A week in La Rioja

  • A fascinating 7-day guided trip full of sensations for all the senses.
  • 6 hiking routes that, like good wines, will leave you with a great taste in your mouth.
  • With guided visits to wineries and other places of historical and cultural interest.
  • Tour led by a local guide with extensive knowledge of the region.
  • Stay in three different areas in order to get to know the most interesting corners of La Rioja really well.
  • Accommodation in three rural hotels with high levels of comfort and service.
  • Fully organized trip with all costs included.
  • Possibility of extending your trip with an extra stay in the beautiful cities of San Sebastián and Bilbao.

La Rioja is an inland region of northern Spain that is bathed by one of our most important rivers: the Ebro. Its orography is almost flat, although it is delimited by two mountain systems: the Cantabria mountain range to the north and different mountain ranges of the Iberian System to the south. The climate of La Rioja is quite dry, with little rainfall and very pleasant temperatures throughout the year, although winters are usually cold and it is possible to have hot days in summer. These features make this region an extraordinary area for the growing and production of its famous wines, which have earned fame and recognition throughout the world. Indeed, this whole region is dotted with small villages with countless wineries, many of which can be visited. Some of them are located in modern buildings that, by themselves, attract numerous tourists who come to visit these avant-garde constructions and enjoy the tourism related to the world of wine.

But in addition to offering excellent wines and delicious gastronomy, La Rioja is a fantastic place for hiking. In fact, there are many trails and paths that cover all corners of this region, offering the hiker interesting routes that combine history, culture and scenery.

This trip has been designed following the same process for making a good wine: without haste, with patience, allowing time to pass and discover the best hiking routes and the most interesting places and wineries to visit. Indeed, after having walked and analyzed many itineraries in depth, at Walking North Spain we have designed and selected 6 different routes to ensure the maximum enjoyment of our clients. To this end, three different places have been selected to stay overnight, not far apart, but that show the different corners of this region. Two different routes begin from each of these locations and all of them can be adapted to the distance you want to cover each day.

Some of the itineraries run over terrain with little difference in altitude, while others have a more mountainous character, reaching some summits from where you can enjoy the beautiful scenery. You will discover many surprises of great interest along these routes, making each hike complete and entertaining.

In addition, as this trip is lead by a guide with extensive experience in the area, some of the days may be completed with a visit to a place of cultural interest or one of the best wineries in the region in order to know the production process and taste its fantastic wines.

At the end of each day, we will spend the night in charming lodgings located in beautiful typical villages of the area, which are also well worth a visit.

  • Day 1: Arrival day
    The person from our organization in charge of guiding this trip will pick you up in San Sebastián or Bilbao and take you to the first village in La Rioja where we will stay the first three nights. Information meeting to talk about the activity to be developed in the next few days, especially about the routes that will be carried out around this area, and answer any questions you may have. Dinner in a restaurant and overnight stay in a charming rural house.
  • Days 2 and 3: Two hiking routes from the first place of accommodation
    As from the other villages where we will spend the night in the next few days, we will do two hiking routes from this first village.
    The first route is more mountainous since it is 17.5 km long and with a height gain of 925 metres in all, although its itinerary is quite easy to walk. In addition, as with the other routes of this trip, it is possible to shorten the walk and reduce it to 13.9 km. with a height gain of 775 metres. It is a route over a mountain that offers beautiful views and whose ascent follows well-marked and easy to follow tracks and paths. The second of the offered routes is longer than the previous one, since its length is 26.6 km in all, although it runs over a flatter terrain, so its height gain is only 575 metres, providing an easy walk along very well marked tracks and paths. This route can be shortened at two different spots, reducing it to either 20.4 or 17 km. Whatever the chosen length, the route has a number of remarkable places that make the path entertaining and interesting for the hiker.
    Once the second route is finished, you will spend the third consecutive night in the charming rural house at this first village.
  • Days 4 and 5: Two more hiking routes from the second place of accommodation
    After breakfast, we will leave the first village where we have stayed and make a short transfer to a lovely second village among beautiful mountains.
    After leaving our luggage at the hotel, we will be able to start the first route from the very door of the hotel. It is a lovely circular route in the vicinity of the village. We will walk through forests and mountains that have an exuberant nature, with many different types of trees and a large number of animals, including squirrels, deers, roe deers and wild boars. Its length is 14 km and its height gain 785 metres.
    The next day's route requires a short 5 km transfer. From the starting point, the route starts climbing through a wooded valley to a mountain pass at 1,500 metres from where, in addition to enjoying spectacular views of the mountains of the area, we might decide to walk a little more to one of the nearby peaks.
    Another path with very good views goes down directly from the mountain pass to the village where the accommodation is located. This second route is 13.3 km long and has a height gain of 725 mts. although it can be extended if desired.
    A good dinner and a well deserved rest in the hotel will be the end of the stay in this beautiful village which we will visit at sunset.
  • Days 6 and 7: Two last hiking routes from the third place of accommodation
    After breakfast, we will make our last transfer to the third town where we spend the last two nights. Another beautiful village with special charm.
    Upon arrival, we will leave the luggage and make the first route from this town during the morning. This route runs over terrain that is almost flat, following paths among the innumerable vineyards of the area and returns to the village after visiting three other nearby villages. The distance to cover is only 13.9 km and with a height gain of 330 metres. In the afternoon, we will visit one of the famous wineries in this area where they will show us the process of making a good wine and organize a wine tasting for us.
    On the next day, the last route takes place on a slightly steeper terrain, although it is still very easy to follow. We will leave from the same village and visit a series of interesting points, so the tour is very entertaining. In all, this last route is 18.7 km long and has a height gain of 785 metres, though it can be shortened to 15 kms, or even less.
    Back at the hotel, a visit to this beautiful town and a good dinner provide an appropriate ending to a wonderful week.
  • Day 8: Departure day

