Born and raised in the Basque Country, Alfonso lives in San Sebastian, and has been helping travelers discover the best of his home region for almost 20 years.

An outdoor enthusiast and lover of all things art, culture, and heritage, he focuses on designing unique experiences that not only show off the best that the Basque Country has to offer, but also help you understand this region and see just what makes it so special and distinct.

While Alfonso will certainly show you the highlights, he specializes in taking travelers out into his region’s beautiful nature, to experience the local farms and workshops, and to meet and understand the people here.

Duration: 3 hours

Cost: $375 USD

Price includes: Your guide

Max participants: 8

Note: All tours are private (only you and your group)

San Sebastian is one of the most elegant cities in Europe, and its historic core is a Belle Epoque masterpiece, filled with elegant bridges, grand old buildings, and stately streets and squares.

So join me for a few hours and let’s discover this charming city together! We’ll begin in the old town, touring the historic squares, streets, churches, and bridges of this gorgeous city. Afterwards, we’ll stroll along the river, making our way down to the seaside, where we’ll admire the iconic La Concha beach, the impressive El Kursaal congress hall, and the nearby Zurriola beach.

Along the way, we’ll learn about the history of this city, from ancient times through to the present day, will discuss the mysterious Basque language, and will get a taste for what makes this city and the greater region so distinct from the rest of Spain.

And if you’re feeling hungry, we have the option of mixing in a food tour with our walk, during which we can hop from bar to bar sampling the pintxos, cider, txakoli wine, and other drinks/dishes that San Sebastian is so famous for.

Duration: 4-6 hours depending on pace

Cost: $570 USD + $145 per person for bicycle rentals and gastronomic tour/experience

Price includes: Your guide, bicycle rentals, all meals/tastings

Max participants: 8

Note: All tours are private (only you and your group)

What better way is there to see San Sebastian than by bike?! We’ll start the tour by following along the city’s coastline, visiting beautiful spots full of energy, and stopping to admire works of art like the "Peine del Viento" sculpture.

We’ll see the iconic La Concha beach, the grand El Kursaal congress hall, and lovely Zurriola beach nearby. After that, we’ll continue along the path of the Urumea river and will trace the development of the city and its borders, enjoying the grand Belle Epoque era architecture around us.

During the bike ride, we’ll stick to city’s greenways, meaning that you don’t need to worry about cars or traffic.

Once we finish with the cycling route, we’ll leave the bikes behind and will set off on foot into the old town to tour historic San Sebastian and begin our gastronomic experience: mixing with locals, we’ll hop from one bar to the next as we feast on pintxos and local drinks and discover the city’s cuisine.

Highlights:

• Seaside bike ride along the bay of La Concha and to & El Cursal (beach and congress hall)

• Riverside ride through Belle Epoque era San Sebastian

• Peine del Viento sculpture system

• Orteiza’s artworks

• Old town walking and food tour

Duration: 4-6 hours depending on pace

Cost: $570 USD + $50 per person for lunch/gastronomic experience

Price includes: Your guide, snacks, lunch/gastronomic experience

Not included in cost: approx. $5 per person for public transportation (bus and optional boat ride)

Max participants: 8

Note: All tours are private (only you and your group)

If you’re looking for an active day with gorgeous scenery, starting right in San Sebastian, this is the tour for you.

We’ll set off on the beautiful 9 km (5.5 miles) coastal hiking route that stretches between San Sebastian and the town of Pasaia, taking in magnificent ocean views along the way.

The path is surrounded by nature, and feels a world away from the busy city. After 2-3 hours of easy hiking, we’ll reach the natural harbor of Pasaia, whose picturesque, narrow entrance provides the protection that boats and ships have been benefitting from for centuries.

On arrival in Pasaia, we’ll stop in for a meal at a local restaurant, for rewarding ourselves after our hard work! I will curate the meal so as to offer a comprehensive introduction to Basque cuisine, giving you a chance to taste a wide assortment of local specialties and flavors.

