A twelve-day journey through the France’s renowned Bordeaux wine villages, south through the beautiful French Basque Country, and into the Spanish Basque Country with stays in the charming foodie city of San Sebastián and then on to Bilbao, home of the Guggenheim Museum. The Spanish Basque region isn’t stereotypical Spain. Come enjoy white-capped waves, windswept gorgeous coastline, and top-tier dining. Tapas originate in the Basque Country! This trip has an ideal pace with no long travel days, a nice balance of free time, and the opportunity to settle in to each hotel.
June 7 – 18, 2025
Included in every Saints & Sages trip:
- English-speaking, certified travel director offering 24/7 assistance, and expert local guides, certified by their countries
- Professional driver
- Hand-selected accommodations in 4- and 5-star hotels
- Full breakfast daily
- Activities menu for you to design your day during free time!
- Internet access
- Entrance fees, taxes, and all gratuities
- Laundry Liaison: if desired, we will arrange for your clothing to be laundered near the halfway point of the trip. (Notify us before trip start and we will schedule it and tell you the pricing.)
- Indulgence add-ons: special occasion or extra pampering needed? We got you!
- Guaranteed departure with just four guests
Ready to sign up? Have questions?
Bordeaux to Bilbao
-
📋 Overview
-
📍 Itinerary
-
📅 Dates & Prices
-
📷 Photos
-
❗ Essential Info
Embark on a French and Spanish journey of unfathomable beauty and unparalleled cuisine. Love Paris but deterred by hoards of jostling tourists? You'll fall in love with Bordeaux, from its stunning neoclassical architecture to its world-renowned vineyards, its deep historical roots and its modern vibrancy. We'll feature two day trips to the countryside with an experienced French sommelier and cellar master. We'll also visit chocolate mecca Bayonne, the stunning beaches of Biarritz, and jewel-of-a-city, San Sebastián. With everything you love about Spain, friendly residents and sea views, San Sebastián is also known for having the highest concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe. Our trip caps off with a stay in Bilbao to see bucket-list museum Guggenheim Bilbao.
S² Trip Highlights:
- Eleven nights of beautiful 4- or 5-star accommodations with upgraded rooms in Bordeaux, San Sebastián, and Bilbao
- Bordeaux's famed left bank visit for wine tastings accompanied by an experienced Bordeaux wine professional and former vintner
- Bordeaux's storied right bank visit for tastings with a Bordeaux wine expert, including a visit to the charming world heritage village of Saint-Émilion
- Chocolate tour in Bayonne, France
- Market trip and tapas cooking class in Europe's cuisine and cultural mecca, San Sebastián
- Idiazábal cheese farm visit in the Basque Country
- World-class Guggenheim Bilbao Museum visit
- A cruise to sample and learn about the world's first underwater winery
- All transportation as described in itinerary
- Airport or train station transfer within the city of Bordeaux
- Airport or train station transfer within the city of Bilbao
- All breakfasts, two vineyard lunches, and nine dinners (drink cost excluded)
- Free time! This is the secret to the perfect group travel experience; the ability to set the pace how you like it, so you never feel rushed or exhausted. You get to be as busy or as wander-the-cobblestone-streets-and-sit-in-a-pretty-café as you want to be!
- Digital access to photos and video from the trip
- Full-time travel director, fluent in French and Spanish
- Small group: 16-person maximum
Itinerary at a Glance
- Day 1 BORDEAUX, FRANCE | CITÉ DU VIN WINE MUSEUM, BACALAN MARKET, & WELCOME DINNER
- Day 2 BORDEAUX | WALKING TOUR & FREE TIME
- Day 3 LEFT BANK BORDEAUX | WINE TASTINGS & VINEYARD LUNCHEON
- Day 4 RIGHT BANK BORDEAUX | SAINT-ÉMILION WINE TASTINGS & VINEYARD LUNCHEON
- Day 5 FRENCH BASQUE COUNTRY | BAYONNE, BIARRITZ, SAINT-JEAN-DE-LUZ
- Day 6 SAN SEBASTIÁN, SPAIN | WALKING TOUR & FREE TIME
- Day 7 SAN SEBASTIÁN | FREE TIME & COOKING CLASS
- Day 8 SPANISH BASQUE COUNTRY | HONDARRIBIA, SAN JUAN, SAN PEDRO
- Day 9 BILBAO, SPAIN | IDIAZÁBAL CHEESE FARM, GETARIA, GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM
- Day 10 GERNIKA, SPAIN | MARKET VISIT & GUIDED TOUR
- Day 11 BILBAO, SPAIN | CRUISE & UNDERWATER WINE TASTING
- Day 12 TRANSPORT TO BILBAO AIRPORT OR TRAIN STATION
Want to see the full itinerary? Click on the itinerary tab above.
