Nine Days · Five Stops
The Route
We fly into Madrid, loop the green north of Spain by car — Bilbao's art, Rioja's vineyards, San Sebastián's beaches and pintxos — then bookend with one last Madrid night before home. Tap any stop for more.
Madrid
A soft landing after the redeye: an evening in the Barrio de las Letras, a glass of wine and a plate of jamón before the real adventure begins. One night, central and walkable.
Details ›Bilbao
Frank Gehry's titanium Guggenheim, the medieval Casco Viejo, Plaza Nueva pintxos, and a dramatic coast — the island hermitage of Gaztelugatxe a short drive away. Two nights.
Details ›Rioja Alavesa
Harvest season in Spain's most famous wine country: hilltop Laguardia, cellars beneath the streets, and architect-designed bodegas — Gehry's Riscal, Calatrava's Ysios. Two nights.
Details ›San Sebastián
The crescent of La Concha, the world's greatest pintxos bars, more Michelin stars per square mile than almost anywhere on earth. The heart of the trip. Two nights.
Details ›Madrid, once more
Back to the capital for a celebratory final night — a rooftop, a last great dinner — before the flight home on Sunday.
Details ›Where We're Staying
The Stays
All five booked — almost entirely on points, with our Rioja nights in a 16th-century palace inside the walls of medieval Laguardia. Tap a hotel for the full story.
Gran Hotel Inglés
Madrid's first luxury hotel (1886), Art-Deco rooms in the literary quarter, steps from Plaza Santa Ana. Deluxe Room. Conf ZO-AX1051-76091
Details ›NH Collection Villa de Bilbao
Central on Gran Vía, a comfortable walk to the Guggenheim and the old town. Superior Room. Conf ZO-AX1051-76238
Details ›Hospedería de los Parajes — Laguardia
A restored 16th-century palace inside the walls of medieval Laguardia, with a vinotherapy spa carved into the old stone cellar. Our Suite has a sofa loft, a jacuzzi, and a private terrace over the village plaza.
Details ›Hotel María Cristina, a Luxury Collection Hotel ★
The Belle-Époque grande dame on the Urumea river, home of the film festival — three minutes from the old town. Deluxe King, Garden View. The splurge stay.
Details ›The Madrid EDITION
Ian Schrager's design hotel by Puerta del Sol, with a rooftop pool and bar for the send-off. Superior King. Conf ZO-AX1051-76381
Details ›Getting There & Back
Flights
British Airways via London both ways (Premium Economy on the 787s), Iberia for the two hops within Spain — and a rental car for the ground loop in between. PNR YWTC35 · credited to AAdvantage
BA 170 · PIT 9:50p → LHR 10:05a (787, Premium Economy)
BA 460 · LHR 12:20p → MAD 3:50p — arrive Saturday afternoon.
BA 459 · MAD 12:20p → LHR 1:45p
BA 171 · LHR 4:40p → PIT 7:50p (787, Premium Economy) — home Sunday evening.
Local Color
Did You Know?
A little Basque & Riojan magic to get excited about — hit the button for another.
The Basque language, Euskara, is a “language isolate” — related to no other tongue on Earth, and older than the Romans. No one knows where it came from.
Star city
San Sebastián has more Michelin stars per resident than almost any city on Earth — three 3-star kitchens in a town of ~190,000.
It's a pintxo
Not “tapa.” The Basque word comes from pintxar, “to pierce” — for the toothpick that once speared each little bite.
A town on wine
Beneath Laguardia runs a honeycomb of 200+ hand-dug cellars. The ground is so hollow that cars are largely banned inside the walls.
Masters of fire
At Etxebarri, the chef built his own grills and smokes butter, caviar, even ice cream over embers — and taught the fine-dining world to cook with fire.
241 steps
Climb to the Gaztelugatxe hermitage and ring the bell three times for a wish. You may recognize it as Dragonstone from Game of Thrones.
Dinner at ten
Spaniards eat late — dinner rarely before 9–10pm. Your final-night flamenco at 9:30 is right on local time.
The Plan
Day by Day
A loose frame — wine, walks, water, and a few unforgettable meals.
Land & settle
- Arrive midafternoon; check into Gran Hotel Inglés
- Easy first dinner — Casa Alberto (1827 taberna) or the hotel's LobByto. Keep it light; you'll be jet-lagged.
