Payment of bespoke trip to the Basque Country, Rioja and Castilla León | July 2024 | 3 pax
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Description and schedule of services
4th of July: arrival to San Sebastian, private transfer to your hotel and rest of the day at leisure
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5:40pm: 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”.
7pm (estimated): arrival to your hotel in San Sebastian and rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in San Sebastian: hotel Maria Cristina (5*). 1 Corner River Suite for triple occupancy (1 Bedroom Suite with 2 Twin beds in the bedroom and with an extra bed in the living room) with breakfast included.
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5th of July: from San Sebastian to hotel Marques de Riscal via Restaurante Txispa in Atxondo
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12:30pm: meet your personal driver at your hotel and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to Restaurante Txispa in Atxondo.
1:30pm: arrival to restaurante Txispa and free time for lunch at leisure there. Your driver stays in the vehicle with your luggage.
5pm (estimated): after lunch, reconnect with your driver and be transferred to hotel Marques de Riscal in Elciego.
6:30pm (estimated): arrival to hotel Marques de Riscal in Elciego and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Elciego (Rioja): hotel Marques de Riscal (5*). 2 premium guest rooms with Elciego Village View and Balcony (one with twin beds and one with a king bed) both with breakfast included.
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6th of July: from Hotel Marques de Riscal to Leon via Burgos
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12pm: meet your personal driver at Hotel Marques de Riscal and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to Burgos.
1:20pm: upon arrival to Burgos old town, meet your personal local host and start a private 2 walking tour of the old town including its impressive cathedral and its medieval quarters. Burgos is one of the most important cities in the Castilla León region, which separates Madrid from the North of Spain.
Burgos Cathedral was given the World Heritage Site designation in 1984 and it is an exquisite example of Castilla and León’s religious architecture. Your tour will also take you to the medieval quarters of the city in order to see the most representative buildings as well as the iconic Plaza Mayor.
3:20pm: after your tour of Burgos, enjoy some free time in the city to eat something and walk around a little bit on your own.
5pm: reconnect with your driver and be transferred to the city of León.
6:40pm: arrival to your hotel in León and end of services for the day.
Overnight in León: hotel Parador de León (5*). 2 standard double rooms (one with twin beds and one with a double bed) both with breakfast included.
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7th of July: visit to Real Colegiata de San Isidoro followed by a day trip to discover the gastronomy and wine project of chef José Gordón in the village of Jimenez de Jamuz
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10am: be ready at Colegiata de San Isidoro (15min walk from your hotel or 6 min taxi ride that your hotel can order for you) for a guided visit in English to this iconic landmark in León old town. This is one of the oldest Romanesque churches in Spain including impressive 12th century frescoes in the pantheon of the church, which are in an exceptional state of preservation and are known as the “Romanesque Sistine Chapel”.
11am: meet your personal driver at Real Colegiata de San Isidoro and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to the ox farm of José Gordón.
12pm: upon arrival to the farm, enjoy a private tour with José Gordón himself or a member of his team to learn all about the animals that are the origin of his gastronomy project. From there, visit the ox meat-curing cellars and the wine cellars too. Then, enjoy some appetizers and a wine tasting in an intimate cave before your degustation menu at the restaurant.
Considered the best meat restaurant in the world by renowned international food critics, Restaurante el Capricho is located in a remote village in the northern Spanish province of León, excavated on a clay hillside.
A place of pilgrimage for discerning meat lovers from all over the world, Restaurante El Capricho is the life project of local chef José Gordón, who remained loyal to his roots and developed with great passion a genuine gastronomy concept based on carefully selected oxen.
This exclusive experience will take you to visit the farm where José Gordón keeps his animals: the mythical, magical and mysterious oxen, which are the basis of all his work. From there, you will be taken to visit the cellars where the ox meat is cured exactly the same way it was cured 2000 years ago, to prepare “cecina”, a local delicacy from the area. Your discovery journey will then take you to another cellar where José Gordón ages his own wine and finally you will arrive to a unique cave where you will enjoy some appetizers cooked on fire as well as a wine tasting.
After this introduction to El Capricho, you will be escorted to your table at the restaurant to enjoy a degustation menu carefully curated by José Gordón himself for his most discerning guests.
1pm: be escorted to your table to enjoy your degustation menu at the restaurant.
3pm: end of lunch and private transfer back to your accommodation in León.
4pm: arrival to your accommodation in León and end of services for the day.
Overnight in León: hotel Parador de León (5*). 2 standard double rooms (one with twin beds and one with a double bed) both with breakfast included.
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8th of July: private transfer from León to Madrid airport for Colin and tour of León city for Johnny and Charlotte
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For Colin: 7:45am meet your personal driver at your hotel in León and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to Madrid airport.
11:30am arrival to Madrid airport and end of services for the day.
For Johnny and Charlotte: 9:30am: meet your personal local guide at your accommodation in León to start a private walking tour of León old town aimed at adding context to your stay in the city. Your guide will give you an overview of the history and architecture of the city to later take you to probably its most impressive modern building: Casa Botines.
