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The Basque Country

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20252026
8 days From £1,099 £999 per person
4.4 stars(60 reviews)
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Discover the Basque country from the traditional town of Hondarribia, with excursions to San Sebastián, Bilbao and a trip on La Rhune Mountain Railway

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Save up to £200pp on Europe 2025 holidays, when you book by 31st January 2025.

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Mobility Rating 2

2025 Tour code: 25BHS

About the tour

Explore the beautiful Basque coast of Spain and France from the seaside town of Hondarribia, visiting coastal fishing towns and stylish cities, discovering the cuisine, art and culture of this fascinating region, and riding the Petit Train de La Rhune with its panoramic views across the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees.

This holiday is based in the Spanish coastal town of Hondarribia, an ideal setting to soak up the unique Basque way of life.

Unforgettable Experiences

Travel on Le Petit Train de la Rhune
Travel on Le Petit Train de la Rhune
Take a trip to the summit of La Rhune mountain, travelling in 1920s vintage carriages and enjoying panoramic views of the Pyrenees and across the Atlantic.
Enjoy a guided tour of beautiful San Sebastián
Enjoy a guided tour of beautiful San Sebastián
Discover a gorgeous city on a great coastline, that’s celebrated for its cuisine, especially pintxos, a Basque-style tapas.
Staying in the colourful Basque coastal town of Hondarribia
Staying in the colourful Basque coastal town of Hondarribia
This characterful town has a well-preserved medieval wall which once protected its 16th-century castle, and a thriving foodie scene to explore.
Discovering the diverse art and culture of Bilbao
Discovering the diverse art and culture of Bilbao
From the iconic Guggenheim museum – with its modern art and futuristic exterior – to its historic Old Town, Bilbao has an exciting range of landmarks and lesser-known treasures to uncover.

What’s included

Itinerary

Day 1 – From London to Hondarribia

Meeting our Tour Manager at London St Pancras early this morning, we board the Eurostar to Paris. From Paris we continue by rail to Hendaye, France. We are then transferred by coach, just across the estuary and the Spanish border, to the town of Hondarribia.

The attractive coastal town of Hondarribia has historic plazas and traditional Basque houses with brightly painted wooden shutters and balconies of colourful flower boxes. We check into our central hotel for seven nights, where we have dinner.

Includes
  • Dinner
Day 2 – At leisure to explore Hondarribia

After breakfast at the hotel, today is free to discover Hondarribia independently. Considered one of the most beautiful spots in the Basque country, this characterful fishing village has plenty to offer.

Our hotel is in La Marina neighbourhood, close to the port and a few minutes from the beach. The medieval old town (signposted 'Casco Antiguo') can be reached by following the preserved walls up to the castle, at the highest point of the village. The 16th century castle has been restored as a hotel and faces the main square, Plaza de Armas, with the church of Santa María de la Asunción just behind it.

Hondarribia has several inviting eateries in the pedestrianised La Marina neighbourhood. Lined with trees, the area features wooden fishermen's houses, pintxo bars and restaurants. Pintxos is a type of tapas unique to the Basque Country. Other Basque specialities include fish soup, tuna and hake. At lunchtime, many places offer a menú del día which is usually a great value way to sample what's in season.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 3 – Excursion to San Sebastián

This morning we're taken by coach to the exciting city of San Sebastián for a guided tour of the historic sights, followed by free time to look around independently. Known as Spain's culinary capital, San Sebastián is world famous for its cuisine. Set in the fabulous La Concha Bay, San Sebastián has a glamorous past as a seaside resort.

After our tour you're free for a few hours. With the beach easily accessible on foot, you could have a refreshing dip in the sea, or maybe take a boat trip out to the nearby island of Santa Clara. If you'd like to know more about local culture, the interesting San Telmo Museum in the Old Town is dedicated to Basque culture and history. Despite its modern façade, the original building is a beautiful 16th century Dominican convent, and this is the oldest museum in the Basque country. Later we return by coach to our hotel for a three-course dinner.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4 – Free time in Hondarribia

Today you're at leisure to discover more of Hondarribia or the surrounding area. Set along the estuary of the Bidasoa River which links Spain with France, the sea here is the calmest in the Basque region. If you haven't already discovered it, there's a wide and sandy beach, popular with both locals and tourists. There's a lifeguard, bathrooms, showers and changing rooms, and the beach also has a choice of bars and restaurants.

This evening you could follow local tradition by visiting a number of small bars to sample a variety of pintxo. Although much smaller than San Sebastián, Hondarribia has a reputation for great cuisine and the town attracts upcoming chefs who gain valued experience in the town's restaurants. As a result, Hondarribia has a wide variety of restaurants where you can indulge in typical Basque fare.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 5 – St Jean de la Luz and the Petit Train de la Rhune

Today we travel by coach, just across the border to the coastal town of St Jean de la Luz, a lively fishing port in France's Aquitaine province, known for its beautiful beach and excellent seafood. There is time to look around here and you might like to try the catch of the day for lunch.

