Payment of bespoke tour program of the Basque Country | 3rd – 8th of July| 5, 3 and 2 pax
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Description and schedule of services
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3rd of July: arrival to San Sebastian and introductory evening pintxos tour through the old town.
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5:05pm: upon arrival of your flight from Barcelona to San Sebastian airport (VY2486), collect your luggage, walk to the arrivals hall and meet your personal driver there. He will be holding a sign saying “Johnny Chan – Genuine Andalusia”.
6:15pm (estimated): arrival to your hotel in San Sebastian and free time to check-in and freshen up before your evening pintxos and wines tour of the city.
7:45pm: meet your personal local host at your accommodation in San Sebastian and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan with a dedicated driver to San Sebastian old town.
8pm: upon arrival to San Sebastian old town, start your pintxos and wines tour of the city.
Understanding how the Basque Country works when it comes to celebrating food and wine can be one of the most revealing experiences of the culture of the region. The Basques love their excellent food and wine and they like to make a celebration out of every meal, together with family and friends. Food, conversation, wine, laughter and a magical common feeling of thankfulness combine in perfect harmony in Basque pintxos bars to make pintxos evenings memorable.
Pintxos play a key role in the wide variety of options that the region has to offer gastronomy-wise. They are small portions of food that people usually have as an appetizer before a meal. However, especially when eating out, a meal can consist of several different pintxos and this is exactly what this tour is about.
Your local Basque foodie host will take you on a pintxos journey through 3 – 4 selected pintxos bars of San Sebastian, during which you’ll be able to taste a selection of 5 – 7 different pintxos (per person), paired with the corresponding wines. Along the tour, you’ll be explained about the hectic social life that the Basques have and how most of it takes place around food in pintxos bars.
San Sebastian can be overwhelming when it comes to choosing a place to eat so this tour will allow you to relax and to enjoy the magnificent culinary and wine scene of the city, while you also learn about its particular character and identity, together with your local host.
10:45pm: reconnect with your driver and be transferred back with your local host back to your accommodation.
11pm: end of your pintxos and wines tour back at your accommodation.
Overnight in San Sebastian: hotel Akelarre (own arrangements).
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4th of July: day trip from San Sebastian to Bilbao and Getxo district with a pintxos lunch Bilbao style
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8:30am: meet your personal driver at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.
10am: upon arrival to the Guggenheim museum and visit to the museum (own arrangements).
1pm: after your visit to the Guggenheim museum, meet your personal local host to go on a pintxos and wines lunch in order for you to learn about this representative part of the culture and gastronomy of the city and how it contrasts with San Sebastian in this regard.
2:30pm: after your pintxos tour, enjoy a private panoramic tour of the city along which you will see its most representative and iconic sections such as the tower of Iberdrola, the Gran Vía area, and the river sections (with the bridge of Calatrava, the Isozaki Towers, and the City Hall).
You will also enjoy the old 7 streets district area with the cathedral of Santiago, the covered market of Rivera and the New Square.
Along your tour you will learn how Bilbao evolved from being an old industrial city to a modern and cosmopolitan European capital, which contrasts substantially with San Sebastian in spite of their proximity and shared latitude. You will see the grand buildings that the primitive bourgeoisie of the city erected to match those of other important European bourgeois cities and the contemporary ones that have shaped a new personality for the city.
4pm: after your panoramic tour of Bilbao, you will be driven along with your personal local host to the nearby bourgeois coastal district of Getxo.
4:15pm: upon arrival to Getxo, you will be taken to see the elegant mansions of the Basque bourgeoisie to later discover its unique UNESCO World Heritage Site: the Vizcaya Bridge. This is a unique work of engineering that helps pedestrians and car drivers cross on suspended gondola to the town of Portugalete. You will ride the passenger gondola to the Portugalete side and back to later be taken to the old fishing port of Algorta.
5:30pm: end of your tour of Getxo and private transfer back to your hotel in San Sebastian.
6:45pm: arrival to your hotel in San Sebastian and end of services for the day.
Overnight in San Sebastian: hotel Akelarre (own arrangements).
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5th of July: day trip from San Sebastian to the Basque coast and its towns including a visit to a Txakoli house and a seafood lunch
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9:30am: meet your personal local host at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with a dedicated driver to a selected Txakoli house near the coastal town of Getaria, taking a stop along the way at the coastal town of Zarautz to visit its most picturesque viewpoints of the Cantabrian Coast.
11am: upon arrival to the Txakoli house, enjoy a private guided tour of both the vineyards and the aging facilities. Along the tour you will learn about the making process of Txakoli and about its history to later enjoy a vertical tasting of Txakoli paired with some early afternoon bites.
12:45pm: after your tour of the Txakoli house, be driven to the iconic coastal town of Getaria.
1:15pm: upon arrival to Getaria, you will be taken to visit its medieval streets and port. There you will learn about the first sailor to circumnavigate the world: Juan Sebastian Elkano, who was born in this very city.
2pm: after your introductory tour and surely hungry, you will be taken for lunch to a selected local restaurant specialized in grilled fish and seafood.
3:30pm: after lunch, you will be driven to the coastal village of Zumaia.
3:45pm: upon arrival to Zumaia, you will be taken to enjoy its Flysch landscapes, where you will be able to “read” 50 million years of history from a privileged perspective over the Basque Coast. Once at Zumaia you may want to walk off your food by taking a small walk along the unspoilt Basque Coast.
4:45pm: end of your tour of Zumaia and transfer back to your hotel in San Sebastian.