Your tour will start with a guided tour of the historic sections of your hotel, which is an exquisite example of Castilian Renaissance.
Then you will take a short walk through the northern section of León old town that will finish in its impressive Gothic Cathedral: your next stop along the tour.
The cathedral of León is a majestic construction of pure French Gothic style built in the 13th century over the ruins of ancient Roman baths and it treasures, in its impressive windows (most of them original), some of the most extensive and best preserved collections of medieval stained glass in the world.
With approximately 1,800 square meters of stained glass, León Cathedral is known as “the House of Light”. The stained glass covers the entire length of the upper story of the church with massive panes that span from its lower pointed arches all the way up to the ceiling, giving the impression that the walls simply vanish into light thus inducing a deep spirituality and a heavenly environment.
11:45am: after your visit to the cathedral take a short walk to enjoy (from the outside) one of the most thought-provoking buildings that Gaudí ever designed: Casa Botines.
Built in neo-Gothic style between 1892 and 1893, this construction is an outstanding example of what Gaudí became capable of in the first stages of his brilliant career. Casa Botines is a building full of symbols, that the Catalan architect conceived as a dragon: the dragon that waits outside the gates of the medieval city walls, asleep, ready to wake up. Your tour will unconver all its symbolism and meaning to later take you on a discovery journey of the tapas and wines scene of the city.
12:30pm: your León food and wine adventure will take you through the “Barrio Húmedo”. This is the name that the heart of León old town is known for. It translates as “the wet district” because it’s where the city has the biggest concentration of bars, pubs and taverns. This is also where the city’s best tapas bars are and there’s no better way to discover and experience their food and wine wonders than hopping from one to another!
Understanding how Spain works when it comes to celebrating food can be one of the most revealing experiences of the culture of the country. Food, conversation, wine, laughter combine in perfect harmony around Spanish tables to make meals memorable. Tapas play a key role in the wide variety of options that the country 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 tapas and this is what this part of the tour is about!
Your host will take you on a tapas journey through 2 – 3 selected tapas bars of the city, during which you’ll be able to taste a selection of 6 – 9 different local tapas dishes, combined with the corresponding drinks.
2:40pm: after your tapas and wines journey, you will be escorted back to your hotel in León or be given recommendations to enjoy the rest of your day in the city at leisure.
Overnight in León: hotel Parador de León (5*). 2 standard double rooms (one with twin beds and one with a double bed) both with breakfast included.
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9th of July: Private transfer from your hotel in León to León airport
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10:30am: meet your personal driver at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to León airport.
10:45am: arrival to León airport and end of services for the day.
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Pricing
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The cost of this bespoke trip for a private group of 3 people is 10595 Euros
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This price includes
– 5 nights’ accommodation with breakfast included as per mentioned above.
– All private transportation services mentioned above in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with a dedicated driver (minivan when 3 pax and Sedan when 2 or 1 pax).
– A private tour of Burgos city with a knowledgeable, personable, kind, flexible and interactive fully licensed guide with a great command of the English language.
– All entrance tickets and admissions for your tour of Burgos.
– A private tour of León city with a knowledgeable, personable, kind, flexible and interactive fully licensed guide with a great command of the English language.
– All entrance tickets and admissions for your tour of León.
– Private visit to the farm of José Gordon led by a trusted member of his team, followed by a private visit to his cecina curing chambers with the corresponding tastings there and finishing with a degustation menu curated by José Gordón himself including the wines that he selects for this menu.
– A list of recommended things to do and see and of places to eat in Burgos and in León.
Petrol, parkings and tolls.
– 24h Guardian Angel service for any emergencies you may have during your trip.
– All taxes.
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This price excludes
– Your tapas and wines during your food tour of León. Your personal local guide will take you to selected local tapas bars in town but the cost of food and drinks is not included and can be paid locally.
– Any meals not mentioned right above.
– Anything else not mentioned right above.
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Confirmation and payments
In order to confirm this trip we need a 30% deposit of the grand total no later than the 4th of May 2024 at 11:59pm (Madrid time) credit/debit card. The final 70% must be paid via the same method no later than 30 days prior to the star of the trip.
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Grand total of this bespoke trip: 10595 Euros
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30% deposit needed no later than the 4th of May 2024 at 11:59pm (Madrid time) to confirm the trip: 3178,5 Euros
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Final 70% needed no later than 30 days prior to the start of the trip to pay it in full: 7416,5 Euros
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Cancellation policy
– If you cancel your trip more than 30 days prior to its scheduled start, we will charge the 30% deposit only.
– If you cancel your trip between 30 and 15 days prior to its scheduled start, we will charge 40% of the grand total and we will refund the remaining 60%.
– If you cancel your trip between 14 and 4 days prior to its scheduled start, we will charge 50% of the full cost of the trip and we will refund the other 50%.
– If you cancel your trip 3 days or less prior to its scheduled start, we will charge 100% of the full cost of the trip.
(*) Please note that partial cancellations won’t result in partial refunds. This applies to the group size and to the duration, activities and services included in the trip.
