How much does it cost?

From £2,799 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $3,781 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.

Is this an escorted or independent tour?

It is escorted. Great Rail Journeys provides a UK Tour Manager from start to finish, and includes guided tours of San Sebastián and Bilbao, a wine tasting, and daily breakfasts and selected dinners.

All seven nights are at the four-star Parador de Hondarribia, a restored 10th-century castle overlooking the Cantabrian Sea. A Superior Room upgrade is available as an optional extra.

Great Rail Journeys operates departures in April, May, June, and October 2027.

What meals are included?

Breakfast each day, light meals on Eurostar (outbound and return), pintxos lunch in San Sebastián, a four-course dinner at a cider house, and a paired lunch at a Rioja winery. Evening meals on days 2, 4, 5 and 6 are not included and are at your own cost.

What activities are included?

Entry to Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum, guided walking tours of San Sebastián and Bilbao, the vintage Le Petit Train de la Rhune, a guided wine tasting in Laguardia, and a cider house tour. Days 4 and 7 are entirely free.

Great Rail Journeys · Escorted tour

Wonders of Basque Country: San Sebastián & Bilbao

Eight-day escorted rail journey through Spain and France's Basque Country

Great Rail Journeys operates this eight-day escorted tour through Spain and France's Basque Country, centred on Hondarribia, a restored 10th-century castle hotel overlooking the Cantabrian Sea. Beginning in London, you travel by Eurostar Plus to Paris, then First Class rail to Hendaye on the Spanish border, arriving on day 1. The next seven days are based in Hondarribia while guided excursions and included rail journeys take you to San Sebastián for a pintxos lunch and walking tour, across the border to Saint-Jean-de-Luz and aboard the vintage Le Petit Train de la Rhune mountain railway for panoramic Pyrenean views, into Bilbao for the Guggenheim Museum, and through the Rioja wine region to Laguardia for a cellar tasting and paired winery lunch. Days 4 and 7 are free to explore the medieval Old Town, waterside walks, or nearby beaches. On day 8 you return by First Class rail and Eurostar Plus to London. The tour suits food-and-wine travellers, repeat rail passengers, couples seeking a stable base, and history enthusiasts drawn to medieval coastal towns and castle accommodation.

Price history

Across 5 checks, this price has held at £2,799 every time.

Each point is a day we checked this operator's own page, not a weekly average, and the line holds flat between checks rather than guessing at movement we did not see. 3 of 5 points are a live read of the operator's page. Hollow points are values shown when the trip was first listed here and never confirmed with the operator.

What to know before you look closer

3 times the per-person price
Seven of eight nights are spent in one hotel; this is a base-and-excursion tour rather than a journey stopping in multiple towns
The group is capped at 30 travellers; confirm current availability before booking

Day by day

Day 1railovernight: Hondarribia
From London to Hondarribia on the Basque Coast
Meeting the Tour Manager at London St Pancras, we board the Eurostar to Paris in Plus class with a light meal at our seats, then continue by First Class rail to Hendaye. A coach takes us over the border to Hondarribia, where we spend the next seven nights at the four-star Parador de Hondarribia, a restored 10th-century castle overlooking the Plaza de Armas.
Day 2overnight: Hondarribia
Sampling pintxos & soaking up the culture of San Sebastián
Driving to San Sebastián after breakfast, we take a guided walking tour of the city before sampling pintxos over a lunchtime txikiteo. The afternoon is free to explore the beach, take a boat trip to Santa Clara island, or visit the San Telmo Museum.
Day 3railovernight: Hondarribia
Le Petit Train de la Rhune & dinner at a cider house
A transfer to Saint-Jean-de-Luz for free time, then we board the Petit Train de La Rhune for a scenic journey to the summit of La Rhune Mountain, with panoramic views across the Pyrenees and the Atlantic. Afterwards, we visit an artisanal cider house for a tour and an authentic Basque four-course meal.
Day 4overnight: Hondarribia
A free day in Hondarribia
A day at leisure to explore Hondarribia's Old Town (Casco Antiguo), from the Santa Maria Gate to the San Nicolas Gate, and sample pintxos bars in the evening.
Day 5overnight: Hondarribia
Visiting the Guggenheim Museum and Bilbao
A drive to Bilbao to visit the Guggenheim Museum, with entry included, followed by free time to explore the Old Town, Arenal Gardens, La Ribera market or Mount Artxanda.
Day 6overnight: Hondarribia
A day in La Rioja winelands with lunch
A coach excursion to the hilltop village of Laguardia, followed by a guided wine tasting in a cellar beneath the Palace of the Samaniegos, then lunch at a modern winery in the Rioja Valley paired with local Rioja wine.
Day 7overnight: Hondarribia
A full day at leisure in Hondarribia
A free day, perhaps walking the Hondarribia seafront promenade or the Camino de la Bahia trail, before a final group dinner at a charming restaurant in Hondarribia.
Day 8rail
Homeward bound
We bid farewell to the Basque Country after breakfast, transferring by coach to Hendaye for our First Class rail journey to Paris, then joining the Eurostar in Plus class with a light meal before arriving at London St Pancras this evening.

The moments this trip is built around

Day 1Arrive at the Parador de Hondarribia, a restored 10th-century castle overlooking the Plaza de Armas and the Cantabrian Sea
Day 2Sample pintxos over lunch in San Sebastián, the culinary capital of Spain, on a guided walking tour and txikiteo tradition experience
Day 3Board the vintage Le Petit Train de la Rhune for a scenic rack railway journey to the 905-metre summit with panoramic Pyrenean and Atlantic views
Day 5Visit Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum to view works by Jeff Koons, Louise Bourgeois, Anish Kapoor and Mark Rothko
Day 6Enjoy a guided wine tasting in a cellar beneath the Palace of the Samaniegos in Laguardia, followed by paired lunch at a modern winery overlooking the Rioja Valley

Included

Expertise of a UK Tour Manager from start to finish
7 nights' 4-Star hotel accommodation
Eurostar Plus First Class rail travel
All rail and coach travel throughout your tour
Eurostar light meals
Breakfast each day, 2 lunches, 2 dinners
All guided tours and excursions

Not included

Cancellation & Travel Insurance

Questions travellers ask

How much does it cost?: From £2,799 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $3,781 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.
Is this an escorted or independent tour?: It is escorted. Great Rail Journeys provides a UK Tour Manager from start to finish, and includes guided tours of San Sebastián and Bilbao, a wine tasting, and daily breakfasts and selected dinners.
Where do we stay?: All seven nights are at the four-star Parador de Hondarribia, a restored 10th-century castle overlooking the Cantabrian Sea. A Superior Room upgrade is available as an optional extra.
When does it run?: Great Rail Journeys operates departures in April, May, June, and October 2027.
What meals are included?: Breakfast each day, light meals on Eurostar (outbound and return), pintxos lunch in San Sebastián, a four-course dinner at a cider house, and a paired lunch at a Rioja winery. Evening meals on days 2, 4, 5 and 6 are not included and are at your own cost.
What activities are included?: Entry to Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum, guided walking tours of San Sebastián and Bilbao, the vintage Le Petit Train de la Rhune, a guided wine tasting in Laguardia, and a cider house tour. Days 4 and 7 are entirely free.