San Sebastián has more Michelin stars per square mile than anywhere on earth—and yet its greatest pleasure is a 2-euro pintxo eaten standing up at a zinc bar in the old town. This trip is about both of those things, and everything in between.
San Sebastián has more Michelin stars per square mile than anywhere on earth—and yet its greatest pleasure is a 2-euro pintxo eaten standing up at a zinc bar in the old town. This trip is about both of those things, and everything in between: the ancient cider houses and the natural wine revolution; the fishing ports and the mountain hunters; the pelota courts and the shipyards.
For eight days we move through the Basque Country and across the French border, eating and drinking with the people who make this one of the world’s great food cultures—while it’s still exactly this. Light activity level with option for more. Meat-centric itinerary.
A full day at Sidrería Olasagasti—a private family cider house, for a deep dive into the culture of the Basque cider house: the rituals, the txotx, the meal, the songs. The father is a celebrated figure in traditional Basque sports—wood cutting, stone carrying—and the stories flow as freely as the cider
Masterclass at the Basque Culinary Center’s GOe (Gastronomy Open Ecosystem), the institution’s hub for science, innovation, and food futures—we become culinary students for a morning, cooking with one of the school’s teachers at the intersection of Basque tradition and avant-garde technique
Afternoon siesta or free time in the city
Evening pintxos crawl through the Parte Vieja: small groups of four, armed with a hand-drawn map of the old town’s best bars, sent out on an edible quest through the city’s most beloved streets. The only rule: eat widely
Morning visit to Getaria fish market with the Presidente de la Cofradía—if timing allows, we watch the auction as the morning catch comes in, the harbor smelling of the sea and bonito season
Lunch at Elkano, the legendary grilled fish restaurant in Getaria, where the turbot is as close to perfection as fish gets
Evening transfer to Pasaia—the great whale-hunting port of northern Spain, and the port from which Lafayette sailed to join the American Revolutionary War
Boat down the river mouth to Albaola, the traditional Basque shipyard, for a private visit with founder Xabier Agote and historian Xabier Alberdi. They build and restore wooden boats using ancient techniques—from the forge to the woodwork—and their current project is the last wooden bonito fishing vessel, a craft inseparable from the Basque conservas tradition
Early morning transfer to Etxalar, in the Pyrenean valleys, where an ancient tradition shared between Spain and France for over 700 years is still alive: the hunt of the paloma, the wood pigeon, on its autumn migration south
Morning with the hunters, learning their ways, leading to lunch in their mountain cabin—cordero a la estaca over the fire, and paloma en salsa, the traditional Navarrese wood pigeon stew, marinated in red wine and slowly cooked until the sauce is deep and dark
Stop in Sare to visit a tiny pelota vasca workshop where the balls are still made by hand
A game of pelota on Sare’s beautiful stone frontón
Morning visit to the vineyards of Aitor Irazu near Orio—the beautiful, precipitous Atlantic slopes where his Makatzak Wild Wines project began with five years of clearing brambles by hand and a belief in what Hondarrabi Zuri could become
If the harvest timing aligns, we join in—picking grapes on one of the most dramatic vineyard sites in northern Spain
Tasting of Aitor’s natural txakoli wines in the bodega, alongside his cousin’s olive oil and cheese from neighboring farms
Four-Hands Finale Feast prepared by Aitor and fermentation cook Blanca del Noval, known for her extraordinary table settings and her deep knowledge of wild plants, sourdough, and preservation
Day
8
Agur, Friends
October 11 · Monday
Wake up slowly, with a bit of breakfast and a bit of coffee
Private transfers back to San Sebastián, to Bilbao airport if you’ve got a flight that afternoon, or to the city center if you’re staying on
Agur, and may we meet again on the road
WHAT’S INCLUDED
All breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, as well as snacks and beverages between meals
All accommodations and transportation during the trip (except when taking a taxi or ride app independently during unscheduled time)
Expertise and services of our experienced trip leaders: at least one guide and one host per trip
Additional guides and experts from the region
Transfers to and from the airport or wherever you are on the day the trip starts and ends
Daily Roads & Kingdoms gifts, notes, and playlists related to the themes, activities and narratives of each trip
All gratuities for accommodations, meals, guiding or transport
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
International airfare to and from the journey
Transfers on days that fall outside of the trip dates
Personal bar tabs (when not with the group)
Personal laundry or spa services
Personal travel insurance
Meet Our Hosts
Alejo Sabugo
Fixer, Producer, Explorer
We met Asturias native Alejo Sabugo through his work on the “Parts Unknown” Asturias episode. A television producer and fixer for Bourdain and José Andrés, he quickly became an integral part of the Roads & Kingdoms family and is now a frequent League of Travelers host in Spain and around the world.
R&K Host
Eugenio Signoroni
Celebrated Food & Beer Writer
One of Europe’s most trusted voices when it comes to food and beer, Eugenio Signoroni had a long editorial career at the iconic Slow Food before branching out to write prolifically on Italian food culture. The former editor of the authoritative Osteria d’Italia and Birre d’Italia guides, he is the author of influential works like Il piacere della Birra and Cuocere and host of the popular podcasts Lievito Madre and Beer Revolution. In 2022, he was voted “Italian Food Writer of the Year” by Identità Golose magazine.
Where You’ll Stay
Lasala Plaza Hotel
Old San Sebastián
Lasala Plaza Hotel sits at the edge of the Parte Vieja, San Sebastián’s legendary old quarter, where the greatest concentration of bars per square meter in the world is not a boast but simply a fact of geography. Elegant, well-situated, and perfectly placed for the late nights and early mornings this city demands.
Traveling with R&K is like living in Bourdain’s Parts Unknown for a week. It is the deepest and most authentic travel experience of my life.
— Alex F.
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You could tell Alejo really put a lot of passion into all the research and recon he did for this trip. Which made the trip very special.
Tom R.
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We pierced the ‘tourist bubble’ largely through Alejo’s connections.
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