This is the summary of the programme:
Day 1: Arrival to the starting point.
Days 2 and 3: Two hiking routes from the first village.
Days 4 and 5: Transfer to the next village and two other hiking routes from there.
Days 6 and 7: Transfer to the last village and two last hiking routes. Visit to a local winery.
Day 8: Departure day.

The order of this programme could be changed for different reasons, such as the availability of accommodation or weather forecasts. Any change would be communicated to customers in advance.

You stay in villages that are not very large and, therefore, do not offer as much choice of accommodation as can be found in the big cities. Despite this limitation, there is a network of small hotels and rural houses that offer all the comfort and amenities that the hiker needs for a good rest, always with personal and friendly service.

The fact that we are a local travel agency has allowed us to directly select the best establishments in the area. We have been able to choose them in person, visit them frequently and have direct contact with the owners. All this guarantees that they are the perfect places for our customers to rest after a beautiful day of walking, recharge their batteries with a good dinner and a good breakfast in order to fully enjoy the next stage.

The dates for this trip are flexible and depend on two factors:

  1. The available dates of the client
  2. Whether the guide who organizes and leads the trip is also available on the same dates

The procedure to arrange the trip is as follows:

  1. If you are interested, please send an e-mail to Walking North Spain (info@walkingnorthspain.com) indicating the dates when you wish to come. Ideally, you should indicate as broad a date period as possible, that is to say, as long as possible:
    • If you can only set very specific dates, indicate exactly what they are but,
    • If you are flexible over a longer period of time (e. g. several weeks, several months or even any time of the year), please indicate this in your request.
  2. The objective is to be able to form a group from the people who are interested in making a particular trip. Therefore, the greater the flexibility in the dates you indicate, the easier it is to match up the dates available, both of the guide and of other clients.
  3. When Walking North Spain receives the first request for a trip, it will check the availability, both for the accommodation, and for a guide for those dates. One of the following two cases may occur:
    • There is no accommodation and/or guide available for those dates: in this case, Walking North Spain will inform the interested clients about this event and ask as to what other dates might be possible.
    • Both the accommodation and guide are available for those dates: in this case, in principle, the trip will be made on the requested dates by those clients who first sent their request to the agency but:
      • If the number of clients interested in this first request is 4 or more people, then those dates can be considered confirmed and the trip will be made on the requested dates.
      • If the number of clients interested in this first request is less than 4, the agency will try to organise the trip for those dates, but will not be able to confirm this until after some time has passed in which it will try to add other potential clients. Once a minimum group of 4 people has been reached, or if Walking North Spain has decided to make the trip, even if it is with fewer clients, the trip will be confirmed to the clients who have signed up for it.
  4. As can be seen, in principle, the minimum number of people is 4 but, even if your request is for fewer people, we recommend sending us your request as early as possible because, depending on the availability of the guide, it is possible that the trip can be made for a smaller group, even for just one couple. In addition, if you are the first to request the trip for specific dates, the agency will do everything possible to meet your request.
  5. For this reason, it is important that you send us your request as soon as you can, indicating the widest possible period of time in which you could make the trip.
  6. If a group of 4 or more people sign up at the same time, it would be possible to adapt the trip to their preferences, for example, regarding its duration or the number of days to stay in each place.
  7. Finally, it is quite possible that, if there are enough requests, this trip will be made several times in the same year, so there may be a better chance of finding dates to best match your schedule.