DAY 0 TRAVEL DAY
Fly from the US to Europe. There are numerous potential approaches (ask us!) but most guests will want to either fly into Bordeaux directly or fly into Paris and take a two-hour bullet train to Bordeaux. We are happy to put an extension together for you for a few days in Paris, Biarritz, or Bordeaux prior to the trip.
Overnight: Flight Meals: In-flight
DAY 1 BORDEAUX, FRANCE
A city of enormous beauty, and home to arguably the best wines in the world, Bordeaux will be our home for the next four nights. It will charm you with its stunning architecture, excellent cuisine, and vibrant culture. We'll begin with a trip to Bordeaux's upscale covered market and food hall, Bacalan, which is a great place for lunch with its assortments of breads, cheeses, fresh fish and seafood, homemade ice cream, wine merchants, restaurants, and local dishes. Just across the street, we'll visit the Cité du Vin, an interactive and sensory wine experience and the world's best wine "museum."
We'll enjoy a fabulous, gastronomic welcome dinner (wine included).
Overnight City: Bordeaux Meals: Dinner
DAY 2 BORDEAUX
Our local, expert guide will take us on a walking tour of this charming city. We'll have free time in the afternoon and then dinner together.
Overnight City: Bordeaux Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 3 LEFT BANK
Accompanied by a Bordelais guide and wine expert with twenty years in the industry, both as a sommelier and a cellar master, we head out on a day trip of Bordeaux's left bank. Home to Margaux, St. Julien, Haut Médoc, Pauillac, and Saint-Estèphe, we will have a vineyard luncheon and two to three châteaux wine tastings.
Overnight City: Bordeaux Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 4 RIGHT BANK
Accompanied again by our Bordelais guide and wine expert, we explore Bordeaux's right bank. We'll have a visit to the medieval town of Saint-Émilion, two to three châteaux wine tastings, and an unforgettable lunch.
Overnight City: Bordeaux Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 5 FRENCH BASQUE COUNTRY
Today we check out of Bordeaux and have private, air-conditioned transport through the French Basque country, including a stop for a chocolate tour in Bayonne, a visit to glitzy beach resort Biarritz, and time willing, charming Saint-Jean-De-Luz. We'll then cross over the Spanish border and wrap up our day in San Sebastián, our home for the next four nights.
Overnight City: San Sebastián Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 6 SAN SEBASTIÁN, SPAIN
This morning, we'll enjoy a guided walking tour of San Sebastián, some free time in the afternoon, and then dinner together with txacoli (chah-co-LEE), a slightly sparkling, very dry white wine made from the Hondarribi Zuri grape.
Overnight City: San Sebastián Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 7 SAN SEBASTIÁN, SPAIN
Today, we'll have some free time in the morning before our chef-guided trip to the market and our cooking class! You may have eaten tapas, but have you had pintxos? The Basque equivalent to tapas, they're delicious and easy to make. Dinner will be a feast of our own making!
Overnight City: San Sebastián Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 8 BASQUE VILLAGES
Today we'll take a half-day trip to the colorful fishing village of Hondarribia with its medieval walled gates and Gothic and Renaissance castle. We'll probably stop by the protected biotope island of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe (of Game of Thrones fame) and the idyllic village of San Pedro. Returning to San Sebastián, we'll have time to either rest up, shop, or explore before another amazing dinner.
