arrival Airport Transfer with visit to Artxanda, a hill that offers a spectacular panoramic view of Bilbao, including the city skyline, the river, and the surrounding mountains. It is a great first stop to get a sense of the city’s layout.

Pintxo tour (“Tapas bar hopping” dinner: you visit 3 bars and have 1 drink and 2 pintxos in each. Pintxos are small, traditional Basque snacks that range from seafood to meat, often served on skewers or slices of bread. It’s a social and flavorful way to experience local cuisine and culture.)

OR

Welcome dinner at local restaurant (fixed menu including drinks) in case the arrivals are late.

• Tour Highlights: Guided bike tour (2h), Guggenheim Museum visit, Group dinner
• Accommodation: Hotel in Bilbao 4★

Enjoy a 2h guided bike tour in Bilbao. This bike tour will take you around the city’s highlights, including the old town, modern neighborhoods, and scenic riverside promenades, giving you an overview of the unique blend of traditional and contemporary architecture. Lunch on your own and free afternoon.

Guided visit of the Guggenheim Museum (1.5h). The Guggenheim Museum is an iconic contemporary art museum, known for its striking Frank Gehry-designed architecture. Inside, you will find a dynamic collection of modern and contemporary art that often challenges the boundaries of the visual arts.

Come together for a group dinner in Bilbao at a local restaurant to enjoy local dishes. (Or pintxos, depending on what they did the first night.)

• Tour Highlights:Visit Gernika & Peace Museum, Hike to Painted Forest of Oma, Lunch in rural restaurant, San Juan de Gaztelugatxe viewpoint
• Accommodation: Hotel in Bilbao 4★

Transfer to the Urdaiabai area. The Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve is a UNESCO-protected area in the Basque Country, known for its diverse landscapes and charming Basque villages, offering a perfect blend of nature and culture.

Visit of the traditional town of Gernika, famous for its role in Basque history, its tragic connection to the bombing during the Spanish Civil War, and giving its name to one of Picasso’s most famous paintings. You can visit the Peace Museum and Basque historical parliament and its oak tree, a symbol of Basque identity.

Take a light hike (40 minutes one way and 40 minutes back downhill) to the painted forest of Oma, a curious site in the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, where a local artist painted colorful figures and patterns on trees, creating a unique and surreal landscape that blends nature and art. After your effort, enjoy a hearty bean-stew lunch in a rural restaurant.

Then we will head to the coast, to the viewpoint of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe which offers lovely views of the Bay of Biscay and a small chapel on top of an island.

• Tour Highlights:Basque cheese farm in Urkiola, Vitoria Gasteiz old town, Añana Salt Mines visit
• Accommodation: Hotel in Bilbao 4★

Bus transfer to Basque Cheese farm in the Urkiola Mountain Range Natural Park. Urkiola Natural Park is a beautiful mountainous region, home to rolling hills, lush forests, and rugged peaks. A visit to a local Basque cheese farm lets you experience the traditional methods of cheese-making, using local ingredients and techniques.

Transfer to Vitoria Gasteiz and visit of the old town. Vitoria Gasteiz is the capital of the Basque Country, known for its charming medieval old town, picturesque plazas, and historical landmarks.

Group lunch and after visit to Añana Salt Mines, an ancient salt extraction site in a stunning landscape. The salt is harvested using traditional methods, and the visit offers insight into the history of salt production in the region.

Transfer back to Bilbao and dinner on your own.

• Tour Highlights: Mount Igueldo viewpoint, Walking tour of old town, Free time & return to Bilbao
• Accommodation: Hotel in Bilbao 4★

Bus transfer to San Sebastián, locally known as Donostia, is a coastal city renowned for its beautiful beaches, elegant architecture, and world-class cuisine.

Stop at viewpoint platform at Mount Igueldo, which offers one of the most spectacular panoramic views of San Sebastián, overlooking the bay, beaches, and the picturesque old town, followed by a walking tour of the old town. The rest of the day is yours for lunch on your own and free time.

Transfer back to Bilbao and dinner on your own.

• Tour Highlights: Free day to explore, Group farewell dinner
• Accommodation: Hotel in Bilbao 4★

Free day in Bilbao to explore the city on your own. Group farewell dinner

After breakfast free time to relax and airport transfer.