PRICES (*)

SEASON DATES Price per person Single supplement
Low October to May 1,465 € 185 €
Mid June and September 1,495 € 200 €
High July and August (**) 1,545 € 200 €

(*) Prices are per person and based on two people sharing a twin or double room

(**) Easter and other special days are also considered high season

Included:

This is an ALL INCLUDED trip:

  • Pick up in San Sebastián or Bilbao and transfer to the first rural house.
  • Information meeting to explain the programme of the trip, show the routes to be followed and resolve any possible doubts.
  • 3 nights accommodation in the rural hotel in the first village.
  • 2 guided hiking routes from the first village.
  • Transfer to the second village.
  • 2 nights accommodation in the hotel in the second village.
  • 2 guided hiking routes from the second village.
  • Transfer to the third village.
  • 2 nights accommodation in the hotel in the third village.
  • 2 guided hiking routes from the third village.
  • Visit to a local winery.
  • Breakfast each morning.
  • Picnic lunches on walking days.
  • All dinners, menu including house wine and other drinks.
  • Baggage transfers between accommodations.
  • Transfer back to San Sebastián or Bilbao at the end of the trip.

Not included:

  • Flights or any other means of transport to/from San Sebastián or Bilbao (*). For more information, see the "How to get here" section of the "Information" tab.
  • Insurance.
  • Any extra drinks, apart from those already served on the menus of the 7 included dinners. These additional drinks should be paid for directly at the restaurant.
  • Possible visits to other places of interest.
  • Any extra night in San Sebastián or Bilbao, at the beginning or end of the trip. (**)

(*) Possibility to order private transfers from/to Biarritz

(**) Possibility to organize additional nights of accommodation. Please contact us if you are interested.

Do I have to make any reservation or do anything myself?
The only thing you have to look after is your round trip to and from San Sebastian or Bilbao (remember that we can advise and help you with the arrangements). Everything else is included so you don't have to worry about anything, we look after everything. You just have to worry about coming here and enjoying your trip to the fullest.

How can I get to the area?
Today, the Basque Country is a highly developed area that has very good communications by land, sea and air making it easy to get to San Sebastian or Bilbao. There are several options to fly to our different airports and our cities are connected by modern motorways. You also have the option of coming by bus, train and even by boat if you come from Great Britain. For more information, see the "How to get here" section of the "Information" tab.
Once in San Sebastian or Bilbao, we pick you up and take you throughout the entire trip. At the end of the trip, we will take you back to San Sebastian or Bilbao so that you can return home or continue on your trip from there.

What currency and language is used in the area?
As in the other countries of the European Union, the currency used is the euro and Spanish is the spoken language. English is not generally used in these areas and, when it is, the level may be basic. In any case, a bilingual guide will be with you at all times, so you won't have any problems in understanding the locals.

Is it a safe area?
Yes, fortunately this area is very safe and visitors do not usually have any problems on their trip.
However, we recommend taking the usual common sense precautions against theft.

Can I book a single person trip?
Yes, as long as there are other people on that same trip. Walking North Spain cannot offer guided trips for a single person. There will be an individual supplement for single person reservations.

What is the best time of year to make this trip?
This trip can be made at any time of the year but, undoubtedly, the best dates are the months of September and October, which is when the vineyards are most beautiful and the harvest takes place. For this reason, at this time it is possible to attend some festivals that take place in the villages, including some activities related to grape harvesting and pressing, which make the trip much more complete and interesting.

What are the routes like? Are they very long or difficult?
In general, the selected routes for this trip are between 13 and 25 kilometres, with a height gain of between 330 and 925 metres, so that everybody accustomed to hill-walking and is reasonably fit can hike our routes without any difficulty. In addition, most of these routes can be shortened. Walking North Spain is also able to choose those routes that best suit the preferences and characteristics of the group.

Will it be possible to shorten some routes?
The group will be led by a single guide if there are 8 or fewer clients. With just one guide the group cannot be divided and everyone will have to follow the same itinerary. There will be 2 guides leading if there are 9 or more clients in the group making it possible to shorten the routes for part of the group.

I have some dietary restrictions, is it possible to take this into account?
Of course, although one of the main attractions of this area is its gastronomy, every year we welcome people who have dietary restrictions. In these cases, we inform all the accommodations and restaurants we visit so that this is taken into account.

If you have any other questions, please click here and send us an email with your query. Thank you very much.


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Other Walking North Spain trips:

Self-guided:

Camino de Santiago
Northern route

Camino de Santiago
Baztán route

The enchanted villages
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The best routes of
La Rioja

Guided:

San Sebastián +
Navarran Pyrenees

Gipuzkoa +
Northern Navarra

Secret routes of the
 Basque Country

Western Pyrenees

French Basque Country

French Pyrenees

Special trips:

Tailor made
walking holidays

Hiking and
Mountain Clubs

 

 

 

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