9-Nights Bilbao to Bordeaux: Cuisine and Culture - Small Group Journeys from $12,995
Abercrombie & Kent
OFFER ID 1652055
Bilbao to Bordeaux: Cuisine and Culture
Bilbao, once an industrial giant, now shines with a vibrant cultural scene and innovative architecture, while Bordeaux - its vineyards ripe with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes - exudes sophisticated charm. Traverse two countries in one memorable journey, uncovering the flavors of Spain’s Basque Country and France’s Bordeaux region and enjoying stunning scenery, rich culture and the unforgettable flavors of both regions.
9 nights from $12,995 per person
Itinerary Details
1 Arrive Bilbao, Spain
Spain is one of the most history-laden countries in Europe, a melting pot of languages, cuisines and cultures. Set in the living heart of Basque country, Bilbao is a bastion of art, architecture and wonderful traditional dishes such as pintxos. Upon arrival, settle into your hotel, where this evening you gather for cocktails and a welcome dinner.
Gran Hotel Domine Bilbao
Meals:
2 Guernica – A Legacy of Remembrance
Start your day with a visit to nearby Guernica, a city inextricably linked to the brutality of war and nationalism as vividly portrayed in Pablo Picasso's masterwork Guernica. Delve into the poignant history that inspired the master, seeing ground zero of the infamous bombing raid that leveled the city in 1937. Next, explore Guernica's renowned market, one of the finest in all of Basque Country, where growers from across the province display their freshly harvested produce for locals and visitors alike. Then, return to Bilbao to explore the fascinating streets of its Old Town, followed by a relaxing evening at leisure.
Gran Hotel Domine Bilbao
Meals:
3 Bilbao and the Coast – Masterworks of the Guggenheim
Explore the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and its world-class collection of modern and contemporary art. Next, visit a cellar where the wines are aged more than 60 feet below the surface of the sea, to sample these special vintages paired with pintxos. Proceed to San Sebastián for an A&K-exclusive dining experience at a local gastronomic society, a members-only social club where Basque cuisine and culture are passed from one generation to the next.
Hotel Maria Cristina
Meals:
4 Sebastián – Sun, Surf & Cider
Explore San Sebastián's local cider culture, learning how this delightful regional staple is brewed, poured and quaffed in the Basque tradition. After some time at leisure to relax or explore, join a chef-led culinary experience, preparing and tasting regional favorites.
Hotel Maria Cristina
Meals:
5 Pamplona – Hemingway's Haunts
Visit a family-run dairy farm and taste their fresh cheeses. Continue to Pamplona — home to the annual festival of San Fermín (the running of the bulls) that inspired Hemingway's classic The Sun Also Rises. After time for lunch at leisure, stroll the city's medieval lanes with a local expert, and then return to San Sebastián. Tonight, you may opt to explore the city's world-renowned culinary scene independently, with advice from A&K if you like.
Hotel Maria Cristina
Meals:
6 Bordeaux, France – Along the Coast to France
Cross the border into southwestern France, pausing to take in the scenic fishing village of Saint-Jean-de-Luz. Proceed to coastal Bayonne, a mellow enclave of Basque country at the foot of the Pyrenees. Continue northward to Bordeaux, where your guide reveals the city as you walk to a local restaurant for dinner. Famed the world over for its wines, Bordeaux, like France itself, is also a noted center for superb gastronomy.
Intercontinental Bordeaux - Le Grand Hotel
Meals:
7 Bordeaux – Wines of the Châteaux’s Cellars
Today, explore some of Bordeaux's iconic châteaux, enjoying privileged access to areas otherwise closed to the public. Savor expertly curated tastings of some of the world's most coveted wines, and pause for lunch at one of the châteaux. Afterward, take a guided tour of The City of Wine, celebrating the region's deeply rooted wine culture with a refreshing drink.
Intercontinental Bordeaux - Le Grand Hotel
Meals:
8 Bordeaux – Delicacy of the Coast
Travel to Arcachon, a charming seaside town renowned for its oysters. Join an oysterman to cruise through his beds, savoring fresh oysters plucked straight from the sea. After lunch on board, view the Grande Dune du Pilat, largest sand dune in Europe, before returning to Bordeaux for the evening.