As we eat and wander around the town, you’ll quickly notice that most everyone around you will be speaking Basque - so open your senses to this unique language with its still-unknown origins.

Once we finish our lunch, we’ll have the option of taking a public ferry ride across the Bay of Pasajes, and will eventually catch the bus for the 20-minute ride back into downtown San Sebastian.

Tour highlights:

• 9 km (5.5 miles) easy hike

• Ocean views and gorgeous nature

• Lunch in a local restaurant, featuring an array of typical Basque dishes

• Optional ferry ride across the Bay of Pasajes

Duration: 8 hours

Cost: variable by group size

• Up to 3 participants: $805 USD + $95 per person for boat ride and winery visit & tasting

• 4-8 participants: $1170 USD + $95 per person for boat ride and winery visit & tasting

Price includes: Your guide, 1.5 hour boat ride, winery visit & tastings, round-trip transportation

Max participants: 8

Note: All tours are private (only you and your group)

Ready for a full-day excursion along the Basque Coast? For anyone interested in the sea, geology, and wine, prepare for an unforgettable day.

In the morning, we’ll set off from San Sebastian for the coastal town of Zumaia, where we’ll take a short hike along the incredible, sheer seaside cliffs. A truly dramatic landscape, we’ll learn about the geological past of this territory, which you may already be familiar with (unbeknownst to you!) from its depiction in the Game of Thrones TV series!

Following the walk, we’ll head down to the beach and will board a small boat (typically around 15 passengers) for a 1.5 hour tour along the coast, providing incredible views and more information about these cliffs, which are a Flysch formation.

After the boat ride, we’ll leave Zumaia behind and will visit a winery near the town of Getaria (the hometown of Balenciaga and Elkano). The winery produces “txakoli”, which is a lightly sparkling very dry white wine from the Basque Country. This is a great chance to taste excellent local wines along with other local products like anchovies, tuna, and peppers.

Whenever we’re ready to depart from the winery, we’ll hop back in the car for the 30-minute drive back to San Sebastian.

Tour highlights:

• Walk along Zumaia’s flysch cliffs

• 1.5 hour boat ride

• Winery visit with tasting and snacks

Duration: 5-7 hours depending on pace

Cost: variable by group size

• Up to 3 participants: $805 USD + $90 per person for picnic lunch and cheese farm visit & tastings

• 4-8 participants: $1170 USD + $90 per person for picnic lunch and cheese farm visit & tastings

Price includes: Your guide, picnic lunch, farm visit and tastings

Max participants: 8

Note: All tours are private (only you and your group)

Let’s head off into the mountains! With this tour, you have the chance to spend the day hiking in one of the most beautiful areas of the Basque Country while following one of the most famous pilgrimage routes in Europe: the Way of Saint James (Camino de Santiago).

Getting an early start from San Sebastian, a 45-minute drive will have us out in the heat of the Basque countryside. There, we’ll leave the car behind and will set off on the hiking route, along a medieval path that goes over the San Adrian tunnel before crossing into Aizkorri Natural Park.  

We’ll walk/hike for around 3 hours, all the while enjoying the colors of nature (according to the moment of the year!), and admiring a very elegant beech forest. Whenever we get hungry, we’ll stop for a picnic lunch (prepared by me).

Once we finish the hike, we’ll visit a local cheese farm to have a tasting experience, including our local cider, and will learn about the tradition of this dirnk, which is deeply connected with the Basque people.

Tour highlights:

• Hike along the Way of Saint James

• San Adrian tunnel

• Visit to a local cheese farm for food and cider tastings

Looking for something a bit different?

All of Alfonso’s tours can be fully customized to you, your interests, and travel style. If you’d like something totally unique, you can work one-on-one with Alfonso to co-create a one of a kind tour.

To get started, request a custom tour below and provide us some initial ideas about what you’re looking for. Alfonso will then reach out to you directly to start planning your tour together.