Hello👋 ❗ In just a week we will embark on the road trip of a lifetime from Spain's capital to its stunning Basque Country. The adventure begins in Madrid with city tours before hopping in your rental and driving north to La Rioja, one of Spain's most beautiful wine regions. After a tasting, you'll continue on to Basque Country, where tours of San Sebastian's historic center and Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum await. Highlights ❗ 1. Discover Madrid's rich history on a private tour of the city. 2. Visit the La Rioja region and sample delicious wines. 3. Drive along the stunning Cantabrian coast. 4. Enjoy city tours in the Spanish Basque Country. 📍 Brief Itinerary ✔️ Day 1 Arrival in Madrid - Evening Tapas Tour: Upon arrival at the nation's capital, you'll enjoy a private transfer to your hotel in the city center. Take some time to settle in before heading out to explore. You'll definitely want to see some of the highlights like the Puerta del Sol, one of the most historic and expansive plazas in the city. In the evening, we'll really dig into Madrid's culture on a food tour. I will lead you on a two-hour walking excursion that stops at some great tapas bars. On this tour, you'll visit Barrio Las Letras, which is known as the "literary quarter." This historic neighborhood in the city center was once home to Spanish-lit legends like Cervantes and Quevedo. ✔️ Day 2 Private City Tour - Discover Madrid's Royal Legacy: Madrid has a long history, and today the city adorns itself with that history in its architecture, public spaces, and culture. An organized tour is ideal, and i will reveal insight into how different time periods influenced Madrid's neighborhoods and buildings, as well as point out the most interesting sights. Also here is the Royal Palace, and El Retiro Park. There are also must-visit gardens here including the Jardín de Vivaces ("Garden of Vivacious Plants"), and Jardines de Cecilio Rodríguez (inspired by the Andalusia region), and a garden home to over 4,000 roses. ✔️ Day 3 Pick up Rental Car - Drive From Madrid to Laguardia - Wine Tour in the morning we'll pick up the rental car and begin our epic road trip. The first stop is the La Rioja wine region, located in Basque Country about 3.5 hours north of Madrid. La Rioja is a postcard of a province, with rolling green hills, alpine mountains, limestone peaks, medieval villages, and endless vineyards. In the afternoon, we will go for a combined town tour and wine tasting. You'll stroll Laguardia's narrow, winding streets and visit historic landmarks like Santa María de Los Reyes a Romanesque church, then we'll visit a local winery where you'll sample two wines as we learn about their origins and production processes. ✔️ Day 4 Drive From La Rioja to San Sebastian - Food Tour, in the morning we'll get in the car and drive about two hours north from La Rioja to the seaside resort city of San Sebastian. Sitting on the Bay of Biscay and nestled amid rolling green hills, this is one of the stars of Basque Country. After checking into our hotel, we'll go on a foodie tour of a city that's famous for its delicious cuisine. After the tour, I will take you around the famous Parte Vieja ("Old Quarter"), which is situated in the east of the city between the ocean and the River Urumea. At the edge of Old Town is the iconic San Sebastian City Hall. I will lead you on a tour of the Parte Vieja (old quarter), where you'll find the largest concentration of pintxos bars. At each one, you can feel free to sample as many of these bite-sized morsels as you'd like. ✔️ Day 5 Walking Tour of San Sebastian: In the morning, we will enjoy a four-hour tour of San Sebastian. It begins in the famous Old Town, and we'll stroll around the neighborhood, stopping at pintxos bars and cafés as you go. For great views, we can take a ferry to the iconic offshore island of Santa Clara, or ride a funicular up to Mont Igualdo, which offers sweeping panoramas. ✔️ Day 6 Drive From San Sebastian to Bilbao. In a little over an hour, we'll drive along the wild Atlantic coast and pass through the Cantabrian Mountains before emerging back on the coast in Bilbao. Along the way, we'll wind around coastal cliffs and pass charming little fishing villages that perfectly encapsulate the soul of Spanish Basque Country. We will stop for lunch in any one of them for an unforgettable plate of seafood. Of course, no visit to Bilbao is complete without stopping at the Guggenheim Museum, a masterpiece of contemporary architecture by the legendary Frank Gehry. ✔️ Day 7 Depart Spain, It's time to say farewell to Spain! Depending on the time of your flight or train reservation, squeeze in one more morning of sightseeing, perhaps picking up some last-minute souvenirs. ARE YOU READY? 💬 Send me a message in you are interested in this adventure 🌴