Intercontinental Bordeaux - Le Grand Hotel
Meals:
9 Bordeaux – Design Your Day
This morning, enjoy one of these Design Your Day activities.
- Explore the Installations at the Bassins de Lumiere, a dynamic art center featuring monumental immersive digital exhibitions.
- Indulge in a Sweet Gourmet Walking Tour of the city, stopping to sample pleasing desserts and other treats.
- Join a Private Bordeaux Wines Masterclass, sampling several regional whites and reds as well as a selection of charcuterie.
Mark the end of your journey with a celebratory farewell dinner.
Intercontinental Bordeaux - Le Grand Hotel
Meals:
10 Depart Bordeaux
After breakfast, take your private transfer to the airport for your departing flight.
Meals:
Excursions
Bordeaux - Gourmet tour - 8 hours
Bordeaux - Gourmet tour - 8 hours
“The historic centre of Bordeaux forms an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble, created in the Age of Enlightenment, whose values continued up to the first half of the 20th century, with more protected buildings than any other French city, except Paris. It is also recognized for its historic role as a place of exchange of cultural values over more than 2,000 years, particularly since the 12th century due to commercial links with Britain and the Low Countries.
From its medieval quarters to the Classical splendour of the Golden Age in the 18th Century, you will be able to discover a city emerging from a long face lift of over 5 years of work.
Our visit offers to combine historic discovery with regional and typical "delicacies" punctuated by three stops at specialized producers:
•Tasting of ewe cheese with jam of cherries from Pyrenean mountains
Tour Duration: 8 hours
Wheelchair Accessible: NO
Physical Activity Level: Light
- English speaking licensed driver guide with a deluxe car with AC at disposal
Does not include
Departure dates : all day , all year
Bordeaux - Cultural tour - 8 hours
Bordeaux - Cultural tour - 8 hours
From its medieval quarters to the Classical splendour of the Golden Age in the 18th Century, you will be able to discover a city emerging from a long face lift of over 5 years of work.
The futuristic tram network established in 2005 is evidence of the dynamism of today’s Bordeaux and the historic heart which has been given back to pedestrians, allow the visitors to discover the principal monuments illustrating the city’s History: the Palais Gallien amphitheatre (4th century), the Saint Seurin Basilica (11th century foundations), the Saint André Cathedral (13th century), the Porte Cailhau and the "Grosse Cloche" ("big bell", 15th century).
The 18th century gave the city its outstanding "Grand Theatre", a national opera house built in 1781, and the Allées de Tourny, as well as the remarkable waterfront buildings and the Place de la Bourse (formerly the Place Royale), a quarter over 4 kilometres in length which serves as the backdrop for the port’s trading activities.
Tour Duration:8 hours
Wheelchair Accessible: NO
Physical Activity Level: Light
- Transportation: pick up/drop off at the Port
- English speaking licensed driver guide with a deluxe car with AC at disposal
- All entrance fees
- All tax and Vat
Does not include
Departure dates : all day , all year
Bordeaux -Saint Emilion Wine Tour - 8 hours
Bordeaux -Saint Emilion Wine Tour - 8 hours
“Grape production was introduced into this fertile region of Aquitaine by the Romans and was intensified during the Middle Age. The area of Saint-Émilion benefited from its position on the pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostella and several churches, monasteries and hospices were built there from the XIth century onwards. It was granted its own jurisdictional status during the period of English rule in the XIIth century. This is an exceptional landscape entirely given over to grape-production and whose towns and villages are home to outstanding historic monuments.” (Unesco Cit.)
Centuries after the Latin poet Ausonius, the hermit Emilion found here peace and tranquility, which were necessary for his meditation. He discovered a grotto watered by a natural spring in the rocky centre of what is now the town bearing his name, where he lived until his death.
Private guided tour of the principal sights of the medieval town: the Emilion Hermitage, the Tour du Roy built in the 13th century by Richard the Lion heart, the collegiate church and its 14th century cloister and, above all, the exceptional monolithic church and its catacombs dug out of the limestone cliff between the 9th and the 11th centuries. Its 38 metre span makes it the largest such church in Europe.
Lunch will take place at a restaurant located in the city.
In the afternoon, visit with wine tasting at a Grand Cru Classé Saint Emilion.