This afternoon is a trip on the authentic 1920s rack railway, the Petit Train de la Rhune, to the summit of La Rhune. We join the railway at Col de St Ignace, ten kilometres from St Jean de la Luz. Travelling in vintage carriages - up above forests, ravines and mountain peat bogs - we experience fantastic views of the Pyrenees and Basque coast, from San Sebastián to Biarritz, across the Atlantic Ocean. At the end of the afternoon, we transfer back to the hotel for a three-course dinner.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6 – Discover more, in and around Hondarribia

With another chance to explore at leisure today, you could enjoy a walk along the Hondarribia seafront promenade. From the marina, follow the Butrón Boardwalk along the waterside for wonderful views of the ocean, the estuary and across to Hendaye, on the opposite bank of the Bidasoa River. The Bay Path, or Camino de la Bahia, is a trail of around 14 kilometres that spans the waterfront between the eastern end of Hendaye's beach and Hondarribia's lighthouse.

If you'd like to explore further, there's a bus service to Hendaye, which has a train station with direct connections to French Basque towns such as St Jean de Luz and Biarritz. There's also a ferry service between Hondarribia and Hendaye which takes around 10 minutes.

If your holiday happens to be in September, this is the month of the town's main festivities - the fiesta of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the city's patron saint.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 7 – An excursion to the dynamic city of Bilbao

This morning we are taken by coach to visit Bilbao, a modern city with a charming Old Quarter, to see the amazing Guggenheim Museum. With entry included, you are free to look around at leisure. The contemporary gallery features the work of artists including Jeff Koons and Louise Bourgeois, but it's the museum building - with its curvy, titanium-clad exterior designed by Frank Gehry - which often gets the most attention.

After viewing the exhibitions there is free time to continue exploring Bilbao - you could wander around the Old Town which offers plenty of tempting Basque tapas or seafood for lunch. Or maybe visit the Doña Casilda Iturrizar Park which has beautiful gardens, architecture, and fountains.

After a coach transfer back to Hondarribia, this evening is our final three-course dinner at the hotel.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8 – Homeward bound

After our final breakfast we are taken by coach to Hendaye then travel by rail to Paris. This week in the Basque country has shown us a unique and vibrant side of Northern Spain and France, with a good balance of excursions and time to explore independently. Changing trains in Paris, we join the Eurostar service to London St Pancras where our journey ends.

Includes
  • Breakfast

Additional information

Departure times

Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be found together with our dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices & Availability' button. We write to all booked customers approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of their tour to advise the exact departure and return time for their particular group.

Mobility information

Due to the nature of our tours they are generally unsuitable for those with restricted mobility. If you’d like to discuss any particular holiday with us in this respect, then please don’t hesitate to call us.

Hotel

Hotel Jauregui, Hondarribia

Hotel Jauregui, Hondarribia

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Trains

Eurostar
La Rhune Mountain Railway

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Upgrades

London Hotels
UK rail connections
Door to door luggage service

Reviews

4.4 stars4.4 / 5 · 60 reviews

  1. 5 stars
    (33)
  2. 4 stars
    (21)
  3. 3 stars
    (5)
  4. 2 stars
    (1)
  5. 1 star
    (0)

myrtle

4 stars

Submitted 4/Nov

The Basque Country is a beautiful area. Can be wet - which is why it's so green ! At the end of October it was still warm. The food is mostly fish based and very good Local people were helpful and friendly. The hotel group dinners were spoiled by the hassle over the vegetarian option. The hotel was very comfortable and it was good to be based in one hotel for the week. The 3 day trips went to places of great interest. This was my first train based holiday. The whole trip was well organised by Rail Discoveries

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Rev. Robert Barthram

4 stars

Submitted 25/Oct

A good holiday. The food could have been a little better. The timings of visits were a little short, considering the evening meal had to be so late. No one seemed to know about the meter gauge railway in the area, curious considering the name of your company, no mention in your brochure!

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Mr Richard Jones

5 stars

Submitted 24/Oct

Really lovely holiday with great excursions and also welcome rest days when we could be free. Hotel really accommodating with excellent food. Only spoilt by the expectation of tipping the tour manager - totally embarrassing and puts him/her on an unequal footing.

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Joan Goodall

5 stars

Submitted 21/Oct

Beautiful region, great food and wine. Good balance between touring and free time.

Collected by Trustpilot

P Turner

4 stars

Submitted 20/Oct

A good value and very enjoyable holiday.

Collected by Trustpilot

Anonymous

5 stars

Submitted 16/Oct

Hondaribbia - absolutely charming and perfect base. TM Simon Witter - was enthusiastic, friendly, knowledgeable, and pleasant TM. Absolutely the best TM we had in all many our tours with RD & GRJ. Very enjoyable. Highly recommend this tour.

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