Add dates

Basque Country Local food tours

Our most recommended Basque Country Local food tours

San Sebastian: Amazing Guided Market & Food Pintxo Tour

1. San Sebastian: Amazing Guided Market & Food Pintxo Tour

Take a guided tour through the old town of San Sebastián and see why it’s known for having some of the world’s best pintxos, the local word for small snacks. Witness the spectacle of pintxos being served in a selection of bars, each in their own special way alongside Local cider and wine.Begin with a stroll through the market full of delectable local produce and stop for a ham tasting. Visit an olive shop to taste the best olives, gilda and oil while you hear the history behind La Gilda, one of the oldest known pintxos, and meet a local vendor who is in the world’s top 4 olive oil shops.Next, head to the old quarter and go bar-hopping like a Basque native. See some landmark buildings and learn about private cooking clubs as you make more stops to taste the most avant-garde pintxos, Rioja Wine, and natural apple cider.Enjoy stories about Basque’s fascinating dishes, language, and heritage as you meet locals in the market and bars.

San Sebastian: Highlights Walking Tour with Pintxo and Drink

2. San Sebastian: Highlights Walking Tour with Pintxo and Drink

Meet San Sebastian's most interesting spots by walking across its historic area. Join your local guide on a walking tour and do not miss any of the secrets that this emblematic city hides. Learn every detail of its ancient buildings and its people. Depart from the border of Old and New Towns, where the 19th-century city walls were built. Be taken through the serpentine Old Town streets, visiting the two main churches and the pintxo streets. Later on, observe the expansion of the city during the early 20th century. Gaze at the influence of the Spanish Queen Maria Cristina in the construction of many of San Sebastian's most characteristic buildings, such as Hotel de Londres and Maria Cristina, the Buen Pastor Cathedral, the Tabakalera Museum, and Victoria Eugenia Auditorium. Enjoy a delicious round of pintxos and a drink in a traditional bar in the Old Town.

Cider House Experience From San Sebastián

3. Cider House Experience From San Sebastián

Cider (named sagardo in Basque language, which means apple wine) is one of the most traditional and everlasting Basque drinks. The magic that involves its production (made in traditional Basque homesteads for centuries) can still be found in cider houses (Sagardotegis, in Basque language) where, apart from tasting the most traditional cider house menu, a guided tour of the apple trees and the different production areas is included in order to unveil every secret of this drink’s production. Transportation and lunch are included in this tour, with free flow cider included during lunch!

From Bilbao: Mountains and Sea Full-Day Tour

4. From Bilbao: Mountains and Sea Full-Day Tour

Depart Bilbao and head for Vitoria-Gasteiz to explore the capital city of the Basque Country. Take a guided walking tour through the center to see the cathedral, parliament and historical monuments of Plaza de la Virgen Blanca. Discover a medieval quarter in Plaza del Machete and admire the Church of San Miguel. Go to the Salinas de Añana salt flats and learn the history of the landscape. Continue to Orduña village and enjoy lunch at a typical restaurant in the medieval village of Balmaseda. Venture through the Ayala Valley and the mining area of ​​Bizkaia (Biscay) to reach the coast at Santurtzi and Portugalete, where you will cross the Vizcaya Bridge to Getxo.

Bilbao: Guided Pintxos Tour

5. Bilbao: Guided Pintxos Tour

Take a journey to mix with the locals. Take a tour through the bars of the old town of Bilbao with a local guide, who was born in Bilbao. This unique gastronomic experience is a must when visiting the Basque Country. Delve into the lifestyle and traditions of the inhabitants of Bilbao, explore the old part of the city and taste the most traditional pintxos.  Learn about the origin and development of the city by visiting four traditional places to taste typical pintxos, one of the specialties of the exquisite Basque cuisine. The pintxo is the Basque version of the Spanish tapa and is taken with a typical drink, usually wine or txakoli. They are delicious gourmet sandwiches that you can find everywhere.

Rioja: Private Wine Tasting Tour

6. Rioja: Private Wine Tasting Tour

This tour is designed to guide you into one of the oldest traditional "cave-cellars" in the area, dug 7-8 meters (23-26 feet) deep under the houses. This is a fabulous experience not to be missed! This activity also includes  tasting wines in one of the most famous local wineries. You can also tour 'Marques del Riscal' winery cellar/hotel, which was designed by Frank Gehry, the architect who designed the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. You will also walk along the medieval streets of Laguardia, one of the most charming towns in La Rioja area, before discovering local home-made food for lunch in an off the beaten track, non touristy restaurant.