Tour Duration:8 hours
Wheelchair Accessible: No
Physical Activity Level: Light,
- Transportation: pick up/drop off at the Port
- English speaking licensed driver guide with a deluxe car with AC at disposal
- All entrance fees & tasting
- All tax and Vat
Does not include
Departure dates : all day , all year
Bordeaux - A Wine, a Vintage, a Tasting… - 8 hours
Bordeaux - A Wine, a Vintage, a Tasting… - 8 hours
A Wine, a Vintage, a Tasting…
Taste and identify the differences between the great Bordeaux wines, according to the vintage…
Wine experts give a great importance to Vintages. Why is it so important? How to recognize the quality of the vintage? How to guess the vintage? Should we agree or is it a matter of taste? Let us taste 4 vintages from the same wine property and comment. The expert guides you and shares his knowledge while you comment and learn tricks of the trade.
Château Grand Vertical Tasting Workshop
The privilege of tasting 6 great vintages dating back as far as 20 years:
• Château de Ferrand 1988 & 1989
• Château de Ferrand 1998 & 1999
• Château de Ferrand 2008 & 2009
This workshop includes a private tour, an initiation into aromas, a tasting of 6 vintages, and a food/wine pairing with our “Assiette Gourmande”.
Schedule:
09:00am - Departure from the harbor of Bordeaux
10:00am - First winery tour such as Château Faugères
11:30am - Discover the enchanting medieval village of Saint-Emilion, classified by Unesco in 1999. A luminous, ochre-colored jewel built of limestone and Roman roof tiles, it is perched on a plateau and completely surrounded by a sea of vineyards.
The steep and narrow cobblestone streets are lined with remnants of monasteries and convents dating from the 11th to 18th centuries that tell the story of the village. A Unesco World Heritage-inspired scavenger hunt will bring you face to face with the art, wine and stunning landscapes of Saint-Emilion.
12:30pm to 02:00pm - Time to stroll and have lunch
02:30 pm - Wine tasting at Chateau La Dominique
05:00pm - End of the tour
Tour Duration: 8 hours
Wheelchair Accessible: NO
Physical Activity Level: Light,
Package price includes
- Transportation: Pick up/drop off at the Port
- Day Tour: English speaking driver guide with sedan deluxe car
- 2 winery visits and vertical workshop
Bordeaux - About Grape Varietals… - 8 hours
Bordeaux - About Grape Varietals… - 8 hours
It's possible to have this activity in any Bordeaux wine appellation!
Wine tasting: Merlot or Cabernet?
There are 2 major top grape varieties in Bordeaux: Cabernet Sauvignon produces Ch. Mouton Rothschild and Merlot Pétrus. Each grape variety taste very different. The terroir and the work carried out by Man can exalt each grape and create amazing Bordeaux wines. During the blind tasting find out which grape has been used in the wine before or after its oak ageing. Merlot or Cabernet?
Theory put in practice:
Blending is an art
Wine taster & Expert
Tour Duration: 8 hours
Wheelchair Accessible: NO
Physical Activity Level: Light,
- Transportation: pick up/drop off at the Port
- English speaking driver guide with sedan deluxe car
- 2 winery visits
- Blending sessions
Bordeaux - Wine Architecture in Saint-Emilion - 8 hours
Bordeaux - Wine Architecture in Saint-Emilion - 8 hours
The methods and philosophies used in their production have by and large remained true to the old traditions; modern technology however has undeniably played an ever-more important role in recent years.
To add even more significance to this glorious culture of the grape, if that was possible, the past decade has seen some of Europe’s most highly-acclaimed and imaginative architects taking time off from their ground-breaking and spectacular major urban projects to contribute their innovative designs to the cellars and vat rooms of some of the region’s top châteaux.
Discover Architectures / Understand Classification/Discover techniques of wine making and appreciate wine tastings!
09:00 am - Departure from the harbor of Bordeaux
Tour Duration: 8 hours
Wheelchair Accessible: no
Physical Activity Level: Light,
Package price includes
- Transportation: pick up/drop off at the Port
- English speaking driver guide with sedan deluxe car
- 2 winery visits
- Monument tour in Saint-Emilion
Vacation Details
* This departure has been designated a guaranteed departure by the operator, meaning that the minimum number of guests has been met, although still subject to weather and other conditions.
All fares are quoted in US Dollars.
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