5:30pm: arrival to your hotel in San Sebastian and end of services for the day.
Overnight in San Sebastian: hotel Akelarre (own arrangements).
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6th of July: day trip from San Sebastian to Vega Sicilia winery.
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9am: meet your personal driver at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to Vega Sicilia winery.
12:30pm: arrival to Vega Sicilia winery and visit of the winery (own arrangements). Your driver waits for you until you finish your visit to the winery.
5pm (at the latest): reconnect with your driver and be transferred back to San Sebastian.
8:30pm: arrival to San Sebastian and end of services for the day.
Overnight in San Sebastian: hotel Akelarre (own arrangements).
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7th of July: day trip from San Sebastian to the french Basque Country towns of Biarritz, Saint Jean de Luz and maybe Hondarribia too.
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9:30am: meet your personal local host at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with a dedicated driver to the French Basque Country city of Biarritz.
Along the way, you will be given some explanations about the geography, culture, customs and history of the French Basque Country in order to set the context for your stay in the region.
10:20am: upon arrival to Biarritz, enjoy a private walking tour of the old town and learn why, when the European Royal families searched for a holiday destination they chose this particular town. Iconic buildings such as the Hotel du Palais, the lighthouse and the bridge by Eiffel will give you a hint of why this was and is such a hot and refined spot. Also Biarritz boasts some of the best beaches for surfing and this also infuses the city with a vibrant outdoorsy atmosphere.
Another highlight of Biarritz will be its food market where you will be able to understand the ingredients that shape the local gastronomy. During your visit to the market, you may want to take a stop to have an aperitif and maybe a quick seafood bit to open your appetite for lunch.
After your introduction to the city, you will be taken for lunch to a selected local restaurant specialized in French Basque Country recipes.
2:30pm: after lunch in Biarritz, reconnect with your driver and be transferred to the nearby coastal town of Saint Jean de Luz.
3pm: upon arrival to Saint Jean de Luz, enjoy a private walking tour of the old town and learn why this small fishing village was loved by pirates and corsairs alike. Its cobbled streets are also filled with charming gourmet shops of cheese, foie, sausages and other French Basque Country delicacies, making it the perfect place to buy some foodie souvenirs.
4:30pm: end of your tour of Saint Jean de Luz and private transfer back to San Sebastian, maybe taking a quick stop at the picturesque town of Hondarribia, exactly on the border between Spain and France and which treasures a very well preserved medieval old town.
5:30pm: arrival to San Sebastian and end of services for the day.
Overnight in San Sebastian: hotel Akelarre (own arrangements).
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8th of July: departure from San Sebastian
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11am: meet your personal driver at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to San Sebastian airport.
11:40am: arrival to San Sebastian airport on time to take your flight at 1:40pm.
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Pricing
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The cost of this bespoke tour program for a private group of 5 people (3rd and 4th of July), 3 people (5th and 6th of July) and 2 people (7th and 8th of July) is 5890 Euros
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This price includes
All private transportation services mentioned above in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with a dedicated uniformed driver.
All private tours and experiences mentioned above with a knowledgeable, personable, kind, flexible and interactive fully licensed guide.
A private visit to a selected txakoli house on the 5th of July with the corresponding tastings there and with some morning bites too.
Return ride on the suspended gondola at Vizcaya Bridge.
Petrol, parkings and tolls.
24h support during your trip.
A list of recommended things to do and see and of places to eat during your free time in San Sebastian.
All taxes.
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This price excludes
– Pintxos and wines during your pintxo tour of San Sebastian (your food and wine host will take you to 3 – 4 selected pintxos bars in San Sebastian old town, will help you to order and to understand what wines to pair with each pintxo while they throw in some important information about the food and wine culture of San Sebastian) but the cost of your food and wine is not included and is payable locally.
– Pintxos and wines during your pintxo lunch in Bilbao (your food and wine host will take you to 1 – 2 selected pintxos bars in Bilbao, will help you to order and to understand what wines to pair with each pintxo while they throw in some important information about the food and wine culture of Bilbao) but the cost of your food and wine is not included and is payable locally.
– Entrance tickets to the Guggenheim museum.
– Guiding inside the Guggenheim museum.
– Lunch during your day trip to the Basque Coast. Your local host will take you for lunch to a selected seafood restaurant but the cost of lunch is not included and is payable locally.
– Lunch and/or aperitif during your day trip to the French Basque Country. Your local host will take you for an aperitif and/or lunch to a selected bar / restaurant suited to your taste but the cost of your aperitif and lunch is not included and is payable locally.
– Your visit to Vega Sicilia winery.
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Confirmation and payments
In order to confirm this bespoke tour program, we require a 25% deposit of the grand total no later than the 7th of June 2023 via credit/debit card. The final 75% must be paid via the same method no later than 20 days prior to the start of the tour program.
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Grand total of this bespoke tour program: 5890 Euros
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25% deposit needed no later than the 7th of June 2023 to confirm the tour program: 1472,5 Euros
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Final 75% needed no later than 20 days prior to the start of the tour program: 4417,5 Euros
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Cancellation policy
– If you cancel your tour program more than 20 days prior to its scheduled start, we will charge the 25% deposit only.
– If you cancel your tour program between 20 and 8 days prior to its scheduled start, we will charge 50% of the full cost of the tour program.
– If you cancel your tour program between 7 and 3 days prior to its scheduled start, we will charge 75% of the full cost of the tour program.
– If you cancel your tour program between 2 days or less prior to its scheduled start, we will charge 100% of the full cost of the tour program.