Guggenheim afternoon
- Midday flight to Bilbao
- Guggenheim (Puppy, Maman, Serra) — today, it's closed Mondays
- Pintxos on Plaza Nueva
Coast & a big dinner
- Day trip to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe + the coast
- Artxanda funicular at sunset
- Dinner: Mina or Nerua
Into wine country
- Drive to Rioja (~75 min); check into Hospedería de los Parajes, inside the Laguardia walls
- Afternoon wandering medieval Laguardia — the ramparts, the churches, the underground calados
- Dinner: pintxos and wine bars along Calle Mayor
The bodega day
- 10:00 — Bodegas Ysios tour & tasting (Calatrava's wave-roof icon, minutes from the hotel)
- Afternoon free to walk Laguardia — pintxos lunch on Calle Mayor (El Fabulista, Casa Primicia)
- 8:00pm — dinner at Bistró 1860, under Gehry's titanium roof at Marqués de Riscal
Etxebarri, on the drive
- Drive Rioja → San Sebastián, with a long lunch at Asador Etxebarri in Atxondo en route (only ~30 min off the direct line)
- Into San Sebastián by evening; check into the María Cristina
- An easy pintxos night in the old town
Pintxos tour & Elkano
- 12:30 — Mimo Pintxos & Wine food tour through the old town (~3 hrs, 5 bars)
- Afternoon: the La Concha promenade & Chillida's Peine del Viento
- 9:00pm — dinner at Elkano in Getaria: the legendary whole grilled turbot
Send-off
- Fly to Madrid; check into The Madrid EDITION
- Dinner & flamenco at Corral de la Morería — the world's most famous tablao — 9:30pm seating
Fly home ♥
- Midday flight Madrid → London → Pittsburgh; home by evening
The Table
Restaurants
The two standout meals and the can't-miss casual — tap any for the story, and we'll keep adding as we lock reservations.
Asador Etxebarri ★
Victor Arguinzoniz's wood-fire temple in a green valley — #2 on the World's 50 Best — as a relaxed à-la-carte lunch on the drive to San Sebastián. The meal of the trip.
Requested · awaiting confirmationDetails ›
Elkano ★
The legendary whole grilled turbot in a seaside fishing village — possibly the most "must-do" meal in the region. Our Friday-night dinner.
Booked · Fri 9:00pmDetails ›
Bistró 1860 · Marqués de Riscal
Traditional Riojan cooking under Frank Gehry's titanium roof — the relaxed à-la-carte table on the iconic estate, the day before Etxebarri.
Booked · Wed 8:00pmDetails ›
Pintxos Crawl
Bar Néstor (txuleta & tomato), Borda Berri (rib kebab), La Cuchara de San Telmo (veal cheek), La Viña (burnt cheesecake). No reservations — just go.
Walk-inDetails ›
Mina / Nerua
A Michelin-starred dinner in Bilbao — intimate Mina across the river, or Nerua inside the Guggenheim.
To bookDetails ›
Madrid nights
Casa Alberto for the jet-lagged arrival; dinner & flamenco at Corral de la Morería — the world's most famous tablao — on the final night.
Flamenco booked · Oct 3Details ›
More restaurants to come as we plan.
Things to Do
Experiences
Art, architecture, wine, and the coast — tap any for the story. We'll add and refine these together.
Guggenheim Bilbao
Gehry's titanium masterpiece — Koons' flower Puppy, Bourgeois' spider Maman, Serra's steel spirals. Timed ticket; closed Mondays.
Booked · Sun 4:30pmDetails ›
San Juan de Gaztelugatxe
Cross the winding stone causeway, then climb the 241 steps up the rock to the island hermitage — Game of Thrones' Dragonstone. Ring the bell three times at the top for a wish.
Walk-in · no ticketDetails ›
Bodegas Ysios
Santiago Calatrava's undulating aluminum-roofed winery against the Sierra de Cantabria — a guided tour & tasting of two Ysios reds. The architectural icon of Rioja Alavesa.
Booked · 2 guestsDetails ›
Getaria & Balenciaga
A fishing village half-day: the Cristóbal Balenciaga couture museum, a txakoli tasting, and Elkano's turbot.
Day tripDetails ›
Mimo Pintxos & Wine Tour
A three-hour guided graze through the old town — five pintxos and five drinks across the best counters, with a Mimo host to show you how it's done.
Booked · 2 guestsDetails ›
La Concha & Monte Igueldo
The iconic bay, the vintage Igueldo funicular for the postcard view, and Chillida's Peine del Viento at sunset.
StrollDetails ›
Laguardia
A medieval walled hilltop town honeycombed with underground wine cellars — park outside the walls and wander.
ExploreDetails ›
Flamenco Night
Corral de la Morería — Madrid's legendary tablao since 1956 and the only one in the world with a Michelin-starred kitchen. Dinner and the show, 9:30pm.
Booked · conf W03102026073147Details ›
More experiences to come as we plan.
Loose Ends
Still to Book
- Asador Etxebarri — lunch Thu Oct 1 (requested; now on their waitlist — a long shot)
- Bistró 1860 at Marqués de Riscal — dinner Wed Sep 30, 8:00pm
- Guggenheim ticket — Sun Sep 27, 4:30pm timed entry
- Gaztelugatxe (Sep 28) — weekday walk-in, no ticket needed
- Elkano — dinner Fri Oct 2, 9:00pm
- Mimo Pintxos & Wine tour — Fri Oct 2, 12:30
- Rental car — Hertz BMW X1, Bilbao → San Sebastián
- All five hotels — incl. Hospedería de los Parajes, Laguardia
- Bodegas Ysios tour · Sep 30
- Corral de la Morería flamenco · Oct 3
- Travel insurance — covered by CareFirst + Amex Platinum
- Flights — BA & Iberia, PNR YWTC35