Overnight City: San Sebastián Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 9 BASQUE COUNTRY & BILBAO
Today, we check out of San Sebastián and visit an Idiazábal cheese farm. We'll also make a stop in the sleepy village of Getaria, nestled between the sea and vine-covered hills. Arriving in Bilbao, we'll check into our hotel for the next three nights and have a short break before crossing the street to visit the world-famous Guggenheim Bilbao.
Overnight City: Bilbao Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 10 BILBAO
Guided by an expert local, we experience Spain's most famous market: the Monday market at Gernika, and a tour of the town. Does that name sound familiar? It's also the name of Pablo Picasso's most famous piece, Guernica, arguably the most powerful anti-war painting in history. Bombed for two hours straight on April 26, 1937, by German Nazis under the authority of General Francisco Franco, the town of Gernika was at the time filled with primarily women and children who were at the market for the day. Although the original painting lives in the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid, we'll see the open-air ceramic mural.
Overnight City: Bilbao Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 11 PLENTZIA
Today we'll head out to the village of Plentzia for a beautiful day on the bay. We'll also visit the world's first underwater wine cellar and learn about the science of underwater aging, including a tasting that compares traditional and underwater aging. Back in Bilbao, we'll reminisce about our fabulous time and enjoy our farewell dinner with wine included.
Overnight City: Bilbao Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 12 DEPARTURE
Return to the US. Most guests will want to fly out of Bilbao. We offer a post-trip extension option for a wine tasting day trip in the Rioja region of Spain. There is also the option to spend a few days in Madrid and fly home from there. Lots of options are available; just ask us!
Meals: Breakfast
2025: June 7 - 18
2026: TBD
Prices are in USD per person, based on double occupancy.
Price: $9,999 Single Supplement: $2,616*
*The single supplement is a cost increase paid by solo travelers booking a room to themselves. Hotels charge the same amount per room, regardless of whether the occupancy is a single or a couple. S² firmly believes that group travel is the absolute best way to travel, especially for singles! If you are traveling alone and would like us to try and find someone to share a room with you, let us know! We do not mark up our single supplement!
Necessary Country Information: Passport, visa, and safety information
CDC Information: Health and vaccination requirements and recommendations from the CDC
Mobility Information:
S² trips may include walking tours, which you are free to join or to skip. If opting out of the walking tour, your travel director will give you excellent options. These may include cafés or wine bars to soak in the atmosphere of the city or the location of mini-trains that can take you on a riding tour of the city.
Saints & Sages is committed to helping guests of varying mobility enjoy and experience Europe. That said, guests do need to be able to walk minimal distances sometimes with uneven, cobblestone surfaces and may occasionally need to navigate steps. Every individual has their own mobility needs, and every location has its specific challenges. Please contact us, and we will help you determine if an individual trip is a good fit for you.
Highly recommend!
My husband and I have traveled extensively in the past 30 years and traveling with Saints and Sages was amazing. Lindie is the most organized delightful tour guide who anticipates our needs and makes sure we have amazing experiences. The Fairytale France tour was better than we could imagine. Strasbourg, Colmar, and the Alsace region had charming medieval villages, castles, cathedrals, incredible food, wonderful boutique, hotels, and incredible wines. We enjoyed traveling through the vineyards of Alsace and visiting a great winery. It was interesting traveling through the Black Forest to Baden-Baden with its thermal baths, casino, luxury hotels. and beautiful gardens. Heidelberg, with its castle was like going back in time. We are planning on going on the Bordeaux Bilbao tour next year and are anxious to go on future trips with Saints and Sages.
Jim & Vicki Hasty
Amazing
Just completed a fabulous trip to Germany, France and Switzerland. Lindie did an amazing job of organizing every detail of our trip. The best tours, the best transportation, the best hotels and of course……the Best restaurants!!!
Everything was handled for us!!
I highly recommend Saints and Sages!!!!
Bret Bakley
A True Professional
Lindie is a true professional, super organized, knowledgeable and attentive to the needs of her clients. We love her upbeat, positive energy!