We had a great trip. The pace was perfect as...
Spain | Apr 15 - Apr 22, 2026

Carol
Carol B.
Portland, OR | Reviewed on Apr 24, 2026

We had a great trip. The pace was perfect as were the activities. We very much enjoyed both the guides we had (Irene in Bilbao and Jaime in San Sebastian). They were knowledgeable and flexible (we asked Jaimie to move around our schedule on the day we drove to San Sebastian and he easily pivoted to meet our needs). I think it was particularly useful to have the same guide for each city so as to minimize repetition.

My only constructive criticism is that our hotels in Bilbao and San Sebastian were booked in the name of one of the members of one of the couples (David Knowles). We got into Bilbao before they did so when we tried to check into our room, it was a bit confusing as they did not have our names. It worked out fine, but it would be much easier if the rooms could be booked individually.

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Ercilla de Bilbao
Bilbao, Bizkaia

Great location, clean and spacious

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Zenit Convento San Martin
San Sebastián
Authenticity & Character
the lobby was lovely but the rooms were small and felt very institutional
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Worst pillows ever (but I appreciate that's a very particular thing)
Activity Reviews
Bilbao Pintxos Experience: Tapas of the Basque Country
Bilbao Pintxos Experience: Tapas of the Basque Country
Bilbao

Terrific food and wine - great suggestions and great knowledge. Very good that it was only 4 people. This would not have been much fun if we were any more people

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Discover Bilbao with a Local
Discover Bilbao with a Local
Bilbao
Hiking Excursion  St.James way, famous «Camino de Santiago»
Hiking Excursion  St.James way, famous «Camino de Santiago»
San Sebastián

This did not happen. It was not on our itinerary like this -- there were just a few hikes we could pick (all of which said "High difficulty" and no options for transport to the remote starting places. We were all pretty tired and appreciated a break, but it was a disappointment

From Market to Table: A Basque Cooking Experience
From Market to Table: A Basque Cooking Experience
San Sebastián

Guide was great and very knowledgeable. Particularly appreciated the trip to the market. The amount of hands-on work was just right.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
A Guided Walk though San Sebastian
A Guided Walk though San Sebastian
San Sebastián

This was a good trip, but we got side-tracked by some things (our fault) so I don't know that we saw everything. Nonetheless, Jaime pivoted so gracefully

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
A Day in Basque Country: Hondarribia, Pasai Donibane & Txakoli Wine
A Day in Basque Country: Hondarribia, Pasai Donibane & Txakoli Wine
San Sebastián

We ended up changing the itinerary at the last minute and it was seamless. It was a great day.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Hector Molina