San Sebastian: Private Pintxos Basque -Tapas Tour

7. San Sebastian: Private Pintxos Basque -Tapas Tour

Enjoy this guided tour in San Sebastian, visiting the most historical and the most representative points in the historic center of San Sebastian. Along with a dose of history, you will get a special treat: a pintxos tasting tour which will visit a couple of the nicest pintxos bars in the old part of San Sebastian. Never heard of a pintxo? You'll be trying to re-create this Basque speciality at home after trying them here.  This tour goes for the famous "bar hopping" along different local places while you smell, see and of course, taste all the essence of Basque gastronomy. You will also be guided along to the local market to see all the fresh products displayed before going into the restaurants bars where Pintxos are made daily using only seasonal products. Do you really want to feel like a local? Then, this is your tour. Gather local people on their daily lives in the Old Quarter of San Sebastian.

Bilbao: Off-the-Beaten-Path Seaside Cycling Tour

8. Bilbao: Off-the-Beaten-Path Seaside Cycling Tour

Explore the Bilbao seaside by bike on this 2.5-hour fun and informative guided tour. Start your tour right at the feet of the iconic Vizcaya Bridge, where you’ll learn about its history, fun facts, and the present role of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. After a pleasant ride along the seaside, enjoy your first stop at Puerto Viejo. Beautiful and filled with history and anecdotes, you’ll have the freedom to roam and walk around its hidden corners and streets. Blend in among the locals and join them as we taste some world-famous pintxos (small snacks), and maybe a glass of wine, or a Caña for beer lovers.   You’ll then continue on to a few secret local spots before heading on to the route to the Cliffs where you’ll experience the Biscay coastline at its best. With its unmatched scenery, the majesty of the sea and fresh air will accompany you for one of the most beautiful bike routes in the Basque country.   After the tour, you can enjoy the beautiful Arrigunaga beach just meters away, grab a bite in one of its panoramic resto-bars, have a drink with your feet on the sand at the beach bar, or just read your book on the beach.

Bilbao: Boat and Walking Guided Tour with Pintxos

9. Bilbao: Boat and Walking Guided Tour with Pintxos

Enjoy a boat ride along the Bilbao River, pass important buildings including the Guggenheim Museum and the University of Deustro.  Stroll through the city on a walking tour, walk under the different bridges in Bilbao and to Casco Viejo. Finish the tour by tasting a  pintxo (tapa) and having a drink. 

San Sebastián: City Tour with Pintxos and Wine

10. San Sebastián: City Tour with Pintxos and Wine

Discover the natural beauty of San Sebastián starting at the top of Mount Igueldo, finding the most amazing views of the city. Learn about the history of the Basque Country, the Bay of Biscay, and the role of San Sebastián in all this. Descend Igueldo aboard its wooden funicular, which is more than 100 years old. Get off next to the most photographed sculpture in the city, the Peine del Viento by Eduardo Chillida. Head to the other 'Finis Terrae' of the city, Sagüés and La Zurriola, the epicenter of the surfing scene in San Sebastián. Check out the main hallmarks of the city, its romantic nooks, the palace built for royal summers, the French-influenced, modernist, and rationalist buildings, or more recent architecture such as the Kursaal. Visit the gastronomic epicenter of San Sebastián; Old Town, home to the pintxo bars, the gastronomic Sociedades, and the seasoned locals enjoying the timeless 'Txikiteo' [a sort of uptempo bar-hopping]. Visit three of the most iconic bars to try their three most famous pintxos accompanied by cider, wine, or beer. End with a creamy, sweet artisanal ice cream.

23 activities found
Sort by:
Page 1 of 2

Frequently asked questions about Basque Country

What top attractions are a must-see in Basque Country?

Other Sightseeing Options in Basque Country

Want to discover all there is to do in Basque Country? Click here for a full list.

What people are saying about Basque Country

We had a great time with John. He had come highly recommended through our contacts at London Restaurant Festival, who used him on a tour to San Sebastián with a celebrity chef. Communication was excellent via WhatsApp and the meeting point so easy to find. We normally try to book a food tour on our first night but John was only able offer the following evening. This meant we revisited 2 places we had stopped by already. However this was not an issue, as in the first place we had something we would never had thought to order and the second (the most famous place to get cheesecake) he served in a way that changed the flavour and boosted the experience - the perfect way to finish the tour. The tour starts in the underground market for snacks, before moving to a few Pintxos bars to try various local delicacies. Some more challenging than others but our group was happy to try everything and it was all delicious. Food was paired with cider or wine and not a single bad dish.

A fantastic tour of San Sebastián old town with traditional drinks and Pintxos. Jon was full of historical and interesting facts about the area and chose some fantastic Pintxos and drinks to share with us. The cheesecake and raisin liquor was my absolute favourite! Delicious!! We did this on our final evening and we thought it would actually be more useful to do it at the beginning so you can revisit some of the restaurants to sample the amazing food again!

Myself and my 3 teenage daughters had wonderful time on the Pinxtos Tasting Tour. We had a fun time whilst enjoying the delicacies of San Sebastian.

This tour was amazing! Jon was very enthusiastic about his country, food and history! Pintox we're all delicious, took us to the best places!!

Excellent guide with an excellent bicycle tour of the city. Lots of fun - and FUNNY!