Spain luxury walking & hiking tours, Spain walking vacations, Spain tours

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Inn-to-inn hiking through rural countryside
Premier wine-producing region with fabulous wines and cuisine
Visit to a traditional Rioja bodega (winery); learn to prepare unique Spanish dishes in a cooking class in the kitchen of Michelin-starred chef Francis Paniego
Historic 16th- and 17th-century monastery and palace hotels
Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum

TOUR DETAILS

7-day trip begins and ends in Bilbao, Spain
6 nights in first-class historic inns
All meals included except one dinner

TOUR RATING

Moderate hiking and walking, 4-6 hours per day

The beauty and charms of the Rioja region of Spain are secrets still known mainly to the Spaniards. In La Rioja, a land of tranquility and abundance, everybody is welcomed with a glass of wine, and the traditional, slow pace of life is ideally experienced by walking and hiking its trails. Birthplace of the first native Spanish saint and the Spanish language, traversed by the major pilgrimage route of the Camino de Santiago, and producer of world-renowned Rioja wines, La Rioja is irresistible to discriminating visitors. We walk through beautiful countryside and villages, hike along quiet back roads and local trails, and discover rich Riojan history and culture. Our days of inn-to-inn walking and hiking are rewarded with relaxed evenings in beautifully restored inns enjoying the fruits of the region -- cuisine combining the traditional and the nouveau, and wines crafted by artisans.

Spain Walking and Hiking Tour Overview

Day 1: Tour begins in Bilbao, Spain, and we transfer to the village of Ezcaray. Hike to the town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada with its historic cathedral, where we spend one night in a historic 12th-century parador that was originally built to give shelter to the pilgrims on the road to Santiago.

Days 2-3: Hike from Santo Domingo de la Calzada along the Camino de Santiago to our next inn in the mountain village of San Millán de la Cogolla, where we spend two nights in a converted 17th-century monastery. Visit the UNESCO World Heritage site monastery of Yuso, and enjoy hiking through the surrounding countryside dotted with villages born under the protection of the monks.

Days 4-5: Hike from San Millán de la Cogolla to the medieval village of Ezcaray, where we spend two nights. Learn how to prepare a variety of Spanish dishes in a cooking class with one of Spain’s leading young chefs. Meander through its fascinating streets and plazas and under its arcades.

Day 6: Transfer to Haro, the capital of the Rioja wine region. Visit a traditional Rioja bodega for a wine tasting. Enjoy a farewell dinner in Haro and then retire to our historic 16th-century inn.

Day 7: Transfer to Bilbao and visit the famed Guggenheim Museum. Departure from Bilbao, Spain.

Step Away from the Ordinary ~ Spain Walking & Hiking

MEET OUR MICHELIN-STARRED CHEF
A cooking class and feast in the kitchen of Francis Paniego, who in 2004 was the first Riojan chef to receive a Michelin star, and who has been praised as one of “Europe's Rising-Star Chefs” by Food and Wine Magazine, is a highlight of our Vintage Rioja trip. Boundless Journeys’ guests have come to expect superlative food from Francis, and we have an exclusive opportunity to learn from this master chef.